A collection of links with some relevance to recent discussions regarding hypothetical MMO game design above and beyond the current state of the genre. Or, Tesh is busy and isn’t afraid to turn to others who are discussing the same things…
Looted vs. Crafted by Ysharros (This one is my favorite of this batch, with a lot of great comments.)
Designing a Pantheon by Muckbeast (An interesting look at one of the “lore” aspects that are the backbone of a game world.)
Writing vs. Storytelling by Mobhunter
Why do People Buy Virtual Goods? (Mostly for the link to a paper on the motivations behind virtual good purchases. Very relevant for microtransaction design, and even in a sub game, to see why people chase items in the game.)
What to Reward? by Tobold (A somewhat bleak reminder that currently, time investment is rewarded over skill.)
Meaningful Travel by Scott (Relevant for how a game world is designed; if players don’t spend all their time in one place in the game, they have to be given good reason to travel. Making travel a grind is just padding out the subscription time and wasting player’s time.) Ysharros chimed in, as well.
Cleaver vs. DRM at Penny Arcade (An interview with Daniel James, Three Rings CEO of Puzzle Pirates fame, wherein he blasts DRM and manages to give a good pitch for microtransaction free to play games and the different mindset they operate under.)
Nice list.
To add to it:
Interesting Game Design Articles
Sorry, CS, my spam filter ate your comments. It’s a bit zealous when it comes to links. That’s a great list, thanks!
CS’ Link reminds me of what we were talking about on “I Has PC” with Chris, Tesh:
http://ihaspc.com/?p=365#comments
i’ll study those links right away!
True, Modran. Looks like I’ve stepped knee deep in blogundancy. ;)