Online Worlds Roundtable #12
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Category: News ArchiveHits: 666
Any type of fun, no matter how awesome initially, pales over time unless it changes or evolves. So, the challenge for MMOGs is to have enough gameplay and content to keep the players interested, but without overwhelming them in the beginning or any time within the experience. Complexity is something most humans enjoy, providing they feel a sense of mastery while managing it. Mastering complexity leads to the players feeling smarter, and this satisfaction is a big element of getting their continuing interest and attention for your game / brand.
Great games will let you play one way to begin with and uncover different, but resonant gameplay that builds on your initial experience. They will use interface conventions that minimize the learning time for players. Most of all, they give the players fun, interesting choices, and make them feel smart by subtly helping them succeed within the gameworld. I don't mean the game cheating for them or handholding them. Giving players interesting choices, clear mental models of the world / gameplay, layered gameplay that expands the challenge / gameplay / mental models over time, graceful ways to fail and recover, along with the easiest to use interfaces are all parts of a winning combination. The alchemy of a successful game will mix these ingredients in a way that compels continued interest and play.
