[MUD-Dev] DGN: Reasonsfor play[was: EmergentBehaviors spawnedfrom...]

[John Buehler]

Cruise writes:
> John Buehler spake thusly...

>> I'm replying here because I think that your view is shared by the
>> majority of the list participants, and it produces blind spots
>> for designers.  Perhaps this is why I'm always bringing up
>> Disneyland as an example of how to delight people; it is an
>> entertaining mix of participation and observation.

> How much participation do you have at Disneyland really, short of
> choosing which ride to go on next? Again, it's nothing different
> from choosing a film or book.  I agree entirely that choice is
> important - but the choices should be what competition they want
> to experience, else we're not offering the player a game.

> For me, observational goals are flavour and add to the fundemental
> entertainment of competition which defines a game.

I think that our disconnect is that you view these 'things' as games
(fundamentally about competition) while I view them as experiences
(fundamentally about entertainment).  Given that, you will continue
to design and build games in the spirit of chess and checkers, while
I will continue to push for a Holodeck.

  [Not intended as a technology comparison, only one of user
  experience]

It is not important to me that these 'things' be "games"
(fundamentally about competition) - despite the moniker of MMORP-G.
And I wish that current designers would let go of the "game" ethic
and expand the horizons of the sorts of entertainment that their
products could provide.  Not everyone cares about virtual
achievements.

JB
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