September 2007

• Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs) Damion Schubert
• • Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs) Aurel Mihai
  • • [DESIGN] Where massive? John Buehler
    • • [DESIGN] Where massive? Damion Schubert
      • • [DESIGN] Where massive? Aurel Mihai
        • • [DESIGN] Where massive? Richard A. Bartle
          • [DESIGN] Where massive? Damion Schubert
    • Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs) Michael Hartman
    • • Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs) Roger Hicks
      • Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs) Christopher Lloyd
      • Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs) Damion Schubert
      • • Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs) Michael Hartman
        • • Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs) Damion Schubert
          • • Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs) Michael Hartman
            • • Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore andMMOs) Mike Sellers
              • Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs) Vincent Archer
              • Activity Duration in MMOs (was: [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs) John Buehler
• [DESIGN] Character Growth Models (Was: Removing the almighty experience point...) Ian Hess
• • [DESIGN] Character Growth Models (Was: Removing the almighty experience point...) Aurel Mihai
  • • [DESIGN] Character Growth Models (Was: Removing the almighty experience point...) cruise
• [BIZ] Community-building books Mike Rozak
• [MEDIA] Intel Purchases Game Tools Firm Havok Mike Rozak
• • [MEDIA] Intel Purchases Game Tools Firm Havok Jon Mayo
  • • [MEDIA] Intel Purchases Game Tools Firm Havok Peter Keeler
    • • [MEDIA] Intel Purchases Game Tools Firm Havok Mike Rozak
• [DESIGN] Factor of 16 Mike Rozak
• • [DESIGN] Factor of 16 Aurel Mihai
  • [DESIGN] Factor of 16 Michael Hartman
• [DESIGN] Player-generated content cruise
• • [DESIGN] Player-generated content Lachek Butalek
  • • [DESIGN] Player-generated content Darryl Woodford
    • [DESIGN] Player-generated content cruise
    • • [DESIGN] Player-generated content John Buehler
      • • [DESIGN] Player-generated content cruise
        • • [DESIGN] Player-generated content John Buehler
          • • [DESIGN] Player-generated content Damion Schubert
            • • [DESIGN] Player-generated content John Buehler
            • [DESIGN] Player skill vs. Character Skill [was: Player-generated content] cruise
            • [DESIGN] Player-generated content Vincent Archer
            • • [DESIGN] Player-generated content John Buehler
                Vincent Archer writes:
                
                > According to John Buehler:
                
                > > This is the sort of thing that causes me to believe that
                > > achievement-based games are inherently limiting to game designers.
                > > They have to concoct schemes that prevent players from violating the
                > > sacrosanct tenet that achievement must be earned. It's not only a
                > > treadmill that must be run, but it must be run in a specific way.
                
                > Actually, it's a bit more complex than that. The tenet isn't that
                > achievement must be earned, it's that achievement must be earned at
                > so-and-so speed, and not too much faster, nor too much slower. Player
                > will make a model of expected "xp speed", then loudly complain if an
                > activity yields too little compared to that model, and scream "cheating"
                > if another yields far more than this model. Or, at best, they're going
                > to complain that they are "forced" to pick the fastest method.
                
                Yep. Pace is part of the "specific way".
                
                > > I'm wondering if achievement entertainment shouldn't always be
                > > predicated on player skill. Achievements based on character 'skills'
                > > certainly make a product marketable, but I wonder how far the genre
                > > can go with that approach.
                
                [snip]
                
                > Achievement based on player skill is much, much more
                > enjoyable, but carries with it the risk that, at one point, the player
                > will find out that he cannot progress further, and will be tempted to
                > drop out as a result.
                
                That is true when the game entertainment is structured around the
                *progression* of player skill. As opposed to the *use* of player skill.
                
                As an example, people play Bridge all their lives, getting only marginally
                better once reaching a certain plateau, and never reaching competitive
                level. But they keep playing. Why? Because Bridge itself is entertaining
                to players who want to use their skills. Probably also because it is an
                opportunity to socialize. Otherwise, they'd play some form of Solitaire.
                
                If physical combat in an MMO required player skill, players would build
                their skills until they reached a plateau. Then they would find others who
                could fight at their skill level and just enjoy the game for what it is. No
                recognition of achievements by the game is required. But if the players
                don't find the use of their skills in the game world entertaining, then once
                their skill plateaus, the entire game becomes a non-experience and players
                will drop out.
                
                JB
  • [DESIGN] Player-generated content Caliban Darklock
  • • [DESIGN] Player-generated content cruise
    • • [DESIGN] Player-generated content Tom Hudson
  • [DESIGN] Player-generated content Matt Chatterley
• [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace cruise
• • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Caliban Darklock
  • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Ammon Lauritzen
  • • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace cruise
    • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Bristle
    • • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Shannon Sullivan
      • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Dave Scheffer
      • • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Raph Koster
      • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Morris Cox
  • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Matt Chatterley
  • • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Dana V. Baldwin
    • • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Matt Chatterley
      • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Morris Cox
    • [ANNOUNCE] MetaPlace Vincent Archer
• [DESIGN] Spore and MMOs Michael Hartman