[MUD-Dev2] Specialization

[Justin Coleman]

On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 10:28 PM, Michael Hartman
<mlist at thresholdrpg.com> wrote:
> Please, resist the temptation to make completely ridiculous analogies.
> Successfully obtaining an education is of far greater importance than being
> successful in a game. Games have winners and losers because that is part of
> the whole point of playing. The point of getting an education is to learn.

That's odd. I thought the whole point of playing was to have fun.
Isn't that part of the definition of "game"?

I have a hard time reconciling the Gore Vidal quote "It is not enough
that I succeed. Others must fail." with good game design. Is it fun to
fail? Is it fun to know that other people are allowed to do things
that you are not? Is it fun to be, in essence, punished for your
choices?

If a game consists solely of putting a ball into a hoop, is it
absolutely required for others to fail for that game to be fun to you?
Is it not enough to be satisfied with your own success?

Competition can be a good thing in moderation, but it shouldn't be the
whole point of games in general, nor should it be required in every
game.

-Justin