Thread: Power Gamers
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Old 09-01-2007, 12:46 PM   #2
Muirdach
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Home MUD: Karinth
Posts: 64
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Re: Power Gamers

I don't believe that power gamers are always a bad thing. They can definitely be helpful, both to staff and to players. They bring a sense of continuity due to their regular and involved type of play. Due to their time investment, they tend to be very loyal (which can be a double-edged sword). Of course, there are definitely the bad kinds too, who enjoy lording over others and rubbing their superiority in the face of other players.

I think that how you deal with this is in the game design itself. Player Killing is a major factor, since this is the most obvious way for a player to show their superiority over another player, by killing them (potentially repeatedly), humiliating them, forcing them to submit and admit their weakness or be killed more. We believe that this is enough of a factor that on Karinth, we only have consent-based (duels and arena) PK. You can't just go up and start hacking at someone. Of course this has its drawbacks, it takes away the adrenalin rush that some players live for, and so on. On the other hand, some people won't play a game that has PK, so how you handle this really is an integral part of the game and affects players greatly.

In addition, you can determine what rewards are out there for long-time players. Maybe it doesn't take long to max your level, but for example there are many dragons for high level players to slay in groups. That makes things more inclusive, while still creating repeatable challenges that are meaningful. If your game is the kind where one high level player isn't that special by himself, but can be a part of great things, then you take away some of that desire to crush other players, since they are needed. Of course, that makes it harder to be a lone wolf, so again, choices.

Basically, I think the game design will determine mostly how attractive your game is to power gamers, and what type (good or bad). If your game design encourages solo play, grinding and difficult leveling, ruthlessness, domination of others - then that's the kind of player you're going to end up with, like it or not. I think that making things more time consuming, which is something people often look to first, makes it worse - because then, the devoted power gamer is the only kind of player who could ever be somebody in that kind of game, and the casual gamer can never reach that level. If you're determined to eliminate them (not saying you should or shouldn't), I'd recommend the opposite way of making things a lot faster, yet opening up challenges of different kinds, that discourage the "me first" style of gameplay.
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