A Tale in the Desert

"A Tale in the Desert is rare among MMORPGs in that it lacks combat."

What? Lacks combat? A Mass Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, without fighting? And people like it? And it's fun?

Apparently so.

Allow me to continue quoting from the venerated Wikipedia:

"The lack of levels was also a unique feature in past tales, but the most recent tale has seen the addition of a levels system. Players can kill their livestock, go on safari, and most of all engage into politics. The game focuses on building, research and community. Even more uniquely, players are able to have a lasting effect on the world; the game reaches an endpoint, after which a new Telling begins, which bears marks of the Telling before. Players can also create laws (including player bans) and make feature requests. Compared to other online games, there is also a closer to equal ratio of male to female players, and a high level of civility and generosity, as a result of the difference in focus."

Again, what?!? Lasting effect on the world? Player-created laws? Closer to equal ratio of male to female? High level of civility and generosity?

Is there, then, a reason for hope? Is it, therefore, actually likely that there will be more games like this - games that foster communities of players who actually care about each other, and the world they are creating together?

Let us bow our heads, and play.

Funspotting by Noise

from Bernie DeKoven, funsmith