Institutionalizing human behavior (was RE: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items)

[Xavier Plagnal]

	 Micheal Sellers wrote :
	> Along the lines that Randy posted, when faced with an inevibility
of human
	> behavior, you can either ignore it, take a disproportionate and
ultimately
	> futile counter-action to try and stop it, or co-opt it.  In this
case,
	> adding the ability for players to have their own marketplace --
for real
	> dollars if they want -- would be an example of co-opting this
behavior.  It
	> would keep the players loyal to Sony and could represent a
significant
	> additional revenue stream.  

	> Thus far, Verant has ignored these particular inevibilities (i.e.,
selling
	> items and using the data they give you as a way to cheat); now
they are
	> switching to strategy #2, futile resistance.  Far better, I think
-- and I'm
	> speaking in terms of both business practices and game design -- to
follow
	> strategy #3.  If you're worried about a particular popular and
rewarding
	> behavior ruining your game, don't ignore it or attempt to outlaw
it.
	> Institutionalize it.  This is design-judo: don't push against what
you can't
	> move.  Make the player's desires work FOR your game, not against
it.  

	As a Game Designer and Everquest player, I agree with this strategy.
	But as a hard core roleplaying games player, I don't want to play on
the same server as the persons who will play the game for money purposes. I
think that to create a special serveur with special registration and real
trading possibility should be a great addition to the game.
	It is a bit like Pvp or not Pvp, it is sometimes good to keep the
player who have the same way of playing together.
	As Randy posted, I like to play in a world different of the real
life and with gratification bounded to the games rules and not to the amout
of money I really have.
	With a game money oriented, there is a possibility that the same
person who have the power in the real life will hae the power in the game.
	It is not good as the games are a way to dream, to forget the real
life and have a better one in a virtual world.

	Xav "The Druid" Plagnal




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