[MUD-Dev] Star Wars Galaxies: 1 character per server

[Michael Tresca]

Madrona Tree posted on Sunday, December 15, 2002 5:09 PM

> Not really because of the power-leveling... it's more because
> people like to experiment with different character types, but they
> also want to play with their friends, and they believe that SCS
> will not allow them to do both at the same time.

As an aside, one of Raph's posted reasons for the problem with
removing muling was due to "I want to play different characters for
different moods I'm in."

That's very disturbing to me.  This means that there are very
one-dimensional angry/pissed off characters.  That degrades a game
too.

Now realize, where I'm coming from is that the key to community is
INVESTMENT.  Investing in your character is critical in retaining
social norms.  If the character is punished, you're upset about it
-- if the character dies, you feel bad about it.  When the character
succeeds, you're happy about it.  The more characters you have, the
more diluted the effect of social norms.  How can you care that
you're character is hunted when you have your "good guy" character
who you log in as after mass slaughtering everyone within a five
mile radius?  Can we really "punish" the bad guy?

Likewise, how can a game community develop when at any point in
time, the "angry" characters can log in and completely absolve
themselves of the responsibility of the character?

I am sure there are people who responsibly play and personally
invest in each of their characters.  But I think they're in the
minority.  But certainly, the anonymity and diffusion of personality
that comes with multiple characters tied to the same person --
players who play them irresponsibly.

Why should I help a newbie when that newbie may be discarded because
the "player was experimenting"?  Why should I form a community or a
group when half the players might disappear tomorrow because five of
them were "Bob's guys and he went to a new game"?

Accountability, character development, in-game context -- there are
so many GOOD reasons against muling.  The backlash indicates just
how bad the MMORPG community has become that people have difficulty
comprehending how bizarre it is to encounter a hive mind (in
essence, the player) manipulating weird meat puppets in zombie-like
fashion.

This forces a level of in-game investment that is seriously needed
to increase the quality of the game, especially a universe that
actually exists outside of genericized MMORPGs.  Star Wars is STAR
WARS.  It will not be acceptable for ten guys named Doofus1,
Doofus2, Doofus3, and Doofus4 to all go out together in a group for
bounty hunting and they all give their loot to DoofusPrime.

  (Actually, as an alien race that'd be funny.  But you could only
  do that once)

Mike "Talien" Tresca
RetroMUD Administrator
http://www.retromud.org/talien



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