[MUD-Dev] Absolute Death (legalese mode on)

[Matt Mihaly]

On Mon, 25 Jun 2001, Caliban Tiresias Darklock wrote:
> On Sat, 23 Jun 2001 06:14:49 +0000 (GMT), Matt Mihaly
> <the_logos at achaea.com> wrote:
 
>> "Logical result of the reality created by the MUD?" And how would
>> you determine this?
 
> Each individual designer knows what his MUD's "reality" is
> supposed to be. He also knows what is and is not logical within
> that reality.  Theoretically, the players know this as well.

The designer knows, but it's not the designer's decision. It is the
decision of the players, and individual players come up with
different conclusions.

>> It's not even applicable to most MUDs, as they do not operate on
>> axiomatic principles. MUDs are generally collections of systems
>> that are not related by any higher principle.
 
> Yes they are. That higher principle is called a "design". Design
> is partially the domain of designers (as you would expect). It is
> also the domain of developers, who may alter the design during
> implementation.  And it is further the domain of administrators,
> who should have the capacity to alter the behavior of their own
> individual games. Some games also place certain aspects of the
> design into the hands of builders (who might also be considered
> part of the development team), and into the hands of the players
> themselves.

I've yet to see a design that operates on axiomatic
principles. Please post an example here. "Design" also does not
refer to any specific principles, but just to a 'plan' (however
arbitrary) with an intent behind it.

>> There is usually no way to claim that something is the necessary
>> logical result of something else.
 
> Not generically, no. However, within the context of the game's
> reality, there *is* a certain logic under which specific results
> are necessary and enforced. Normally, that logic is at least
> partially under the player's control through selecting his
> character's actions.

Yes, on a very small scope, a lot of the actions are
predictable. But most of the game is not. For instance, in Achaea
you have to eat and drink, but you never have to urinate or
defecate. That makes no logical sense at all, even within the
context of the world. It just is. I find that sort of thing runs
rampant in every single MUD I've ever played. I don't think it's
necessarily a bad thing incidentally.

--matt
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