[Threshold]

Actually a lot has changed. 10 years ago, this discussion could not even happen. Everyone would leap to the defense of the ARP games and flame anyone else into oblivion. But over time, more people have come to realize how vague and snobby the "RPI" term is both in meaning and usage. 10 years ago, the percentage of MUDs that focussed on role playing was pretty small. There are a lot more MUDs that focus on Role Play (either as MUSHes, RPEs, RPIs, ARPs, or some other classification) because role play is something MUDs can actually do as well or better than graphical MMOs. So things have changed in a very significant way in the last 10 years.

I think what we are seeing is the final, inevitable end to the exclusivity of this RPI term. It is going to continue to be used more widely, and it will continue to gravitate towards what the words actually mean: role playing intensive games. A year from now, RPI will be used even more widely by a more diverse set of muds than it is now.

So people who make and play ARP style muds have a few options available to them.

1) Think of a specific, non-generic term. Preferably one with some proper nouns in it to completely avoid what you consider "misuse." You cannot really hope to control a term if it uses normal words rather than proper nouns.

2) Let it go. Continue to use the term but stop getting your panties in a bunch if someone else uses the term differently.

3) Crai more n00b.

So far, most of the ARP enthusiasts on this forum have been going with #3. That's fine and I am certainly not going to try and stop them, but it isn't very productive and it just makes them look silly.