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

[Paul Schwanz]

Tom "cro" Gordon wrote:
> Paul Schwanz wrote:

>> In other words, when I hear players complain about forced
>> grouping, I don't believe their real complaint is that there
>> should be no benefit for cooperative team play.  Rather, I
>> believe they are complaining about the lack of alternatives that
>> will require the lower degree of social effort with which they
>> are comfortable while still letting them connect to a community.
>> If maintaining the sort of social bonds required to reap the
>> benefits for cooperative team play seems like a chore to them,
>> they will solo, they will complain, and eventually they will
>> leave.

> Here's a third alternative, and the one that applies mostly to me:

>   I don't have the time to get involved in forced grouping.

Indeed.  I was thinking after sending the post that, for very
similar reasons, the current model doesn't work any better for
casual (or mobile--good point there) players than it does for
introverts.  The amount of effort or of time required for
socializing in the current model easily exceeds the threshold for
these players, leaving them with no option but to solo.  To bring
these players into the community fold will require additional models
for belonging, albeit in weaker sense, that require less social
effort and time.

Here are some additional thoughts based on what I wrote to a friend
yesterday as we discussed this issue:

Here's the sort of example I like to use.  Bubba is an NPC
swordsmith in Sometown.  Unfortunately, rats from the sewers beneath
Sometown tend to infest Bubba's storage cellar.  They chew holes in
the bags that protect Bubba's stores from the damp climate, thus
allowing rust to ruin his stored metals.  Bubba gives player, Boffo,
a quest to clean out the sewers beneath his shop.  All of this is
typical quest stuff appropriate for either
solo/introvert/casual/mobile play.  But without more, it does
nothing at all to promote community.  One possibility for promoting
community will involve making this quest easier or more rewarding
when completed by a team of players.  (For the
introvert/casual/mobile player, however, the quest will be seen in a
little differet light--they'll complain that it is harder and less
rewarding for the solo player.)  This may result in better
connections for a certain subset of players, but will only frustrate
the introvert/casual/mobile player.  However, they needn't be
ignored.

What if, as a result of the rat-infested cellars, the quality and
quantity of Bubba's offerings to community patrons suffers.  He can
only make a few low quality swords and daggers.  Additionally, the
NPC guards that patrol the walls and gates of Sometown suffer
degraded capability because Bubba is a major supplier of their
equipment.  This sort of model connects the solo quest back to a
community context.  When Boffo clears out the sewers at great risk
and personal sacrifice, the community may notice.  They may
recognize his accomplishment because it affects *all of them* and
not just Boffo himself (as would the typical item or XP reward).
But Boffo needn't be an extrovert with copious amounts of free time
in order to attain this recognition and sense of belonging.  He can
pursue solo gameplay at the tactical level (which requires much less
social investment and time commitment than team play) but still
enjoy a sense of community at the strategic level.

Note the additional gameplay opportunities as well.  Perhaps player
Buffy is also a swordsmith in Sometown.  Her business could boom
because of Bubba's woes.  She could be pouring rat-growth hormone
into Sometown's sewers on the sly.  Interesting.

Of course, Boffo and Buffy will all have to learn to pull in the
same direction if they are to increase Sometown's power and
influence over the surrounding countryside.  Otherwise,
Someothertown could end up controlling the iron mine on which Bubba,
Buffy, and the entire community rely for supplies.

Both competition and cooperation are wonderful examples of gameplay
that is content.  And both arise quite naturally from a rich,
varied, and interactive *context*.  A sandbox is not a rich enough
context, but that doesn't mean we should completely abandon a
context-centered approach in favor of static content faucets.

--Paul "Phinehas" Schwanz
The Context promotes the Gameplay that is the Content
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