[MUD-Dev] Homogeneity and choice (Was DESIGN: Why do people like weather in MMORPGs?)

[Paolo Piselli]

--- Paolo Piselli <ppiselli at yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- Wayne Witzke <wayne.witzke at gmail.com> wrote:

>> Does this really make sense, though?  I mean, people don't just
>> consume entertainment to be "happy" all the time.

..snip..

> However, a "low point" in the experience doesn't to me mean
> "negative emotion".  If we were to think of the user experience as
> a multi-dimensional signal, I would equate a "low point" with "low
> amplitude" - i.e.  "not much of emotional or cognitive interest
> happening".

Just to add some analogies to this post: I do recall having seen
good movies and read good books with low-points and tragedy.
However, I don't recall ever having read a good book with some
uninteresting filler chapters in there that serve no other purpose
but to make the experience of reading the book take longer and
therefore be more satisfying to finish.  I don't recall watching any
good movies with intentionally uninteresting scenes that you just
have to sit-through and bear in order to get to the really
interesting parts.

Ok, well perhaps I was much less interested in the political
intrigue and romance scenes in Braveheart than I was in the battle
scenes, but I can imagine those scenes were put in there to appeal
to *somebody*.  I can't imagine who is supposed to actually *like*
watching their character sit on horseback for twenty minutes as they
travel the next town.  When this type of element is put into a game
I usually go check email or browse the web, clicking in game as
needed every so often.  I'm sorry but any "gameplay element" that
makes the player to go do something else can be called neither
interesting, engaging, immersive nor "good design".

-Paolo


=====
Paolo Piselli
ppiselli at yahoo.com
www.piselli.com , www.bestcoastswing.com
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