MMO Communities (was RE: [MUD-Dev] MMORPG Cancellations:Theskyisfalling?)

[ceo]

Koster, Raph wrote:
> Sean Howard wrote:

>> to play. SWG has arbitrary crafting dependencies where making
>> something like a droid requires some object which exists for no
>> other purpose than to be used to make droids, but some other
>> classes makes them (ie Master Artisans create droid batteries,
>> but Master Droid Engineers can't).

> We may not like it, but all empirical evidence at the moment seems
> to show that requiring cooperative team play for success causes
> greater retention.

AFAICS it's an excessively difficult balancing act to retain the
effectiveness of enforced coop play (a more accurate term here than
"grouping", I think) whilst making it not *feel* like it's forced.

And it's the "feel" that matters more than the reality. If it's not
really forced, but feels it, that's a failure. Yet if in practice it
is forced, but somehow you make it so that players don't realise
that, then that's a success.

e.g. GTA "forces" you to play missions in order to advance the
game. You have to do these missions. However, unlike many many
mission-driven games you are given an entire game to play
independent of the missions: driving around causing general chaos,
exploring, etc. Critically, that independent game is dovetailed with
the missions, so that advancement in each actually affects the other
(getting lots of money, a fast car, and some hardcore weapons is a
good way to make your next mission easier - or at the very least
more *entertaining* ;)).

And so it is difficult to find someone who actually feels that
they've been "forced"...it feels much more like a consensus decision
between the player and the game :).

Adam M
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