Wait.. I’m about to comment on a two year old article? YES, because the link was passed back to me by a trusted friend and after reading it and recalling my initial thoughts back from the first time doing so, I’ve come to realize that the points listed in the article are still quite relevant today.

So, for starters… here’s the link for your review…
“Why Virtual Worlds are Designed By Newbies - No, Really!”, by Richard Bartle

Richard makes some very good theoretical points on the de-evolution of virtual world design that I believe are spot on. While I’m cautiously optimistic that we can break these chains of player behavior that are dragging good design down, I don’t see it as a very easy issue to overcome. Innovation is a beautiful thing and there absolutely needs to be more out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to designing virtual worlds, but the best designs, as Richard points out in the article, are frequently not accepted by the newbie player if the “coolness” factor isn’t immediately perceptible (short term gain, with no eye on the long-term effects at all).

So what is a new MMOG to do?

Oh, now THIS is a can of worms! I will try to limit my suggestions to a few and keep them short and sweet… for now.

1. Don’t be afraid to innovate on your premise or game mechanics. Something completely fresh and unseen could be enough to draw both old-hat MMOG players and newbies alike. Including some subtle familiar elements of other MMOGs is acceptable, but should not be a major focus of the design.

2. Include community input into your design process from Day One. While not everything suggested can nor should be taken at face value, you will still get a plethora of information as to what the future players of your game would like to see.. The more the community feels that they’re involved in the development of the game, the more ownership they feel for it and thus are apt to be launch-day purchasers and eventually if you play your cards right, veteran players.

3. Use an intuitive default user interface and good in-game documentation. If the game is not accessible without having followed the development from Day One, then short-lived your game will be. While understanding that challenging and engaging game mechanics are a good thing, a non-intuitive, poorly designed, and poorly documented default user interface is an immediate turn-off switch to those who might otherwise enjoy playing the game. This topic could be a post in itself.. *jots down some notes*, but for now.. back to topic!

4. Yes, you’re going to have churn, but that’s no excuse to neglect your veteran players! (a.k.a. If there’s an “end-game”, you probably have a poor design) Consider perhaps cyclical models as well as direct or in-direct PvP to provide essential motivations for both new and veteran players to log in and play. Also possible socially-driven content creation ability and games-within-the-game.. The player regardless of actual time played should have plenty of options of “fun” things to do.

5. Give active players a tangible impact on the world. Dynamic world NPC populations and quests depending on what NPCs are being dispatched most frequently, and what quests are being played.. combined with a strong overarching story to explain it all.