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<b>Message ID:</b> 2522 <br/>
<b>Date:</b> Mon Jun 28 17:17:03 BST 1999 <br/>
<b>Author:</b> Bob Stewart <br/>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Bellow & just a comment in response to Bob Stewart&#39;s <br/>
<br/><br/>
<div id="ygrps-yiv-2065256116">At 12:01 PM 6/28/99 -0400, John Kim wrote:<br/>
<blockquote><span title="ireply"> &gt;Well, &quot;mob&quot; is technically more accurate.  It refers to any<br/>
&gt;mobile entity that is controlled by the server.<br/>
<br/>
 </span></blockquote>True and true.  It is a leftover from the origin of this game in deep MUD.<br/>
<br/>
The true awkwardness here comes from game and program thinking rather than<br/>
fantasy world thinking.  If you think in terms of game and program there<br/>
are beings you can&#39;t kill, PCs, and beings you can (more or less), NPCs.<br/>
But that&#39;s a game artifact that impinges deeply on the fantasy world (for<br/>
those of us not player killers).<br/>
<br/>
In live roleplaying or electronic I find it deeply disturbing to metagame<br/>
and treat other beings very differently because I know they are PCs or<br/>
NPCs.  I thus believe it is best to limit making that distinction to those<br/>
situations where you are talking about the game and not living the fantasy.<br/>
<br/>
There is no appropriate in-game term because that distinction is not<br/>
supposed to exist any more than it must.  All NPCs aren&#39;t there to be prey.<br/>
 Recognizing an NPC as such isn&#39;t supposed to be the ultimate in underlying<br/>
racism.  I believe that&#39;s the point of the faction system.  Actions have<br/>
far reaching consequences.  You can&#39;t kill with impunity.  Some dwarves are<br/>
your friends, some are not.<br/>
<br/>
	Bob</div>