[MUD-Dev] Logical MUD Areas

[John Buehler]

Matt Mihaly writes:
> On Wed, 9 May 2001, Jon Lambert wrote:
>> John Buehler

>>> Ever read "The Swords Trilogy"?  In it, there are these mud-based
>>> creatures that rise up out of a swamp and attack the good guys.
>>> Soulless, beings without senses, but with weapons for arms.  This
>>> is a pretty good starting point for what I'm talking about.  These
>>> aren't beings with babies.  They are the medieval equivalent of
>>> robots.  You don't kill them, you take them apart.  Meanwhile,
>>> they're emotionlessly trying to kill you.

>>> This is a recipe that I believe can make 'fatal' combat viable
>>> without considerable detrimental effects.

> Do you have any reason to believe that though? You're talking about
> pretty in-depth psychological issues here. If it's just based on a
> gut-feeling, then you're shooting in the dark.

I'm not sure how to reply to this.  Am I a licensed psychologist or
psychiatrist?  No.  Do I have a reason to believe what I write here.
Certainly.  I have been applying myself to understanding issues of
morality, ethics, motivation and human psychology in general for many
years.  The psychology element really is part and parcel of trying to
develop commercial software products for a wide range of users.  I've
had countless arguments with other designers about why we should do
something one way versus another with respect to user expectations and
perceptions.  Just as I have them here.  Although face to face
discussions are invariably more valuable than using a letter-exchange
format.

Whether those credentials are sufficient for you to grant me an iota
of credibility is up to you.  I'm just trying to present these ideas
in hope that some folks here will give them a cautionary trial run and
possibly see the world through my eyes.  They may do it and say
"That's screwy" or they may do it and say "He might have something
there".  I hope that those who can poke holes in what I'm claiming
will speak up.  Unfortunately, what I'm hearing here are things that
I've already heard, considered and incorporated into what I believe.

We all have different experiences, and they define how we view the
world.  My view might be from an angle where I see cracks widening
where others simply see them as the gaps in the terrain that need to
be there so we have a place to have water accumulate.  We are all
cursed to see our world through eyes that are intended to make sense
of our situation, no matter what it is.  To do otherwise is too
stressful to the human animal.

JB

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