Organization: Penn State University
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 15:09:14 EDT
From: Chris Stoy <CMS129@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games,rec.games.programmer,comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: player interaction in multiplayer games [was Re: <None>]
 <2OCT199208300984@acad3.alaska.edu> <1992Oct2.185013.15707@cs.yale.edu>
 <1992Oct5.194057.9044@netcom.com>

This is just my opinion:

If you want to simulate a "real world", then you have to allow interplayer
fighting.  Let's face it, in the real world there are people out their who prey
on the weak and unexperienced.  That's why we have police, and in some cases,
vigilanties.  If you really want to be realistic, you should start the players
off in a large city were there is a reasonable amount of public safty (few
murders on the street).  Let the players gain experience doing things in the
city or by joining up with higher level characters and going on adventures.
Any first level character foolish enough to walk down a dark alley in the bad
part of town deserves what he gets.  Likewise, if you're dumb enough to go and
pick a fight with Tim the Mad Wizard you deserve to get fried.

On the other hand, if you join up with some guild or a party or something, then
you have a much better chance of surviving until you get the experience needed
to venture out on your own.  It should take time to build up your character.
If you act like you were actually there in his place, then you shouldn't have
to worry about getting killed by gangs of thugs. But then again, it could
happen.  That's the realities of life.  Some players may choose to do evil and
kill off as many newcommers as they can find.  Who's to say there won't be
players who would go after these thugs and take care of them.

I say let the world develop as it will.  You'll have people who want to do evil
and that's Ok, but when they start to get out of hand they should be hunted
down by a town guard or by other PC's.  Maybe even start a Most Wanted list and
offer bounties for the worst offenders.  "Blue Bolts from heaven" won't solve
anything.  You don't see God smitting evil-doer's here, so why do it in the
game.  The wizards are a good idea, but PC should be able to be at least as
powerful as they are and have a chance of beating them.  It would be intersting
to see a PC get so pwerful that they take over the world.  It would be up to
the opossing forces to see that this didn't happen, be they good or evil.

By limiting the ways you can play the game you limit the enjoyment you can
have with it.  Rules and laws are good, but you don't have to follow them if
you don't want to.  Then again, you could also get tossed in a stinking jail
cell for the rest of your life.  It should be up to you to decide what you want
to do.  It should be up to the other PCs to decide what to do with you.  None
of this "Well, you did wrong so *poof* your dead" stuff, it just doesn't
happen.

Who ever said life was fair. Just get by for now and maybe one day you can do
something about it.


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Chris "Slothman" Stoy |  "It is in the nature of the mind to forget
cms129 at psuvm       |   and in the nature of man to worry over his
cms129@psuvm.psu.edu  |   forgetfullness"    (I dunno, sounded cool)
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games