Comments on: Player Factions – Why 3 is the Magic Number for MMOs http://aiiane.net/blog/2009/08/player-factions-why-3-is-the-magic-number-for-mmos/ The best work gets done after 2 am Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:28:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Shawn http://aiiane.net/blog/2009/08/player-factions-why-3-is-the-magic-number-for-mmos/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Shawn Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:22:31 +0000 http://aiiane.net/blog/?p=109#comment-19 Reading this just made me curious for more info on how GW2 will be handling it's racial divisions, since we only had the one, and now there are five. I'm assuming that the races will be effectively cosmetic, and any race will be able to access any player-controlled resources. Then again, Charr and Humans are back to hating each other according to what little lore-related things I've read, which sounds like there may be some sort of a split for World PvP. (Unsure of the other three races reactions to each other, however.) Not that I see myself doing the casual pvp much when there's UAX GvG from the get-go, but it's still curious. Reading this just made me curious for more info on how GW2 will be handling it’s racial divisions, since we only had the one, and now there are five. I’m assuming that the races will be effectively cosmetic, and any race will be able to access any player-controlled resources. Then again, Charr and Humans are back to hating each other according to what little lore-related things I’ve read, which sounds like there may be some sort of a split for World PvP. (Unsure of the other three races reactions to each other, however.)

Not that I see myself doing the casual pvp much when there’s UAX GvG from the get-go, but it’s still curious.

]]> By: Aiiane http://aiiane.net/blog/2009/08/player-factions-why-3-is-the-magic-number-for-mmos/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Aiiane Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:12:39 +0000 http://aiiane.net/blog/?p=109#comment-18 Except that the third faction doesn't gain anything from "helping" the leading faction - if you tie rewards to actually "owning" PvP objectives, you get a scenario where you're encouraged to fight the current owners as opposed to just helping them dominate more, because helping them dominate doesn't give you any benefits where as helping overthrow them gives you the chance to pick up the leftovers. Except that the third faction doesn’t gain anything from “helping” the leading faction – if you tie rewards to actually “owning” PvP objectives, you get a scenario where you’re encouraged to fight the current owners as opposed to just helping them dominate more, because helping them dominate doesn’t give you any benefits where as helping overthrow them gives you the chance to pick up the leftovers.

]]> By: Ayonyx http://aiiane.net/blog/2009/08/player-factions-why-3-is-the-magic-number-for-mmos/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Ayonyx Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:01:45 +0000 http://aiiane.net/blog/?p=109#comment-17 Certainly the appeal of a self balancing 'population' system is appealing. As you saw on Volkmar when Order literally dominated Destruction due to population imbalances, it would have been nice to have a third faction play in and lend us aid. However, I don't believe that would happen. My limited understanding of human nature tells me that players on the third faction would look to aid the controlling faction instead of fighting against them. The only way to prevent that, would be to force hostilities at which point that free system kind of dies off and you are left with what is basically a two faction system with a rotating third population to even things out. Certainly the appeal of a self balancing ‘population’ system is appealing. As you saw on Volkmar when Order literally dominated Destruction due to population imbalances, it would have been nice to have a third faction play in and lend us aid. However, I don’t believe that would happen. My limited understanding of human nature tells me that players on the third faction would look to aid the controlling faction instead of fighting against them. The only way to prevent that, would be to force hostilities at which point that free system kind of dies off and you are left with what is basically a two faction system with a rotating third population to even things out.

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