[MUD-Dev] RE: [ssows] thinking about EQ2 (fwd)

[J C Lawrence]

------- Forwarded Message

From: Chek Yang FOO <chekyang at chekyang.com>
To: ssows at groupcare.com
Subject: RE: [ssows] thinking about EQ2
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 18:33:59 -0600

Hi Bart and all,

At the moment, I'm pretty much centered on studying MMORPG grief
players, and there's still quite a bit more to go in my study. Having
said that, I'm also interested in looking at participant behaviour along
the themes of cooperation versus risk and reward, and under what
circumstances will participants agree to collaborate in some joint
endeavour as compared to going at it alone.

For instance, the aspect of player dependency is a particular point that
nudges me to wonder if it's an area worth looking into. Just a week
before game release, the beta forums for tradesmen and craftsmen were in
an uproar when they discovered many of the components that they needed
to make their items would no longer be available in limitless supply
from NPCs. Instead, players who chose the crafting route would now have
to work cooperatively with other craters who will provide to each other
components they need to ply and progress in their chosen trade. My
knowledge of this stems largely from what I read - since I haven't quite
spent much time in an artisan role - but there seemed to be a perception
amongst participants who choose the very non-adventuring roles of a
crafer that while it may be reasonable to force participants playing
adventuring professions to play cooperatively, different rules apply for
craftsmen, and they should be spared off the requirement to play
cooperatively.

- ---

About locked encounters - this is one aspect that interests me a great
deal as kill stealing is one (possible) type of grief play. While the
points on its disadvantages are well made, IMO, it seems to me more a
way of defining a singular clear rule of game play - that whoever hits
the mob first has the rights to it, and the lock enforces that
ownership. There is no more ambiguity or should there be arguments over
who really had that mob based on who is higher level, who has been in
that area longer, and who is more suited to take on that mob - disputes
that were so common in EverQuest. From a customer service point of view,
it does seem to be a smart move - since you now have a clear rule, and
there should be far less complaints from players, and the in-game CSRs
can better spend their time resolving other issues than player to player
disputes.

CY
------- End of Forwarded Message

--
J C Lawrence
---------(*)                Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas.
claw at kanga.nu               He lived as a devil, eh?
http://www.kanga.nu/~claw/  Evil is a name of a foeman, as I live.

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