[MUD-Dev] The changing nature of fun

[Scott A. Farley]

On Thu, 19 Dec 2002 02:08:24 -0800 "brian hook"
<brianhook at pyrogon.com> wrote:

> The above are just some examples of things that are fun and not
> fun, and the level of fun depends entirely on the player and the
> situation.  This is important -- NOTHING IN THE GAME CHANGED, BUT
> THE SUBJECTIVE ENJOYMENT ITSELF DID.  This is a major issue.

I refer to this as the solution curve, or "what makes problem
solving fun?"

As players are exposed to new environments and new problems, they
enter a 'solution curve' for that experience.  Going up the solution
curve is fun, as long as it is not too steep.  Repeating identical
solutions to known problems is tedious, because it is not 'up'.
Once a player has moved up the solution curve, the content embodied
by this experience and problem set are basically consumed.

However, most MMO game experiences are not linear or binary.
Solutions will work sometimes, not always.  Some solutions work
better then others.  If a player can refine and improve a solution
so it works more often, they are still going 'up' the solution
curve.  Uniqueness, complexity, randomness and the interrelationship
to other problems give a solution curve depth and breadth.

To create interesting gameplay, don't make the solution curves
short, simple or repetitious. ;-)

SAF

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