[MUD-Dev] [News] Virtual goods--Oh, the controversy!

[Vincent Archer]

According to Daniel.Harman at barclayscapital.com:
> Vincent Archer wrote on 14 April 2004 07:28 :

>> That's a problem with level-based segregation of content. The
>> content is separated, but the playerbases are as well.

> Similarly with keys to new areas etc. Flags like that really ought
> to be done at an organisational level, not at the individual. Thus
> if you are in a guild, but take a break for a few months, you can
> return and get back to playing. Having to perform arduous quests
> to play with your friends again is a significant barrier to
> re-entry. Especially as you then feel obliged to your friends
> should they pull you back up to level and content access knowing
> what a pain it is for them.

Everquest attempted to do a mild form of organisational structure
like that, in the form of "shared flags". If you're lacking the flag
to access a given zone, but 85% of the people in the raid have it,
then you're allowed access. That only helps for locked zones,
though; if you're level 40, you're not going to be able to adventure
with your level 65 friends. Or not meaningfully (you won't even get
experience while grouped with them).

That solution has its advantages and disadvantages. It works well
for one activity: raids. Or more exactly, "planar" raids (since the
newest expansion, Gates of Discord, also has flags unlocking zones,
but you are not able to get in a zone even if everyone else in the
raid has the requisite flag). But if you're the latest recruit of a
guild that has, say elemental access, then you do not have access to
it. You do need to follow all the "story" yourself, until you've
unlocked it.

There were a couple ideas floated around, but all of them require a
basic shift in paradigm. In Everquest, a guild is little more than a
chat channel, a list of "friends", and an additional line of text
under your name.  As a game entity, a guild has no relevance.
Everything an individual can do as a guild member, he can do as a
lone character.  There are no guild achievements - only achievements
of their individual members. A guild achieves things only on its
personal website, not in game.

World of Warcraft seems to tie a bit more things to guild
structures; apparently, a guild can create "guild instances" of
dungeons for guild activities (that dungeon exists only for guild
members), which persists for a long time. It doesn't seem there's
more than that yet.

--
	Vincent Archer			Email:	archer at frmug.org

All men are mortal.  Socrates was mortal.  Therefore, all men are Socrates.
							(Woody Allen)
_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev