[Part of my MMO Design Folder]
Based on the ATITD Test of the Coalition I thought it might be fun to see how the rest of you feel about the following agendas when it comes to MMOs. I not only invite but encourage you to post your own thoughts on your respective blogs or if it's more convenient, in the comment section below.
Today's Agenda: Council of Elders vs. Trial by Jury
When someone commits a wrong doing should their fate be determined by the game masters / a select few elected for law enforcement or a group of their own peers, like in Archeage?
My problem with a jury is they can be swayed through emotion or lack of experience and are ultimately unreliable. Judge, jury and executioner should always fall into the realm of game masters, or "to the select few" such as in ATITD where players who are elected as demi pharaohs can perma ban people from the game.
What are your thoughts on this matter?
I lean towards neither.
ReplyDeleteIf the game company sets laws upon their world, then it's the responsibility of the game company to hire GMs to police said world, not quite a Council of Elders, and still very open to interpretation, but at least the idea is that they'll have to balance what's profitable for their game community-building-wise.
If it's a small server sort of game, then the "gods" and rule-setters and law enforcers are the server admins.
I just find it very hard to trust/delegate a select group of players to "do it right." Everyone is prone to subjectivity or drama - ultimately, it all goes back to the coder/owner of that game server having the final (still subjective) say.
ATITD did have one interesting spin on the jury system that I was okay with - an entire server-wide vote, every single player character could weigh in on ban or nay.
It worked for ATITD because a) small community, b) each voting character is paid for with a monthly sub, and c) most players in that particular game tend to be on a very similar mindset of what's right vs wrong.
Hehe, "The Gods have final say" is an awesome alternative and one I should have made an option for! :P
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