Comments on: Gambling on game design http://dragonchasers.com/2009/08/02/gambling-on-game-design-lotro/ But what will you do when you catch one!? Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:05:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Pete http://dragonchasers.com/2009/08/02/gambling-on-game-design-lotro/#comment-125439 Pete Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:04:33 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2333#comment-125439 Yeah, honestly I thought the horse you got was better than the standard horse (faster or something) so I stuck it out. But apparently it's just prettier. Yeah, honestly I thought the horse you got was better than the standard horse (faster or something) so I stuck it out. But apparently it’s just prettier.

]]> By: Anton http://dragonchasers.com/2009/08/02/gambling-on-game-design-lotro/#comment-125438 Anton Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:57:27 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2333#comment-125438 That sounds really repetative. I wouldn't have gone that far for a horse color. They should have made more events, and made them more varied, then given the award for completing all events once. MMO's have a weird design scheme, that is all based around awarding the players who are the most willing to devote as much time as possible to the game for a simple reward. That sounds really repetative. I wouldn’t have gone that far for a horse color. They should have made more events, and made them more varied, then given the award for completing all events once. MMO’s have a weird design scheme, that is all based around awarding the players who are the most willing to devote as much time as possible to the game for a simple reward.

]]> By: Pete http://dragonchasers.com/2009/08/02/gambling-on-game-design-lotro/#comment-125429 Pete Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:56:17 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2333#comment-125429 Yeah, but so what? That'd be a great community building experience. You'd still need to sit around for 4 races, which means 15-25 minutes at Thorin's Hall, then a trip to The Shire, and 15-25 minutes at The Hill. This isn't epic raid loot we're talking about. Just a pretty new skin for your existing horse, really. Yeah, but so what? That’d be a great community building experience. You’d still need to sit around for 4 races, which means 15-25 minutes at Thorin’s Hall, then a trip to The Shire, and 15-25 minutes at The Hill.

This isn’t epic raid loot we’re talking about. Just a pretty new skin for your existing horse, really.

]]> By: Lars http://dragonchasers.com/2009/08/02/gambling-on-game-design-lotro/#comment-125428 Lars Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:50:10 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2333#comment-125428 If players could affect the outcome, people would just game the system, by having someone pick a horse and ask everyone to cheer that horse (to maximize the impact on the horse). If players could affect the outcome, people would just game the system, by having someone pick a horse and ask everyone to cheer that horse (to maximize the impact on the horse).

]]> By: Green Armadillo http://dragonchasers.com/2009/08/02/gambling-on-game-design-lotro/#comment-125361 Green Armadillo Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:47:59 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2333#comment-125361 That summer festival sounds pretty bad, like WoW's idiotic Valentine's event only with more travel to make absolutely sure that you can't do anything with the character and still make efficient use of your cooldowns. Then again, the race model was also pretty silly. My LOTRO character has a mount from one of the festivals (the fall harvest one I think?) that I got in like an hour total by running the race uncontested at offpeak hours and doing like 2-3 quests. That summer festival sounds pretty bad, like WoW’s idiotic Valentine’s event only with more travel to make absolutely sure that you can’t do anything with the character and still make efficient use of your cooldowns.

Then again, the race model was also pretty silly. My LOTRO character has a mount from one of the festivals (the fall harvest one I think?) that I got in like an hour total by running the race uncontested at offpeak hours and doing like 2-3 quests.

]]> By: Longasc http://dragonchasers.com/2009/08/02/gambling-on-game-design-lotro/#comment-125356 Longasc Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:44:48 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2333#comment-125356 BTW, my trial account is still running, but one can only play so much and I already exhausted myself in Aion this weekend. Going to play some LOTRO later this week though. BTW, my trial account is still running, but one can only play so much and I already exhausted myself in Aion this weekend. Going to play some LOTRO later this week though.

]]> By: Longasc http://dragonchasers.com/2009/08/02/gambling-on-game-design-lotro/#comment-125355 Longasc Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:43:50 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2333#comment-125355 It is still possible to get sidetracked, I did so many quests that I was hopelessly over-levelled as I finally returned to STrider. ;) You are right, the festivals and festival quests in MMOs are often quite dumb. In Guild Wars they are grind and farm your ass of events, and such things as the horse racing stuff also makes one wonder what they were thinking. In WoW the festivals have become to-do-lists for the achievement/meta-achievement lists, and I really dare to say, how about setting up a HUGE tent and giving players unsellable free beer coupons and let some famous people make appearances. Galadriel could be talking about the latest fashion trends or something like that. It is still possible to get sidetracked, I did so many quests that I was hopelessly over-levelled as I finally returned to STrider. ;)

You are right, the festivals and festival quests in MMOs are often quite dumb. In Guild Wars they are grind and farm your ass of events, and such things as the horse racing stuff also makes one wonder what they were thinking.

In WoW the festivals have become to-do-lists for the achievement/meta-achievement lists, and I really dare to say, how about setting up a HUGE tent and giving players unsellable free beer coupons and let some famous people make appearances. Galadriel could be talking about the latest fashion trends or something like that.

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