Timeline for Why do RPGs let you know how much XP you need to level up?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
12 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Feb 2, 2019 at 22:33 | vote | accept | Daniel Kaplan | ||
| Jan 30, 2019 at 16:51 | comment | added | DaveMongoose | Think of variable-rate rewards (like loot drops) as being the equivalent of playing the lottery, and fixed-rate rewards (like levelling up) as having a day job. Playing the lottery might be more exciting, but if that's your only source of income (representing game progress, in the analogy) then a long losing streak will leave a sour taste. | |
| Jan 29, 2019 at 0:30 | comment | added | Abion47 | @DanielKaplan Variable ratio reward mechanics scratch the itch for people to want to risk and gamble. Not all people have that itch. (In fact, I would wager that most people will repeatedly come back to a game because of predictable and quantifiable long-term progression, not because of random-chance rewards.) Of course, most widely popular games utilize both mechanics, both on their own and in conjunction with each other. (e.g. Final Fantasy has a level progression system but also has monster drops, incentivizing both long-term leveling goals and random spikes of "oh cool" moments.) | |
| Jan 28, 2019 at 18:28 | comment | added | DMGregory♦ | @DanielKaplan there's no contradiction here. Yes, a variable ratio reward is reliably compelling. No, it's not the only way to motivate a player, nor the only one worth using. Beware of any model of human behaviour that tries to distill it down to just one rule - we all know people are more complicated than that. You can get a human engaged in variable ratio activities like slot machines, but usually not for a very long time - there's other stuff we care about doing too! By diversifying the motivational strategies we use, we make the game more robust to fatigue of any one motivation loop. | |
| Jan 28, 2019 at 18:07 | comment | added | DMGregory♦ | @user3482749 I dunno about that - sometimes it is! Lots of games succeed by creating regular habits of play. But there are multiple ways to encourage players to keep playing & returning to our games. If we only target one kind of motivation, we're leaving money on the table from players we might have been able to engage for longer / in other ways. ;) (That said, please use this power responsibly! We can use motivation to make our games feel great to play & return to, and to cultivate a community around the game. But it can also be used to exploit players - something we want to avoid) | |
| Jan 28, 2019 at 17:40 | comment | added | user3482749 | @DanielKaplan Because the objective isn't to make an addictive game. | |
| Jan 28, 2019 at 17:14 | history | edited | DMGregory♦ | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Adding note on gear score leveling
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| Jan 28, 2019 at 12:13 | comment | added | Draco18s no longer trusts SE | Also, experience reward amounts can be random in some cases. The variance might be low, but that still qualifies. | |
| Jan 28, 2019 at 7:28 | comment | added | VLAZ | @DanielKaplan I don't play slot machines. There is no draw for me - I might win or I might lose - there is no middle state. Yet slot machines are exceptionally popular else they wouldn't be around. The fact that I don't like them doesn't mean somebody else shouldn't, either. At the same time, I really like playing games like Diablo or Path of Exile or Warframe - there is a high amount of chance in drops that is not unlike a slot machine but you also have other kinds of guaranteed progress that draw me in. But for others, those might take too much time. Both are correct. | |
| Jan 28, 2019 at 6:50 | comment | added | Engineer | @DanielKaplan It's a matter of looking at the reality of the industry as opposed to taking someone's theory as ultimate truth. Industry shows that if you're going to sit in front of a screen for a reasonably long time, you want some guarantee that your expectations of advancement will be fulfilled. Demands on people's time are increasingly manifold - this is also why simpler games have become very common. This answer is spot on. | |
| Jan 28, 2019 at 5:16 | comment | added | Daniel Kaplan | This is a great response, but there's something I still don't understand: Why not make everything variable ratio rewards. The article says most SPECIES find it irresistible (not just most humans). It seems to contradict what you said here: "since every player is a multifaceted human being with a variety of interests & needs." | |
| Jan 28, 2019 at 3:24 | history | answered | DMGregory♦ | CC BY-SA 4.0 |