[MUD-Dev] On socialization and convenience

[Paul Sage]

I never speak up on this list too much, as I am far more of a lurker
by nature.  However, I would have to agree with Jeff that downtime
is not relational to socialization in anything more than an
ancillary way.  I believe that socialization can be summed up as
introduction and then companionship.

Gameplay elements, such as a crisis situation where another player
needs a specialist such as the need for a healer, a wealthy merchant
or the need for a fighter adds to introduction points.  Of course
specialization is only one such avenue.  Nonetheless, I don't think
downtime really does anything useful for introduction, unless
helping one another shorten downtime is considered downtime.

Companionship is where downtime helps, but only insomuch as you are
giving people time to socialize, and probably not offering them
anything else to do.  This does encourage people to look for other
interesting and compatible individuals to help them while away the
time, but it has one very negative impact.  It is time wasting.  I
have a very limited schedule to visit the world, downtime is an exit
point for me.  So I would like to offer an alternative.  Leisure
time.  If you have a quick way for people to visit leisure spots
such as casinos, nightclubs, concert halls, etc... you encourage
socialization.  (Of course, they can take the leisure activities
with them.)  There are also many other ways to encourage
socialization, and I don't want to bring this discussion into other
avenues that I am convinced most people here know.  So I also oppose
adding this postulate to the LAWS, but if you feel so inclined, like
Judas Priest, I'll be "breakin' the law!"
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