<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] Alignment & Introductions --> <!--X-From-R13: pynjerapNphc.uc.pbz --> <!--X-Date: Thu, 04 Sep 1997 01:35:45 +0000 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 199709040133.SAA11761#xsvr3,cup.hp.com --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: Pine.LNX.3.96.970825102022.2346A-100000#Cust72,Max13.Dallas.TX.MS.UU.NET --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, Re: [MUD-Dev] Alignment & Introductions</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg01063.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg01065.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00741.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00754.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#01064">Author</A> | <A HREF="#01064">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#01064">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] Alignment & Introductions</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#null,net">mud-dev#null,net</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev] Alignment & Introductions</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: <A HREF="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</A></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Wed, 03 Sep 97 18:12:36 -0700</LI> <LI><em>Reply-to</em>: <A HREF="mailto:claw#null,net">claw#null,net</A></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> In <<A HREF="msg00741.html">Pine.LNX.3.96.970825102022.2346A-100000#Cust72,Max13.Dallas.TX.MS.UU.NET</A>>, on 08/26/97 at 12:21 AM, lapsos <root#TDK,earthlink.net> said: >Alignment. > One problem i see with using Alignment is who is to say what is >evil and what isn't? Even from a mud point of view you will have >players/zones based upon the belief that an iron fist is the true way >of doing things, and thus would be good to them. While you will have >others that believe the opposite. Some of the better ways i've seen >to replace alignment is Factions and Legacy. With both these systems >you don't have good or evil. Simply what you believe in and what >others believe in you. When using alignment you usually must decide >on whos views are correct. Or to rephrase, the essential question is one of definition. What is the definition of "alignment"? Travis with his StarWars setting takes the case of alignment as being a member of one camp or faction (Imperial, Rebel, etc) within the game. MUDs with religious systems often define alignment as adherance to a particular god(s) via in-game ceremonies, prayers, and similar. This form can also be extended into more simple metrics of the XXX actions move you towards the +ve end of the scale, YYY actions toward the -ve end where the only real difference systems wise is that the religion has been abstracted or virtualised into another more implicit form (eg Island's "sin"). D&D has a concept of Good and Evil as crossed with Lawful/Chaotic. I suggest that these are in fact three different beasts, the presence of any of which does not exclude the presence of any of the others (you can have a chaotic evil StarWars rebel for instance who prays to the Great God GooGoo) which need to be defined with different terminology. Additionally they also represent different viewpoints on a character within the game: The first represents membership or alliance with a grouping or force within the game. The second adherence to the preferences of a defined diety. The third a characterisation of behaviour and prediction of internal motivation. (Comments encouraged on this analysis, please). I'd suggest that "factions" be used for the first form, "supporter" of "affinity" for the second, and "alignment" for the third due to its D&D holdovers and connotations. -- J C Lawrence Internet: claw#null,net (Contractor) Internet: coder#ibm,net ---------------(*) Internet: clawrenc#cup,hp.com ...Honorary Member Clan McFUD -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith... </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00741" HREF="msg00741.html">[MUD-Dev] Alignment & Introductions</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> lapsos <root#TDK,earthlink.net></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg01063.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg01065.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting.. [was AI and NPCs]</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00741.html">[MUD-Dev] Alignment & Introductions</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00754.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Character evolution</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#01064"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#01064"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev] Alignment</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="01210" HREF="msg01210.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Alignment</A></strong>, Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Sun 14 Sep 1997, 16:15 GMT </LI> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="00730" HREF="msg00730.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Alignment</A></strong>, Jeff Kesselman <a href="mailto:jeffk#tenetwork,com">jeffk#tenetwork,com</a>, Tue 26 Aug 1997, 03:10 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00739" HREF="msg00739.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Alignment</A></strong>, Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:root#mpc,dyn.ml.org">root#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Tue 26 Aug 1997, 06:21 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00741" HREF="msg00741.html">[MUD-Dev] Alignment & Introductions</A></strong>, lapsos <a href="mailto:root#TDK,earthlink.net">root#TDK,earthlink.net</a>, Tue 26 Aug 1997, 07:20 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="01064" HREF="msg01064.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Alignment & Introductions</A></strong>, clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Thu 04 Sep 1997, 01:35 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> </ul> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="00754" HREF="msg00754.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Character evolution</A></strong>, clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Wed 27 Aug 1997, 01:35 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00757" HREF="msg00757.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Character evolution</A></strong>, Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Wed 27 Aug 1997, 04:08 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00811" HREF="msg00811.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Character evolution</A></strong>, clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Thu 28 Aug 1997, 20:24 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00826" HREF="msg00826.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Character evolution</A></strong>, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Fri 29 Aug 1997, 00:26 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> </ul> </ul> </ul> </ul> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>