[MUD-Dev] Morphable worlds, Reset based systems revisited

[Ted L. Chen]

Ola Fosheim Grxstad wrote:
> "Ted L. Chen" <tedlchen at yahoo.com> writes:
>> Ola Fosheim Grxstad wrote:

>>> Why not design a flexible world that allows designers to
>>> rearrange the entire world, gameplay rules included? Then you
>>> can massively improve the world and relaunch every six months...

>> A lot of people in the world don't like change.  Whether those

> I suppose they don't buy "NEW" shoot'em ups either! They all keep
> on playing DOOM!

Actually, no one buys DOOM twice.  If I rearranged the levels in
DOOM, and rearranged one of the rules of DOOM to provide a zero-G
level, and re-packaged it, you'd look at me funny.  Same thing here.
The idea of DOOM might be reincarnated in "NEW" shoot'em ups, but I
would say that NOLF2 adds much more value in "NEW" content than it
does by being rearrangement or relaunch of DOOM.

>> judging by MOG forums where people gripe about the latest nerf or
>> new feature, I'd say we still got a good sizable representation
>> of

>   1. MOG forums aren't exactly representative when it comes to
>   whining, it's an outlet for hardcore whiners who find whining
>   satisfying and they aggregate. (And non-whiners find it
>   entertaining to read the hysterical rants, which over time
>   influence them etc) Hypothesis: people would whine less if they
>   were not exposed to other people's whining. I.e. they go from
>   "this was a bit annoying" to "I hate this".

>   2. They whine because they get less than those they think they
>   should get more than.

>   3. I am not talking about nerfs, I am talking about relaunches.

By representative, I'm not saying that 90% of posts are whines hence
90% of players hate the game.  The fact that there is whining, and a
good deal should suggest that something is up.  Some people are very
vocal whiners (few).  They actively join protest groups in real-life
;) Others, we would label as disgruntled people (many) - those who
might join a mob against whatever if the opportunity presents
itself.  But they're disgruntled in the first place.  As irrational
the discontent may seem to some, it doesn't come from the Ether.

Nerfing isn't only about thinking you're getting less than other
people.  Instances where across-the-board nerfing occurs
(cf. Anarchy Online's overequipping changes) still meets with
resistance just because it's change.  MOG players have developed
systems for the current mechanics/environment and you're proposing
to change that without the justification of new content.

And I know you mean relaunches.  But in order to do so, you propose
to reset everything so that effectively it is a nerf (and a might
big one at that) to those players that already exist in the game.

I'm not totally against the idea.  I just think you better be
careful about it because of human nature.  And I doubt anything as
involved as current MOGs would be well suited for such a thing.
Something beer & pretzel style like Tradewars might work though.

>> So, having the system arbitrarily reset and rearrange itself
>> without any overall change in content just compounds the problem.

> Where did I say arbitrarily!? Isn't totally changing the world and
> massively improving the world new content? What is content to you?
> Stones and trees?

You gave the mechanism for "improving the world" as you saw it as
rearranging the entire world, gameplay rules included.  I don't
agree that's improving the world as it add no value.  It's just a
reset with tweaks.  Much like I never felt I got any new content
when Tradewars reset - even if it was a new world.

To me, content is the thing that lets me derive utility.  New
content is something that lets me derive increased utility.  A
verbose definition to be sure, but a simple thing like a new bread
type in Everquest is new content if I'm a baker.  If I'm not a
baker, then it has no more meaning to me than a stone or a tree.  If
my utility centers around my possessions (as it does in most current
MOGs) then anything that causes me to lose all that, excluding my my
own actions, is definately not content.

It is just a reset.

TLC


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