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FFXIV now with more WoW and Aion?Follow

#102 Jan 17 2013 at 12:30 PM Rating: Excellent
Yeah fishing was a relaxation for me, usually I'd have a movie on as well in the other monitor and just hang out. I didn't see getting my Lu as a chore, only an accomplishment.
#103 Jan 17 2013 at 12:49 PM Rating: Decent
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9,997 posts
Wint wrote:
Kachi wrote:
Right, so at that rate it will only take you a little over a year of working towards that and not much else Smiley: lol

Timesinks frequently fail to deter players from setting goals as much as they deter them from actually achieving them. And any time your players set a goal that they have to give up on, the odds of them quitting altogether have risen significantly.

Carrots are supposed to keep horses running. Some games treat their carrots like they're made of gold, or as if they fear their horse won't want carrots anymore if they give them out more than once a week. Actually, carrots are cheap as hell and horses can't eat enough of them.

XI is one such game with lots of land to cover and a stingy rider.


I knew a Lu Shang, at optimal conditions, would still take me months. Ended up taking me years, but at the same time was at times the ONLY reason I was playing the game. Did what they wanted it to didn't it?


Drove away a thousand other players to keep your subscription? :P

KaneKitty wrote:
Kachi wrote:
Carrots are supposed to keep horses running. Some games treat their carrots like they're made of gold, or as if they fear their horse won't want carrots anymore if they give them out more than once a week. Actually, carrots are cheap as hell and horses can't eat enough of them.


Do you really think that there's no saturation point at which incremental gear upgrades become less appealing? For me, at least, I know that WoW did a great job at devaluing my motivation for gear; it felt as though there were about fifty armour sets from which to choose, and the ones that weren't palette-swaps gave the equivalent of AGI+346 instead of AGI+325; when questing, I had so many new, best pieces of equipment that I'd sometimes miss equipping one until I'd out-leveled it!

To continue the metaphor, I had a truckload of carrots dumped on top of me, and there came a point where I didn't clap my giddy little hands (hooves?) and cry, "Oh, boy! :D" every time I turned around and picked up another one from the pile.


I think what this argument misses is that the carrots we're talking about aren't consumable... they're replaceable. A carrot is used and thus has fulfilled its value; a piece of equipment is only valuable for as long as it maintains utility. This is why I've criticized WoW's extrinsic motivation system as recently as yesterday. It undermines the values of its own rewards. FFXI, on the other hand, actually relies heavily on horizontal progression (or once did), didn't need to belabor their value, and STILL treats their carrots like priceless heirlooms.

Rinsui wrote:
Which is to say: you guys are approaching the issue from the wrong angle.


I don't think it's the wrong angle, but it's not the only. Intrinsic motivation is integral to good game design, but so is effective use of extrinsic motivators.
#104 Jan 17 2013 at 5:12 PM Rating: Good
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265 posts
Let's just agree that not feeding the horse any carrots at all can result in the horse giving the 'stick'.
#105 Jan 17 2013 at 5:36 PM Rating: Good
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9,997 posts
That was delightful Smiley: lol
#106 Jan 18 2013 at 6:14 AM Rating: Decent
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4,175 posts
Rinsui wrote:
Quote:
While a time-sink may seem like only an inconvenience to some, it can also play the vital role of elevating player investment and long-term retention. They should be done in moderation, not done away with.


I prefer activities that are fun enough to make me forget how much time I sunk into them.


So much this. Said it a thousand times by now, but... where is the issue in creating content that is fun enough that even after achieving your goals for gear, items or whatever else the 'reward' is, you keep going back? How many people do you know who finished Lu Shang and were depressed that they couldn't continue on or repeat the quest?


Edited, Jan 18th 2013 7:14am by FilthMcNasty
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Rinsui wrote:
Only hips + boobs all day and hips + boobs all over my icecream

HaibaneRenmei wrote:
30 bucks is almost free

cocodojo wrote:
Its personal preference and all, but yes we need to educate WoW players that this is OUR game, these are Characters and not Toons. Time to beat that into them one at a time.
#107 Jan 18 2013 at 7:10 AM Rating: Excellent
Actually I kinda wanted to do it again on another char Smiley: blush
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