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Muirdach · 09-02-2007, 01:44 PM

I think that I agree with that most - as long as the rules are clearly stated and followed (by game staff as well as players), I think you're pretty close to a fair system. If you look at it from the big picture, a player can always choose another game ahead of time, if they see a feature that they don't like. For example, if a MUD offered to make any character invincible for $100, a boon that can't be gotten any other way. I'd agree that it's a bad move, but not really unfair - as long as it is clearly stated and followed (i.e. the admin doesn't give free invincibility to his friends). A player who chooses to play that game knows what they're getting into. Perhaps they even like being at that disadvantage. Whatever the reason, they could easily choose to play a different game and have lost nothing.

What would be unfair would be if the goalposts are moved during play, or are uncertain. If someone starts playing a game and the policy of $100 invincibility is so well hidden that they only find out 6 months later, that's unfair. It means that should they choose to leave, they've lost 6 months of their time because they weren't given pertinent information at the beginning. Likewise, if a MUD is totally free for a long time, and suddenly decides to offer $100 invincibility without compensating existing players, that would be unfair - people have played in good faith, and suddenly something that changes the game dramatically appears.

The game-master is always right, and the players can always find another game. What's unfair is when the game-master strings the players along until the players have so much time/effort/money invested in the game, that this is used as a bargaining piece in order to get more out of them.

09-02-2007, 01:44 PM	#12
Muirdach Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Home MUD: Karinth Posts: 64	Re: What Does "Fair" Mean? I think that I agree with that most - as long as the rules are clearly stated and followed (by game staff as well as players), I think you're pretty close to a fair system. If you look at it from the big picture, a player can always choose another game ahead of time, if they see a feature that they don't like. For example, if a MUD offered to make any character invincible for $100, a boon that can't be gotten any other way. I'd agree that it's a bad move, but not really unfair - as long as it is clearly stated and followed (i.e. the admin doesn't give free invincibility to his friends). A player who chooses to play that game knows what they're getting into. Perhaps they even like being at that disadvantage. Whatever the reason, they could easily choose to play a different game and have lost nothing. What would be unfair would be if the goalposts are moved during play, or are uncertain. If someone starts playing a game and the policy of $100 invincibility is so well hidden that they only find out 6 months later, that's unfair. It means that should they choose to leave, they've lost 6 months of their time because they weren't given pertinent information at the beginning. Likewise, if a MUD is totally free for a long time, and suddenly decides to offer $100 invincibility without compensating existing players, that would be unfair - people have played in good faith, and suddenly something that changes the game dramatically appears. The game-master is always right, and the players can always find another game. What's unfair is when the game-master strings the players along until the players have so much time/effort/money invested in the game, that this is used as a bargaining piece in order to get more out of them.