Random Idea for MMORPG design
I was reading an article on MMORPG design, and was struck by the following comment:
MMORPGs tend to attract people whose personalities don’t match my own. Off-line CRPGs are only populated by me and a few thousand NPCs; they are devoid of bloodthirsty teenagers.
I had an idea that seems marvelously simple, but to my knowledge it has never been implemented.
Most MMORPGs are split into a large number of servers, each of which has a separate and non-interacting “version” of the virtual world. This is done primarily because it is extraordinarily difficult to design the game world in such a way that all the various players (potentially over 6 million in the case of World of Warcraft) can play on the same world. The hardware and software requirements are just too high, and such a massive population would require a much larger world to adequately support all the players. Most players choose a server either randomly, based on where their friends are playing, or based on some server-specific quality (such as the option for PvP.
What would happen if we could marry the psychology tests currently so popular on dating websites to match players to servers which would most complement their personality? There are already several studies on the psychological demographics of online players, and that research could be adapted to determine an “optimal” mixture of players based on play-style and gaming goals. It wouldn’t even need to be mandatory - you could offer the option to players at the start-up screen, and those that play would have their profiles stored based on the servers they join. Any new players who complete the test could offered a list of servers which would most suit them, or to servers which most require that “type” of player.
The biggest hurdle I can foresee is that most players will disregard the test in favor of actual play, limiting the directed effectiveness. This could be overcome by cleverly interweaving a subtle psychological test into the fabric of the game world - your answers determined by your actions with the actual game world. This would be especially beneficial when coupled with the out-of-game test, as it could potentially be used to spot inconsistencies between the player’s conscious and unconscious goals (assuming the in-game test isn’t too obvious).
This is obviously a relatively simplistic idea, and could cause all sorts of unforeseen ramifications when coupled with an actual game. Still, most of these issues could be overcome, and the addition could make for a much more pleasant gaming experience for a substantial portion of the player-base. And as any MMORPG designer knows, happy players = more renewed subscriptions = more $$$.
July 10th, 2006 at 3:20 am
Interesting idea, but I think I would prefer an active “sorting” method as opposed to an entry test to determine which server a player lands on when he/she logs in. Simply, I would rather the trend established by the way a player actually plays to determine who he/she is bunched with rather than allowing them to “hack” an entry test. Anyone who knows that they are being tested can concoct a series of answers that will put them onto a server of their choice, with all kinds of unwitting targets…er…players. By encorporating the grouping as a matter of statting actual play, while the test may be a good jump-off point, it will force even those who “hack” the test to wind up with the proper group of players. Also, should one’s play trend differently during the game for whatever reason, he/she will generally always be in a group of similarly-typed players regardless of their “evolution”. Just my 2c from a non-MMORPG player