[MUD-Dev] Social Networks

[Michael Tresca]

Paul Schwanz posted on Wednesday, August 28, 2002 11:10 AM

>   "Big cities [Jane Jacobs] says, are full of strangers."

> Yes, MMORPGs often feel this way to me.  That's why I think it
> would be good to create smaller sub-communities where risks can be
> better managed through access control.  Players will enjoy more
> security where complete strangers are not allowed free access to
> the community.  In a small town, strangers are looked upon with
> suspicion.  You have to earn a certain level of trust in order to
> be accepted.  The insular, "Ya'll ain't from around here, are ya?"
> attitude might be unpleasant in some ways, but it can certainly
> bring a level of security to a small community that a big city
> just cannot provide.

I brought this up awhile ago.  The human experience cannot account
for the ability to meet hundreds, possibly thousands, of strangers
at a time.  Can't do it, can't account for it.  I may meet one or
new people a day on average.  Actually, I'm an exception since I
work in communications -- but even then, I meet may two or three in
a building of hundreds.  I have to keep all those peoples' names
straight. And of course, they look different from day to day.

Now you're throwing me into a fantasy universe.  Which is bad
enough, as it means there may be things I don't recognize as people
walking around (like talking dragons).  Now populate it by THOUSANDS
of people.  Why in the world would I want to play in this
environment?  Especially when there is a high likelihood, as has
been previously demonstrated by the problems MMORPGs have with
griefers, that I will encounter a person who doesn't have my best
interests in mind?

In response to this pile of humanity, people make guilds.  They do
it separate from the game, which is a flaw in MMORPG design.
MMORPGs should be sponsoring such communities (both internally and
by allowing them to have web pages on the site), not letting them
spontaneously erupt.  By letting the social networks evolve with no
interaction from the MMORPG itself -- in short, by dumping a million
people in one big room and seeing what happens -- you get some
unpleasant results.  Very often, especially with MMORPGs that are
all combat focused, you get the griefers dominating the setting.
Usually, this is because the griefers get there first.

So.  Here's my opinion on creating a successful social network that
has worked for MUDs:

  1) Lure people to the game who you WANT to be there.  This screen
  of course means less money because you're not accepting every Tom,
  Dick, and Harry who enters the game.  Yes, it is entirely possible
  for someone to visit Ultima Online who wants to pretend he's
  playing Star Wars.  I do not want to play with that person.  I do
  not want to be surrounded by Jedi on Ultima Online.  I do not want
  to be surrounded by Elves on Star Wars.  These people will exist
  though, and they are successful in MMORPGs because of a complete
  hands-off approach. But they degrade MY gaming experience and
  arguably if there's enough of them, Ultima Online BECOMES Star
  Wars because of how they conduct themselves.  Or it becomes a
  PKfest.  So I want to know what the defined target market is and I
  want to know that I am part of it.  Not just "people on the
  Internet" or "people with credit cards."  I want mature adults who
  are genuinely interested in playing the game.
 
  2) Fine, you don't want to screen people.  At least group us by
  interest.  Start small.  Small towns, small cities, small
  enclaves.  All of that must be carefully created -- it should NOT
  be a big vast random terrain, it should be a consistent place a
  player can call home.  Even if he's a newbie.

  3) Communities should be encouraged, sponsored, and rewarded.

  4) The first communities created set the tone for the game.
  Failure to monitor and encourage groups who are actively engaged
  in the MMORPG's game concepts (whatever they are, helpful if
  they're actually defined) means you're just creating the Sims
  wearing Stormtrooper armor or plate mail.

That's a start anyway.  MUDs have done this for years.

Mike "Talien" Tresca
RetroMUD Administrator
http://www.retromud.org/talien



_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev