(Captain)

07/09/07 10:20 AM

69.178.99.3

Re: [off topic (OT), multi user games/dungeons in general] "Players Who Suit MUDs"

One thing to remember is the game itself is oriented towards Killers, and to a lesser extent Achievers and Socializers.

Earlier in its history there was more for Achievers and Socializers to enjoy due to the prolific nature of RP and the reality of the social impact upon warfare, but the Explorer archtype for instance doesn't have a clear place on Nev and due to its design probably couldn't have.

The archtypes help to identify player personalities/goals as they are inherent to the individual, but the categories were conceptualized based upon the MUD, which shares very little in common with Neveron. Probably the archtypes would have been defined differently had Nev-style web games been the objective for study.

Just some observations.

Also, anyone interested in Bartle's observations on game theory, he wrote an excellent book Designing Virtual Worlds back in 2003 that is something of a bible in the Mu* world. I happen to disagree with some of his hypotheses but by and large he makes astute and probably accurate assumptions about what makes up the kind of playerbase that is attracted to virtual games/worlds/communties.

For a long time I was deeply involved in the mu* world, and some of my own games are still out there being played and staffed long since I more or less retired from the mu* community in 2002. So I am somewhat chagrined to see mu* theory discussed in these forums. :P