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

[Marc Fielding]

[ Caliban Tiresias Darklock]

> Which leads me to something that can potentially be considered
> actual signal! (Ooh, imagine that.) When discussing why decisions
> were made, players always seem to view the world as something they
> can hold hostage with the bugaboo of "people won't buy that". No
> matter how many powerful technical compulsions for a feature
> exist, they always seem to think that it will all go away and they
> can get their way with "you just want more money, but now lots of
> people won't buy your software so you're wrong".

Well, my specific angle was on what is needed to grow the MMOG
market.  In that case the question of "What do people want/avoid?" 
is quite valid.
 
> Is this overly cynical? Should I assume that the users who say
> they won't buy and yet continue to discuss how they will play are,
> in actuality, just impulsive hotheads who actually *will* buy the
> game and never meant they wouldn't? (And even if I did, how likely
> is it that a person like that is going to be a problem player?) 
> What patterns are other people seeing in this kind of user
> community behavior?

I think you're right on target here. The people who argue points
like this in community forums are a vocal minority. They are
dedicated to their particular playstyle with little understanding of
overall balancing issues. Subtly alter one of their pet features and
you'll definitely hear from them! They will buy the game and
complain along every step of the way until they are either placated
or another new game attracts their interest.

I think the link between "forum hothead" and "problem player" is a
bit more tenuous, though. Simply being a protester doesn't imply
griefer tendencies.

-Marc




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