[MUD-Dev] Casual Crowd vs.Time Rich Crowd [was: Time Debt]

[Matthew Dobervich]

Raph Koster Replied:
> Hrose Wrote:

>>   I have many design ideas on how to solve the problem about
>>   "Casual Crowd vs.Time Rich Crowd" and they are along the lines
>>   of creating different structures inside the game where
>>   different players have different roles and goals. Where casual
>>   players have a specific role and goal and where time rich
>>   crowds have another. And the *key* is about giving them
>>   different roles but making they play *together* with the same
>>   general goal.

> The difficulty here is that is the roles have contributions to the
> goal inversely proportionate to the time investment required, that
> people will start to cross the roles in search of maximum
> return. The time-rich players will take on the casual roles
> because they offer greater reward for time invested. And if the
> casual roles do NOT offer greater reward for time invested, then
> they will not feel rewarding to the casual players either, who
> will compare themselves to the time-rich players and cry foul.

I think he has a point here, and I think you missed it.  Would you
have had the same response if he had said "two different games"
instead of "two different roles inside >the< game"?

Have you ever played Harvest Moon?  This is a game where you spend
almost all your time managing the daily aspects of running a farm.
If it's a sunny day, you get up and feed your animals, then water
your crops.  If you have time maybe you do some weeding, or till
some more ground for more crops.  Oh, it's raining today.  Great, I
have time to go into "town", sell some crops and advance the RPG
meta-game.

Image this "mini-game" set inside a world where people are running
around with swords killing monsters.

Is one clearly "greater reward for time invested"?  Both ask
different thinks of the player, both offer the player different
rewards.

Current MMOs are amusement parks with one REALLY GREAT RIDE!  And
maybe a halfway decent sideshow or two.

We need to build Disney World, where everybody can find SOMETHING to
entertain themselves with, even if they don't like space mountain.
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