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Old 10-12-2002, 07:15 AM   #101
Molly
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Seraphina, I think you still don’t get my point.

I have nothing against variety. In fact I think that’s one of the great things about muds, that there are so many different styles, that just about anybody should be able to find something that suits their taste.

I have nothing against pay-to-play, as long as it is up-front and not in breach of any licence.

I have nothing against enforced roleplay, even if it isn’t exactly my own cup of tea. I quite agree with you that if there is an advancement system in a RP mud, you should also be rewarded for good roleplaying. (There is of course a rather big problem to decide who earns this reward and who doesn’t, mainly because of the different Time zones. I’ve never even met some of the players in my own mud, so how could I decide who is a good roleplayer and who isn’t? There is also the well known problem with all sports that are based on more or less subjective judging, that the question of favouritism, bias and sheer bribery could come into play (some recent scandal concerning figure-skating comes to mind…) But then again, that’s quite a different problem, perhaps worthy of a thread of its own.

I don’t have any problem with your example where 10 players of a tabletop game decide together to start at a somewhat higher level. What I WOULD have a problem with, is if only ONE of these ten players got to start at the higher level because he paid the Gamemaster 100$.

Get the difference? I just want everybody to compete on equal terms. And that’s why I am against muds that trade in game advantages for real money. That is also what I meant with my remark 'why play at all'.

If you are going to cheat or buy advantages in a skill based game, why play at all? You wouldn’t enter a chess Tournament if some of the players could get your Queen removed, by paying the Tournament leaders 1000 bucks, would you?

GenmaC, if by any chance your rather offensive remark was directed to me, let me tell you this:

I am not generally in the habit of ‘mud-bashing’, but there are some phenomena in the mud world that truthfully irk me. People who earn money by preying on the work of others and breaking licences, like Medievia, is one of those. And people who earn money through deception, half-truths, ridiculous exaggerations, blatant lies, and other unethical methods is another. If people choose to do things like that, they sort of lay themselves open to ridicule and criticism.

Now, my opinions of Mihaily and Achaea was mainly formed by the extremely sleezy advertisement campaign he ran on the MudConnector some time ago. And this opinion is not improved much by the fact that he uses a form of pay-to-play that I find extremely cheesy, namely selling game advantages for real money, while at the same time stating that the mud is ‘totally free to play’.

Since I never played Achaea, I don’t know the exact nature of the advantages you can buy there. Neither do you, if your statement is true that you never paid a penny yourself. There also seems to be somewhat differing opinions among the players, whether the ‘advantages’ are really ‘advantages’ and not only ‘cosmetics’.

But Mihaily does not strike me as a person who would do something just out of the goodness of his heart. He also does not strike me as a very truthful person, an opinion based on the aforementioned advertisements and several posts from him on these boards. He would hardly have shelled out money for that ridiculous and sleezy campaign, if it hadn’t given him a number of new players. And he would hardly have this option of buying stuff for real money, unless he actually expected to make some money from it.

So answer me this: If the things that you can buy in Achaea are as worthless as you and Mihaily claim – why on earth would anyone pay real money to get them?
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Old 10-12-2002, 07:53 AM   #102
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Tabletop roleplaying isn't really such a good analogy, but I can work with it.

Imagine the tabletop game where 7 of the 10 players played every week, and eventually reached level 10. The other 3 players weren't able to play as often because on real-life commitments (work, exams, or whatever) and so they had only reached level 5 (we'll assume linear advancement).

Player 1 makes a deal with the GM whereby he writes an ongoing journal of the parties exploits (using his own notes, and those written by the other players when he's not there) along with some ideas and suggestions to improve the storyline. In return for that, the GM allows him to earn enough extra exp to put him up to level 10 with the rest of the party. He cannot overtake the rest of the party though, only catch up with them.

Player 2 makes a deal with the GM whereby he purchases new modules and rulebooks for the gaming group, and in return the GM allows him to earn enough extra exp to put him up to level 10 with the rest of the party. He cannot overtake the rest of the party though, only catch up with them.

Player 3 makes a deal whereby he donates money to the gaming group, which everyone can then decide how to spend. Perhaps it'll allow them to rent a larger place to play in (rather than squeezing all 10 players into someone's bedroom). Perhaps they'll use the money to purchase snacks for everyone to eat during the game. Perhaps they'll use it to purchase accessories such as dice, pens, paper, etc. Whatever they choose, the money will go towards improving the game for everyone. Player 3 cannot overtake the rest of the party though, only catch up with them.

Thus instead of having a group in which 3 of the players are unable to compete with each other (which isn't fun, I can tell you) , the game now has a group of characters on equal footing. It also has the advantage of having lots of new gaming material, which improves the enjoyment for everyone.

I would not run my game like that, but equally I wouldn't have a problem with someone who did - as long as they were up-front about it. I wouldn't consider it "unfair", because it's allowing all of the characters to compete on equal terms, even though the characters got to the position they are through different means (100% in-game time/effort, 50% in-game time/effort and 50% out-of-game time/effort, or 50% in-game time/effort and 50% money).

Absolutely - I couldn't agree more.

You're implying using money to create uneven terms. I'm implying the opposite. Would you play a chess tournament if you weren't allowed to use your "queen" piece because you had purchased it, rather than crafted it yourself?

I agree wholeheartedly.
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Old 10-12-2002, 10:07 AM   #103
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I guess I've just never played any of the text games in which competing against other players needed "equal terms" in ordered to be enjoyable.

I have issues against paying cash for in-game benefits because I prefer a more intensive roleplaying atmosphere, and if, in ordered to enjoy the RP of your character, you need some "thing" as a tool that can only be purchased for cash, it would lower your enjoyment.

I don't give a hoot about equal terms. In fact, I think the concept is hogwash. Your three tabletop players can compete against each other. What rule in tabletop requires that they compete against the entire group? In fact, what rule requires that they compete against each other at all?

But enough with the analogies. None of them apply to online multiplayer text games anyway and all it does is derail the initial thread.

I think adding a dollar symbol is a good idea, for any game that requires cash for any portion of in-game enjoyment. Whether it's a commercial game, or whether the cash only goes to pay the coder and maintain the server and database, or anything inbetween.

I don't think it's necessary to have special symbols to differentiate the *types* of pay-to-play games, only to signify whether or not some sort of coin is required for some sort of in-game enjoyment. If the game owner wants, they can explain right there in the Info thing what type of P2P it is.
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Old 10-12-2002, 10:10 AM   #104
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In a game where it is known that you can purchase in-game goodies for real world cash, isn't it just assumed that the players playing there, even the ones who don't contribute monetarily, accept this as a fair arrangement?  And if there are some who don't, don't they really only have themselves to blame for not moving on to a game where the advancement/acquisition arrangements are more palatable?

Allowing for players to choose other means of bettering themselves aside from logging in 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, does not make one game any more cheesy, underhanded or unfair than another.  Rather it just makes for a game that will have more appeal for some different types of players (particularly players with more money and less time to spend on online games).  A player who feels that a sick level of devotion to a mud should be the primary factor in determining who is top dog would do well to stick with muds where time in-game is the leading indicator of who's hot and who's not. Likewise, a player who might only be able to give a game 10-15 hours a week is better off looking for a game where either a) character improvement is handled primarily by social means so that they aren't having to compete with 10-hour-a-day power levelers, or b) character improvement is attainable by multiple means, including perhaps the ability to pay for some things that time constraints might otherwise not allow you to achieve.  For some players it will be far more important to them not whether a game charges for play or for extra/accelerated features or not, but whether the amount of time spent online in order to acheive anything in the game is such that only students and slackers really have any reasonable chance at success (and there are quite a few muds where this is the case).

However a game goes about it, as long as the game's character improvement arrangements are known to all involved, the players, by virtue of choosing to continue playing the game, are acknowledging that the system is fair. It's quite different than if, say, I were to secretly slip the admin at some mud $200 and they powered me up and gave me a cool magic sword. This would be cheesy, underhanded and unfair because everyone involved (the playerbase) is not in on the arrangement and not able to base their decision on whether or not to continue playing said game in the light of this arrangement.
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Old 10-12-2002, 04:17 PM   #105
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Molly, Kavir, Jazuela, and TruthfulThomas, I am really impressed by your eloquent comments. Some of you are clearly more familiar with the background of some participants than I am which colors your views though not necessarily inaccurately. I agree with one major issue. That is the dishonesty of leaving the monetary options unclear or placing that information in a "fine print" area leaving new players in the dark until after they have invested time in creating a character. It is not enough to say, well, they could have found the information if they clicked on every link on the site. As a consumer I am highly offended by such tactics no matter what the product is. It's misleading. If a company has to try to trick me into using their product it doesn't say much for the product or the company.

The existence of such entities on this site does reflect on it's integrity. I realize that TMS's cannot possibly supervise or impose standards on all the MUDs registering here. A disclaimer is sufficient to make that aspect clear. You can't be sure any MUD is being honest about any aspect of their game. You can still set standards that will disqualify a MUD from participation *if discovered* participating in activites barred by the site. If potential players end up in MUDs and invest time before discovering there is a monetary component some will feel suckered and some will think TMS is a feed site for internet scemes. Bad for the site and bad for MUDs in general be they p2p or free.

The flood of sites "with an angle" aimed at children and adults alike makes it difficult to find anything really free. Those sites that do offer useful free activities or information without either charging or bombarding you with advertising get buried in the avalanche. They are getting harder and harder to find. One of the concerns expressed is that by being pushed down on the list they risk being skipped over, or rather, not even seen. Putting a bold FREE in their description won't be enough if other sites say the same and end up having some form of payment structure. It casts doubt on everyone listing here that does not proclaim themselves p2p upfront. Even if they put "absolutely truely free not shareware or anything else" people will still suspect it is just another pitch.

The problem the free muds seem to be facing is echoed on the net in general. I think the presence of commercial muds on this site is still a good thing, but there should be a clear and obligatory designator to let people know which muds are really free. It can really be discouraging nowadays to try to find genuinely free content on the net. So many commercial enterprises use the word "free" as a sales hook that it is very difficult to get away from commercial sites when searching for non-commercial content.

If would be a shame for completey free non-commercial muds to become extinct due to difficulty in finding them except by those already in the know. That they exist on this site isn't much use if they aren't clearly designated as such at a glance.
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Old 10-12-2002, 06:42 PM   #106
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It was aimed at Dulan, but I notice that other people tend to obsess about it as well.

OH LOOKS A TOPIC ABOUT P2P I KNOW ABOUT P2P OMFG ACHAEA SUCKZ!!!!1

I'm not aware of the sleezy (sleazy) campaign you are talking about, but I am aware that Achaea IS completely free to play.  Go play it for as long as you want.  It IS completely free to play.

Having read their website, I've somehow managed to discover the secret of their advantages.  They sell credits.  These can be traded in game to other players, or for things like a house, a pet, or lessons to improve your skills with (you still have to play the lessons themselves, so it's not an automatic gain).  You can't buy uber-items or experience points, sorry.

As a businessman myself, I'm appalled that you think there is something wrong with wanting to make money.  While shady may be dubious in some people's minds, if you are making money, and your players are happy (I have YET to see one complaint about Achaea itself while playing), where's the harm?

Frankly, it sounds like a whole bunch of whining to me.  I can understand that in the Achaea topic, but in every single post about P2P MUDs?  I've played on MUDs for what may be a short 8 years to some of you, but in all that time, I've yet to find a MUD with a codebase that rivals P2P MUDs.  Not to say that some MUDs aren't just as fun or satisfying, but when I think well though out, well put together, well coded, with in-depth quests and so forth, I think P2P.
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Old 10-13-2002, 08:38 AM   #107
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Competition is an important part of most muds.

Fine - that's up to you. I know a lot of the serious roleplaying muds feel that any sort of in-game benefit for any sort of out-of-game activity "spoils" the feel of the game. After all there is (usually) no logical reason why creating an area within the mud should make your character tougher. However many of these roleplaying muds like the concept of rewarding players for good roleplaying - and I'm sure you'd agree that such a concept would not suit many muds.

If you ever try playing a roleplaying game in which some of the characters are much stronger than the others, you'll find that the stronger ones tend to dominate the game. This spoils much of the fun for the other players, as they are never really needed - they become the equivilent of supporting cast, and take a back-seat throughout most of the game. If you have good roleplayers you can get around much of this, but only if the stronger players are willing to hold back so as to make the weaker characters feel equally important.
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Old 10-13-2002, 02:47 PM   #108
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Agreed KaVir, to some extent. In a plotline-driven game atmosphere though (whether it's RPI or only encouraged), it's the guy who finds the clue who saves the day. Skills (other than perception if it happens to be a skill) are almost irrelevant. A level 1 newbie jeweler can be the hero just as easily as the level 150 necromancer nobility vampire, in such an atmopshere.

It all depends on the type of game, which is why I don't think making a blanket statement regarding "fairness" holds any weight at all.

In a PvP game, sure - y'all need to start out with the same opportunity, and working your way up could mean your character's quick demise.

But in an RPI, working your way up is the whole point.
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Old 10-13-2002, 03:22 PM   #109
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In that case I don't see how it matters whether one person played twice as long as the other, who in turn compensated for that with money.

All I've done is point out that using money to progress, rather than other out-of-game compensation, does not automatically result in an "unfair advantage".
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Old 10-13-2002, 04:08 PM   #110
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I personally have no interest in playing a game where I pay for additional extras along the way.  I would like to earn, in game, those credits for a house and have others do the same.  However, that said - I agree Kavir, it is not necessarily unfair.  Some people get their kicks out of "stuff", be it characters with a ton of skills, neat houses, pretty items, etc.  And my guess is that a game that sells "stuff" is catering to those folks.  I would rather a game where personality, history, behaviors, and rp choices are driving factors, both in terms of your characters success and in terms of what most of the players are interested seeing when they log in.

To each their own.  If folks are willing to pay for extras or willing to play for free while others pay for extras and aren't upset about it, let them.  Doesn't hurt the rest of us, afterall.  

Anyway, "fair" isn't really nearly as black and white of a term as it is being bandied around as.  What seems fair to folks on the PfS (pay for stuff) may not seem fair to those on free or PtPs.  Fair: Consistent with rules, logic, or ethics.  Not everyone has the same ethics, rules, or logic.

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Old 10-13-2002, 05:17 PM   #111
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If the game supports sales of things, ain't no thang. Folks who are willing to pay, can pay. Folks who aren't willing to pay, won't pay, or will find a game where sales of things (for real life money I mean) aren't supported by the game.

There's games where characters are bought and sold on E-bay..I used to play one of them. But because I outgrew vying for "power" in terms of skills and ranks, and moved toward a more roleplay intensive environment, I can't return to that old way of things anymore.

It just is wierd for my character to be best buddies with someone one day, only for that character to declare herself a mortal enemy the next, without any IC explanation, simply because that character was sold to a player who doesn't like me, personally.

THAT is what I consider "unfair." It's unfair because it denigrates the integrity of a game that advertises itself as a RPG.
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Old 10-14-2002, 02:50 AM   #112
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is a post to the MudDev list by Mihaly, dated June 99.

And in the rest of the message Mihaly rather strongly implies that his game is in the 'pay mud' category several times more. See it for yourselves.

Three possibilities:
1 - Mihaly's game has changed in the last two years. It was a pay mud and now it's free.
2 - Mihaly's idea of what a pay mud is has changed in the last two years.
3 - Mihaly has two standards for what a pay mud is, one for serious MudDev discussion, the other for advertising purposes.

I predict Mihaly will say it's number two. I also predict I won't be very convinced.
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Old 10-14-2002, 03:53 AM   #113
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I have no problem with people wanting to make money, Genmac. It’s the business methods - which you yourself refer to as ‘shady’ - that I object to.

Thanks for correcting my typo. In return I’ll help you with an example of ‘inventive’ quotes in Achaea’s campaign that I find sleazy. (It’s right on top on the Achaea main page, so it shouldn’t be hard to find).
It states:

Of course a quote like this raises a number of questions, at least in my mind:
1. What kind of site is RPGplanet.com, and who is the Administrator?
2. Did the Admin of that site actually make that statement?
3. If so, in what context?
4. If so, what was the statistical basic for the statement – i.e. how many and which other text MUDS did they compare Achaea to?
And so on…

I took a look at RPGplanet.com, but couldn’t find anything about Achaea on it, even when I did a search there. But then again, I didn’t check every single link there.
I assume that it isn't concealed under some heading labelled ‘Credits’.
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Old 10-14-2002, 04:57 AM   #114
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