[MUD-Dev] Re: Laws of Online World Design

[J C Lawrence <claw#under,engr.sgi.com>]

On Tue, 13 Oct 1998 14:14:04 -0500 
Koster, Raph<rkoster#origin,ea.com> wrote:

>> * It isn't a game if you cannot die. - Bartle?

> Richard, do you stand by this? Seems rather broad :)

The earlier and more common (?) version is,:

  It isn't a game if you can't lose.

This harks back to the basic mechanics of a game being a system
composed of goals, barriers, and freedoms.  Losing is both a
relfection of goals and a barrier.  Death is merely a form of
losing.

-- 
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw#null,net
(Contractor)                               Internet: coder#ibm,net
---------(*)                     Internet: claw#under,engr.sgi.com
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...