# Hardwired or Softwired? LLMS index: [llms.txt](/dvw/en/llms.txt) --- A hardwired group is one that is programmed directly into the virtual world. A s oftwired group is one that is created by the players. All hardwired groups are permanent, and therefore they can be thought of as a subset of permanent groups. Similarly, although it’s possible to conceive of hardwired informal groups (built around predefined, labeled communication channels in the style of CB radio), in most virtual worlds that have them all hardwired groups also are formal; they can therefore be thought of as a subset of formal groups, too. It used to be that all formal groups were hardwired into virtual worlds. Nowadays, players can set up groups themselves, of course, and virtual worlds are much the better for it. That doesn’t mean there’s no room for hardwired groups, though. What softwired groups gain in flexibility, they lose in specialization. It would, for example, be unwise to allow softwired groups to impose taxes on the inhabitants of a town; it would perhaps be acceptable, however, to allow the town council to do so. The town council is an example of a hardwired group. Hardwired groups exist mainly for functional purposes; although social networks can benefit from having features that are coded in (for example, you can’t join the local bandits unless your horse-riding skills are sufficiently high [^49]), the more practical groups tend to dominate. They’re particularly useful for newbies, because they guarantee there’s an immediate place for them in the virtual society. Note that there is a difference between hardwired features for groups and hardwired groups. All formal groups have hardwired features (it’s what makes them formal), but these are configurable. Even if new groups can choose arbitrary values for arbitrary properties to use as entrance criteria, that would still make them softwired as the players can do something about it. Hardwired groups are fundamentally inviolate: They’re as much a part of the virtual world as the landscape and the mobiles. One of the main advantages of hardwired groups is that it’s much easier to arrange for NPCs to join them. Few players will care to stand around bored for hours on guard duty, but (presumably) someone has to do it; NPCs fit the bill perfectly. In this respect, NPC members of a group can be thought of as resources that the player characters can control—an option not really open to other kinds of groups. Typical hardwired hierarchies (yes, they do tend to be hierarchies) are - Ruling/legislative. The people that make the laws. Monarchs, councilors, presidents, and so on. - Military. The defense (or offense) forces. There may be different branches for land, sea, air, space, or whatever. Captains, sergeants, wing commanders, and so on. - Religious. Those who concern themselves with the spiritual well-being (as they see it) of the virtual world. There may be competing religions, with different temples offering different services and worshiping different gods. Priests, mullahs, bishops, and so on. - Judicial. My gimp takes A’s gold and B’s silver and passes it to my smith, who makes it into an electrum brooch. The judiciary sorts it out [^50]. Judges, magistrates, lawyers, and so on. - Guild. Craft- or service-oriented groups of people pooling resources, determining prices, offering employment. Whether these are hardwired or softwired depends largely on how the economy is run [^51]. Guild masters/mistresses, branch secretaries, shop stewards, and so on. - Educational. People who teach and train. Some of these may be part of other hierarchies. Professors, drill instructors, gurus, and so on. - Law enforcement. Those who prevent crime and apprehend criminals. This hierarchy could be part of the military in some cases. Strictly speaking, law enforcement only has to enforce the laws made by the legislator; some hierarchies may have their own law enforcers with a very specific remit (for example, the religious police). Inspectors, inquisitors, speed cops, and so on. All formal groups have powers. The extent of these powers is mainly over the members of the group, but in the case of hardwired groups this can extend significantly to nonmembers. Furthermore, although players can take their characters out of softwired groups and set up with someone else, this is not an option with hardwired groups. Although some of these powers can be limited by the code, they remain highly susceptible to abuse. Judges, for example, are always working with intangibles; otherwise, the virtual world could sort out the problems itself and judges wouldn’t be needed. Low turn-out elections can be hijacked by special interest groups (for example, griefer clans), guards can be made to abandon their posts, training can be withheld or offered only to friends; the list goes on. Because there are significant issues concerning the control of hardwired groups, community management staff should be consulted about their design. Players who have an important position in such a group are often assumed by other players to be acting with the live team’s blessing, whether or not this is indeed the case. Even if the players who hold high office are vetted for suitability first, there could still be problems: Just how long can you make a character’s jail sentence be before it amounts to permanent death? With power comes responsibility; sadly, those on the receiving end of power rarely have the same notion of “responsibility” that those wielding it do. [^49]: Informal groups have to police this themselves, but formal groups can do it automatically from entrance criteria specifications if the virtual world is sophisticated enough to have these. [^50]: Aside: Is the fact that the gimp and the smith are both played by me admissible as evidence? If so, what fiction would explain this? [^51]: DikuMUDs often use guilds as an alternative to character classes.