[MUD-Dev2] The Future of Quests

[John Buehler]

Eric Lee writes:

> John Buehler writes:
> >
> > If you can't imagine tasks on that scale, take a look at EVE
> > Online.  There are always large tasks to complete, and they always
> > break down into things that can be done in a single session of game
> > play.

[...]

> But I do think that in general, player-driven
> sandbox-style games have a core challenge to overcome; if left to
> evolve naturally they can tend to be self-limiting.  That is, they tend
> to collect a core group of players who are deeply involved in the on-
> going storyline, and those players are fantastically loyal, but after
> awhile it becomes difficult for new players to break into that group.
> Because there's nothing to do other than the player-driven story, new
> players get bored and leave, and the game population stops growing.  I
> believe you can see that pattern in a lot of MUSH-type games.
> 
> So how do you design a player-driven game to avoid that problem?

My choice is to end-run the problem by eliminating the player-controlled
core.  I want a publisher-controlled core that provides the motive elements
of the game at the highest level, and then leaves the execution of tasks to
the players.  Any given task changes the shared game state.

Two alternatives:

1. Reset the game state, which is a time-honored technique.
2. Greatly reduce the element of time played from a player's ability to
contribute.

> EVE
> Online hasn't stopped growing yet so I guess they're doing something
> right (even though it hasn't worked for me yet).  What is it that they
> do to include new players and let them feel like they have an important
> role to play in the game?

The game state changes when a player does something.  That's especially true
of the economy and of 0.0 space.

JB