Good MMOs do this. (Destiny)

by Cody Miller , Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Sunday, November 08, 2015, 02:07 (3399 days ago) @ slycrel
edited by Cody Miller, Sunday, November 08, 2015, 02:13

It's the skinner box + social interaction that keeps you coming back.

I find that what Luke Smith says is true, to an extent. It is more memorable because of the ups and downs. Unfortunately for me, it's a game, a place I come to escape my troubles. So at times the downs come at a time when I need an up. More often than not it's a very enjoyable experience though. Which is why I keep coming back. =)

But you can't really have those ups if downs aren't possible. I mean right? If you can't actually lose, what does winning even mean? If after 9 games you just went to the lighthouse regardless of the outcome, would that be meaningful?

Back a long time ago in a game design debate on HBO, Narcogen said the perfect game would be the one where you are always almost failing, but come out on top. So the illusion of failure. But if you can't really fail, then winning means nothing. He was and still is wrong.

Not only does failure increase tension, but it makes victory even better.

I remember liking super meat boy a lot, but playing it again on the PS4 it seems to have completely lost its fun. Why I think, is because before, I was trying to speed run it, and basically finish it with no or minimal deaths. Deep within the run if you died, well that's just devastating. But playing it casually, there is absolutely no penalty for failure. You have infinite lives, spawn instantly, and have to overcome bite sized challenges. And so each victory feels completely hollow.