Comments on: The Challenge of One http://weblog.probablynot.com/2007/10/23/the-challenge-of-one/ -emptying my brain onto the internet since 1998... Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:18:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: weblog.probablynot.com » Stuck on a Path http://weblog.probablynot.com/2007/10/23/the-challenge-of-one/comment-page-1/#comment-47472 weblog.probablynot.com » Stuck on a Path Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:22:03 +0000 http://weblog.probablynot.com/2007/10/23/the-challenge-of-one/#comment-47472 [...] post on the challenges of the single character problem was about how to let players learn characters without forcing them to invest hours and hours just to discover they don’t like it. But what [...] [...] post on the challenges of the single character problem was about how to let players learn characters without forcing them to invest hours and hours just to discover they don’t like it. But what [...]

]]> By: jason http://weblog.probablynot.com/2007/10/23/the-challenge-of-one/comment-page-1/#comment-40921 jason Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:47:53 +0000 http://weblog.probablynot.com/2007/10/23/the-challenge-of-one/#comment-40921 That's not it entirely. Its both sides of the fence. The most common use of alternate character is probably not for playing, but for tradeskills, item/auction mules and bank space. If the game only has one character per player, the developers will be forced to actually deal with issues rather than players loopholing the system using half a dozen characters when they themselves would rather be able to play just one. But that's going to be another post. That’s not it entirely. Its both sides of the fence. The most common use of alternate character is probably not for playing, but for tradeskills, item/auction mules and bank space. If the game only has one character per player, the developers will be forced to actually deal with issues rather than players loopholing the system using half a dozen characters when they themselves would rather be able to play just one. But that’s going to be another post.

]]> By: Chas http://weblog.probablynot.com/2007/10/23/the-challenge-of-one/comment-page-1/#comment-40916 Chas Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:55:41 +0000 http://weblog.probablynot.com/2007/10/23/the-challenge-of-one/#comment-40916 While a common belief, I think we'll find that the main benefit (community and accountability) will not benefit from this. In the real world, you don't have to go far to escape even "word of mouth" bad reputation, and that's in a medium where casual communication is the norm, where we reside 24/7, and where we have persistent means of transferring info (print) greater distances. We have none of that in-game. Any character is online for only a fraction of the time, the number of people far exceeds our capacity to manage in a social network, chat is cumbersome and prone to interpretation issues as it lacks the full toolset of communication isses, and developers regularly prohibit things like "blacklists" that could serve to communicate reputation more effectively. A single common character won't make a dent against any of that. --- If that's the only reason to go down this path, I'd say it wasn't worth it. There are plenty of alternate techniques that can be less constraining on the individual and more constructive in addressing that problem. Things like reputation servers come to mind. While a common belief, I think we’ll find that the main benefit (community and accountability) will not benefit from this.

In the real world, you don’t have to go far to escape even “word of mouth” bad reputation, and that’s in a medium where casual communication is the norm, where we reside 24/7, and where we have persistent means of transferring info (print) greater distances.

We have none of that in-game. Any character is online for only a fraction of the time, the number of people far exceeds our capacity to manage in a social network, chat is cumbersome and prone to interpretation issues as it lacks the full toolset of communication isses, and developers regularly prohibit things like “blacklists” that could serve to communicate reputation more effectively.

A single common character won’t make a dent against any of that.

—

If that’s the only reason to go down this path, I’d say it wasn’t worth it. There are plenty of alternate techniques that can be less constraining on the individual and more constructive in addressing that problem.

Things like reputation servers come to mind.

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