[MUD-Dev2] [Design] 4Cs (was Who to design for?)

[Mike Sellers]

Tess Snider wrote:
> ...
> However, it's also very important while we are designing our systems
> to remember that what we think of as "hardcore" is often colored by
> wildly incorrect stereotypes.  There are many, many casual Halo
> players and there are also many, many hardcore knitters.  "Hardcore"
> is more of an expression of a depth of involvement than it is an
> expression of a type of activity.  While a hardcore player in WoW may
> run raids every single night, a hardcore player in A Tale in the
> Desert may be doing genetic engineering to attempt to breed a better
> strain of flax.

We've evolved our own vocabulary for talking about different player
types/roles.  These aren't meant to be exclusive types, but areas where
players tend to focus their enjoyment -- but there is also significant
variance for any given player.

We differentiate those interested in a high-time vs. low-time commitment,
and those who enjoy an aggressive, direct experience in the world vs. those
who want a more indirect, non-aggressive, and/or arms-length experience.

Putting these into (of course) four quadrants, we end up with the following
"4Cs" model:

Core - high-time, aggressive/direct experience.  Your typical gamer today;
the vast majority of MMO design focuses on those wanting this kind of
experience.

Committed - high-time, indirect/non-aggressive experience.  This includes
many social mavens, 'crafters', and others who enjoy being in the world.
This group is under-represented in available gameplay.

Casual - low-time, indirect/non-aggressive experience.  Those who don't have
a lot of time to put in, don't want the psychological exposure of being in
the world too deeply, and yet who would like to see (and contribute) some
value in the game world.

Commando - low-time, aggressive.  Sometimes you just want to shoot
something. :)  This focus is barely supported in current MMOs.  

This model differentiates nicely between different types of mavens (typical
core-gamers and committed gamers) as well as more occasional users.  It also
trends nicely older and younger, and male and female.  

The trick to using it is in giving all four types significant gameplay, and
even more so, making their gameplay relevant to one another without making
them play each other's way.

Mike Sellers