Once again, Mr. Miller has it backwards

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Monday, April 29, 2013, 08:36 (4013 days ago) @ Cody Miller
edited by Kermit, Monday, April 29, 2013, 08:40

You are also wrong in thinking that opposing rewards means opposing penalties.

Why? if the issue follows your thesis, that rewards cause alter player behavior in a negative way by putting less focus on the now, punishments do the exact same thing. Now the player is altering their behavior to avoid a punishment instead of gain a boon.

Punishment ENHANCES THE NOW.

Which scenario do you think is more thrilling / exciting / satisfying:

1. Hitting a jump shot in a pick up game with your friends in which your team is up by 30 points.
2. Hitting a jump shot at the buzzer, winning the NBA championship by one point.

There's something inherently self-defeating about your analogy in #2, in that what you call a punishment is not getting a reward you would get as the result of a cumulative record of achievement.

If I need five stickies in a game to get an achievement, and I've got only four with 20 seconds to go, tension is added to the gameplay, and whether you call that the result of a reward or punishment is a question of semantics.