[MUD-Dev] Star Wars Galaxies: 1 character per server

[Ron Gabbard]

From: "Marc Fielding" <fielding at computer.org>
> [Justin Stocks]

>> In the long run, I'm sure that SCS will bring in more money for
>> Sony. More and more players will want to have two characters on
>> one server, for whatever reasons, so they'll fork over the extra
>> bucks for an additional account.  Sony wins, the player, er, wins
>> (?), so everyone's happy. But will it really stop there? I mean,
>> we don't even know what the monthly fee will be. At this rate,
>> I'm afraid it might be a bit more then the 'usual' $12.95.

> Why must they be forced into another account? That seems overly
> punitive to me.

> As a single-character EQ player, you would think I'd fall in the
> SCS camp, but occasionally I'd get bitten by the experimentalist
> bug and want to try a new class for a few hours, or perhaps I'd
> create a Dark Elf character in order to explore the Dark-Elf home
> city.

There is something to be said for leaving some 'mystery' in the
game.  Being able to explore a 'forbidden' zone for your primary
character should come at a higher price and risk than just rolling
up a level 1 character.  That is just a matter of personal opinion
and I don't think that it's a make-or-break decision with regard to
a MMOG design.  However....

Given the overall strategy/goal of SWG, (higher interdependence,
increased downtime versus many of the newer releases, high
socialization), SCS seems central for building a world where new
people can enter and assimilate even after the server matures.

I think most people agree that building friendships and socials
bonds may be the critical element to building up an "exit barrier"
for a player, i.e., a player with in-game friends is less likely to
quit the game.

Secondly, in-game friendships are more likely to be developed
through shared experiences with peers rather than just 'chatting'.
Thus, a "level 60 Paladin" may think that a "level 3 Monk" is a nice
person (and visa versa) and may sit and chat with them for a bit and
help them out with buffs or cash or advice but will be less likely
to become bonded friends with that Monk than the "level 3 Paladin"
with whom the Monk groups on a regular basis.

The level 3 monk grows to level 7 and starts looking for people with
whom to group.  After running around a bit, they get invited into a
group of people killing "orcs".  5 twinks/alts and our little monk.
The monk grows a bit more and logs off after a fun and productive
session where s/he got to meet some new people.  This process is
repeated each session with the monk (hopefully) finding groups with
a new set of alts/twinks each night and slowly progressing up in
skill/levels.

This monk could theoretically grow to level 40 without making a
single "bonded" friend as every person with which they have grouped
has been an alt to whom the player has low emotional ties (compared
to their primary character).

SCS reduces the "alone in a crowd" syndrome by increasing the
probability that most every player with whom the Monk groups is a
primary character and a peer.  The other characters may be "dabble"
characters where the primary is on another server or may be a second
character of someone that is two-boxing.  However, the new player is
more likely to find players that are peers and that have similar
playing habits (times) with whom to build friendships in an SCS
environment than in the MCS environment.

The SCS model isn't for every game as the game systems and content
have to support this model.  However, from what I've read about SWG,
it seems appropriate... as long as there is a sufficient variety of
stuff to do at the higher levels.

Cheers,

Ron



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