Debates are raging now over the lack of numbers we provide our players.
People need numbers. Balancing a checkbook is nearly impossible without them. It's helpful to know the number of miles between Here and There, if only to determine how many units of gas it will take to drive from Here to There.
People strive for quantification. Ironic, then, that our game tends toward qualification instead.
Why do we refuse 'essential' numbers to our player/characters? Well, that's a very good question, and the answer goes back to a game design decision taken quite some time ago. It's not that we refuse numbers. There are lots of numbers available to the player. They just don't happen to be the numbers that most MUD players are used to tapping into.
The game differs from others of its genre, and we've strived for years to continue this differentiation without sacrificing playability. I suppose that sacrifice is a matter of opinion, for it has certain morphed into a matter of stubborn debate.
I suppose I should be grateful that it's a rarity for an 'us versus them' posture to overcome the calm of common sense. Goodness knows there have been plenty of opportunities for this to happen in the past.
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