Characters or Pets? (Re: [MUD-Dev] I Want to Forge Swords. [Another letter to game)

[Ola Fosheim Grøstad <olag@ifi.uio.no>]

"McManus, Susan" wrote:
> Luke Carruthers said:
 
>> If player's identify less with their characters, are they less
>> likely to form such strong emotional ties to a game?
 
> I would say it depends on the game.  Take, for example four games.
 
> Dungeon Keeper:
 
> You have lots of critters.  I never really grew attached to any of
> them in DK2.  However - in DK1 I did - because there were 'powerups'
> that you could find that would let you take a critter from level to
> level (I never found any of these in DK2, much to my
> disappointment). I remember taking special care of a 10th level
> Mistress that I was taking with me from level to level - to the
> point where I would restart the level if I lost her (even though I
> could have still won the level without her).

Not sure if I have played DK, but I assume it is a single player
game. I personally don't get attached to my character unless it is
formed in a social context I think.  That is I am attached to the
personality and the ability to communicate that personality to other
players, not to the attributes themselves...  Well, I do get attached
to a certain visual style and looks, but that is personality too.
Overall, characters do not depend on the game and can migrate to other
games, because I am personally the vehicle.

However, "pets" are different, their personality depends on the AI of
the game.  So if you compare just the character and pets, I think
people might be more attached to their pets...

Just think about games such as Little Computer People, Creatures and
Tamagotchi.  Your little friend in Little Computer People is not going
to leave the game world.  I'm sure he is playing the piano now.  Oh
no, maybe he is depressed?

Damn, I miss him!  And I haven't seen him in ten years, I think.

--
Ola  -  http://www.notam.uio.no/~olagr/

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