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a rumor is circulating that certain shops have been re-equipped with bug lites. i'm not at liberty to discuss it further. be careful out there.

~pooh

By direct request of the Central Computer and the NorthEast Third Council, the laws of physics have been changed to disallow violence against merchants or surveyors. If there are indeed new bug lites in certain shops, they'll no longer be needed.

I feel that things were fine how they were. Perhaps the thirds should increase police presence? They spent all those dinars on buglites, and then the upgrade to crimenet! Disallowing violence against shopkeepers completely doesn't seem like the right solution to me. Are there other options that the thirds could pursue?

I agree with Luciano. Triad City has an advanced crime fighting presence, both human and bot. Surely every citizen's has the right to become an outlaw and either reap the rewards or risk being brutally slain. I hope this change in physical law can be repealed.

Ooh, what's that I hear? Must be a collective moan of despair, sent up by all the TC mobsters and ne'er-do-wells.
One has to make a couple observations. First, most of the activity around the City lately _has_ been wanton and gratuitous violence. This is certainly due in part to a general lack of maorals. More likely, it's because there's very little else to do in the City at all, not to mention gratification and *gasp* fun. With this announcement by both of the head powers-that-be in the City, we can only assume that there will be some new, non-violent form of entertainment forthcoming. As a half-pacifist myself, I drool in anticipation. What could be coming that would make Poobah so deter people from spending time out and about in the City? With violence being the main pastime, that's what it amounts to.
Let's all hold our breath and see, shall we, kids? Ready . . . go!

As a point of information, I've never been involved in violence. All my experience has come from other sources.

I can understand that some will have to change their habits, but I really don't see that any rights have been taken away. People can still act violently in all sorts of other places. Really, seems to me the change is pretty minor. Protects a pretty small group of people.

Maybe the question to answer is, why did the authorities decide to protect those particular people? Changing the laws of physics seems pretty drastic: those people must be important.

My guess it's because they have a special purpose which the world needs.

So my encouragement to my warrior friends is: don't worry too much. There are plenty of other victims for you.

I interpret it this way. The authorities want to protect the merchants, but they want to do it without getting anybody killed. Thus they made violence against merchants impossible. For whatever my two cents are worth that seems generous.

--Mark

The way I see it, the authorities could just then make violence against anything at all illegal. TriadCity isn't all about violence, but in the current world it's a choice that some players make of their own free will. Warriors constantly deal with the consequences of choosing to attack merchants, we have to carefully plan out our movements between the thirds so that we aren't caught unaware, we have to find ways of ridding ourselves of the loot, and a lot of times this loot goes to helping new players who wouldn't ever have a chance to get a Constihat themselves. The point I'd like to make is that allowing violence against the merchants gives us free will, and thats something I prize. If the thirds want to add bodyguards like Billy Jack to their stores, I don't think anyone would complain because that's logical. Completely disallowing violence doesn't make sense in a world used it, it's almost like any time the Thirds don't like their citizens doing something they can just disallow it. What if the NW third decides it doesn't like free enterprise so they decide to get the laws of physics changed so that there aren't any merchants at all and we just share everything? Is there any way we could look at something else other than changing the entire way things work?

I'm surprised by these worries.

Aren't there examples of these "laws of physics" all over the city? Players can't attack other players, violence isn't allowed on Sanctuary Island, some places have higher regen than others. This change doesn't seem unique.

Anyway violence hasn't been disallowed, there's plenty of it. Only the merchants are protected. I'm a warrior and I see nothing to be concerned with.

Perhaps this law change will cause a reverse affect causing the warriors to rally and start killing off PCs rather than NPCs for loot thus causing all those who die to become discouraged and stop playing TC which will cause the ultimate failure of this great game!!!!!

...well it's a possibility...

but on a bit more serious note...despite me being a ranger (i really don't like killing...unless i feel violent) this specific law change may actually do more harm than good.

Considering what I've learned and experienced about human psychology restricting someone of a need (money, relief, violence, exp) may cause a positive effect or a negative effect.

The positive effect would be those who killed the shopkeepers to move on to other NPCs or creatures to satisfy their needs. The negative effect is a massive war between ever PC...at least when there is a lot on...

Hi Trigion. PCs can't attack PCs. That's been a "law of physics" for as long as I've been visiting TC.

Heh...so that's why i've never seen a fight between PCs...i guess i should read all the updates...

well then, scratch my theories!

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