Yeah, that’s why I prefer to stick to more plot-based games.
Excluded Laymansays
Those are such demoralising designs, too. Who wants to go through the grind when the reward doesn’t improve the fun you have?
I don’t envy the designers of indefinitely long games. Sure, some wisdom was gleaned from GMs of long D&D campaigns about pacing, power creep, and mechanical engagement. But that had the freedom of bonfire storytelling to adapt as soon as it was needed. What do you do when everyone has to go through the same story asynchronously? For years? Or your core engagement is inherently repetitive?
Or your primarily teenage audience grows up and has to spend their own money on bills, and aren’t being replaced by more teens with subsidised lives? I mean, an RPG is dependent on free time and an MMO on disposable income. An MMORPG is further dependent on a predictable schedule. They’re practically a measure of economic health: “In my day, gamers made enough mowing lawns and cleaning eaves to pay for their subscription! And then they came home to a hot meal before raid time! You kids don’t know how bad you have it!”
laurentweppesays
That’s not WoW: that’s modern “hardcore” gaming in its entirety
Yeah, that’s why I prefer to stick to more plot-based games.
Those are such demoralising designs, too. Who wants to go through the grind when the reward doesn’t improve the fun you have?
I don’t envy the designers of indefinitely long games. Sure, some wisdom was gleaned from GMs of long D&D campaigns about pacing, power creep, and mechanical engagement. But that had the freedom of bonfire storytelling to adapt as soon as it was needed. What do you do when everyone has to go through the same story asynchronously? For years? Or your core engagement is inherently repetitive?
Or your primarily teenage audience grows up and has to spend their own money on bills, and aren’t being replaced by more teens with subsidised lives? I mean, an RPG is dependent on free time and an MMO on disposable income. An MMORPG is further dependent on a predictable schedule. They’re practically a measure of economic health: “In my day, gamers made enough mowing lawns and cleaning eaves to pay for their subscription! And then they came home to a hot meal before raid time! You kids don’t know how bad you have it!”
That’s not WoW: that’s modern “hardcore” gaming in its entirety
[derail alert!]
fascinating site with lots of interesting takes on philosophy and how to apply it.
EG: relevant to several recent discussions here
adding site to bookmarks, now…
Ripped off of an earlier SMBC comic:
http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=3259
(Remember to click on red button below comic for second punchline/addendum.)