MMO Communities (was RE: [MUD-Dev] MMORPG Cancellations:Theskyisfalling?)

[Paul Schwanz]

Koster, Raph wrote:

> We may not like it, but all empirical evidence at the moment seems
> to show that requiring cooperative team play for success causes
> greater retention.

Causes greater retention than what?  Having nothing in place at all
to encourage community?  This empirical evidence sounds very
interesting, but unless we know what comparison was made, it is
difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions.

> More data points would certainly be helpful, since it's quite
> possible that other factors are at play here. I personally have
> nothing against team play but also wouldn't want it to be the sole
> defining gameplay paradigm.

Indeed.  I think it would be helpful to have other models for
promoting community against which to compare forced cooperative team
play.

One of the things I really like about Derek's proposed law change is
that it recognizes that more loosely formed social bonds are "easier
to maintain."  Especially for the introvert, I believe that it takes
quite a bit of effort to maintain the sort of social bonds that are
typical in the current paradigm.  I believe that most (all?) players
/want/ to be connected to some sort of community, but that the
amount of social effort required determines whether they gravitate
toward team-based or solo-based gameplay.  This is why I believe
that ignoring higher (more shallow) levels of social connectedness
may be damaging to the game design.

That isn't to say that removing the benefits received for
cooperative team play is a Good Idea.  I think the structures in
place for team-based cooperation are effective for the most part
/for a particular subset of players/.  (And I realize that his is
what you are pointing out.)  On the other hand, I would like to see
additional community options presented to other players that still
involved a (weaker) sense of belonging, but also required less
social effort and investment.  I envision this resulting from
methods for allowing the typical solo player (who will /never/
experience the benefits of current models for cooperative team play
because of the social investment required) to still contribute
meaningfully to a particular community in a manner that has the
potential to bring him recognition from that community.  An example
of this sort of gameplay might be ATITD's resource collection at its
Universities, although I envision something where the community
affected is more clearly defined.  (Collecting certain resources can
open up new skills taught at Universities which are then available
to everyone in the game.  But you must visit the University to gain
the skill, which means that geographical location will determine
convenience.)

In other words, when I hear players complain about forced grouping,
I don't believe their real complaint is that there should be no
benefit for cooperative team play.  Rather, I believe they are
complaining about the lack of alternatives that will require the
lower degree of social effort with which they are comfortable while
still letting them connect to a community.  If maintaining the sort
of social bonds required to reap the benefits for cooperative team
play seems like a chore to them, they will solo, they will complain,
and eventually they will leave.

--Paul "Phinehas" Schwanz
The Gameplay /is/ the Content.
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