[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun

[Marian Griffith <gryphon#iaehv,nl>]

In <URL:news:local.muddev> on Tue 14 Jul, Maddy wrote:
> Marian Griffith wrote....

> > On Wed 08 Jul, Jon A. Lambert wrote:
> > > On  3 Jul 98, Marian Griffith wrote:

[ tailor example snipped, finally (and there was much cheering;) ]

> Ok, so you want a game that firstly makes it harder for people to start
> combat unless both parties are interested.  This doesn't require performing
> any kind of restriction on the game, but it could involve the notion that if
> you see someone walking towards you armed with a sword, you run away.  If
> the local "city" also enforced this by making a "no drawn weapons" law, then
> as soon as a player wields a weapon he's leapt on by several guards.

Actually, what I wondered was why things are so vastly different between
reality and games.  And what it is in reality that prevents the vast ma-
jority of people to form rampaging warbands that loot and kill everybody
and everything.  And hopefully find out which of these social mechanisms
apply to games as well.

> Social violence is a lot more roleplay orientated than combat.  If Bubba
> started up a rival tailors shop to Buffy and then went around spreading lies
> about Buffy to increase his reputation, although it's a bad thing for Buffy,
> it's still a legitimate way of playing.

There is the small point of intent but yes, basically you are entirely
right.

Marian
-- 
Yes - at last - You. I Choose you. Out of all the world,
out of all the seeking, I have found you, young sister of
my heart! You are mine and I am yours - and never again
will there be loneliness ...

Rolan Choosing Talia,
Arrows of the Queen, by Mercedes Lackey