[MUD-Dev] On socialization and convenience

[Geoffrey A. MacDougall]

From: Koster, Raph [mailto:rkoster at verant.com]
> From: Freeman, Jeff

<snip about adding the law re: Socializing requiring downtime>

>> Argh.  Resist the tempation.  It's not right!

> Well, I haven't heard a good argument against it yet. :)

Well, that sounds like a challenge if I've ever heard one... ;)

How about the argument that since the law, in its proposed form,
does not actually speak to the true issue, but simply a sub-set
thereof, that the law's inclusion in the Laws would be detrimentally
misleading, and therefore counter-productive to the mandate of the
document as a whole?

I'll use a quote from Marian's last post to begin the argument...

  "Downtime is psychologically necessary for players. If the
  experience is sufficiently intense players need time to reorient
  themselves. I clearly remember the first time I went to visit
  dangerous monsters on muds I have played. ... After the
  nerve-wracking experience of stepping through the portal to the
  most fearsome monster in the game I was mentally spent. ...after
  that nobody was fit to play.  All we could do was hang out and
  lick our wounds, talking about what happened and what had gone
  wrong, or sometimes, right."

To state that Socialization requires downtime is to express an
incomplete, and therefore inaccurate thought.  Socialization *does*
require downtime.  But the very use of the term 'downtime' implies
that there must also be an 'uptime'.  You'll note that in Marion's
example, the primary use of the downtime was to socialize about, and
recover from the activities that occurred during the uptime.  I.e.,
you need to have periods of excited activity within a game to
contrast with the periods of inactivity for the periods of
inactivity to have any definition, and/or meaning.

Therefore, to state that socialization requires downtime is akin to
stating that a game of chess requires a set of white pieces.  It
does require white pieces, but it also requires black pieces.  It's
much better to state that a game of chess requires a set of white
and black pieces.  When driving, you need to signal before you turn
left.  You also, however, need to signal before you turn right.
Therefore, the law that is in place addresses a higher level of
understanding and activity, in that it states you must signal before
you turn.  Period.

The statement 'Socialization requires downtime,' in that it solely
addresses one aspect of a broader issue, is misleading, and
therefore inaccurate, as a game in which there was only inactivity
would adequately meet the requirements of the law, but would not
attract any players, and therefore not provide the opportunity to
socialize.

A phrasing that would be accurate, however, would read something
like "Socialization requires multiple, and discernable periods of
time in which the players' physical and mental energies are taxed to
markedly differing degrees."

*I* rest *my* case...

>8p

G.
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