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Old 02-12-2010, 08:05 AM   #1
Fifi
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Hack and Slash is not descriptive

I take issue with the term h-n-s. Really, players may be called upon to both hack and to slash on any game which includes the option of using bladed weapons. In fact player characters on moos and mushes too may find themselves at times swinging a heavy blade with a downward force or gracefully arcing a sharp scimitar or what have you in order to rend the flesh of an opponent.

It seems unfair to deny every mud mush and moo with an emphasis on role play the opportunity to bring to the fore the combat features of their mu* with regards to blades of various kinds.

And too, what if one were to go to the trouble of making a role play heavy mud based on Project Runway or Shear Genius? These games might have little or no combat at all. They might be level-less and class-less. They might not award xp, and once you're cut you are essentially dead and permanently so, but why shouldn't they be able to refer to themselves as Hack and Slash?

Clearly the proper way to refer to those muds where the emphasis is on building xp and equipment would be to call them Level Oriented Muds. or LOMs.

Hack and Slash is not sufficiently descriptive and keeps other games from being able to call attention to their emphases on blade work.
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Old 02-12-2010, 10:28 AM   #2
KaVir
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Re: Hack and Slash is not descriptive

Upon first reading this post I assumed it was a tongue-in-cheek response to the RPI threads, but as you've not posted it on the MUD humour board I'll assume your comments are serious.

The term has an established meaning that goes beyond the literal words. You can of course refer to your RP mud as anything you like (including "hack and slash"), but if it's a plot/character driven enforced roleplaying game your prospective audience may get the wrong impression.

Even if they don't have levels?
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Old 02-12-2010, 12:04 PM   #3
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Re: Hack and Slash is not descriptive

I think "hack and slash" is descriptive within the established/existing community.

I think someone new to MUDs may not fully understand the implications of that term, so I don't think it's particularly effective as a promotional description to new players.
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Old 02-13-2010, 04:05 PM   #4
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Re: Hack and Slash is not descriptive

I think Fifi has a good argument. However, the term to me just means a game that is all about playing in an OOC type of thought process without any concern for the world itself. Sometimes this type of play is a lot of fun. Like playing a first person shooter game like DOOM.
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Old 02-13-2010, 10:56 PM   #5
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Re: Hack and Slash is not descriptive

The OP made some interesting points, but the thing is "hack 'n slash" is a term of art. I imagine that many people in gaming use it without even thinking about the actual words. "Hack 'n slash" just has its own meaning when it comes to games, and that is a well established meaning from over 20+ years of games.

It also happens to be somewhat useful to people, so I don't see it changing or going away.
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Old 02-14-2010, 01:05 AM   #6
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Re: Hack and Slash is not descriptive

I once tried out a H&S with a futuristic setting that took offense at being called a "Hack 'n' Slash". The objected to the term because they have "firearms and lasers" They were arguing semantics though because the gameplay and code mechanices were the exact same as any other H&S except instead of the text reading "you slash [your opponent] on the leg" it read "you blast [your opponent] in the leg".

As has already been well said, the term has an established context within the gaming community.
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