Words (WAS: RE: [MUD-Dev] MMORPG Cancellations: The sky is falling?)

[Zach Collins (Siege)]

On Sat, 17 Jul 2004, David Kennerly wrote:

> A game has points and players, whose behavior correlates, to some
> degree, to their points.  Any world that has points and
> participants, whose behavior is influenced by these points, is
> also, at least in part, a game.  A persistent world is an infinite
> game, in that it has an infinite duration with a score that
> remains for indeterminate duration.  Therefore, MMPs meet the
> criteria of both games and worlds.  What is wrong with the
> marriage: MMP = World + Game?

While I agree with much of your argument, I find myself objecting
mildly to your terminology.  "MMP" is expanded to "Massively
MultiPlayer", right? Your use of MMP with constant reference to it
as a game makes the assumption that MMP products have to be games.
Granted, the word "player" assumes a game to be played, but we could
just as easily say Multiuser. Some of these projects we talk about
are only games to their users because they aren't work (There leaps
directly to mind).

I find that I have had to change the terms I use to fit the points I
make. Each abbreviation I've seen here makes its own assumptions
about what is necessary and what can be assumed.  For example, MMOG
doesn't say what type of game is being played.

The words we use change the discussion, just as much as what
skillsets we allow in our products.  The Blade of Judgement may be a
dangerous item, but it's not nearly as potentially dangerous as the
Pen of Influence can be.

--
Zach Collins (Siege)

"But that's just me; I could be wrong." --Dennis Miller
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