Though we can all say that pbase has grown up physically over the last decade or so, I can't say the same mentally. If this was implemented -ish would hit the fan very quickly.
PG-13 Rule
I would prefer it if the graphical nature of the mud stayed the way it is now. I for one get offended easily and naturally feel we should also have respect for each other's tastes.
Dunno if I'd put my kid on this. While it's fantastic, I often feel like I "waste" time with it. A lot of time. Years.
Yet I keep on crawling back!
So technically FL is Mature already.
I love kids as well, however FL wouldn't be my first choice for an online MUD to have my child try it out.
Ever.
AND!
Saying Online interactions cannot be rated is NOT a copout.
You can try to set boundaries but you'll always have dick-heads in any environment.
Also how many kids on the internet listen to the go away if you're not 18 thing anyway? Or any rating really. lol
Still...
Saying it's PG-13 and when it's not, that's when parents will get mad.
Words like damn, hell, ****, bastard, and bitch I think should be ok. They're all on prime time television as it is.
Does anybody remember when we were really young and video games didn't even have ratings yet, and every ten year old was playing games like Doom that had tons of blood and gore (heavily pixelated, but definitely there)?
I don't feel too damaged by it.
I've always had a beef with ratings systems... they're entirely subjective, reflecting (as Valek noted) personal morals rather than ethical considerations, and as I have yet to see any real science supporting the notion that violence or sexuality in any medium causes damaging behavior in kids it really annoys me that the entire basis for them is supposedly to protect kids. In reality, all they do is stifle creative expression.
Those ratings are such a stupid thing.
People actually caring about them is even more stupid. Especially people who have watched porn and excessive violence in their younger years themselves.
Hell I watched porn for a first time when I was 4th grade - something like 11 years old.
Around the same time I found bangedup.com.
Yet, I consider myself pretty tolerant, quite intelligent person, with a bachelor degree in automation engineering (doing my master now), who speaks two foreign languages and makes his own money. That on top of the fact that the current state of my country is... well lets say my country is different and a lot of you people who live in what is considered a developed country won't manage to thrive here.
The problem with those ratings is actually the problem of people not wanting to take responsibility for educating their children. Yes, because my child is a sh!ty person 'cause it watches your sh!ty television, and visits your sh!ty site, and goes to your sh!ty school.
NO!
It is a sh!ty person because you didn't do your job well as a parent. Harsh, I know, but for things to get better people need to take responsibility and not blame the internet, the television and everything else for their own mistakes as parents.
A lot of people think that if they try to prevent their children from experiencing Real Life for as long as possible everything will be good. I am sorry, but you are wrong. Let your child try smoking when he is 12. Roll him a joint when he is 14. Hire him a hooker when he is 16.
Do not try to protect him from the harsh things in life, but let him experience them, suffer from them. Share your thoughts with him but let him draw his own conclusions.
Ratings are such a stupid thing and it makes me sad when I see so many of you guys paying so much attention to them.
I would prefer it if the graphical nature of the mud stayed the way it is now. I for one get offended easily and naturally feel we should also have respect for each other's tastes.
cosign
Let's keep personal insinuations out of this.
excuse me?
I remember there was a character once who "painted" pictures for a rich Xymerrian drow family. He gave me one. It quite literally was an object that I could examine or look at that depicted two elven women being torn apart by orcs in a very graphic fashion. I was in awe at how beautiful the picture "looked".
Some things are very artsy. Not everyone may appreciate it due to the moral inclination of the individual. However, this is media we are speaking about and anyone with a computer has access to FAR worse than this.
I'm inclined to agree with Pali on the scientific aspect of it. There is a level of desensitization to a degree, but no more than already exists and it can help people be more open-minded and critical.
I'm also not seeing the argument of "I want my kid to" or "what if a kid shows up to play". We haven't seen much growth at all in the last two years as a Playerbase. And the newest member we've gotten seems to point the data in the opposite direction. Besides our offspring, I don't think there's any true interest in muds coming from the generation below me or will there ever be much of an interesting in the years to come.
After recently playing 4th Edition D&D it seems to me that games are going to the power gamer anyways. And we don't exactly offer the type of "power" that most kids are into. We don't have insta-gratification. We work and build what we have here.
What am I saying? Again, I've got a White Russian....
I think its fine as it is. The immortals will pretty much allow you to have any RP as long as it is good taste. Just use your brain.
I had a Human Paladin Knight named Gwibryn back in the days of wick and wax when menz was menz! Seriously though he was super rp intensive and had many a relationship with female characters(played by females) and female characters(played by males) What was emoted/pmoted/smoted was never XXX but it would have pushed the boundaries of pg13 and to be quite honest I miss being able to do that.
-A Mature rating should be imposed.
Just to be clear, this mud will remain pg-13. If you wish to be more descriptive take a look at some novels out there that excel at describing mature moods without resorting to the repugnant sexual drivel of low class authors.
For some in game examples take a look at some rp logs with females in them. One in particular that comes to mind was meriumae's relationship with khranin. Perfect example of a civilized marriage.
This thread has served it's purpose, my writing style is not being restricted in any way.
Thanks for the input MODs.
Just to be clear, this mud will remain pg-13. If you wish to be more descriptive take a look at some novels out there that excel at describing mature moods without resorting to the repugnant sexual drivel of low class authors.
For some in game examples take a look at some rp logs with females in them. One in particular that comes to mind was meriumae's relationship with khranin. Perfect example of a civilized marriage.
Dear Sir,
I am highly offended by your post.
EDIT: If you want to know why, I explore all types of writing, and do not consider myself low class. However, I will be sure NOT to PM you any of my erotica.
I generally don't agree with foxx...but after that post, I'm almost a convert, Valek has just been swaying the masses longer 
In my roundabout way, and poor attempt at humor, Amen Foxx, coddling does no one any good except perhaps the coddler, and its just selfish really.