Well, 2012 is done, and the world didn't end. (Personally, I think it was Dr. Who's heroic actions that averted the apocalypse.) So, back to business as usual, I guess.
So, since we're finally in 2013, let's take a look back and a look forward.
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Hope the holidays are treating you well. In game, I hope you're getting all the toys your MMO of choice is offering. In the offline world, I hope you're in contact with the people you care about.
I'm going to be traveling to visit family over the next week, and won't be back until after the new year. Posting and replies to messages might be slow, well slower than usual. But, I'll try to work on my usual annual post summarizing the previous year and looking forward to the next.
Thanks for reading, and a special thanks to everyone who comments. I always say the comments are my favorite part of this blog.
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Okay, I made a big deal about the economy of Guild Wars 2 and how I did not view it as a fun system supporting to the game. Given that there was a lot of discussion about this, and that I'm an MMO designer, I figured I should post something detailing what should go into the design of an MMO economy.
What are the goals of economic design? What are the important factors? What should be avoided?
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For my birthday, a good friend of mine got me Guild Wars 2. Being the obsessive gamer, I decided to play it. :)
What is GW2 like through the eyes of a game developer? Happily for you, dear reader, I'm here to share that with you.
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It's the anniversary of my introduction to the outside world. Hooray being one year older!
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I had occasion to go to Las Vegas recently. I'm not a big gambler (at least not when it comes to risking money), but I did go see a show. I went to see Tony and Tina's Wedding, a show I had wanted to see for a while. I particularly wanted to see this show because of the possible lessons one could learn as a game designer for stories in a multiplayer environment.
Let me explain a bit more about this show and what I learned.
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There's been a lot of discussion lately about online behavior after a high-profile troll's name and information were exposed in an article. It's brought up a lot of interesting discussion about the role of online communities and free speech.
Let's take a look at the complicated issues behind these hot-button topics.
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Earlier this year I was on EQ2, checking out the dungeon creator for the new expansion. I dusted off my old character, once near the apex of power but now sporting old gear and wondering about the strange locations on the world map. While I was playing catch-up, someone broadcast over general chat that they were starting a new guild with a novel idea: progress through the content and impose rules to make that content actually challenging. I feared that I didn't have enough time, but I got sucked in anyway.
It was a lot of fun because it initially drew a group of people with similar goals. But, good things don't always last, and the guild died a victim of many circumstances. Time has passed and the wounds aren't so fresh, so join me as I turn a developer's critical eye to what happened.
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In my analysis of Steam's Greenlight project, many of the solutions I suggested centered around community management. Unfortunately, community management is sorely misunderstood, so I think some people didn't understand how this could help the situation.
Let's take a look at what community management is, what it should be, and how it is treated these days.
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