Re: Amoral behvaiour in IF


15 Jun 1995 01:11:28 GMT

In article <harrison-1406951307140001@bertholdbaskerville.mv.us.adobe.com>,
Harrison Page <harrison@adobe.com> wrote:
:In article <badger.803074735@phylo>, badger@phylo.life.uiuc.edu (Jonathan
:Badger) wrote:
:
:> mol@marvin.df.lth.se (Magnus Olsson) writes:
:>
:> >While working on my new adventure game (tentatively called
:> >"Deadlock"), it struck me how often the player character of adventure
:> >games (and other games as well) behaves in a totally amoral way,
:> >gladly doing things he/she would never do in real life, and even
:> >getting rewarded for it. [...]
:>
:> >But still it seems that in most IF, you are at encouraged to behave in
:> >a way that's not at all acceptable in real life. It would be
:> >interesting if you out there could come up with some more examples than
:> >the widespread kleptomania. :-) [...]
:>
:> Well, something that's true in most adventure and RPGs is murder. Assuming
:> that orcs and trolls existed, you couldn't just randomly kill them to take
:> their treasure without the authorities getting upset!
:
:Consider the White House in Zork I. Immediately, you have breaking
:and entering. From there, the player goes on to trespass, to kill a
:troll (assault and battery, brandishing a weapon, and if you're lucky,
:murder in the first), then grand theft. Any others?

Unfortunately, performing strange rituals in order to gain access to
Hell is not a crime AFAIK. You also might get let off the hook for
trespassing after the owner finds out you left several million dollars
in treasures in his trophy case.

-- 
---
Tim Hollebeek                   'There will be a better sig when I have time'