[MUD-Dev] Blog about GDC implies changes to MMORPG population

[Paul Schwanz]

Morris Cox wrote:

> I have been thinking about a game based on personality types for
> some years now. A basic personality type test is given during
> chardev and the character acts and responds according to the
> results, with the corresponding socials being made available. How
> strongly or weakly one scored in a letter would also have an
> effect.

At Full Sail, in our Ethics and Psychology class last month, we were
tasked to create a game concept that took into account personality
types as well as personality disorders.  My group put together a
preliminary design document for a game called "The Asylum."

The basic premise involves playing a character whose memory has been
erased and who has been locked away in an Asylum.  (Think Manchurian
Candidate; the character knew too much.)  The character must enlist
the aid of other patients in order to rediscover their past, escape,
and expose the conspiracy.  The main concept is that each of the
patients is a psychological puzzle for the player to solve.
Figuring out personality disorders and, to a lesser extent, MBTI
types is essential in order to garner cooperation in getting past
the game's obstacles.  In addition, during Check-In at the asylum
(our character creation), the player selects a personality disorder
for their own character.  This works as a sort of character class
for the game.  Managing your own sanity is an important concept for
the game, and your own disorder affects your limitations and how a
slip toward insanity is presented.

Our focus tended to be more toward personality disorders than MBTI
types, and we allowed players to choose these outright instead of
having them take a test in order to figure out what sort of
character they should play, but I think the same core concepts lie
at the heart of either approach.  In the end, I think that exploring
the psychological aspects of characters makes for some interesting
game concepts (cf. Psychonauts).  I wish we'd had more time to flesh
out some of our ideas, but we only had abut 12 hours to get the
design document and presentation in place.

Our game design document was put together as a class exercise and I
have no reservations about sharing it as such (it is not a proposal
of any type).  In addition to the psychological exploration of
personality types and disorders, the assignment also required that
we flesh out how our design would be gender-inclusive (based on
concepts fro Sheri Garner Ray's book) and includes additional values
and ethics statements for our fictitious design studio that are not
typical design document fare.  Drop me an email if you are
interested in a copy.  It is a 14-page word document with graphics,
so it is rather large.

--Paul "Phinehas" Schwanz
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