[MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN] NPC-oriented gameplay and XP model: GURPS/EveOnline vs. D&D/Diku

[Lachek Butalek]

On 9/28/07, Mike Rozak <Mike at mxac.com.au> wrote:
> In GURPS and EveOnline, players receive a fixed amount of experience points per real-time day, which they can then use to increase skills. XP-to-skill conversion acts as a real-time-based resource allocation sub-game. XP comes in at a fixed rate per day, and players must predict what skills they'll need in the future (over the course of days/weeks), then allocate the XP into the proper skills.
>
> In D&D/Diku, XP is more of a reward, like a pinball machine. There is still an allocation sub-game, but it's no longer based on a real-time trickle of XP, so it doesn't force the player to plan as far ahead.
>
> My current design for CircumReality (www.CircumReality.com) uses the GURPS model. One of the reasons I chose this was because it makes it easier for less-skilled players to complete the game. Given that I expect a total game to be short, 5-15 hours of play, a hard-core (skilled) player will get through the content in a few days. However, a less-skilled player will (a) probably not have as much time to commit per day, and (b) will give up for the day (in furstration) when stuck. When a less-skilled player returns the next day, they have 1 XP which they can improve an appropriate skill with, making their gameplay a little bit easier the next day. The longer the game takes to play, the easier it gets.
>
> However, while fine tuning the game, I've noticed that the in-game rewards tend to be implicit, and that explicit rewards are far and few between. The difference is an adventure game (where rewards come once an hour-ish) vs. a CRPG (with rewards for actions coming every few minutes). Thus, I'm considering handing out XP for actions, rather than per-day.
>
> But there's a twist: CircumReality isn't about killing orcs to get loot/XP to kill more orcs. It's about observing NPC behaviours and using that knowledge to befriend the NPC, which leads to other NPCs higher up the social hierarchy. (There is still some combat.) If there were XP rewards for deeds, they would be handed out when (a) a player learned a rumor/factoid about a NPC, and (b) a quest is completed. Rumors/factoids can be learned by observation (spying) or asking the right questions to the right NPCs. Once learned, rumors/factoids can be told to other NPCs to cause a reaction. (A wife might like to know about her cheating husband, for example.) So, there's potentially a case (c) where telling another NPC knowledge that produces a positive NPC reaction also provides an XP reward... although rewards may not be needed in that case.
>
> I'm worried though, that by switching to the more frequent rewards, I will:
> - Break the way the GURPS model helps less-successful players get through the game. (although I could use WoW's "rested" scheme)
> - Step onto the slippery slope of the grind.
> - Make the experience feel to game-like.
> - Attract too many achievers and not enough explorers/socializers.
>
> Any ideas?

Mike, in CircumReality, what are the XP spent on? And how does that
expenditure affect a player's chance to succeed? How does the initial
character creation work - are players able to differentiate their
character's skills at that point?

I think *how* the currency is spent is really important for the
discussion of how and when it should be awarded. What forms of
gameplay do you want to reward? Whether acquisition of XP is important
for the game or not, players tend to automatically lean towards
actions which will yield them XP even if they're explorer/socializer
types, because the game makes an explicit statement that it rewards
play that leads to XP.

In EVE, skills are nice because they allow you to engage in different
forms of gameplay, and as such act as a throttle to ensure that even
newbie characters can have an edge on an older character in a specific
field, which is important for the "corporate" style cooperative
gameplay. "Power" comes in the form of ISK, however, and you will find
that because of that, players and corporations of all types
predominantly engage in forms of gameplay that will yield them lots of
ISK fast. I'd argue that in EVE, the traditional concept of "XP" is
closer to "ISK" than it is to "Skill points".

By making Skill Points trickle in at a fixed rate, CCP has managed to
sublimate the form of gameplay concerning increase in personal
ability, causing players to instead focus on their character's role in
the Bigger Picture. By contrast, Diku-style gameplay rewards increases
in personal ability which directs player effort towards solo-play,
with groupings (including guilds) only necessary to enable achievement
of specific milestones (hard gatekeeper quests, uber-powerful raid
loot, etc).

Which model makes sense in your game, I think will depend on the forms
of gameplay you want to reward - solo vs group, for example. However,
if you go with the GURPS/EVE model, you may want to consider the
introduction of another currency in addition to XP to drive the
gameplay - for example, status within an NPC community, Quest Points,
or what have you.