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SilasBarta comments on Memetic Hazards in Videogames - Less Wrong
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It's interesting to see what happens when videogames behave more like real life. For instance, in Oblivion (and Fallout 3), you can't just take things unless you're in the middle of nowhere. If someone sees you, they cry out "stop, thief!". Equally, attacking people who didn't attack you first in civilised areas will draw the guard or vigilantes down on your head, and most of the stuff you find lying around is worthless trash that isn't worth the effort to haul away and sell.
I remember how jarring it was when I first tried to take something in Oblivion, only for a bystander to call for the guard. And then I realised that this is how NPCs should react to casual theft.
Is that how people normally react in real life? I would think people tend to be apathetic bystanders, or might think you were picking up something of your own.
If someone creates a real life simulator where you can repeatedly practice your crimes and learn what the actual responses would be ... God help us all.
(I mean God in the secular sense.)
An interesting article on stealing bicycles here.
In Oblivion, the settlements you are in are village-sized. They would be close-knit communities in which you are a stranger. Also, we're not talking about picking up something off a street (picking flowers or herbs for instance) was OK, because outdoor plants generally weren't flagged as owned. Things you might want to pick up were generally indoors and often within sight of the person who owned them.