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

[Tess Lowe]

Michael Tresca wrote on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 4:44 PM

> Social interaction must be rewarded on a MMORPG.  It's one of the
> fundamental lynch pins of a long-term community.  Without it, the
> MMORPG's social fabric degrades.  I've always said that it was a
> shame entire clans have more cohesion on the web than the MMORPGs
> themselves were able to provide.

I agree with you that social interaction is what keeps people
playing. I quit EQ after 3 months (despite paying for 6 up front)
because I didn't meet anyone I particularly looked forward to
meeting a second time. I got bored of AC2 in the beta because no-one
said anything to each other and grouping wasn't required. On the
other hand after one day playing the multiplayer Elite-clone
"Jumpgate", I'd made several friends, joined a squad, and settled
in.

But. I still dont like forced interaction. Sure I dont want the
uberpowergamers to make my efforts inconsequential, but I also dont
want to have to interact/play with frustrated uberpowergamers in
order to progress.  That's worse than having to solo.

So, make it easier to find people I want to socialise with. Then I
will stick around and socialise. You dont have to *make* me.

Make lists of guilds/squads and their philosophies and memberlists
available from within the game, or on an official website. Allow me
some way to identify myself so that kindred spirits can recognise me
among the masses.

> I share your lack of enthusiasm about diving into big pile of
> confused, entropic humanity in a virtual box.  But I will state
> that what you're talking about is control and risk.  If you want
> to play a super hero who does everything, you should a play game
> that's about super heroes who do everything.  Star Wars is not
> that game.

And yet, even in Star Wars, the Jedi Knights craft their own weapon
and mostly work alone. Please don't force me to buy from
ubersabrecrafters and group with Jar Jar Binks! :)

I don't think I'm saying anything different to you. I do not want to
play a super hero who can do anything. But neither do I want things
to go to the opposite extreme, to force me to interact. Instead of a
throwing mud at a wall and hoping some will stick (ie find one
friend out of the 100s of people I'm forced to interact with), why
not make it easier for me to find people I'm likely to enjoy the
company of?

> What I'm saying here: at some point, a MMORPG that wants to retain
> the integrity of its setting will have to be more strict about
> what play styles will be tolerated.  And it is by no means a
> requirement that they ALL be accepted.

I agree with your argument on that point.

~Tess


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