https://www.shutupandsitdown.com/videos/board-game-golden-age-talk/

Talks about the "golden age" of board gaming that is being experience right now. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that board gaming has become... interesting... again?

The video is ####, but the stuff he's talking about is cool. There are pieces (like simultaneity and cooperation/interaction) that are core peices of the MUD design and launched it to popularity, but there are also parts (like accessibility) which MUDs are bad at (and possibly getting worse).

It's basically about game design, and what are the principles you are following.

For instance, Imm Staff have oft lamented that everyone wants to be Rambo. Usually this is response to some player complaining X is underpowered or whatever when the design wasn't for X to stand alone, but to be used cooperatively. However, the game's design has evolved more and more away from cooperative play over time. Whether it is a tail of lizard scroll, or the AP's need to get the killing blow, or having perfected skills, or the culture backlash of ganging, or the death of permas by rule, the game has pushed toward a solo activity. You can't drop Sly Stalone in the middle of a Jungle warzone and then complain when he wants to be Rambo... To survive a war, you gotta become war.

I imagine this is rambly, but there is something important here, even if it just to codify what the CF game design principles actually are and then make decisions to follow them...