A MMORTS' review: lessons for Society?
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I'm playing to OGame (www.ogame.org) since a while now, and I even subscribed. No graphic as it is web-based, but still strategy, and still "real time" (producing a ship/building/defense takes X minutes).
So here are aspects specific to OGame's subscriptions, and my comment with it; hopefully it might teach a thing or two.
So here's what comes when someone subscribes instead of simply getting the free version:
ETERNAL REPORTS
All reports are kept in the "private messages" section.
Better: they are always accessible, from a click on "i" (for info) next to the other player's planet name. It could have been done for battles and communications too maybe.
This is the kind of thing anyone could do himself, but if you subscribe the game does it for you.
ALLIANCE HELP
Send info to allies by PM (like recent attacking enemies in rival alliances... or easy looting targets). It could be organized better than by private messaging though.
For alliance admins and structure, there is a system of ranks (each with to-be-chosen names) where each can be given a rank affecting admin rights, accept members/kick/mute/etc,
Also, for everyone's view, alliances, wars and non-aggression pacts (thus former wars). Of course, to everyone's view also are web page URLs, IRC channels, banner, number of members...
Bringing organization to alliances makes things easier for serious alliances, and makes small alliances more easily "substantial". A good kick-start for alliances and the "guild spirit" of the game. Many possibilities for ranks, how they function, democratic or not and so on can change quite a few things... so maybe that it could be extended as a guild tool with different consequences (wanna be "anarchic" with no leader and each on his own? Try).
NOTES
Create note: high-normal-low priority (I love these notes... make some about attackers, defense, to-do... and these comments on the game)
EMPIRE VIEW
In the end, up to now, do not use empire view THAT much. I will go to each planet anyway. But sometimes to find where are my fleets, or still a general view.
QUEUES
Subscribing permits to put things on queue. The trick is: it's EXTREMELY useful at the beginning and is in fact the best advantage of subscribers (a serious advantage) but later on in the game it is not such a mess to build things as ONE building might take 24 hours to get itself built; so no rush to go back onto Internet to order a new command each 30 minutes, then each 2 hours, then each... Not having queues is quite a micro-management mess (and it can eat and waste your time) at the beginning.
**Not strictly fo subscribers** :
BULLIES
This might seem like a potentially minor issue when anyone should expect attacks, but everyone can end up dealing with Mr.BigShots.
Game seems to attract bullies, which can roam free (I got one who was trying to insult... and then was polite with my big big friends
). It can affect vulnerable newbies and those playing just for fun.
Also seems unlikely possible to be a loner in such an unregulated environment (especially with bullies keeping the same punching bag, and of course farming others), but this is the reality of politics.
Here's an example of "friendly player communication" after a farming situation (not too bad in this case of course):
How about no... you moved your resources so i might aswell destroy your satellite and steal what is there... my fleet is only 3 minutes away....
You want compensation...?
How about a kick in the face?
Lots of Love your good friend
Jimbob
Oh...something else... thanks for messaging me because now I know where your home planet is. And if you want to talk about politeness, then empty threats dont work very well.
Will pay a visit for some resourses soon.
Jimbob
ECONOMY: BREAD OR LASERS?
Really present... in bread style economy, you will grow alot more economically. If entirely in a war economy, you are going to be seriously hindered. Trade comes in heavily when you are forced to make a brusk change... and it is not so easy to change rapidly!
SPYING
You want information instead of attacking blindly and end up against bigger than yourself? Sure: get a good spying level so your probes are good and you can get more information (of course relatively, depending on your target's level and number of orbiting ships). I guess that a better intel network counts in reality.
UNDERUSAGE OF GAME'S INFRASTRUCTURE
Empire view? It ends up like I place I very rarely go too. It's not sooo useful in the way it is.
Messenging? A tad cumbersome. It is used alot as the place to go see combat reports, spying reports, and so on. But for communication, it is more rare. It might simply be because forums, MSN and so on are more efficient.
MY CONCLUSION
The game gives you the structure to organize alliances and everything from. SUbscribing means that some things will be done for you instead of letting you do it only by yourself (which would be time consuming, so I would not do it). I saw some other games which were organizing alliances differently, permitting to chose between different types of "rigid organizations", which would modify payments to subscribe, hierarchy, how and what was voted by default, etc. I guess that these web-based games are proto-MMORTS, really well done
So here are aspects specific to OGame's subscriptions, and my comment with it; hopefully it might teach a thing or two.
So here's what comes when someone subscribes instead of simply getting the free version:
ETERNAL REPORTS
All reports are kept in the "private messages" section.
Better: they are always accessible, from a click on "i" (for info) next to the other player's planet name. It could have been done for battles and communications too maybe.
This is the kind of thing anyone could do himself, but if you subscribe the game does it for you.
ALLIANCE HELP
Send info to allies by PM (like recent attacking enemies in rival alliances... or easy looting targets). It could be organized better than by private messaging though.
For alliance admins and structure, there is a system of ranks (each with to-be-chosen names) where each can be given a rank affecting admin rights, accept members/kick/mute/etc,
Also, for everyone's view, alliances, wars and non-aggression pacts (thus former wars). Of course, to everyone's view also are web page URLs, IRC channels, banner, number of members...
Bringing organization to alliances makes things easier for serious alliances, and makes small alliances more easily "substantial". A good kick-start for alliances and the "guild spirit" of the game. Many possibilities for ranks, how they function, democratic or not and so on can change quite a few things... so maybe that it could be extended as a guild tool with different consequences (wanna be "anarchic" with no leader and each on his own? Try).
NOTES
Create note: high-normal-low priority (I love these notes... make some about attackers, defense, to-do... and these comments on the game)
EMPIRE VIEW
In the end, up to now, do not use empire view THAT much. I will go to each planet anyway. But sometimes to find where are my fleets, or still a general view.
QUEUES
Subscribing permits to put things on queue. The trick is: it's EXTREMELY useful at the beginning and is in fact the best advantage of subscribers (a serious advantage) but later on in the game it is not such a mess to build things as ONE building might take 24 hours to get itself built; so no rush to go back onto Internet to order a new command each 30 minutes, then each 2 hours, then each... Not having queues is quite a micro-management mess (and it can eat and waste your time) at the beginning.
**Not strictly fo subscribers** :
BULLIES
This might seem like a potentially minor issue when anyone should expect attacks, but everyone can end up dealing with Mr.BigShots.
Game seems to attract bullies, which can roam free (I got one who was trying to insult... and then was polite with my big big friends
). It can affect vulnerable newbies and those playing just for fun.Also seems unlikely possible to be a loner in such an unregulated environment (especially with bullies keeping the same punching bag, and of course farming others), but this is the reality of politics.
Here's an example of "friendly player communication" after a farming situation (not too bad in this case of course):
How about no... you moved your resources so i might aswell destroy your satellite and steal what is there... my fleet is only 3 minutes away....
You want compensation...?
How about a kick in the face?
Lots of Love your good friend
Jimbob
Oh...something else... thanks for messaging me because now I know where your home planet is. And if you want to talk about politeness, then empty threats dont work very well.
Will pay a visit for some resourses soon.
Jimbob
ECONOMY: BREAD OR LASERS?
Really present... in bread style economy, you will grow alot more economically. If entirely in a war economy, you are going to be seriously hindered. Trade comes in heavily when you are forced to make a brusk change... and it is not so easy to change rapidly!
SPYING
You want information instead of attacking blindly and end up against bigger than yourself? Sure: get a good spying level so your probes are good and you can get more information (of course relatively, depending on your target's level and number of orbiting ships). I guess that a better intel network counts in reality.
UNDERUSAGE OF GAME'S INFRASTRUCTURE
Empire view? It ends up like I place I very rarely go too. It's not sooo useful in the way it is.
Messenging? A tad cumbersome. It is used alot as the place to go see combat reports, spying reports, and so on. But for communication, it is more rare. It might simply be because forums, MSN and so on are more efficient.
MY CONCLUSION
The game gives you the structure to organize alliances and everything from. SUbscribing means that some things will be done for you instead of letting you do it only by yourself (which would be time consuming, so I would not do it). I saw some other games which were organizing alliances differently, permitting to chose between different types of "rigid organizations", which would modify payments to subscribe, hierarchy, how and what was voted by default, etc. I guess that these web-based games are proto-MMORTS, really well done
