Thoughts on Change for Gamers & Devs!

[Matsuo Kaibutsu]

We've witnessed a great number of significant changes to the game over the last week or so. Seeing the various reactions on the forums has caused me to think about how us players can better understand the challenges developers face, and how developers can better understand their customer's needs too.

Developing an MMO takes extraordinary amounts of talent and dedication. Making it work on a mobile device even more so. But managing the expectations of a passionate and dedicated community is perhaps even harder than overcoming technical challenges. After all, you're not just trying to get things to function - you're trying to make them work in a way that will please thousands of people with different preferences.

I'd like to illustrate my point by reflecting on the biggest change to the game I've witnessed so far - the inclusion of Global Cool Down - as it really altered the way I play the game.

Now, the GCD mechanic isn't exactly an unheard of idea - plenty of leading MMOs employ it to effectively meter the use of skills. The problem with GCD in Pocket Legends, though, was that the vast majority of the game wasn't built with it in mind. The fast, instantaneous gameplay became a unique selling point that fitted the "quick blast" ethos that is key to a good Mobile MMORPG experience. It therefore felt out of place when it arrived.

As we know, there was a need for a tweak or two to prevent button-mashing in PvP and to help game performance. The change is pretty small on paper, but the pace of the gaming experience was drastically different as a result. I personally barely played at all for 3 days, as I just didn't enjoy fighting any more. I'm getting on better now, but not without a pronounced feeling of reduced pleasure. And I can honestly say my ping is consistently worse than it has been over the last month, with no changes my end.

But that's all just personal opinion and as a thoughtful gamer, I have to acknowledge that whining about change isn't productive, and nor is wishing things could go back to how they were. MMO's are dynamic and ever-evolving environments and development is essential for keeping things vital.

Believe me, I do understand the difficult choices developers have to make (I work for a large MMORPG, myself), but one thing I've learnt in my time is that changing fundamentals of gameplay after launch is a big no-no. I see the mistake time and time again - earnest developers are anxious to make their product as good and slick as it can be. So they examine what they can do to the existing game to make sure its as perfectly designed as it can be, and they change things in the hopes it will make attracting & holding on to new players more likely than before.

However, I've seen the fallout of major post-release changes a thousand times (I've put in heartbreaking hours dealing with bile on our own forums!) and I can tell you the idea of constantly redesigning your product for the sake those mythical "newcomers" is often a false economy.

It's no surprise when you think about it. Any new players who join the game won't be aware of any improvements, so you don't really get much benefit there. The negative impact is usually more profound, as you risk alienating and disenfranchising your loyal existing players. How? Because the game they already love, based on the way it worked when they came to it, is changing. And playing an MMO is all about habitual play.

When you release a game and allow people to play on it (not to mention fund it!) it ceases to be totally yours to do with what you will. Like it or not, it becomes public property - not by law, but by monetary and emotional investment.

Imagine if you will that the developer of a game is like someone who has built a public building. Over the years, people grow fond of its look and feel, and they come to depend on the services they can access there. Now imagine the owners want to make some changes to the building. Whilst they have an absolute right to knock that building down if they wish, they invariably never undertake major changes without significant public consultation. And if it turns out the majority of the public don't like the proposed changes, the chances are the owners won't go ahead without significant compromise, for fear of rendering their building utterly redundant to the needs it previously met.

And so it is with updating an MMO - the changes you want to make might be totally common sense and may provide a technically superior service. But never forget that your existing users fell in love with the game the way it was. And whilst you should always strive towards new and exciting content, you mustn't commit the cardinal sin of altering mechanics or the overall feel of the game.

So there you are. Apologies for the length but I hope that provides some additional perspectives.

The TL;DR is this: The devs have an incredibly tough job balancing making the game as compelling as possible with the expectations of thousands. But gamers are often creatures of habit and we know what we like, so never chase refinement of your product so far that you lose touch with what made so many love your product in the first place.

All the best,
MK

[XRAX]

I just wanted to give this thread a bump because you have taken a lot of time to address some phenomenal points.

[Matsuo Kaibutsu]

Thanks for the positive feedback. :-)