[MUD-Dev] Bay Area Press re: UO, the good the bad and the Ugly.

[John Hopson]

At 12:51 AM 6/3/00 -0700, F. Randall Farmer wrote:
>
> "Should our software periodically tell Timmy that he should go out and play
>for awhile?" :-)

	No, but it might be nice to let timmy set up such reminders for himself.
It's not our job to take care of the user's real life, but we can give him
tools he can use to keep things under control for himself.

	One feature we've added is an archive command, by which a player can lock
themselves out of the mud for a preset period of time.  This is
particularly popular around finals week, player locking themselves out
ahead of time to keep the mud from being a distraction.  A similar command
could allow players to set themselves a preset time limit for the week.

	The logic here is the same as Odysseus and the Sirens.  If you remember
the myth, Odysseus had his men tie him to the mast and ordered them not to
untie him until after they were past the sirens.  He knew that once he
heard the sirens he would lose his judgement, so he made the decision well
ahead of time before the compulsion set in.

	Temptation is always easier to resist ahead of time.  There are several
studies about these kinds of temptations and solutions.  Take a 6 year old
and offer them a single m&m now or 10 in 5 minutes, things like that.  The
general finding is that the closer the reward is, the more powerful it is.
By making the decision farther away from the reward, you increase the
chances of making the "right" decision.  I can provide references if people
are interested.





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