Issue of the "Experience" (Was Re: [MUD-Dev] MMORPGs & MUDs)

[Michelle Elbert]

I've been reading the "MMORPG &MUDs" thread for a while.  And I
might be going out on a limb here, but people seem to say a lot
something to the effect that people are looking for an experience
like they would get from playing a "table top" RPG with paper and
dice and books and such.

Now the knee jerk reaction is to assume that you're talking about
Roleplayers and Roleplaying, but that's not really the case.

Let me give you an example: A week ago today I went and joined a new
D&D group.  It consisted of a co-worker of mine, two of his friends,
and one of his friend's little sister.

I meet everybody, and we start to play.  My character goes to
introduce herself, of course I use an accent, and the little sister
goes, "Are you English?  Why are you talking like that?"

Bartle's types of the Hearts, Dimonds, Clubs, and Spades of MU*
players can be applied to the old joke of "Real Men, Real
Roleplayers, Loonies, and Munchkins" of more traditional
RPGs. (Except that latter isn't as scientificly put. :) )

In his paper (http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm) Bartle names
AD&D as a game (one can assume that AD&D represents the "Paper and
Pen" genre here).  But I think that the question of whether it is a
game, a pastime, a sport, or an entertainment is as valid for
"traditional" RPGs as it is for MMOGs.  (And when I say MMOG, I
imply textual as well as graphic.)

So the problem, as I see it, is not that MMOGs haven't failed in
their effort to bring the "table top" RPG experience online... Its
just that they've done it... And since you have more then a living
room full of people interacting, the problems inherent in that
system are magnified.  (Particularly in that you do not have a GM
who's dealling with everybody on the fly... In most MU*s I've been
on, that role is filled somewhat by the Admins.  Who were called
"Immortals" or were seen as the Dieties of that MU*. CSRs and Guides
on EQ and DAoC are not the same sort of athority figures that I
remember MUD Imms and Dieties being.)

Roleplayers are going to roleplay no matter where you put them or
what situation they are in, Real Men are going to find a way to be
badass, Loonies are going to be silly, and Munchkins are going to be
annoying.  Online or off, with or without graphics.

What we're really frustrated about here, I think, is that we haven't
really come up with a good way to get these people to get along
without some serious human intervention. (Which is time consuming
and costly.)

- Michelle



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