Goals in Eragard
I came across another interesting entry over at Tobold’s MMORPG Blog. This article focused on the different types of goals in massively multiplayer games, including levels, quests, rankings and fame. As Eragard is going to be a MUD, not a graphical MMORPG, some of Tobold’s points don’t apply in the exact manner that he describes, but all of his points generally do apply to MUDs as well.
The point of a goal is to make a playing session (or a chain of playing sessions) have meaning. Because of the unending nature of MUDs, there is no way to “beat the game” in a concrete manner. As such, players devise artificial, personal goals for themselves in the game world. Why? Because goals offer a reward to the player. Different goals offer different rewards, which is why a player might enjoy crafting and hate leveling, while another feels the opposite. The first player might feel that riches from tradeskilling is a worthwhile reward, whereas the second player might feel that a high ranking is a worthwhile reward.
So what kind of rewards should a MUD offer? Richard A. Bartle wrote an interesting article detailing the four main types of players in MUDs and MMORPGs: Achiever, Explorer, Socializer, Killer. A MUD should offer enough rewards to satisfy each of these personality types.
What exactly are do these personality types seek?
Achiever: These players usually set numerical and concrete goals for themselves, usually involving the accumulation of “points” and “treasures” or accomplishing a task that has never been achieved, such as defeating a powerful dragon.
Explorer: These players tend to seek out every secret that dwells in a game. At the surface, this entails the mapping of a world’s geography but can go as deep as experimenting with the game’s engine and figuring out internal mechanics, such as damage, experience and skill formulas.
Socializer: These players enjoy utilizing a MUD’s communicative features and, if relevant, role-playing. They enjoy player interaction and feel that it is one of the most important aspects of a game.
Killer: These players have a desire to impose themselves upon others. In its most common form, this involves the player causing distress and/or grief unto another player, usually through player-vs-player interaction.
Though the numbers of each personality type will not be balanced, you can expect to have at least a few of each type. It is in your best interest, therefore, to devise a way to reward all four personalities (if you run a MUD or MMORPG and intend to keep your players occupied and satisfied). You might be wondering about some methods for rewarding your players. Lucky for you, I’ve been thinking about a few methods myself!
First things first, my MUD will not be player-vs-player oriented. As such, players of the Killer type will probably not find much fun in Eragard. I don’t plan on catering towards this player type. Yes, I said it’d be in my best interest to cater all types. Oh well!
Obviously, the most obvious goal for an achiever is to achieve a certain level, usually the highest. The trouble with levels is that a game needs to reach that perfect balance where the leveling curve is neither too slow nor too fast. A prime example would be old-school Everquest and new-school World of Warcraft. In Everquest, getting to level 10 was somewhat easy and getting to level 50 (the maximum level before expansions) was nearly impossible. In World of Warcraft, getting to 10 is pretty easy and getting to level 60 (the maximum level before expansions) is somewhat easy.
There are benefits and problems with both games. In Everquest, getting to level 50 was an incredible feat and it was applauded by fellow players. However, players usually grew frustrated of the leveling treadmill and would normally quit leveling in order to pursue other goals or quit the game altogether. In World of Warcraft, getting to level 60 is pretty easy compared to other MMORPGs. However, once achievers reach level 60, they’ll need another goal to occupy their time, not to mention that reaching level 60 isn’t that big of an accomplishment when everyone else has achieved it as well.
For Eragard, I’m planning on having a level cap of 100. I don’t want leveling to be perceived as a chore, but I don’t want a world full of 100s either. My solution to this problem is to have a leveling curve of varying steepness. While Everquest’s leveling curve grew difficult almost immediately and World of Warcraft’s leveling curve remained quite easy until the end, I’m planning on making the curve simple up until 50 or 60 and increasingly difficult up until 100. What does this accomplish? The casual achiever can enjoy leveling up until a reasonably high level and the hardcore achiever will still be recognized for his feat of reaching 100.
Other goals for achievers include grandmaster crafting (the number of grandmasters will be a set number and only the best tradeskillers of each profession will be recognized as grandmasters), highest skill levels (since they will be limited by level), and rankings (for more than just levels, like quest count and kill count).
Being that the nature of a MUD is all text, explorers will be extremely easy to please. New areas will be easy to create compared to modern 3D MMORPGs. A constant influx of new area content combined with ever-changing world geography (based on roleplay and story events) will keep the explorer occupied. Explorers with an achiever tendency will also have a grand time figuring out the secret locations and quests of Eragard.
Finally, socializers. These will be the easiest of all to cater to. The socializer, by nature, does all the work by himself. As a coder, I just need to create the tools that the socializer will want to utilize. Such things could include emotes and chat channels. Socializers in a MUD will most likely be seeking quality roleplaying, which can be supplied through quality roleplay staff.
In the end, catering to all types of player goals is the best way to maximize the number of players that you’ll retain in your game.
