From: shulick@navajo.ucs.indiana.edu (Sam Hulick)
Subject: MUD review: Apocalypse II
Originator: shulick@navajo
Reply-To: shulick@navajo.ucs.indiana.edu
Organization: Vallen Software
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 15:00:11 GMT


(me = Vaithus@ApocII.. .or used to be)

WELL, if you're reading this, hello, Terminator. :)  I loved your MUD as far as
features & stuff.  Very flexible interface, and I was impressed w/ the new code
modifications that you plan to add in the future. *applaud*  I hope the
enhancements go well.
(forgive me if I say "wizard" instead of "god" in this post; I'm used to
TinyMUD terms)

I suppose a Diku is a Diku as far as map & monsters, though some/most have
their own little modifications in the database.  But, I think that when we
choose a Diku to be our "home," we want one with FRIENDLY wizards.  No, not
leniant, that's a different thing.  Friendly & understand wizards.  (Wolverine,
you're going to make a great wiz!!)

Anyway, I sacrificed a level 9 fighter lastnite. *sniff*  It's a long story why
I did that, though.  See, there's this certain wizard on ApocII who was the
touchy, fascist type wizard.  Who is it?  <name>!  (Yes, I'm being nice & not
revealing your name, you lucky !&%!^!#).

I'm not sure on how other Dikus handle shouting, but ApocII is pretty leniant
on shouts.  From what I observed, you could shout as long as:

   1) You didn't shout something repeatedly
   2) The shouted message wasn't obnoxious, stupid, or irrelevent to the game
   3) You tried to keep the message short & to the point

People on ApocII mainly use shouting for:

   1) Auctioning items off (cool idea)
   2) Announcing they've advanced a level, in which everyone shout-replies
      "CONGRATS!!"
   3) Announcing the forming of groups, general info, etc. etc.

Well, one day, I was bidding something off, and <name> (one of the gods) tells
me "Maybe you should learn how to use TELL."  I was rather PO'd.  I was ONLY
bidding something off, what's the deal?  So I replied to <name>, "I'm just
bidding something, so shut up."  Oopsies. :)  I hadn't realized beforehand that
<name> was a god.  Now, of course, seeing my mistake & cussing a few times in
RL, I tried to explain to <name> my mistake & apologized profusely.  No, <name>
didn't accept my apology & decided to muzzle me (disable say, emote, shout,
tell).  I went at least 20-30 minutes like that, then negotiated (barely) with
<name> and had my say/emote/tell/whisper back, but noshout.  This is fine.

Now, the flames flared up tonight.  I found a bug--which I found out later was
not a bug--and was going to shout it to everyone.  It wasn't a destructive bug,
it was a "quirk" in combat, so it seemed, where if you were fighting a pig, for
example, and a cityguard jumps in & hits you, you kill off the pig, and you can
simply walk away from the guard who is still hitting.  So I was about to shout
about that, when...

<name> shouts 'Keep it to yourself or you lose your shout again'
You tell <name> 'What, you want me to tell you?'
<name> tells you 'NO, I want you to STOP shouting and so does every one else'
[....]
You tell <name> 'I don't see why you're so touchy about the shouting.  People
make stupid meaningless shhouts al the time'
<name> tells you 'Touchy?  You havent seen touchy.'
You tell <name> 'May I politely ask:  What's your problem?'
You tell <name> 'Stop spying on me, please.'
     (<name> had responded to something I SAID, and <name> was not in the room,
      thus indicating that they were snooping me.)
<name> tells you 'My problem is numerous complaints on you.'
<name> tells you 'And you would be wise NOT to tell me what to do.'
You tell <name> 'I really don't see why.  People were shouting about Street
Fighter II'
<name> tells you 'Obviously you would not see why.'
You tell <name> 'Like I said, I shout a lot less than other people.'
You tell <name> 'I don't see what the big fuss is.'
<name> tells you 'Like i said I have numerous complaints on you.'
You tell <name> 'Such AS?  Be specific.'
<name> tells you 'I need not be specific.  Enough said.'
     (That's right, all-mighty gods need not be specific. *sarcasm*)
You tell <name> 'No, if I'm to correct my problems, there has to be some
specifics here'
<name> tells you 'I SAID not.  Zip it or I'll muzzle you.'
[end of log]

Soon thereafter <name> muzzled me & I went to buy a puppy to order it to shout.
:)  But it didn't work (you can only order your pets to shout when you are
NOT muzzled.  If you are muzzled, you can't order your pets).  And so I logged
in as another character, left a nice little polite goodbye shout (*SNICKER*),
which resulted in the destruction of my character. :) (WHEW.  Finally I can
concentrate on school again.) :) (And no, Termie, it wasn't a shout-bomb.  Just
a goodbye to my friends & damnings to <name>.)

Now yes, I admit that I may have shouted too much.  On one or two occasions, I
KNOW I shouted too much, but as you can see by the log, it's not entirely my
fault.  <name> refused to point out my "errors," so what the heck was I
supposed to do?  I figured it wasn't worth the trouble MUDding in the presence
of such an abusive god, so I decided to turn in my character.

Some final notes.
Terminator: I never had & still do not have anything against you.
Wolverine: Good luck when you become a god! :)  Don't become power-crazed!
<name>: Get a life.  If you've got nothing better to do than boss people around
like cattle, don't do it at all.  The power has obviously gotten to you,
apparent by your "I'm a higher-up elitist snob" statements directed at me, such
as "I'd advise you not to tell me what to do" and "Zip it or I'll muzzle you."
How unreasonable!  Get a dictionary and look up the words "reason" and
"rationality."  Thanks. *acidic smile*

To all of you netters!: Sorry if this post wastes your time, everyone.  I just
had to get all this stuff off my mind.  Losing my 9lv. fighter sucked. :(  But
it was worth it, I suppose.

=============================================================================
NO flames, please.  I'm sure most of you can relate to my situation.  The
feeling of a "I have power, so I'll use it at all times" god breathing down
your neck is rather unpleasant. :6
=============================================================================

P.S.: Nice to see you locked out *.ucs.indiana.edu, <name>.  Two of my friends,
devoted ApocII players, won't be happy at ALL.  But then again, when did you
ever care about anyone but yourself?

P.P.S.: The moral of the story?  Get to know the gods before you devote your-
self to a particular Diku. *grin*

-- 
Sam Hulick         \ "The greatest of evils and the worst of crimes is
shulick@indiana.edu \ poverty."  --George Bernard Shaw
(NeXT mail welcome) /
Newsgroups: rec.games.mud.diku