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Threshold · 04-07-2004, 04:36 PM

KaVir, by making that list are you saying that an RPI mud would have many of those features or are you saying that an RPI must have ALL of them or else it is not an RPI.

If you are saying the latter, then I have to disagree with you. Having OOC channels has absolutely nothing to do with whether a game is an RPI or not.

In my opinion, not having OOC channels on any game is a terrible mistake. OOC channels provide one the most important and successful means of building community around a game. When people have a chance to get to know the people behind the characters they tend to have more respect for their fellow gamers and more empathy for the person behind the character. This helps people not only engage in less griefing but it also helps people understand that sometimes you have to let someone else have center stage for a while. If you do, then later on they will do the same.

I believe one of the most important things in a successful RPI or RP oriented mud is that players understand the fact that role play is inherently a co-operative process and that they respect the other players of the game.

Griefers ruin any game so I don't have to explain that.

The "center stage" phenomenon is also important in a role playing game. Most RPers out there have had to deal with those people who feel their character has to be the center of attention at all times. Often, such people are good RPers. But it just isn't fun if someone shows up to any situation, event, whatever and just takes control and makes everything about them.

We had a person like that on Threshold who was a marvellous and very creative RPer. But as the months rolled by he started to be really annoying and he was more of a negative presence. He would show up at an event that other players had planned and organized and make everything about him. In one case, he showed up at an elaborately planned wedding (yes, cliche I know) and started having such enormous fits of emotion and crying that nobody else could do anything. The event could not even proceed. About 30 or so people were involved and all their work was totally wasted.

It took some time but he became a much better citizen and RPer once this person understood that part of RP was letting other people have center stage sometimes. An important part of his understanding was the fact that he had chatted with some of the people on an OOC channel and he respected them as people. It made it a lot easier for him to see things from their point of view and have empathy for their enjoyment as well.

Necessary? You should not be so bold as to declare your PREFERENCES as necessities.

It is not necessary. It is one option. There are good RP based reasons for both permanent death and non-permanent death.

You already provided the main arguments for it. It is realistic and it makes people value their characters.

Some arguments against it: non-permanent death results in a richer history where the actual historical personages can be talked to, they can tell stories of days past in taverns/pubs/inns, it provides continuity to the past, etc. Basically, all the reasons older people are respected in modern society and why when people write books like "The Greatest Generation" the book sells quite well.

I'm not saying one is better than the other. I like both. The point is that there are roleplay benefits to both systems. Therefore, neither one is "required" for an RPI game.

In general, I think it is very dangerous to pick your favorite feature and say that is a *requirement* for a game to be an RPI.

For example, I think combat via emotes is horrific, arbitrary, and contrived. I personally feel it takes away from RP if the resolution to a violent encounter is handled by any method other than a fully coded system of combat resolution. In fact, the more elaborate the better in my view. A more elaborate system makes things more interesting and realistic.

However, I would never say coded combat is a requirement of an RPI because I am open to the fact that different people prefer different systems and that there are benefits to both.

04-07-2004, 04:36 PM	#18
Threshold Legend Join Date: Apr 2002 Home MUD: Threshold RPG Posts: 1,260	KaVir, by making that list are you saying that an RPI mud would have many of those features or are you saying that an RPI must have ALL of them or else it is not an RPI. If you are saying the latter, then I have to disagree with you. Having OOC channels has absolutely nothing to do with whether a game is an RPI or not. In my opinion, not having OOC channels on any game is a terrible mistake. OOC channels provide one the most important and successful means of building community around a game. When people have a chance to get to know the people behind the characters they tend to have more respect for their fellow gamers and more empathy for the person behind the character. This helps people not only engage in less griefing but it also helps people understand that sometimes you have to let someone else have center stage for a while. If you do, then later on they will do the same. I believe one of the most important things in a successful RPI or RP oriented mud is that players understand the fact that role play is inherently a co-operative process and that they respect the other players of the game. Griefers ruin any game so I don't have to explain that. The "center stage" phenomenon is also important in a role playing game. Most RPers out there have had to deal with those people who feel their character has to be the center of attention at all times. Often, such people are good RPers. But it just isn't fun if someone shows up to any situation, event, whatever and just takes control and makes everything about them. We had a person like that on Threshold who was a marvellous and very creative RPer. But as the months rolled by he started to be really annoying and he was more of a negative presence. He would show up at an event that other players had planned and organized and make everything about him. In one case, he showed up at an elaborately planned wedding (yes, cliche I know) and started having such enormous fits of emotion and crying that nobody else could do anything. The event could not even proceed. About 30 or so people were involved and all their work was totally wasted. It took some time but he became a much better citizen and RPer once this person understood that part of RP was letting other people have center stage sometimes. An important part of his understanding was the fact that he had chatted with some of the people on an OOC channel and he respected them as people. It made it a lot easier for him to see things from their point of view and have empathy for their enjoyment as well. Necessary? You should not be so bold as to declare your PREFERENCES as necessities. It is not necessary. It is one option. There are good RP based reasons for both permanent death and non-permanent death. You already provided the main arguments for it. It is realistic and it makes people value their characters. Some arguments against it: non-permanent death results in a richer history where the actual historical personages can be talked to, they can tell stories of days past in taverns/pubs/inns, it provides continuity to the past, etc. Basically, all the reasons older people are respected in modern society and why when people write books like "The Greatest Generation" the book sells quite well. I'm not saying one is better than the other. I like both. The point is that there are roleplay benefits to both systems. Therefore, neither one is "required" for an RPI game. In general, I think it is very dangerous to pick your favorite feature and say that is a requirement for a game to be an RPI. For example, I think combat via emotes is horrific, arbitrary, and contrived. I personally feel it takes away from RP if the resolution to a violent encounter is handled by any method other than a fully coded system of combat resolution. In fact, the more elaborate the better in my view. A more elaborate system makes things more interesting and realistic. However, I would never say coded combat is a requirement of an RPI because I am open to the fact that different people prefer different systems and that there are benefits to both.