[MUD-Dev2] Player Choice - How Much is Too Much?

[Johnicholas Hines]

In reply to cruise's post regarding player choice:

There is something called "The Magician's Choice".
This is when the magician seems to offer an audience member a choice,
but phrases the offer in such a way that the magician actually forces
the choice in a certain direction.

For example:
1. The magician asks the audience member to choose one of two cards.
2.1. If the audience member chooses the left card, the magician chops
it in half and hands the right card to the audience member.
2.2. If the audience member chooses the right card, the magician hands
the right card to the audience member and chops the left card in half.

Malcolm Gladwell (quoting Ian Rowling) gives a similar example,
regarding the art of cold reading.
1. The cold reader says "you don't work with children, do you?"
2.1. The audience member says "No, I don't." The cold reader goes on
"No, I thought not."
2.2. The audience member says "Actually, I do." The cold reader goes
on "Yes, I thought so."

The point that I'm trying to make is that making a choice is a
sensation; a sensation that movies do not offer.

Games can be linear, while still offering pleasure in a different way
than a movie.

Johnicholas