Top Mud Sites Forum - View Single Post

Linnia · 11-06-2003, 11:22 PM

Every philosopher that read that cringed, I promise you. Except for the most misguided early moderns and a few of the fluffier New Age thinkers, we tend to reject the notion of subjectivity.

That having been said, I think that the favor system already in place in Rapture is quite good at what it does. The players are aware of the effects of favoring, and very few of them care so little as to allow someone who is out to ruin an organization into power (and most of those people won't get the favors they need to give someone that power). If someone uses their power to favor in a way detrimental to the organization, the player's peers can strip that authority in a hurry with a concerted effort.

Can it be manipulated? You bet. Are power and trust in the real world both manipulated and manipulative? That's kinda the point...

Think about your average American election. Disregarding the fluke that just happened in California, generally speaking, only those with political experience are even given a passing thought. How does one come to acquire that experience? Either by taking on menial jobs for the betterment of the community or by manuevering to the top through the favor of those already in power. Hard work builds trust. Association with those who are trusted builds trust (and if those in power aren't trusted, then the association still grants respect and credibility).

Now think about the favor system. When you do good things consistently, you get favored. When you please the hierarchy, you get favored. Generally, if you accept an unelected position, you get favored. Do these things often enough, stay in the public eye, and you're a prime candidate for an election.

Of course, there are people who are trusted who aren't good candidates for, well...anything. Those who are charismatic but flighty are probably trusted--probably trusted very deeply by their inner circle of friends--but the rewards for this kind of trust (both IC and OOC) are usually simple favors shared between friends. There are those that'll go toe-to-toe with anyone in authority to protect a standing tradition, and if it is a good tradition, that person will be trusted. Granted, this same person is going to get disfavored all along the way, but if someone were to do this in the real world, he's probably have to lay low for a little while, too. No matter how necessary, driving a respected leader into retirement can do interesting things to one's reputation.

Most non-political flavors of trust are regulated just by the dynamics of human interaction. Why code things that don't need coding? Bad business practices are spread by word-of-mouth. Bad RP will cut down on the player's circle of friends if the expectation to stay IC is enforced by the imms and the players. Random acts of stupidity, even if IC, is going to block entry to just about everything.

11-06-2003, 11:22 PM	#18
Linnia New Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 4	Every philosopher that read that cringed, I promise you. Except for the most misguided early moderns and a few of the fluffier New Age thinkers, we tend to reject the notion of subjectivity. That having been said, I think that the favor system already in place in Rapture is quite good at what it does. The players are aware of the effects of favoring, and very few of them care so little as to allow someone who is out to ruin an organization into power (and most of those people won't get the favors they need to give someone that power). If someone uses their power to favor in a way detrimental to the organization, the player's peers can strip that authority in a hurry with a concerted effort. Can it be manipulated? You bet. Are power and trust in the real world both manipulated and manipulative? That's kinda the point... Think about your average American election. Disregarding the fluke that just happened in California, generally speaking, only those with political experience are even given a passing thought. How does one come to acquire that experience? Either by taking on menial jobs for the betterment of the community or by manuevering to the top through the favor of those already in power. Hard work builds trust. Association with those who are trusted builds trust (and if those in power aren't trusted, then the association still grants respect and credibility). Now think about the favor system. When you do good things consistently, you get favored. When you please the hierarchy, you get favored. Generally, if you accept an unelected position, you get favored. Do these things often enough, stay in the public eye, and you're a prime candidate for an election. Of course, there are people who are trusted who aren't good candidates for, well...anything. Those who are charismatic but flighty are probably trusted--probably trusted very deeply by their inner circle of friends--but the rewards for this kind of trust (both IC and OOC) are usually simple favors shared between friends. There are those that'll go toe-to-toe with anyone in authority to protect a standing tradition, and if it is a good tradition, that person will be trusted. Granted, this same person is going to get disfavored all along the way, but if someone were to do this in the real world, he's probably have to lay low for a little while, too. No matter how necessary, driving a respected leader into retirement can do interesting things to one's reputation. Most non-political flavors of trust are regulated just by the dynamics of human interaction. Why code things that don't need coding? Bad business practices are spread by word-of-mouth. Bad RP will cut down on the player's circle of friends if the expectation to stay IC is enforced by the imms and the players. Random acts of stupidity, even if IC, is going to block entry to just about everything.