[MUD-Dev] Retention without Addiction?

[Madrona Tree]

From: Paul Schwanz <pschwanz at comcast.net>

> Over the last couple of years, however, my thinking has changed a
> bit and the ongoing thread regarding Korea's struggle to define
> online world responsibility has caused me to reevaluate this issue
> yet again.

Not to mention the recent 48 Hours segment on Online Game Addiction
on CBS (did anybody watch this besides me?).  Nothing gets peoples'
attention like Bad Press.  A recent cover of Newsweek featured The
Sims Online and other MMOGs.  I read that the author was kicked out
of his SimHouse, being told by his housemates that he was not online
enough, and therefore was not contributing enough to house upkeep,
and I cringed.

It's a huge problem.  And not just in Korea.

> In any case, I think its time we looked at replacing the addictive
> feedback mechanism of the lewt-n-level treadmill with something
> that requires a bit less investment, is more episodic in nature,
> and results in greater entertainment with, perhaps, benefits to
> retention instead of the predicted increased churn.

A little Antecdote:

  I recently picked up UO again, after a ~3 year break.  Ever since
  hitting my "Make 50 Last" UOA macro a sufficient number of times
  to become Grandmaster Tailor (my first GM of *anything* after
  mudding for 6 years), I play about twenty minutes/day.  Every
  three days I'll play a little over an hour.

  The only game I'm playing these days is the Bulk Order Deed game.
  While I am sure that OSI did not put a time-limit on the Bulk
  Order Deeds in order to limit my addiction, it was a happy
  side-effect.  I can only receive a BOD every six hours.  So I log
  in (with each of three characters), get the BODs once a day, and
  then on the third day, I organize them (in a big Excel chart -
  heheh), and sell the extra deeds to other players via my vendor.

The point of the antecdote is that Individual Time Limits (please,
no competitive time limits) may be a good way, in certain instances,
to limit Addiction.  Because I *know* it will be six hours before I
can get another BOD, I don't log in 4 hours later hoping for one.
Even better, I don't *stay logged in* pulling the jackpot lever,
hoping for a BOD.  Conversely, since I know I will be able to get a
BOD six hours later, it makes me want to log back in, to see if I
get the one I need.

They did a good job with those Bulk Order Deeds.  Somebody needs a
handshake and a pat on the back.

Thanks for bringing this up, Paul.  It's something I've been
thinking about as well.

Madrona Tree.


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