[MUD-Dev] Methods to Foster Relationships?

[Sara Jensen]

From: Nick Yee <contact at nickyee.com>

EQ and DAoC are for different sorts of players.

> - Make players more dependent on other players: Force players to
> interact with each other in non-grouping scenarios. A lot of times
> in EQ, you meet someone new by asking for a bind, a clarity, a
> SoW, a teleport, or an Invis etc. The more people you meet and
> talk to, the more likely you'll form a relationship. Whereas in
> DAOC, binding is something you can do by yourself, public horses
> take the place of teleports, and many utility spells like SoW
> cannot be cast on non-group members.

For example, a lot of ex-EQ players appreciate their characters'
relative independence in DAoC.  They're not forced to interact with
others to perform basic tasks, and it doesn't cause lesser- quality
relationships -- it makes for happier, less frustrated
autonomy-minded citizens.

DAoC players get very frustrated, for example, when there aren't any
player craftspeople around to make equipment for them.  That's
forced interdependence, and they're not terribly fond of it.

The game just seems to be optimized for a player that'd rather have
the option to take care of him or herself.

On a random note, Ultima Online's had the best "community feel" of
all MMOGs to date, and that was mostly because all chat was public.
When you ran by the Britain bank, everyone was talking; it felt like
a city.  All MMOGs with chat boxes feel desolate in comparison.

Sara Jensen



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