[MUD-Dev] Deriving Self Esteem from one's MMORPG avatar[was:Long-Term Rewards]

[Koster, Raph]

Vladimir Cole wrote:

> Finally, atop the pyramid there's self-actualization... Maybe some
> of the crossovers mentioned above have moved into the realm of
> self actualization, but I'd argue that self actualization is
> largely inhibited by extensive involvement in an MMO. In fact, a
> common refrain of players who quit MMOs goes something like this,
> "I need to spend some time on the things that matter. I'm not
> doing enough with my life."

Bartle's book

  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0131018167

....expressly argues that self-actualization is the ultimate purpose
of MUDs of all stripes. That each player essentially undergoes a
development arc via lessons taught virtually, that leads them to
self-actualization (and a natural exit from the game).

> Love and Esteem are the hooks that keep people playing these games
> for years -- and in cases when players lack sufficient love and/or
> esteem outside of the game, these become dopamine-generating
> activities that truly "addict" people to MMOs.

Are you perhaps suggesting that providing Love and Esteem is a
negative characteristic? Or that we need to minimize them emphasis
on them in order to focus on Self-Actualization instead?

It's worth pointing out that most forms of entertainment don't shoot
for self-actualization. The ones that hit it, we tend to call Art.

-Raph
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