[MUD-Dev] DGN: Lords, Vassals, Serfs and the Clergy

[Chris Richards]

On 5/11/05, John Buehler <johnbue at msn.com> wrote:

> I was just opining on community sizes and such off-list.  This
> makes me wonder if the player governments work in smaller games
> because of greater cohesion in the player community.  In a smaller
> community of hundreds, do I have a greater sense of participation,
> with a greater willingness to expend some effort to make the
> poltical process work?  In a larger community of thousands, do I
> tend to separate from the process, figuring that if I can exploit
> it in some way, it doesn't really matter?  I can't be a player in
> the political process among thousands, so I'll just blow it off
> and get what I can from it.

Yes, on all accounts, though my personal belief is that there is a
small segment of people that have a "willingness to expend some
effort to make the political process work".

Participating in real world governments suck for the little
people. Unless you are gifted (politically), have strong desires and
aspirations to be involved in politics, or maybe even a birthright,
you won't make it beyond your homeowners association.  In that
regards, larger is better for the little people because they don't
have to do much (if anything) and have a net benefit.

> Alternately, it requires so much effort to minister over thousands
> that people burn out.  I can recall the stories of people trying
> to be at the top of the pyramid in Asheron's Call's vassal/sponsor
> system.  Players on top of six or seven layers of vassals tended
> to live in the game, getting online during odd hours so that they
> could actually play the game, while all mainstream hours were
> devoted to helping vassals.

Allow players to create chat-list profiles that they can easily
switch between.  A player can choose which segment of the population
she listens by changing profiles.  Allow the chat-list profile to
have knowledge of organizational hierarchies.  Not everyone has
access to rulers.

Barring that, "/who off" probably works fairly well, too.

Cheers,
Chris
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