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More incentive talk

by Stephen Laughlin ⌂ @, Long Beach, CA, Wednesday, July 10, 2013, 18:21 (3945 days ago) @ RC

Incentives don't justify modes, they don't replace solid core gameplay. They're multipliers. Multiplying zero by anything still leaves you with zero.

This is right on.

I think my gripe comes from games where incentives are implemented poorly or in such a way that exploration/experimentation within the game environment goes from being its own reward to being a means to an end. Incentives are used to keep players grinding away, driven by desire, even when the core gameplay is lacking. The balance is off. Instead of players telling truly unique stories about unusual feats of exploration for its own sake, the experience turns into "so I got Reward ABC for doing Challenge XYZ the other day." At their worst, incentives interrupt the connection between the player and the game world. The journey becomes meaningless and the reward all encompassing.

That said, from the little we've seen so far, Destiny's core gameplay looks fun as hell.


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