[Disillusionist]

LoD, good posts. I'm sorry to everyone else on this thread for succumbing to arguing with the lowest common denominator as a 'standard'.

I don't have any issue acknowledging that the systems are different and promote different sorts of RP, and while we might disagree on the significance of the differences, we seem to agree that one feature set over another will not produce 'better' roleplay, but rather different styles.

In a non-perma-death mud, your mugger would of course be a fool to attach his face to a crime. It's inherent in such muds to make sure that those who wish to do such things have the means to do believable dirty deeds, within the context of that world. Perhaps what seems to be missing from your mugging example is support for the RP of the other person. In the scenario you present, basically, the other guy is 'Victim', and one of a string of them, in full knowledge that the player behind the character took time to develop his character, and you're essentially demeaning some of that work by turning him into 'wallet-fodder' like a common mob. Sure, it supports your RP, but it completely negates his, although the scene might make for a good read.

I tend to prefer non-perma-death muds, simply because I've seen enough irresponsible perma-deaths to sate me for a lifetime. Contrary to some experiences, it didn't make me ogle and wow at the complexity and richness of the RP. It made me realize the futility in -some- cases of really pouring time and talent into character development for a character that might not last an hour, and for no better reason than you just happened to be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, usually athwart some 'superior' roleplayer, who, in whatever mindset, decided he'd be better off if your character wasn't there. I'm definitely not convinced that simply because you're logged into an RPI that somehow all the players/characters are above treating death in almost cartoonish fashions, so long as it happens to someone else.

This is not a broad slam on RPIs. Some I like. Some are populated with players I'd just as soon not have in my neighborhood. I can almost uniformly admit that those people who are convinced they are the best roleplayers are generally just the loudest. True purists don't need nor want to make a big fuss about how well they RP. They just do it, and let all this OOC nonsense slide over their backs as "NOT RP, SO NOT IMPORTANT". Those folks, I love RPing with, and they can be found in -every- feature set.

Thanks for listening.