[misao]

When looking for RPI MUDs, I seem to find them divided into 2 genres:

MUDs which claim to be RPI, but really all that means to them is that IC is enforced in IC rooms. I don't know about the technicality of things, but RPI to me personally means good poses with sufficient detail (like a story), and good fleshing-out of character concepts and traits. I really cannot feel immersed in RP in which the poses are as such:

xxx says, "Hi"
xxx smiles
yyy says "Hi xxx!"
yyy grins

Etc. There is no fleshing out of how a character acts, etc, in poses, because, well, it's kinda hard to do so when practically everyone on earth (or whatever world you're based in) would smile at one time or another.

Also, there seems to be a high emphasis on combat/questing/levelling in such MUDs. I don't play MUDs to fight, quest, or level. I would much rather play graphical-based games if I wish to do such.




On the other hand...

I have found MUSHes in which RP, or writing a story rather, really IS everything. (admittedly, the majority of such MUSHes are adult-based MUSHes *blush*) To the extent where there are virtually no code limitations; you pose out everything and if your fireball hits someone, there will be no coded changes in his character as well.

Those MUSHes have a culture in which detailed poses are the norm... and while this is good, it can be brought to an extreme sometimes. Elitist behaviour is often cultivated in which players say, "I refuse to RP with anyone who poses in less than 8 lines!"

Another drawback is that since most RP in such MUSHes occurs in private (because it's really hard to coordinate group RP when everyone poses 8 lines and takes 10 minutes to do so!), and that, combined with the lack of code, causes there to be no... well... society-based RP. As in, people RP in isolated 'scenes', which has no effect on the society in general, because there was no society to speak of in the first place, since everyone huddles in rooms with one other person. Okay, fine, so it's an adult MUSH.




I really wish to find a combination of the two, a midway point. A MUD in which there is SOME detail of posing (like, 'xxx exclaims, "Hello, dear!" with a slightly lopsided grin on his face'), and pure emphasis on RPing out your character's development and its role in a closeknit society without questing/levelling/killing mobs. But I don't want to hole up in a room taking 10 minutes per 8-line pose with one other person, which has no effect on the society around me, either. It's turning out to be far more difficult to find than I imagined.

I have found The Inquisition which I enjoy greatly, but it does have the drawback of a rather small playerbase, no new players, and some old players which tend not to be very enthusiastic to RP much because, well, who can blame them if they've been there for 5 years? I wouldn't be very enthusiastic either.

Skimmed through a few others til I found New Worlds, and gave that a good shot as well. The constant two-word poses put me off, though. I would probably give Harshlands a go, too, when I have time.



Any recommendations? Bear in mind, all the above are just my personal preferences and opinions, nothing more.