[MUD-Dev] MMORPGs & MUDs

[Vincent Archer]

According to Michael Tresca:
> Dave Rickey posted on Saturday, January 12, 2002 1:30 PM

>> Actually, I would point to AC's Allegiance system as an example
>> of what *not* to do.  By trying to impose a particular form on
>> the community, it actually stunted the natural community growth
>> and weakened the social groupings.
 
> I don't have personal experience with it to be able to comment on
> it in depth.  I do know three players who are at the upper echelon
> of their Allegiance.  It created something that sounds
> suspiciously like work and having a boss (who makes money off of
> you) so I don't find it personally appealing.

The chief problem of AC's Allegiance pyramid is quite simple: the
allegiance gives *tangible* benefits, in the form of easy access to
some equipment (rank equipment, who has less stricter requirements)
and extra XP earned without the need to adventure and "sweat for
it".

As a result, many allegiances arose not to build a community, but to
game the system. They've been compared quite often to pyramid
schemes, and the comparison is valid. I have observed often the same
type of behaviours you see with participants in the scheme. Until
you are seen as a member of an allegiance, you are contacted quite
often with the same words: "are you looking for a patron". They
don't ask what I'm doing, they don't want to know if I'm good player
or bad player...  all they want to know is: can I join the pyramid
(and push them).

This is further compounded by the lack of allegiance-wide
communication tools. At best, your community is the local people in
your part of the pyramid, since usually you have met them. But then,
you don't have much of a way of communicating together.

As someone said to me: Asheron's Call is a Massively Dualplayer
Online game.

--
	Vincent Archer			Email:	archer at frmug.org

All men are mortal.  Socrates was mortal.  Therefore, all men are Socrates.
							(Woody Allen)
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