[MUD-Dev] When is the game a game?

[Caliban Tiresias Darklock]

I've been working a lot on (and talking a lot about) my game system
lately. Occasionally I'll describe how it handles things here, and
use that as an example.

The catch, of course, is that the game *system* is not actually part
of any coherent *game*. It does not run anywhere. It is not in
distribution. It is not even playable, as it currently
stands. However, the game systems are defined and in most cases even
implemented in test drivers. Those few systems that are not
implemented are "proven" by other test drivers -- once I know that
"an object" is properly handled in every way, I don't have to test
EVERY object. If a given object is supposed to be something you can
buy, sell, use, and drop... well, once we know that buy, sell, and
drop work, we only need to test "use" for other objects. Similar
circumstances exist for other "partial" systems.

Which leads to the question, when is the game actually a game?
Certainly, when the game is completed and placed online for people
to play and people actually do *play* it, it's a game. But what
about before then?

This is primarily a philosophical question with no real practical
use.  I'd just like to hear other people's opinions on it.

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