What I Learned About Humanity from the Survival Video Game, “Rust”.
On un-moderated, free-for-all servers:
- People steal and kill each other without regard.
- It is very hard to get ahead initially, but once you reach a critical mass, you can steamroll everyone else.
On moderated servers, where “evil” players are punished or banned:
- There are the exact same number of resources, yet somehow there seems to be “more” for everyone.
- People are nicer, overall.
- Structures built tend to be more grandiose, often involving multiple contributors.
- If someone dies and has to restart from scratch, there are oftentimes numerous people who will step up and help them get back on their feet.
- Karma seems to actually work. Good, kind, and generous people prosper, while mean spirited people are punished.
- People openly leave “community chests” scattered all over the map to put excess resources and items in (which are freely available).