(Very good read) The categorization of game players

ID:153503
 
Dec 2 2003, 9:36 pm
After reading sapphiremagus' previous posting, it reminded me of a documentation I had read a while ago. I think this is a very explainitive and helpful document on the design of your game, and how it affects the type of players you will recieve. You'll notice that one of the groups, the killing group, stems off all three of the other groups, and thus are in all types of games. It's hard to create games with killing, without having raw abusers of the power, unless you have a very enforced system altogther. Read on for more information!

http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm


~Polatrite~

P.S. You'll note that the documentation IS based off MUDs, but the general concept carries to most types of online "world" and RPG games.
Dec 2 2003, 10:32 pm
Very good indeed. I've seen this system of categorization before, but never in an effective format. This is the first article I've read that managed to adapt the system to be abstract enough to actually cover all (or close enough to all) players, but still be specific enough to provide useful distinctions.
Dec 4 2003, 3:15 pm
Very interesting, thanks! That gives me a few more things to think about in relation to my MMORPG-in-stasis. Oh joy. =P
Dec 7 2003, 6:53 pm
One problem is that I fall between categories which are supposedly distinct -- I prefer games where I can change the world and make my mark of creativity (making me an Achiever), but I also prefer games where I can interact on a level basis with other people (making me a Socialiser). These two categories are diametrically opposed.

One other problem is that he seems pretty biased against Killers and Socialisers. ;-)
Dec 27 2003, 1:32 pm
Polatrite wrote:
After reading sapphiremagus' previous posting, it reminded me of a documentation I had read a while ago. I think this is a very explainitive and helpful document on the design of your game, and how it affects the type of players you will recieve.
http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm

This is a famous article in MUD circles. Richard Bartle created the first MUD ever I believe, and he just put out Designing Virtual Worlds which looks like an incredibly comprehensive and useful book. Whenever I finish it, if someone hasn't beaten me to it, I'll probably write a BYONDscape review.