I was also being sincere. I do know you well enough to know you value RP, and I really do think this is a great discussion we're having. I just wanted to try and answer your question so I didn't post your whole post.
There were checks and balances to everything. Emoting an assassination only works in games that don't have coded combat skills. I don't like those kinds of games (those are MUSHes). I, like you, prefer the blend of code with roleplay. However, my taste in roleplay goes a little more extreme, and my taste in coded "power" is somewhat less than yours.
Emoting an assassination in an RPI wouldn't work, because it's considered cheating. Plus, it doesn't result in your target actually being dead. You have to have the coded skill behind it, and make use of it, and be successful. You can emote out your approach. You can roleplay out the months and weeks leading up to the idea that you even want to assassinate someone.
You can RP out gathering minions to help get your target into an apartment, or out on a hunting expedition, or over to the barracks for a round in the sparring arena. While you lay in wait, hidden behind a boulder, or in the shadows of the closet, or under the workshop table. And then - when the target gets there, and the minions close the door, and you hear the click in the lock...you emote springing up...and make your coded attack.
If you're good, your target will be dead within 1 or 2 shots (the code is semi-automated, there are "special attacks" you can make, but if you don't do anything at your keyboard, the auto-combat continues, at a much slower pace than what you might have seen in a standard diku setting). If you're not so good, it might take a few more hits. And the autocombat is 2-way - once the target gets over his initial delay from being hit, he will automatically start hitting you. Meanwhile, you both can be emoting, or yelling for help, or whining, or using the "think" command...reacting to the code, attempting to scramble for the doorknob while someone is mercilessly beating you to a pulp...
It's a bit different from the moo game we've experienced together, because we don't have to spend any time typing "kill amos" over and over again. We can use that time, instead, to "express" our character, while the combat code determines who's getting hurt, and who isn't.
So when you type "emote kills you" it's called power-emoting, and doesn't have any results other than ****ing off the -players- and the staff of the game sends you a note telling you to cut it out and directing you to the documentation of the rules and regs.
The nobles have the backing of their noble house, and the city's overseeing government and the "King" who rules the city. It's a dictatorship, with a heirarchy. Players of nobles, are sponsored into the role. Their character is -born- a noble, he doesn't merely earn a title after doing good deeds. It is part of their bloodline, legacy, and heritage. He is, literally, superior to the commoners. And the commoners know this. And if a commoner forgets, the local law will either instruct them, or eliminate them. Depending on how the commoner responds to the noble's chastisement.
One uber guy with maxed skills cannot win against a few dozen PC and NPC soldiers. The code just doesn't work that way. Even a big huge giant (half-giant in this game) with maxed axes, wearing full plate armor, dual-wielding with spiked war-axes as big as a kobold, cannot overcome 5 half-giant soldiers NPCs and 3 soldier PCs of various rank and skill. And should the big huge giant manage to escape, the wrath of the city's king's personal guard will see to it that the big huge giant doesn't escape far, and whatever is left of his corpse is displayed as an example of what happens when you **** off the noblity.
On the other hand, you -could- arrange to eliminate that noble - by being clever, and politically savvy, getting into his good graces, or getting into the good graces of his most trusted minion. Getting him to hire you. And then proving yourself of incredible use to him, until such time as he promotes you to his personal guard. And then - you kill him, quickly and quietly, without fanfare. And he's gone.
But, just as you were clever and savvy and sneaky and wormed your way in effortlessly, there might be someone else in that clan who has done exactly the same thing as you did, only better. And when they find out what happened, it'll be your turn to die.
That's the way of politics. It didn't matter who had the biggest stick and the most money. It mattered who, among those people with big sticks and lots of money, had enough political and social influence, to put themselves into a position where their sticks and money could do the most good. Or evil, depending on the perspective.