Post by Morreion on Jun 29, 2010 10:03:11 GMT -5
Wings Over Atreia: Conquering the level grind (Massively)
Daily Quests Guide (Aion Powerwiki)
Wings Over Atreia: The ties that bind (Massively)
Choose my Adventure: Thank you, Basfelt Village (Massively)
All games are grind of some sort; there is no escaping it. One of the greatest problems comes when people no longer see any progress. Yes, there may be some awesome shiny waiting for you at the end of a long, arduous journey, but human behaviorists will tell you that some far-off reward in the distance doesn't cut it. You need to set small goals and see actual progress in order to be motivated to reach a larger, long-term goal. Basically, you can only hold the little carrot out so long before people conclude it is unreachable and give up -- or die of starvation. So give them a nibble here and there to keep their mouths watering and energy up.
This is where Aion previously failed. People enjoy the early levels not just because progression is faster, but because there is noticeable progression. When you hit higher levels, you begin to feel you have a better chance of winning the lottery in Kazakhstan than seeing that bubble on your XP bar fill up. How disheartening. Other aspects of the game that were once enjoyable are soon forgotten as the drudgery and desperation of leveling settles in. When people lose hope of progress, they lose enjoyment of the game. Lose that, and the game loses its player base. Luckily, NCsoft has finally made some progress here.
This is where Aion previously failed. People enjoy the early levels not just because progression is faster, but because there is noticeable progression. When you hit higher levels, you begin to feel you have a better chance of winning the lottery in Kazakhstan than seeing that bubble on your XP bar fill up. How disheartening. Other aspects of the game that were once enjoyable are soon forgotten as the drudgery and desperation of leveling settles in. When people lose hope of progress, they lose enjoyment of the game. Lose that, and the game loses its player base. Luckily, NCsoft has finally made some progress here.
Daily Quests Guide (Aion Powerwiki)
Wings Over Atreia: The ties that bind (Massively)
Friendships
This reason, hands down, keeps me playing an MMO. I happen to be one of those crazies who plays the games specifically for the MM part of the moniker. Who woulda thought, eh? As simple as it sounds, if i wanted to be alone in my own universe, I would choose a single player game or do something constructive, like finish writing a book. Whether it be real life friends who dive into the new world with me or companions I have met in cyberspace, I find that my enjoyment of any game increases dramatically when I play alongside others. Whenever enough friends start to drift away, that bind that keeps me interested in a game seriously weakens. After all, who wants to subscribe to MSO (massively single player) empty world? I, like many others, become a part of a community and make attachments in and to the world. The attachment can be to loot and coin, to people, or to role-play stories. It doesn't matter what the attachment is, only that it has tethered you to the game.
Great communities -- large or small -- can bring so much more to a game than just the grind, the gear, or the glory of accomplishment in and of themselves. Besides, what good is glory if you can't flaunt -- I mean -- share it? Working with people towards a common goal both server-wide (a call-out congratulations to the Elyos of Lumiel for last night's successful conquest of Divine Fortress!) and within smaller groups/guilds/legions is much more fun than tramping about even the most beautiful bug-free world. No AI can replace the dynamic interactions available between two living, breathing players (go with me on this, I am assuming all players are actually still breathing!). I cannot tell you how many times a glance at LFG chat made me laugh (or bite my tongue) and broke up the monotony of some task.
Large scale community involvement is well and good, but more personal interactions are also key to my keeping interest in a game. I will admit here and now that I am one of those -- gasp -- role-players. I enjoy having an alter-ego living out a life in a world other than the one I occupy. Currently, this new life includes waging war and slaughtering furbacks. In-game interactions (role-playing or otherwise) further enhance the experience of a game. Being a part of a legion and goofing off in Ventrilo while accomplishing the more mind-numbing parts of any game helps keep my interest. You may be stabbing your 400 thousandth Krall or Mau in the back, but you are also cracking jokes with friends, sharing stories, and listening to the antics of others. Maybe you're just participating in general chit-chat about nothing in particular -- whatever the case, these interactions forge real bonds. Long after some people bail because the game just doesn't "do it" for them, those who have strong connections with other players continue on, finding enjoyment in camaraderie and still working towards goals.
This reason, hands down, keeps me playing an MMO. I happen to be one of those crazies who plays the games specifically for the MM part of the moniker. Who woulda thought, eh? As simple as it sounds, if i wanted to be alone in my own universe, I would choose a single player game or do something constructive, like finish writing a book. Whether it be real life friends who dive into the new world with me or companions I have met in cyberspace, I find that my enjoyment of any game increases dramatically when I play alongside others. Whenever enough friends start to drift away, that bind that keeps me interested in a game seriously weakens. After all, who wants to subscribe to MSO (massively single player) empty world? I, like many others, become a part of a community and make attachments in and to the world. The attachment can be to loot and coin, to people, or to role-play stories. It doesn't matter what the attachment is, only that it has tethered you to the game.
Great communities -- large or small -- can bring so much more to a game than just the grind, the gear, or the glory of accomplishment in and of themselves. Besides, what good is glory if you can't flaunt -- I mean -- share it? Working with people towards a common goal both server-wide (a call-out congratulations to the Elyos of Lumiel for last night's successful conquest of Divine Fortress!) and within smaller groups/guilds/legions is much more fun than tramping about even the most beautiful bug-free world. No AI can replace the dynamic interactions available between two living, breathing players (go with me on this, I am assuming all players are actually still breathing!). I cannot tell you how many times a glance at LFG chat made me laugh (or bite my tongue) and broke up the monotony of some task.
Large scale community involvement is well and good, but more personal interactions are also key to my keeping interest in a game. I will admit here and now that I am one of those -- gasp -- role-players. I enjoy having an alter-ego living out a life in a world other than the one I occupy. Currently, this new life includes waging war and slaughtering furbacks. In-game interactions (role-playing or otherwise) further enhance the experience of a game. Being a part of a legion and goofing off in Ventrilo while accomplishing the more mind-numbing parts of any game helps keep my interest. You may be stabbing your 400 thousandth Krall or Mau in the back, but you are also cracking jokes with friends, sharing stories, and listening to the antics of others. Maybe you're just participating in general chit-chat about nothing in particular -- whatever the case, these interactions forge real bonds. Long after some people bail because the game just doesn't "do it" for them, those who have strong connections with other players continue on, finding enjoyment in camaraderie and still working towards goals.
Choose my Adventure: Thank you, Basfelt Village (Massively)
