I haven't spent much time on muds that have specific leveling equipment in a while, but that is a good point.  A game with equipment to hunt down does limit the rp you can do with it, unless you work pretty hard to restring (if the game you're on allows it) all your equipment.  Which then becomes pointless when you level up a little more.

I worked with a coder once who was creating layered clothing.  Only the middle layer could carry any stats to boost or hurt the player.  The top and undergarmet layer were for roleplay purposes only, with objects throughout the areas intended for such use.  A nice way to keep the leveling equipment idea alive without sacrificing rp.

As for food, I'm not sure of this, but don't most games have some foods around?  And even if they don't, couldn't you just use emotes?  If you are on a game with hunger codes, when you are brand new and can't afford much, you may have a hard time rping it out.  But I recall once having a character on a mud with a hunger code who only ate certain types of foods.  Couldn't stand stuff that was squishy or soupy, just didn't like the texture of it.  No beef stews or puddings.  Random, semi-pointless bit of rp, but part of her personality.  So rping food can work.

I suppose the point of Illiandra's post is just to use whatever you can to create your rp.  Not just your emotes or your clothing or your food or your histories.  Anything that can be IC in the game you're in, make it part of your character and your character choices.

*wanders off trying to decide how she can rp out a sweet, paladin of good young woman who is level 45 when the only good equipment happens to be a bloody dagger, a fires of hell light, a pair of troll hide gloves, a human scalp helmet, and braided entrails for a belt*