[MUD-Dev] Expected value and standard deviation.

[Nicolai Hansen]

Raph Koster wrote:

> But I'd add a secondary effect--players tend to turn fun things
> into boring ones via a process of gameplay optimization. This
> occurs with any mechanic that can be done more than once in the
> game.

Short comment:

  Why do the optimized way of playing the game need to be boring?
  In my opinion this is a game designer's issue and nothing to do
  with powergamers.

Why can't even the optimal way of playing the game be interesting?
We call all those big new things for "massively multiplayer online
role playing games"... But as I see them there's no roleplay left. A
better name these days would be "massively multiplayer online
hack'n'slash games" cos thats all thats left in them.

When you then add the strong competition of having the "longest time
to finish" game around as well as the way too early releases you end
up with only boredom. For all players, not just for the powergamers.

And its solely a design issue (or maybe a money issue, but in some
way thats the same from my point of view).

/Nic
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