FW: [MUD-Dev] Cultural impact on Muds (was: Star Wars Galaxies)

[Damion Schubert]

From: Dave Rickey

> In the US, game-rooms are rare, and where they exist mostly focus
> on providing FPS players the chance to be "Low Ping Bastards" on a
> digital connection.  The overwhelming majority of MMOG players are
> connecting from home, in most cases alone in real space.  In
> Korea, "PC baangs" are a huge market, there's a game room on every
> block, and from what I am told almost everyone in a particular
> baang will be playing the same game at any given time.  I think
> this is the root cause (but not core issue) in the split.  Lineage
> is very much a social game, but the social side of it takes place
> in person.  Not only is everyone in the same baang playing the
> same game, they are part of the same "Bloodpledge".

Dave got it in one guess!  The key behind Lineage's success abroad
and failure here can be attributed to two things (in my opinion):

  1) The game's horrible learning curve is almost impossible to
  navigate if you try to attack it from the solitude of your
  bedroom.  However, in a PCBaang, there is a room full of people
  who can help you through the experience in person.

  2) Their elder game (sieges and castle warfare) is perfect for a
  group or guild... about the size of a PCBaang.  And the pace is
  such that the easy communication possible makes coordination with
  others quite fun - provided the people you are communicating with
  are there in one place.

Lineage is perfect for the PCBaang experience.  It's tempting for
some to say that NCSoft lucked into it, but Jake Song (the designer
for the company) is a pretty smart guy, and built the first game for
that marketplace as well, (and incidentally, second biggest MMP in
the world) Nexon.

--d

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