I was reading a Gamasutra article (found here) on the topic of "Designing for Motivation", with the premise of the article being that players need to be motivated to play your game, and if the motivation runs out, they'll quit. The rest of the article goes into some hokey formulas and such but the point that I wanted to bring out was on the first page.
The gameplay? Yes, the game design is the essence of the game and it is here that we find the real potential for motivation. This is also the point that I will develop further on.Now, applying that to my game Gauntlet, what does my game offer the player that motivates them to continue? Most games seem to go on the idea that the further you progress, the more powerful you become and the more you can dominate the game world. Since my game isn't based on the idea of killing anything, being powerful isn't really meaningful. The game also doesn't have any kind of financial system that'll allow me to reward players with gold for any use. There's really only a handful of items in the game that allow the player to access new areas, and these can't be given out all the time otherwise it'll be a short game.
The motivation depends on the needs. After the first minutes, the needs of the player immersed in the universe are directly linked to the game. These needs are artificially created by the game design according to the tacit agreement with the player.
This silent agreement takes the form of a promise stated by the game design at the time of the presentation of the game’s universe and the game itself. For example, a RPG promises character growth combined with a measure of empowerment. A FPS, on the other hand, promises large weapons and powerful enemies.
Gauntlet is primarily about exploring and dodging enemies. What can I put into a game like this that would motivate players to want to continue?
...motivation is the factor that will determine if a player will continue playing after a few minutes, as well as how long he will play and whether he will finish the game.My game already falls short based on this sentence, as I've never had anyone admit to finishing the game, which tells me that most players quit after the first few minutes. Actually most people tell me that they quit after the first few minutes.
The story? It is, indeed, a considerable source of motivation – considerable, but not sufficient. The narration can keep a spectator in suspense, but cannot in any case compel a player to act.Based on that, a story isn't the solution, although it would help. There needs to be something in the game that motivates players to want to get to the next point, some kind of reward that they're eager to acquire. I just don't know what.