PlaneShift
Fan Area => The Hydlaa Plaza => Topic started by: Raleigh on May 11, 2007, 09:58:04 am
-
Yes, I was wasting my time mentioning politics about "democracy" and "free speech" regarding an online game, and after reading the article below I finally realized it:
http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199100026&pgno=1&queryText= (http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199100026&pgno=1&queryText=)
Online games like World of Warcraft and Second Life are absolute dictatorships, where the whim of the companies controlling them is law. Cory Doctorow wonders if it's possible to create a game that's a democracy, where your in-world property is really yours.
This has many implications:
- "Custom Content" is mythical, we only fancy our limitless imagination on things that exist only on players mind, a game is the playground of its creators(not if there is a customer base of course, but this is not the case). All guilds could be classified as OOC overnight, they have absolute control on how they want to shape the game, and to, if necessary, get rid of "undesirable" player content based on their definitions, without having any need to give satisfaction. I have to admit @Nikodemus is probably right on this thread (http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=28481.0)
- "Getting rich and powerful" is a dual delusion. First because it is a fantasious "power" that does not extend to reality, second because you are just a player and has no real power over the game, the devs one way or another will run the show and pull the strings
- "Favoritism might be the key to success in an online game":
Can you amass wealth in such a world? Well, sure. There are rich people in dictatorships all over the world. Stalin's favorites had great big dachas and drove fancy cars. You don't need democratic rights to get rich.
. This plague should be evicted at any cost, but due to certain cultural aspects of mankind (http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/30/news/newsmakers/bc.corporateboards.study.reut/index.htm?postversion=2007043018), it's quite difficult, however I have hope it isn't going to happen - When you think an online games suck, there is nothing you can do about it(except if you share the same oppinion with many thousands of paying customers), regardless of how well presented are your arguments, remember: you are just a gamer, you can't truly "run the show" no matter how hard you try
- Therefore, guilds can be classified as a waste of time, if you want to truly put your ideas in a game, developing one is an idea, and it isn't so hard, if you aren't overtly ambitious to want to have a "perfect graphics 3D game with epic gameplay". For the single-player side, for example, I would recommend for begginers on game-development a "Game Maker" like the oldschool console RPGs inspired RPG Maker XP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPG_Maker_XP)(Note: A Patch allows you to make a MMORPG with it as well), you can do a decent game with it by your own, with enough effort, willing to learn certain skills and some time. Still, if you are having fun with your own guild, there is nothing wrong on keeping it of course :)
Perhaps I could try something, I don't mind if it would "sux cuz it looks like a SNES game", graphics are the least important thing on a game for me, except when they directly influence gameplay(Thus I classify just for fancyness "resource hog" graphics as negative rather than positive, for example)... or perhaps I would end up with another unfinished game idea to give up and throw away...
Just wondering about it. So have a nice day!
P.S.: All the things mentioned on that article can be applied to boards as well, with some adaptations on their meanings.