Limiting rewards was RE: [MUD-Dev] Interesting EQ rant (very long quote)

[Brian Hook]

At 10:13 AM 3/10/00 -0800, S. Patrick Gallaty wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Brian Hook" <bwh at wksoftware.com>

>> In general, scaling rewards based on a macro-analysis of trends
>> ends up working in general, but it does hurt those that, for
>> whatever reason, don't fall within the group that the
>> macro-analysis is trying to control.

> I disagree strenuously.

> Macro-analysis builds a false case that ignores individual
> experience, and leads to gross mistakes in design.  The player
> population isn't a forest, it's trees.  Treating it as a forest both
> devalues and disregards the important element, the player
> experience.

I completely agree.  I guess I shouldn't have used such a broad phrase
as "working in general" =).

If you apply a set of controls to a system based on macro-analysis,
the _system_ will probably work better as a whole, i.e. it will be
better balanced.  This doesn't mean that it's actually _better_
because, as you state, the individual experience suffers for the
greater good of the system.  So I guess what I'm saying is that we're
both right: the individual suffers, the system benefits, and which is
better depends on whether you care more about the individual or the
system.

However, if the system itself is allowed to go out of whack, then the
individual will still invariably suffer.  What needs to be done is to
analyze the system from a top level then try to apply changes/fixes
that don't just screw entire classes of users arbitrarily.

The macro-analysis of trends/patterns is incredibly vital, but the
system overseer has a duty to make sure that the balancing mechanism
isn't seen as capricious or overly hostile to the individual player.

>This is THE mistake I fear other designers will make.

I think too many designers are intimately familiar with EQ's failings
to repeat the same mistakes again.  If anything else, other designers
may go to opposite extremes by making blanket decisions like "we'll
never nerf" or something equally ludicrous in an attempt to recruit
the "fed up with Verant" players.

- Hook

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