It's hard as nails to completely avoid using OOC knowledge on your character. Looking at a combat log about Tarot then checking to make sure you have quicksilver before you fought one is an example of such. I know ALOT of my novicehood here was easier because I could pull from my past IRE experience.

The best we can do is to make sure to limit how our characters will react as best we can. If you found out someone is, say, a spy on your guild in the forums, you're going to automaticly watch what you say around them, even if you try not to. However, you CAN'T start trying to kick them out for being a spy.

Perhaps the key to all this is: We're not playing Quake, we're story writing, which each of us as actors. The writer of a spy novel knows who the spys are and knows if the good guys will win or not, but won't jump in to save the good guys and catch the spies. Instead he lets the story write itself, for good or ill*.


(*with exceptions, since I'm reminded of King's Dark Tower series)

Actually, Volucer mentioned it quite a few times and hisses whenever Ixion is mentioned.

I agree with you wholeheartedly, Cwin. A good MUD session can be just as immersive and complex as theater, performance art or LARP.