[MUD-Dev] Retention without Addiction?

[Koster]

Not one, but two separate posts accused me of self-importance in
making the statements I did. Perhaps I was unclear. The logic is
really quite simple:

  We reward certain activities within these worlds, both
  intentionally and inadvertantly.

  Players engage in activities in these worlds based on what we
  encourage them to do.

  Players do have the choice not to do it.

  That doesn't mean that we should encourage activities that are
  pernicious.

  Just because people can choose not to jump off a cliff doesn't
  mean we should urge them to do it.

We are not solely responsible, not by a long shot. But like it or
not, we do have influence, we do have power, and we (as a group)
have in the past encouraged and rewarded some behavior that we frown
upon, that has led to behavior in real life that we would prefer not
have occurred.

Why it is self-important to acknowledge that? It seems to me to be a
self-evident FACT.

The real questions are these:

  - we teach lessons, whether we want to or not. Do we know what we
  are teaching?

  - we reward and reinforce behaviors. What behaviors are we
  reinforcing?

-Raph

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