Imaginary Realities 2001 September Edition

Summary of September 2001 issue of Imaginary Realities. Imaginary Realities was an ezine dedicated to MUDs.

Summary of "Anonymity at its best" by Anonymous

A short essay about how you don't know who or what an anonymous person is. The author likes it that way.

Summary of "Coping with change" by Selina Kelley

Selina Kelley was an editor for Imaginary Realities, and spent time on Prophecy MUD.

What change happens on a MUD that you don't like, first approach the admin/builder in charge of the change to get all the facts, and voice your concern. They post publicly, if that has no desirable effect.

Don't get angry. Take a deep breath, and take a reasonable approach.

Make sure everyone in the discussion knows the facts.

Don't make threats. Threatening to leave the MUD will not get the change you want.

Summary of "Just Give Me a Game, Please" by Jessica Mulligan

Players want games. They don't want is "Art" disguised as justice systems. Entertainment should be first priority, not forcing the players into a designers vision of a masterpiece.

"This argument of Art versus Entertainment is one that has been going on for hundreds of years among creative sorts, and I've seen it flare up in computer gaming in a major way at least three times in the last fifteen years. It's something of an 'elite vision versus doing-it-for-the-money' thing. In general, the argument revolves around the antagonistic and opposing views that one should either constantly strive to create Art or, conversely, strive to create Entertainment."

Entertainment is scowled at, while Art is praised. However, people remember entertainment, but not "Art". As an example, most people don't remember Thomas Kyd, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, Christopher Marlowe, or Inigo Jones--all great Artists. The entire world remembers their entertainment contemporary, William Shakespeare.

Much of the game design these days, is really thinly veiled "Art", and not entertainment or entertaining. For example, game designers are constantly implementing non-consensual PVP systems in the name of "community", even though players clearly don't want it.

Summary of "Seeds of Inspiration" by Wes Platt

Wes Platt (AKA Brody) created OtherSpace MUSH.

Building a completely uniquely themed MUD/MUSH is possible, but it is easier for players and creators to mix concepts and ideas from previously existing themes to come up with a new, easily-understood theme.

OtherSpace MUSH came from a desire to create something as visionary and unique as Star Wars. "As I grew up, I came to learn that George Lucas didn't just weave Star Wars out of the ether. Although the characters and races and worlds are his own, they had their genesis in the movies of Kurosawa and the myth theories of Joseph Campbell and the swash buckling movie matinees of the mid-20th Century."

OtherSpace took inspiration from many sources including Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Jurassic Park, Philip K. Dick, Romani culture, Battlestar Galactica, and even a Discovery channel documentary.

"The frontier may be new, but for those traveling the strange land, it helps to see things that make them comfortable, that give them some sense of familiarity. And you can also use that comfort to throw new twists on old ideas."

Summary of "The Seven States of Gamer Development" by Eric L. Rhea

  1. The Unwilling - They're burned out
  2. The Newbie - New to the game, excited, and clueless
  3. The Apprentice - A beginner, but well on their way to understanding what needs to happen
  4. The Strategist - "Individuals who seek to maximize their efficiency within the game state."
  5. The Tactician - Have progressed to the level of organizing large events.
  6. The Designer - Knows he world, too well, and wants to enrich it
  7. The Creator - Has reached "gamer enlightenment", and desires to give back to the community. They create new games, build worlds, and "writers of books and expansions".

    8. Types of gamers, given classifications from above.

    • Griefer - tactician / designer
    • Achievers - strategist / tactician
    • Explorers - apprentice
    • Competitors - tactician
    • Socializers - designer
    • Killers - tactician
    • Fan Contributor - deesigner
    • Game Designer - creator
    • Quitter - unwilling

    Summary of "To P, or not to P (-Kill that is)?" by Ilya

    Ilya used to run Game Commandos.

    There is a great divide between PvP'ers and non-PvP'ers. They either hate or love PvP.

    PK'ers feel non-PK'ers are wimps. Non-PK'ers say, they don't like it, because they're not good at it.

    The author doesn't play purely PvP games, and does not believe it to be anything to do with being a poor PvP'er. The author just prefers thinking and strategy games. Also, combat is not relaxing, and relaxation is often the reason the author plays games. Also, games where there isn't a competition are more fun to the author.

    "Are players who don't enjoy full-on PK a bunch of pink-pad lamer wusses who just can't hack it in the full-time total-war body slamming chew-you-up-and-spit-you-out world of 100% PK? Maybe. If PK'ers find comfort in thinking that, then I wish them all the comfort in the world!

    "For me, at least, I avoid full-on PK because I like games more thought-based than gland-based, games where I have a great deal of control over game play circumstances, and games where you don't need to take away from other players to get ahead yourself."