November 2005
- Computer Security for MMOs and Online Games Greg B
- Discussion of MUD system design, development, and implementation Chris Duesing
- Commentary on Recent PlayOn Blog Social Cohesion Christopher Allen
- quest engine design documents? Johnicholas Hines
- Effort to produce a quest Mike Rozak
- Effort to produce a quest Ghilardi Filippo
- Effort to produce a quest Mike Rozak
- Effort to produce a quest Kiztent
- Effort to produce a quest Vincent Archer
- Effort to produce a quest Damion Schubert
- Effort to produce a quest Mike Rozak
- Effort to produce a quest Damion Schubert
- Effort to produce a quest Mike Rozak
- Effort to produce a quest Randolf Richardson
- Effort to produce a quest Lachek Butalek
- DGN: Starting with Nothing (Requests for Resources) Sarah Bonner
- DGN: Starting with Nothing (Requests for Resources) lwl@black-knight.org (Lydia Leong)
- DGN: Starting with Nothing (Requests for Resources) Otis Viles
- Text MUDs; in need of an (r)evolution? John Mauney
- Text MUDs; in need of an (r)evolution? Sean Howard
- Text MUDs; in need of an (r)evolution? Sam Pointon
- Text MUDs; in need of an (r)evolution? John Mauney
- Text MUDs; in need of an (r)evolution? justice@softhome.net
- Text MUDs; in need of an (r)evolution? Lachek Butalek
- Text MUDs; in need of an (r)evolution? lwl@black-knight.org (Lydia Leong)
- Text MUDs; in need of an (r)evolution? Mike Rozak
- DESIGN: Personal NPCs Mike Rozak
- DESIGN: Personal NPCs CHRISTOPHER LLOYD
- DESIGN: Personal NPCs Mike Rozak
- DESIGN: Personal NPCs cruise
- DESIGN: Personal NPCs lwl@black-knight.org (Lydia Leong)
- DESIGN: Personal NPCs Mike Rozak
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains Roger Hicks
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains cruise
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains Lydia Leong
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains Dave Mitchell
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains Lost
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains Lachek Butalek
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains Lost
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains lwl@black-knight.org (Lydia Leong)
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains jack fredricks
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains Mike Rozak
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains Arnau Josep Rosselló Castelló
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains Damien Neil
- Dynamic Quests & Event Chains ceo
- DESIGN: Personal NPCs cruise
- DESIGN: Personal NPCs Jaycen Rigger
- (no subject) Koster, Raph
- Removing the Massively from MMOG (long) cruise
- Removing the Massively from MMOG (long) Lachek Butalek
- MMO a temporary phenomenon? John Buehler
- Sexism in design lwl@black-knight.org (Lydia Leong)
- Sexism in design Marc Bowden
- Sexism in design Louis d'Ambra
- Sexism in design Sean Kelly
- Sexism in design Amanda Walker
- Value Brian "Ayavaron" Ross
- Griefing Brian "Ayavaron" Ross
- RE : Removing the Massively from MMOG (long) Jean, Yannick
- RE : Removing the Massively from MMOG (long) Marc Bowden
--On Monday, November 21, 2005 9:40 AM -0500 "Jean, Yannick"
<yannick.jean@cgi.com> wrote:
> On the subject, I recommend reading Dave Rickey
> (http://feetofclay.us/) "Robot Jesus" article on WoW churn
> rate. Basically, I am submitting the idea that maybe ingame social
> ties are not the end-all be-all of player retention, as previously
> thought.
Well, no, of course not. We've known for a long time that the key is
a "non-portable emotional investment", whatever that means to the
individual - and this varies widely. It can be dedication to a
social circle, and believe me, that can keep someone on a bad game
for a LONG time. It can be perceived ownership of some aspect of the
game world. And for a certain segment of the population, it's the
feeling of power that comes from controlling someone else's game
experience or "getting away with something" through loopholes in the
mechanics.
Now, some players don't develop that, or only develop it under
certain conditions. For example, I have serious emotional ownership
in my own MUD for obvious reasons. I've got a solid commitment to
Kingdom of Loathing because I run the chapter of the gaming group I
belong to there, and I have certain responsibilities... Also, the
humor is a great hook. I have only slightly less investment in
Puzzle Pirates because I like being "damage control guy" for my crew
- I feel useful and appreciated, so I'm less likely to switch
oceans. I have little or no investment in World of Warcraft because
there's nothing to anchor me either of the two servers I have
characters on; I can flit freely between them handing out free
equipment to NAH new folks, or read a book if I don't feel like
dealing with Other Peoples' Kids that day.
Part of player retention is the commandment "know thy audience". You
can make an educated guess about what will anchor your guests to
your game by looking at the demographic your material is geared to
appeal to. Nobody is going to anchor to a pvp server because of the
clever block puzzles. ;)
But it's only a guess and you can only do so much shaping yourself
as a designer. Unfortunately, there is no "end all/be all" solution
to guest retention because our guests - and this is especially true
for ginormous MUDs like Warcraft or Galaxies - do not have a
homogenous set of wants, needs, and desires. So the best you can do
is polish up your content and keep an ear bent to your population
for ideas about beneficial in-flight changes.
- Marc - RE : Removing the Massively from MMOG (long) Lost
- RE : Removing the Massively from MMOG (long) Damion Schubert
- RE : Removing the Massively from MMOG (long) Lachek Butalek
- RE : Removing the Massively from MMOG (long) Marc Bowden
- Changing Midstream (SWG's New Look) Sean Howard
- Changing Midstream (SWG's New Look)
- Changing Midstream (SWG's New Look) Sean Howard
- Changing Midstream (SWG's New Look) Caliban Darklock
- Changing Midstream (SWG's New Look) Sean Howard
- Changing Midstream (SWG's New Look) Ryan S. Dancey
- Changing Midstream (SWG's New Look) Jeffrey Kesselman
- Changing Midstream (SWG's New Look) Ken Sewell
- Changing Midstream (SWG's New Look) Sean Howard
- Changing Midstream (SWG's New Look) Joe Ludwig
- Discussion of MUD system design, development, and implementation Chris Duesing