[MUD-Dev] Expected value and standard deviation.

[Koster]

From: Jeff Cole
> From: Freeman, Jeff

>> Rather, it seems players will buy (literally, no less) whatever
>> an obvious advancement mechanism tells them... even if it is the
>> exact opposite of what is really happening in the game.

> Ah, but to be so cynical. ;-P Let me try: all that is so much
> 'nuff said ... if (the dreaded If) your game is so mind-numbingly
> devoid of entertainment value that players can only measure
> themselves against the Developer Metric(R).  Bleh.

Players always measure themselves against whatever metrics are made
explicit. You've got a tough row to hoe if you want them to NOT
measure themselves against the Developer Metric(R).

Players will choose advancing along the dev metric over doing
something fun, in fact. My preferred classic example these days is
Motor City Online, because it was just shut down in part because of
a lack of recognitio of this principle. In this game, players chose
to run endless races against dumb AI on a simple oval track with
only one car choice, rather than fun races against other players on
interesting tracks with a variety of cars, simply because it
provided the best way up the advancement ladder.

I don't think it's in the Laws, but I've always treated it as a Law:

   Players will do the boring thing rather than the fun thing, if
   they advance faster that way.

As a corollary:

   There's no way to get rid of the "boring" way to play your
   game. Players can always choose to play conservatively to
   maximize return while minimizing risk.

-Raph
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