[MUD-Dev] Death among Friends

[Jon Morrow]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Matt Mihaly

> If you think fighting a bunch of NPCs is exciting, try fighting a
> bunch of real people whom you've loathed for a long time

I have.  Some of my first MUD memories are of teaming up with a
platoon of marines at a nearby base to wage war against the owner's
overpowered brother.  Became nearly as crazy as one of the marines,
but thoroughly enjoyed wiping the floor with the little
brat...multiple times. :)

I think there's an important difference between fighting NPCs and
players though.  When I die to an NPC, I may lose some items or have
to gain back some experience.  But when I die to another player, I
suffer a much larger loss of dignity.  I remember it being
significant enough for high turnover among players and the
alienation of many talented people.  I believe there's a large niche
of players that prefer relative safety, which includes avoiding
public embarrassment and feelings of guilt for doing something
normally unacceptable in real life.

Of course, the entire argument comes down to the type of gamer you
are targeting.  Then again, the masses loved Tetris, and I don't
recall being able to lose against anyone but the computer.  So, from
a commercial standpoint, maybe a jump "backward" can provide a
breath of fresh air.  I'd love to hear more about your opinions on
PK though.

Regards,

Jon
www.jon.morrow.net

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