Hello Ladies, Gentleman and eventual sons-of-a-MOB

I've been thinking about a very important thing in almost all digital mediated social environment that could be made more explicit in Daimonin...

Let's talk about Reputation Systems.

As we all know Reputation is the measure of the good (or bad) impressions we make in our community about our behaviour, ethics, knowledge and skills. It's the reputation, the recognization of the people about someone's capabilities and trustiness (and, i hope, about it's humour too) that make natural leaders of people. It's the same reputation system that creates groups of "us" and "thems", tells you what people are naturaly aligned with you even before you know then (sometimes mistankenly) and, most important of all, are the Reputation Systems that make people behave or not in front of its peers...

Its not a plain good or bad thing. Reputation has it pros and cons, but, there's no discussion they ALWAYS exist. Being a very real and present thing in everyones life, and a good measure of what you are behind your power and wealth, reputation is a MUST in any social environment.

There is, already, a social reputation system between the folks in Daimonin. By this list we aknowledge who is a good guy, who is fun to play, quest and train with and who has the bad habit of stealing your arrows or your kills. But, what about making it EXPLICIT ingame?

My idea is: Why not make a simple reputation status system that shows in your character's stats, and that can be seen when you examine someone or, better yet, when you probe someone? Why not make this reputation thing not an automatic thing, but a social thing like a "rating" of everyone you know? Maybe there could be a way to "rate" everyone, maybe in b4 or b5, when the tavern and all the other "agora"* are already functioning?

I know that's just a vague suggestion, but i needed to make this one.

Let's use this topic to discuss how would be the reputation system for Daimonin?

as I see it, everyone has a reputation and that reputation is different to different people.  To some people, I'm a great guy, to others I'm a total jerk.  And to a different group, I'm just another person that they couldn't care less about.  One thing I've noticed about it though is it tends to go by age of player as much as by in-game actions.  If I don't KS and steal arrows, and actually disdain those actions, then to those that do, I'm a total jerk.  To others that also disdain those actions, I may be a great guy.  I don't see that as something you can measure for everyone.  It naturally has to be on a case by case basis.

there is talk about such related to race relations.....you kill orcs, elves like you:orcs hate you.  that is measurable and the only reputation that can be measured and wouldn't have an effect on pc-pc relations.  but could cause trouble for you in an orc town.  though if it was tied into PvP where you're friendly with orcs and you kill an enemy of the orcs/friend of the elves the orcs would think even more highly of you (and elves even less).

* it seems Ele posted faster than I could type... *


While I agree about the reputation thing ( from both of you so far) I lean more towards having the other players rate you, but it having little to nothing to do with the actual game mechanics.

That way if say, i dont like Longir I just start making new characters like crazy to be sure that all NPC's treat Longir like a bad guy.

I'd much rather have a straight foward player-rate-player in a short poll type interface ( the results could then be averaged to give a general social reputation), any other player wanting to look at the reputation of somebody would see the averge reputation "score," the number of other players that have rated this player, who the rating players are and maybe a short 60 word "personal critique" that would give more idea about a player's repuation.  The poll and "personal critique" could be changed at any time by the individual that posted the rating ( in case a character decided to be an ass all of a sudden.)

For example a 5 question poll about me gives me an average general social reputation of 5( out of 10);
Longir probes me to look at my reputation ( or some other way of viewing my reputation) and sees my reputation as 5 ( out of 10), Longir also can see that only 5 people have rated me, Longir can click on a menu that lists the names of the 5 players that rated me, Longir clicks on one of them, Ratix--the menu changes to show a what Ratix has to say about me.  This menu could even give Ratix's answers to the reputation poll, OR just an anonymous list of the poll answers.  

While I can see a good use of the "60 word" personal critique attached to the player' reputation it might get people's feelings hurt or cause a fued or something silly like that.  Here is what I would hope the majority of the "personal critiques" would look like for say Gnub_slayer:

 "Gnub is a really high level player, very helpful to new players if they are in NEED of help and assistance (No whining, begging or abusing this priviledge.)  Gnub will uphold the rules agreed uppon by the community but also views individual infractions of the laws on a case by case basis. Gnub seems to make great efforts to be both fair and equal."

Though I know somebody would flame the hell outta somebody, so thats a problem.
The player-rating-player would at least be more realistic. IMHO
Being able to change the rating that I post about another player can reflect changes in how me and another player think of each other.
Hopefully would give new players something to go off of when trying to figure out who to trust when trying to level in a crowded area or trade with another player.

No. Not more reputation. I don't want that following me around coded in the server, how hard would it be to change it then?

Ratix, you have a band? * clicks on link, looks in gallery, almost shoots milk outta my nose *

Lothien how elaborate of a rep system are you thinking of?  Hate to compare or talk about a game, but it's just easier this way.  Do you mean a rep system like UO (ultima online)?  Where depending on your rep, positive or negative, it just adds a description to your name like, Famed Arkanis (my in game character) or Respectable Arkanis?  And if you where at negative rep, things like guards would attack you on site, because you are a well known criminal?  Things like that I don't think would interfere with the game at all, it didn't in UO (again hate to bring up another game).  But if it was based on a voting system, I think it could easily be exploited.  So as Naomeire said, leave it to the community.

No no no  and again NO!

This isnt necessary in our relatively small society.  If you need to know about somebody who plays the game,
just do a /who and do your own poll by private message to a random set of players currently on line.  While this may get tiresome to determine a players reputation, it is and ever shall be the best way to get to know who another player is and what their underlying character is.

okay there!  I said it