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game management

  1. noun The process of ensuring that the game is generally fun for its players. Game management is necessary because with so many different people playing from different backgrounds and having different attitudes, conflicts are bound to arise. Game management aims to ensure that these are dealt with fairly and in a just manner. Game management policy is usually formulated by the arch-wizzes and enforced day-to-day by the wizzes (arch-wizzes handle inter-wiz disputes). Common causes of moans are the behaviour of killers (especially wiz killers), vindictive insults/abuse, perceived unfairness, and more mundane things like cost and carrier loss. Logs are essential for good game management, as players involved in disputes often misunderstand or misinterpret what has happened - something they may think is wiz interference could actually be the result of legitimate action by players, for example. Common errors of game management are inconsistency ("You resurrected him but you didn't resurrect me!"), believing that the customer is always right ("Well gee, if you say you suffered carrier loss I guess I'd better give you back all your points") and feeling sorry for someone ("I restored her, it was her first necro"). Equally bad is petty-minded intransigence ("I don't care how much you grovel in apology, the FOD for saying 'darn' stands!"), over-enthusiastic rule enforcement ("How did you know to say hi when he entered, you never typed QW? You're multi-lining!") and lack of trust in wizzes ("I know you say you wouldn't have FODded her really, but how can I be sure of that?"). Game management can make or break a MUA, so guaranteeing that it is sound is a prime objective of its owners. See CompuNet MUD, enforced friendliness, GWG, radioactive points, cycles, HCDS, limbo, seed.
  2. noun The people who perform game management (sense 1). "It's like the mortals think they're game management!"

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23rd September 1999: game_management.htm