[MUD-Dev2] [DGN] In-Game Social Networks [was: Multiple Guild Membership]

[cruise]

Thus spake Lachek Butalek...
> Some people join guilds just to be able to say "I'm in '4s$k1ck3rs of
> Azeroth'!". But there are better ways to deal with prestige by association.
> For example, you might implement a public Reputation score which is derived
> from some stat (level? PvP kills? good deeds done?) of all the people who
> have Friended you. This Reputation score means nothing other than "I know
> some cool people". It does not increase with you, it increases only as your
> friends do - but with a simple glance, another player can check out your
> character and say "Oh, he's a nobody" or "Wow, she's quite up there, let me
> check the details... oh, she knows LeeeroyJenkins?!?".

I wanted top pick this suggestion out because a) it's awesome, and b) it 
makes me think about how to make the first the M's of MMOG actual useful.

There's been discussion before about how more players can often make 
things worse from a gameplay point of view - so could we either make up 
for that, or seperate that aspect entirely - by including the strategies 
of the currently popular social netowrking websites?

Friends of friends, multiple groups, quick communication, customisable 
profiles visible to others - all these seem woefully undersupported in 
current online offerings, yet are the basis of the successful networking 
websites.