If we're going to include all rules violations, the #1 motivator by a wide margin is an attempt to screw over one or more other players.

Ganking permas, dropping link to avoid PK, OOC tirades including spam, bug exploitation, the annual jerk who tries to make the whole MUD (WANTED), that one jackass who serially follows heroes around and tries to take and sac their stuff, etc.

If there is enough cheating by seemingly unrelated parties, aimed at a particular goal, do you guys ever think, "Hmmm, maybe this is a tad too difficult if this many people will cheat to accomplish it."


The #2 motivator is ego. It's the same reason people cheat at pickup basketball by grabbing shirts, or why people on online games go bonkers if you beat them and screw up their 'rating'. They want to 'win' however they define winning, whether or not they're good enough to do it.

Multi-ing gear is an example here-- and a lot of gear movement is for fairly mundane stuff. Ditto people who try to arrange cabal inductions OOC, etc.

I think you're proposing the answers you want to hear, and not anything based on the experiences of the staff who handle these cases.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com