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Harlan Ellison once said, "99% of science fiction is crud. Then again, 99% of everything is crud." He couldn't have been more correct.
Are "RP-enforced/accepted" MUDs designed with channels, no permanent death, levels, experience, etc. because they are part of the game's concept or because they're part of the base code or what the game's creator saw somewhere else? I'd wager to guess that in 99% of the cases, it's #2 or #3. That's symtomatic of any hack that can code creating a MUD. Creativity and reason are two things most people lack and no where is that more obvious than in the field of computer and console games. Originality, creativity, and thoughtful functionality are what's missing from nearly everything produced by the commercial and non-commercial sectors, MUDs included. H&S MUDs usually have the courage to say that they're a game, designed around a kill-everything-in-sight theme. My hat's off to those H&S MUDs, Necromium comes to mind, that admit they're H&S and don't try to claim "great RP in a realistic and beautifully-written environment". These games in no way inferior to RP MUDs, they're aiming for different goals and a different playerbase. But a lot of so-called "RP" MUDs are crap. RP in an environment created for H&S, with elements of such games incorporated into them as an excuse for the game creators' inability or lack of thoughtful game design, is fine and possible. But then again, so is belching out the notes of a song. But why not use an instrument specifically designed to play music? The same's true of MUDs.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Noone can make you feel inferior without your permission." The frequent cry of "elitism" to describe RPI indicates what I suspected all along. The vast multitude of hacks running pathetic "RP" MUDs out there know deep down that they are hacks and that their MUDs are lacking.
Judging from a lot of the posts in this discussion, I'm going to guess that very few will agree with me. That's understandable. After all, as Mr. Ellison's comment points out, crud holds a clear majority.
Think about it for a minute,
Jason
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