On Player-based Factions, a.k.a., ``guilds'' or ``clans''

It's good to let the players self-organize. In most Muds the default factions are but mere placeholders for the newbies and these factions don't have any actual power at all. The starting Corporations in EVE, for example, are never going to conquer any star system or build any space stations. Players are instead encouraged to either start their own Corporation or join some other fellow's Corporation. We designers like the idea of player-based factions because that fosters ``engagement'' and hopefully encourages ``retention''.

These expectations of engagement and retention are based on some rather common-sense notions. Here in the West, we enjoy a Freedom of Association. I can associate with the people of my choice and likewise I may also avoid the people of my choice. If there are some like-minded people out there then I can go be with them while at the same time I can separate myself from those who I find disagreeable. This is part of our national Constitution here in the United States.

Now if this is so delightful in The Real World then we would be fools to avoid it in our virutal world. By necessity this requires some notion of exclusivity. The VFW, for example, is for Veterans of Foreign Wars and not just any old Tom, Dick, or Harriet. So let's say a Fighter is tired of hanging out with Archers and Mages, so he decides to form the Fighters Guild. This is a club just for Fighters. Fighters can now hang out just with other Fighters and they can talk Fighter stuff and get together to do Fighter things, all in the safety of their own space and w/o the gross distractions of Priests or Burglars. This sounds pretty great, yeah?

What of minority groups? There are many who assert forms of repression are all around them. Consider what have become termed ``micro-aggressions''. You and I might be the most inclusive and progressive of folks on the planet, but it is argued that even we, as products of the preceding culture, on occasion will, quite unknowingly, let slip some terribly hurtful slur. Why shouldn't these folks be allowed a private space where they can be free from such, accidental to be sure but hurtful nonetheless, noise? I have been assured, on excellent authority, being gay and black is a lot more troublesome than being only one of either.

Sure this all sounds very well and good, but when it comes time to implementing player-based factions in your Mud then you have to write some actual code to enforce these different rules, and therefore you will be offering social commentary. Dr. Richard Bartle poses some interesting questions concerning membership criteria in his excellent MMOs From The Inside Out and MMOs From The Outside In books, but one of which touches on this matter of our modern democratic notions of inclusivity and how they impact with the individual's right of association. Which of the following membership criteria should be forbidden by Your Favourite Mud?

• Clan for gay characters only
• Clan for gay players only
• Guild for female characters only
• Guild for female players only
• Corporation for black characters only
• Corporation for black players only

Golly, those all sounds great to me! Who could possibly object to such open-minded and liberal notions of fraternity and unity? I mean, it's all just so obviously democratic that none of them should be forbidden. So how do they differ from the following prohibitions?

• No gays
• No girls
• No blacks

Don't worry, I'll wait while you fumble for an answer.