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...Somehow, if I see the word "roleplaying" in a game's description, I'm much less inclined to play there.
"Roleplaying" is not some feature you tack onto the end after you've opened your mud, it's a vital facet to a true roleplaying game that requires a lot of effort and thought.

Maevakier:

I think I can see the point you're trying to make, though I believe it's been made with a token of faulty logic. If a MUD is a roleplaying environment, the administration owes it to their present and future playerbase to notify the community of the game's genre. If I were looking for a place to play, I certainly would want to avoid hack-n'-slash games and would expect the description or advertisement to tell me of such. Roleplaying can be used as a verb, a noun and as an adjetive. In the case of the latter, it is used to describe a particular type of environment.

That said, there is something irking about non-roleplaying MUDs that advertise themselves as roleplaying environments with the hopes of luring a larger playerbase. Most roleplaying environments consider roleplaying a vital part of their game and those who don't are misusing the label. But it's nothing more than that.

Best,
Edward Falconer,
Creative Director - The Cathyle Project

"...Somehow, if I see the word "roleplaying" in a game's description, I'm much less inclined to play there."

So what you're saying is... you're rather play non-roleplaying MUDs than roleplaying MUDs that bill themselves as roleplaying MUDs? Or you simply don't like non-roleplaying MUDs that label themselves as roleplaying MUDs, and assume that any MUD described as a roleplaying MUD really isn't? Or you're cool with playing roleplaying MUDs, as long as they aren't described as roleplaying MUDs? Or maybe you simply don't like roleplaying MUDs?

""Roleplaying" is not some feature you tack onto the end after you've opened your mud, it's a vital facet to a true roleplaying game that requires a lot of effort and thought."

So roleplaying is "a vital facet to a true roleplaying game", and a "vital facet" should not be something you "tack onto the end after you've opened your mud"? Exactly how can you "implement" rolepaying in a MUD before opening it, when roleplaying by definition requires roleplayers in order to occur? Are you suggesting that MUD admins write self-aware AI daemons so that roleplaying can take place between NPCs before the MUD is opened?

You wouldn't have happened to have smoked a fat blunt just before posting would you?

I'm confused.

(sorry, not meant to be a personal attack.. it's just 3am here, can't sleep, and I'm feeling facetious :p).

Perhaps "Maevakier" meant that "roleplaying games" that describe themselves as "roleplaying" are rare, while "non-roleplaying games" that describe themselves as "roleplaying" are "common."

I also am "inclined" to "believe" that he "considers" a "true roleplaying game" to be the "product" of the "work" of many "administators" and much "foreplanning," rather than simply a "wish" they do nothing to "encourage." It's easy to "say" that you want a "roleplaying game," then blame the "lack" of "roleplaying" on "poor players" rather than "poor administration."

And yes, I do suggest that MUD admins write AI scripts for their NPCs that encourage a strong roleplaying atmosphere. While it hopefully wouldn't be neccissary to get to the level of self-aware NPCs that are interacting even without the main feature of the game (that would be the "players", without whom the exercise is "pointless"), it's still a highly beneficial addition.

Your question could be redirected at you. You may have had one too many "fat blunts" at "3am" in the past, as well...

"Perhaps "Maevakier" meant that "roleplaying games" that describe themselves as "roleplaying" are rare, while "non-roleplaying games" that describe themselves as "roleplaying" are "common.""

Then maybe he should have said so?

"I also am "inclined" to "believe" that he "considers" a "true roleplaying game" to be the "product" of the "work" of many "administators" and much "foreplanning," rather than simply a "wish" they do nothing to "encourage." It's easy to "say" that you want a "roleplaying game," then blame the "lack" of "roleplaying" on "poor players" rather than "poor administration.""

Of course. You might also point out that the sky is blue, water is generally considered wet when in liquid state. I was just making fun of the fact that his post was severely disjointed. He made no connection between advertising your MUD as be a roleplaying MUD and lack of quality. He just jumped straight from advertising your MUD as a roleplaying MUD is bad (no justification provided) to roleplaying is a vital facet of a roleplaying game (duh).

"I also am "inclined" to "believe" that he "considers" a "true roleplaying game" to be the "product" of the "work" of many "administators" and much "foreplanning," rather than simply a "wish" they do nothing to "encourage." It's easy to "say" that you want a "roleplaying game," then blame the "lack" of "roleplaying" on "poor players" rather than "poor administration.""

"And yes, I do suggest that MUD admins write AI scripts for their NPCs that encourage a strong roleplaying atmosphere."

His argument was also more precisely that you should implement roleplaying (not features supporting roleplaying, but roleplaying itself) before you open your MUD. Unfortunately, as I stated, unless you create fully self-aware AI for your NPCs, that ain't gonna happen. Sure, you could implement features that support roleplaying, but roleplaying itself isn't a feature you implement.

Yes, I understand that there's a difference between what he meant to say, and what he actually said, and I'm probably being overly pedantic, but hey, coders tend to be.

Oh yes, and please, if you're going to attack my post and throw in a personal insult at the end, at least have the decency to put up a valid argument instead of one attacking straw men.

Did someone say blunt? -looks around with wide eyes, surging with excitment-

I think I might know how you feel, Maevakier. I enjoy roleplaying, when roleplaying is actually the focus of the game, but even a lot of the muds that some people hail for their great roleplaying do not actually have much more than some kind of global 'RP channel' that everyone just pitches into occasionally to make their *CENSORED* feel a little bit bigger.

When I'm looking for /MUDs/, distinguishing between other code bases that go by MUSH and MUX, I also now avoid 'roleplaying-enforced' like the plague.

If that's even what you mean. A lot of people seem a bit confused, though. Any chance you could explain your point a little more?

Weanus