| NeverSayNever |
| (Major) |
| 07/08/07 04:08 PM |
| 195.93.60.134 |
|
Re: [off topic (OT), multi user games/dungeons in general] "Players Who Suit MUDs"
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short quote/excerpt from Bartlet's article:
Quote:
Players use the tools provided by the game to cause distress to (or, in rare circumstances, to help) other players. Where permitted, this usually involves acquiring some weapon and applying it enthusiastically to the persona of another player in the game world.
So, labelling the four player types abstracted, we get: achievers, explorers, socialisers and killers. An easy way to remember these is to consider suits in a conventional pack of cards: achievers are Diamonds (they're always seeking treasure); explorers are Spades (they dig around for information); socialisers are Hearts (they empathise with other players); killers are Clubs (they hit people with them).
Naturally, these areas cross over, and players will often drift between all four, depending on their mood or current playing style. However, my experience having observed players in the light of this research suggests that many (if not most) players do have a primary style, and will only switch to other styles as a (deliberate or subconscious) means to advance their main interest.
intact/complete player base / community = complete set of 'cards' (Diamonds, Hearts, Clubs and Spades) - representing all the different facets / styles of play of a game
incomplete player base / community (e.g. due to the game's rules focusing on only one aspect/facet of the game, for example landwar/FWar, like in Neveron) = incomplete set of 'cards' (Diamonds, Hearts, Clubs and Spades) with a lot of the different facets of a game missing already
If you mix/shuffle a whole, intact set/deck of cards and start playing with the whole, intact set/deck of cards you'll almost always get a very unique new game(-ing experience).
If you mixed/shuffled an incomplete set/deck of cards and started playing with the incomplete set/deck of cards you would most likely end up with a very shallow game(-ing experience), no matter how hard you tried to shuffle the few remaining 'Clubs', sorry, cards, it should always look pretty much the same.
Large player base and a gaming universe which supports a variety of different styles of play = more fun and entertainment for all parties involved, and a much more vibrant community.
Small and/or shrinking player base and a gaming universe which tends to support/favor only one style of play (like in: more war/landwar/FWar) = less fun and entertainment for all (remaining) parties involved, and a much less vibrant community.