[LoD]

Grassy Plain [North East South]
You aare standing on an endless field of grassy plains that extend toward the horizon. Small insects leap amidst the low laying grass, while larger animals have trampled wide sections into discernible paths. Sunlight warms the dusty earth, a light breeze occasionally floating gently through the area.
A shaggy ox is here.
Jorag is here.

Jorag frowns at you.

>smile
You smile.

Jorag says, "Best not be huntin' my food, traveler."

[CHAT]: does anyone know how I can buy water??

>say Oh, just thought I'd try to get some hunting in before dark. Getting low on meat.
You say, "Wasn't aware that it was yers, fella. You own these grasses, do ya?"

Jorag grins evilly.

Jorag nods.

Jorag wields the Spear of Destiny.

Jorag says, "So you best just be on your way, unless you want trouble."

[CHAT]: Try going to the well in town and type "buy water"

Jorag brutally CLEAVES a shaggy ox on the neck with the Spear of Destiny.
Jorag brutally CLEAVES a shaggy ox on the neck with the Spear of Destiny.

Jorag dodges the horns of a shaggy ox and steps aside.

Jorag brutally CLEAVES a shaggy ox on the neck with the Spear of Destiny.
A shaggy ox dies!

[CHAT]: lol, I was trying fill skin and fill water and get water, nothing worked -- thanks!

>frown jorag
You frown at Jorag.

>say Well, I'm not here to quibble with you over oxen -- but I do need meat, long as we stay out of each other's way then?
You say, "Well, I'm not here to quibble with you over oxen -- but I do need meat, long as we stay out of each other's way then?"

Jorag smirks.

Jorag says, "I'm not worried about you gettin' in my way."

>nod Jorag
You nod at Jorag.

------------------------------------------------------------
Grassy Plain [North East South]
You aare standing on an endless field of grassy plains that extend toward the horizon. Small insects leap amidst the low laying grass, while larger animals have trampled wide sections into discernible paths. Sunlight warms the dusty earth, a light breeze occasionally floating gently through the area.
A shaggy plains ox is here, grazing.
The stout, raven-haired man is standing here, crouched near a plains ox.

Rising from his crouch amidst the grass, his lips turning into a deep frown, the stout, raven-haired man says:
"Best not be huntin' my food, traveler."

>emote offers a friendly smile toward ~stout, holding up his hand gently.
The slender, sun darkened man offers a friendly smile toward the stout, raven-haired man, holding up his hand gently.

>say (gesturing idly toward the surrounding grassland) Wasn't aware that it was yers, fella. You own these grasses, do ya?

Gesturing idly toward the surrounding grassland, you say:
"Wasn't aware that it was yers, fella. You own these grasses, do ya?"

Clenching the grip of a long, bone bladed spear, the stout, raven-haired man spreads a feral grin.

His chin lifting in a curt nod, the stout, raven-haired man says:
"So you best just be on your way, unless you want trouble."

The stout, raven-haired man brutally stabs a shaggy plains ox on the neck.
The stout, raven-haired man wounds a shaggy plains ox with a vicious stab to the head.

The stout, raven-haired man swiftly dodges the shaggy plains ox's gore.

The stout, raven-haired man brutally stabs a shaggy plains ox on the leg.
A shaggy plains ox cries out in pain.
A shaggy plains ox crumples to the ground.

>say (sighing as he begins to walk westward) Well, I'm not here to quibble with you over oxen -- but I do need meat, long as we stay out of each other's way then?

Sighing as he begins to walk westward, you say:
"Well, I'm not here to quibble with you over oxxen -- but I do need meat, long as we stay out of each other's way then?"

A faint smirk crossing his lips as he begins skinning the ox, the stout, raven-haired man says:
"I'm not worried about you gettin' in my way."

>emote nods slightly and begins treading west across the plains.
The slender, sun darkened man nods slightly and begins trading west across the plains.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Some people will prefer the properties of the first environment, while others will prefer the second.

As a matter of personal preference, I'd never be able to take the first MUD environment seriously -- nor glean from it what I want out of an RP atmosphere. When people talk about RPI's and some of the factors that go into them (i.e. lack of levels, color, stock emotes, proper item names, OOC chat channels, etc...) both characters might feel as if they were RPing the scene, but it's hard for me to compare the two and NOT notice the difference in both quality and immersion.

Players in both games may have been taking their roles seriously, but that style of environment doesn't seem very friendly to maintaining the suspension of disbelief and immersing yourself in the game world. And that's where the personal preferences enter the picture regarding terms like RPI; it's not just whether RP exists or doesn't exist, it's many of the game mechanics and presentation that help reinforce the RP atmosphere that can weigh into whether the experience is presented in the same way.

The example above was not presented to slam other MUDs, just to demonstrate what many of the people who I typically see favoring the RPI term see as the main differences. And it's probably one of the reasons why a term like RPI was chosen to describe the feature set that not only described the role-play, but also defined and differentiated the environments and how they could impact levels of immersion.

-LoD