[MUD-Dev] Re: DESIGN: Online adventure games

[Alex Chacha]

On May 12, 2004, at 12:00 AM, Mike Rozak wrote:

>  2. Players' types (explorer, socialiser, etc.) change depending
>  upon their moods. (For example: While I usually like playing
>  adventure games, I still go for the occasional CRPG.)

I have noticed that often players shift roles when what they really
want to do is not available to them.  If you have an achiever and
they hit some imaginary ceiling in what they can do (physically
nothing left to do or too tedious to advance), they can switch roles
to either socializers or griefers depending on their disposition and
game mechanics.  I have seen socializers switch to griefers when
they just can't find anyone else to socialize with "on their level".
The categories done by Bartle are a good foundation but as games are
getting more complex, these categories tend to only apply at very
early stages in the game while players are familiarizing themselves
with their environment (these roles are how the players feel
comfortable when in an unfamiliar environment).  The more familiar
the players get with the world they are in, the less the rules seem
to fit.  Players are too good at adapting and more degrees of
freedom they have the harder it is to classify them.
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