Post by Morreion on Dec 12, 2009 9:03:00 GMT -5
The Daily Grind: Punish or protect? (Massively)
In my opinion, there has to be a balance, but I lean more towards the punishment mechanism. In the early days MMOs tended to have harsh penalties for dying; there was a reaction against that, and now dying is generally consequences-free so that people sometimes use it to travel faster. Protecting players against adversity produces a pointless game where a cat walking across the keyboard could successfully play a character. If there isn't consequences- meaning, penalties- for unthinking behavior, I can't really call it a game. If it doesn't matter what you do, why pay to do it? I'd rather feel that I had at least a dollop of skill to get where I was going in an MMO. It's hard to get attached to a character when nothing you do really matters. Plus, if there are no mechanisms to encourage good playing habits, you end up playing with a bunch of people who have (and don't need) a clue. Not the optimal playing experience for me...
Ah, this morning we have a true opinion question for you. One that many players are very divided on. In your honest opinion, dear readers, do you think games should punish players for missteps, or do you believe the game should protect you against loss and minimize it at all possible places?
In my opinion, there has to be a balance, but I lean more towards the punishment mechanism. In the early days MMOs tended to have harsh penalties for dying; there was a reaction against that, and now dying is generally consequences-free so that people sometimes use it to travel faster. Protecting players against adversity produces a pointless game where a cat walking across the keyboard could successfully play a character. If there isn't consequences- meaning, penalties- for unthinking behavior, I can't really call it a game. If it doesn't matter what you do, why pay to do it? I'd rather feel that I had at least a dollop of skill to get where I was going in an MMO. It's hard to get attached to a character when nothing you do really matters. Plus, if there are no mechanisms to encourage good playing habits, you end up playing with a bunch of people who have (and don't need) a clue. Not the optimal playing experience for me...
