We did do the Malaki event, but you need to understand the context: A Tale in the Desert II was a non-combat game about building a perfect society in the face of social challenges constructed by the developers. There were challenges that required game-wide cooperation (building the Seven Great Works), while a mysterious stranger ("Gharib," played by me) did things to cause turmoil among players. Malaki was (as many players suspected) one of Gharib's agents, though the event was constructed to make this uncertain.
Players had a number of tools to deal with Malaki, including the lawmaking process and the power of the Demi-Pharaoh. Either of these could have banned Malaki from the game, but players were reluctant to do so because there was a chance that the rare goods he offered would somehow advance (shortcut) the technology tree. It was a genuine case of moral ambiguity. More details about the event itself are here:
http://web.archive.org/web/20081203221126/http://wiki.atitd.net/tale2/TheTraderMalaki
Though neither formal tool was used, community leaders created enough social pressure on would-be defectors to run Malaki out of town, thereby "winning" the scenario.
ATITD explored all sorts of socially difficult puzzles, including the acquisition of power ("The Test of the Demi-Pharaoh,") online trust ("The Test of Marriage,") Monopolies ("The Test of the Funerary Temple"), the tragedy of the commons (mushroom ecology) and addiction (Speed of the Serpent.)
A Tale in the Desert, now in it's 6th telling, still runs, though most of my attention these days is on Dragon's Tale.
Players had a number of tools to deal with Malaki, including the lawmaking process and the power of the Demi-Pharaoh. Either of these could have banned Malaki from the game, but players were reluctant to do so because there was a chance that the rare goods he offered would somehow advance (shortcut) the technology tree. It was a genuine case of moral ambiguity. More details about the event itself are here:
http://web.archive.org/web/20081203221126/http://wiki.atitd.net/tale2/TheTraderMalaki
Though neither formal tool was used, community leaders created enough social pressure on would-be defectors to run Malaki out of town, thereby "winning" the scenario.
ATITD explored all sorts of socially difficult puzzles, including the acquisition of power ("The Test of the Demi-Pharaoh,") online trust ("The Test of Marriage,") Monopolies ("The Test of the Funerary Temple"), the tragedy of the commons (mushroom ecology) and addiction (Speed of the Serpent.)
A Tale in the Desert, now in it's 6th telling, still runs, though most of my attention these days is on Dragon's Tale.
That is some special shit right there.
Teppy, I love to see someone dedicated to their game. Clearly Dragons Tale is your love and I think that's fantastic.
keep weaving the web. Your flock loves it.
