Drug Addiction Integrated Into Achaea MUD

An anonymous reader writes "The text-based MUD Achaea, one of Iron Realms Entertainment's games, has introduced an addictive drug called gleam into its world, during a plot involving a wide-ranging crime ring. On discovery, a number of players, eager for a new experience, took enough gleam to become immediate addicts, leading to head-twitching, speed-talking druggies polluting the land here and there. Several player cities have already outlawed the drug, and there are some very sorry addicts going through a painful withdrawal that can last up to 25 hours of playing time. It'll be interesting to see if anyone considers the tangible benefit (increased dexterity) that one gets worth the heavy cost of the drug on both the character's bank account and on the player's psyche. At least one real-life recovering addict has used the in-game forums to loudly object to the introduction of gleam."

Comments

Uhhhhh, no.

[Crash Culligan]

Like the woman that had her kids taken way because she wouldn't stop playing everquest.

I hope my city illegalizes RPGs

I've found that RPGs can be an excellent source of entertainment and socialization, when played in moderation. Your city should just ban stupid people.

So many of the world's problems could be solved if we could separate the intellectual wheat from the chaff, so to speak: those people who can't differentiate fantasy from reality, or who are prone to getting hooked on whatever "big thing" that comes along, be it drugs, alcohol, pornography, roleplaying games, or tax legislation.

Those people who can't handle reality should be pulled out of it and treated like the children they are. They're giving the rest of us a bad name. If they can't tell fantasy from reality, we shouldn't let them watch television. And if they're terminally gullible, they probably shouldn't be allowed to vote; politicians can be tricky.

I'd vote technocrat, only I've got nobody to vote for.

Re:Uhhhhh, no.

[MDCore]

you said:
So many of the world's problems could be solved if we could separate the intellectual wheat from the chaff, so to speak

I say:
And how do you do that exactly, seperate those who can't differentiate between fantasy or reality, or who get hooked on things. IQ Tests maybe? Or do YOU get to decide who's wheat and who's chaff?

technocrat, no. Despot, yes.

Re:Uhhhhh, no.

[Frizzle Fry]

I've found that RPGs can be an excellent source of entertainment and socialization, when played in moderation

Funny, since that's a pretty accurate description of a lot of drugs that have been banned for similar reason.

Nothing new

[j.bellone]

I have been programming MUDs for a good few years, and this is nothing new. There have been MUDs around that have "diseases", "sicknesses", hell, even some had "stds." Nothing new; although most of them didn't advertise it like it was a special gametype or something.