[MUD-Dev] Life

[ashen]

: From: Jeff Kesselman <jeffk at tenetwork.com>
: PvP: Player versus Player play.
...
: the social contract is you WILL try to kil leach other out.

: Pkilling: A nasty, sadistic, bullying form of play
...
: the goal is to annoy, abuse amnd thus feel power over

But then there are "player-kills" which aren't done out of tacit
contract or to abuse.  If enmity exists, it will raise its head in
the most decisive form available.  Even on a non-PK, immersion-
RP game this is so.  To get someone barred from promotion or
kicked off the game because you don't like their style of rol*play,
is the same in my book as your above Pkilling definition.

Rather than foster the PKer-vs.RPer despise-distaste relationship,
I want to suggest that each handle the situation as befitting their
nature.  Bad things happen - an RPer could take it in stride when
he's killed.  To give in to tantrum because the killer doesn't respect
your rights to roleplay is to encourage him in his abuse of you. 
Following the RP theme of whatever game, take revenge.  This is
not to be a PKer yourself - it is a continuance of the story.  If the
person doesn't respect your right to roleplay and expresses it via
his style (PK), then don't respect his right to free PK, and so you
could express it through RP.  The story must go on for RPers -
if it doesn't, the PKer was right in that whomever owns the largest
<race-dependent anatomy part> has the last say.  Optimistically
I'd say you'll earn some respect, as any bully won't 'jump' someone
who's not an easy meal.

: Pkilling is EXTREMELY destructive in an environemnt that is trying to
: foster roleplay because it makes peopel upset and drrives them away.

by not taking it in stride and combatting it in RP style, you are only
encouraging the assholes in their quest for destruction.  but i still don't
believe that RP precludes a situation where one player kills another.

: Thus, my opinons are as follows:
: (1) Pkilling just shouldn't be allowed.

which, IMO, is a totally unrealistic pre-condition for anyone honestly
wanting to play a role. :)

I hope I don't sound inflammatory - it's certainly not my goal to
start anything.  Just letting you know that, lost cause or not, I'm
still searching for the game philosophy that allows powerplayers
and RPers run around the same game (almost-harmoniously!).
The way I hope to accomplish this is to focus on the story and
environment, instead of the other players, and then let the players
work out how they approach the game - in a role they've defined
for themselves or as themselves.  I am hoping that focus on the
resolution of the daunting storylines can be the way for power-
gamers to be a respected hero, instead of his sword-size as
proved over the corpses of those he needs respect from.

-John