[MUD-Dev] Meta-games (not META list ;))

[ceo]

Crosbie Fitch wrote:
> From: ceo

>> The funny thing is, when I did a google search for MUD-DEV
>> conversations about meta-games, I couldn't find any. Is it just
>> that we've discussed this before under a different nomenclature,
>> or is it something that's only ever been mentioned in passing,
>> never quite becoming a hot topic? :)

> Something a bit similar that I've often looked forward to seeing
> are 'objectiveless' games, i.e. virtual environments, whether
> text, 2D or 3D, that have rules governing how things work, but
> have no storyline and no objectives, implicit
> (money/lives/territory/etc) or otherwise
> (score/tokens/missions/etc).

I've thought about this for years, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't
bother playing a game that had no objective - which is a simple
summary of a complex argument. The main facets I consider are: is
there anything that binds the game and players together? (the power
of shared struggle is well understood) Will I feel there's any point
to this game? (if not, I'll treat it like a throw-away game like a
single round of chess - and play for 5 minutes then go away) What
kinds of people will invest more than a trivial amount of time in
the game? (and if the answer is few, or a small niche, then it's
going to be really boring - there'll be no variety of people to chat
to).

OTOH, there are clearly people who are happy in such an
environment. For instance, There. Simple because of it's critical
mass (mainly from it's first-mover advantage) it becomes more
attractive - several of the questions above are answered positively
because it now has a gravity of it's own in attracting and retaining
players. But when there's another couple of There's, they'll quickly
turn into chatrooms as far as *I* am concerned: entered and exited
on a whim. And pretty boring to stay in any particular one for a
long time.

Adam M
_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev