[MUD-Dev] wherefor in-game artists?

[Ola Fosheim Grøstad]

"Richard A. Bartle" <richard at mud.co.uk> writes:
> On 03 September 2004, Sean Howard wrote:

>> Worse yet, it cannot predict future behavior or how certain types
>> will respond to new and unseen game features.

> The original 4-types model can't be used predictively like that,
> you're right. The 8-type model that I outline in my book can,
> however.

I thought you stated in your book that it wasn't meant to be a
predictive model. I am not sure how you can substantiate that the
8-type model would be able to predict...

> at that. There may be other influences, eg. cultural ones, but in
> general it's not all that hard to predict what will happen in an
> individual virtual world if you know that virtual world well
> enough.

That really depends on how much change you bring to the world. Store
bought expansions in MMOs can be... earth shattering.

>> A motivation based description is much more accurate and useful
>> for matters of design and understanding players.

> The player types model IS motivational. The question that prompted
> its development was "What do people want out of a MUD?", not "What
> do people do when playing a MUD?".

Yes, but the phrasing of the question doesn't make the responses
representative of the player's motivation. Besides if this was posed
in public then the real question asked would be: What are you
willing to admit that you want from a MUD, to the community, when
you see what the other players claim that they want.

That said, I think the model's focus on plurality, interaction
between play styles and that design can affect all of this is a
useful one. The revised model's emphasis of players not being locked
in a particular position is also a good extention. Though, I doubt
anyone will ever agree on what the progression paths can be.

To the original poster: There are many amusing threads on the
subject. I tried to find them all, but eventually gave up. Here is a
fair collection (not all are thread starting points, but the fine
archive system should let you view the entire thread):

  http://www.kanga.nu/archives/MUD-Dev-L/2002Q4/msg00061.php
  http://www.kanga.nu/archives/MUD-Dev-L/2001Q3/msg00710.php
  http://www.kanga.nu/archives/MUD-Dev-L/1998Q4/msg00110.php

--
Ola - http://folk.uio.no/olag/
_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev