[MUD-Dev] Mass customization in MM***s

[lynx at lynx.purrsia.com]

On Sat, 13 Jul 2002, Sasha Hart wrote:
> [Marian Griffith]

>> Players would purchase an account with a number of 'lifes' to
>> it. If they lose all lifes the account is cancelled...

> The given plan doesn't manage perceived prospect well. Which would
> you rather have - a game in which you were assessed costs (which
> of course you could not pay - if you wanted to quit the game) for
> being on the losing side of a war? Or a game in which you could
> get a bonus ($7 off next month's fee) for winning? ...

But this kind of system might be easy to 'game' so that participants
in a 'rotating war scheme' might work on getting each person or
faction freedom from a month of fees, then switch over to let the
next faction win, etc.

You'd need to make it a monthly determination of who gets a break
and who doesn't, based on accomplishments over that time period.
Let's do a totally back of the envelope calculation.

  Number of players in game: 1000
  Monthly fee: $10
  Number of territories or forts to be controlled: 10
  Amount you are willing to refund: 10% of monthly revenues or $1000
  Amount each fort is 'worth' to hold for the month: $100
  Length of month: 30 days
  Amount you get for holding a fort for one day: (to be divided
    among fort occupants) $3.33

So, if you occupy each fort with 10 players for a full month, 100
players will make enough money to fully cover their fees.  But 900
players out there will be paying full fees.  Which gives them
incentive to try and liberate a fort from its current holders.

Could be an interesting revenue model. :) You budget exactly how
much you want to give out, then you give that out in an incremental
fashion over the course of the game month.  On the other hand, I
would worry that this might run into laws concerning 'on-line
gambling'.

-- Conrad


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