From browsing the forums, there seems to be some confusion as to what Minecraft will become. Will it be an arcade style game with defined teams, set goals and short, tournament-style games with points awarded, or will it be a vast role-playing style game where users are free to roam the lands with no defined objective other than to cave a life for their character into the world? These are very different styles of games and, while a lot of the basics remain the same, there are a lot of aspects about how the game is finally implemented that will lend better to one or the other.
A goal orientated game would require conditions for winning, rules about balancing teams, and the entire map would be required to be fair enough to give all teams a chance to win. These games would be short (about 20 minutes to two hours long) and would reset all the conditions at the start of each game. This style would be good for players and clans who are competitive, want to hone in on strategy, and work as a solid team. Elimination tournaments could be set up with prizes awarded.
A roleplay orientated game would require options for trade, a means of replenishing resources and large maps that could potentially be connected to other maps for the largest possible world. This type of game would be continually running with a means to save your resources for when you next log on (eg, chests that other users cannot easily access). This style would be good for users who want to find their own path though the game, work with an array of other users from other groups as well as those who want to build, large, working towns and cities.
I hope that Minecraft and its server options are flexible enough to allow for both these types of games or even something inbetween. These styles could complement each other as well; maybe a tournament prize is ten blocks of diamond on a role-play server.
I would like people to be aware of both these ways of playing the game while they comment on the form. Often I see people saying something like 'teams won’t work in the game' as they’re only thinking of the role-play side or someone posing that 'an coin economy wouldn’t work' because they’re only looking at the shorter games of the goal orientated style. Minecraft has a lot of potential so there’s no need for people to be naysayers to every suggestion that doesn’t fit what they think the game should be.
I don't really know but I have a feeling custom servers will change the game so it will be like... some goal orientated, some combat/free-for-all and some just open sandbox with battle aspects. Etc
I sure hope so, but some aspects would be best hard-coded into the game with an option on the server to turn it on and off rather than hacking a workaround into the server software to create a feature like teams or trading.
Didn't Notch say this was a sandbox game with no real goals?
More of the opposite:
Quote from Notch »
I strongly believe that all good stories have a conflict, and that all good games tell a good story regardless of if it's pre-written or emergent. Free building mode is fine and dandy, but for many people it will ultimately become boring once you've got it figured out. It's like playing a first person shooter in god mode, or giving yourself infinite funds in a strategy game.. a lack of challenge kills the fun.
For survival mode, I'd rather make the game too difficult than too easy. That also means I'm going to have to include some way of winning the game (or some other climax) to prevent it becoming too exhausting.
(Emphasis mine)
But, yes, there should be an opened ended option as well.
A goal orientated game would require conditions for winning, rules about balancing teams, and the entire map would be required to be fair enough to give all teams a chance to win. These games would be short (about 20 minutes to two hours long) and would reset all the conditions at the start of each game. This style would be good for players and clans who are competitive, want to hone in on strategy, and work as a solid team. Elimination tournaments could be set up with prizes awarded.
A roleplay orientated game would require options for trade, a means of replenishing resources and large maps that could potentially be connected to other maps for the largest possible world. This type of game would be continually running with a means to save your resources for when you next log on (eg, chests that other users cannot easily access). This style would be good for users who want to find their own path though the game, work with an array of other users from other groups as well as those who want to build, large, working towns and cities.
I hope that Minecraft and its server options are flexible enough to allow for both these types of games or even something inbetween. These styles could complement each other as well; maybe a tournament prize is ten blocks of diamond on a role-play server.
I would like people to be aware of both these ways of playing the game while they comment on the form. Often I see people saying something like 'teams won’t work in the game' as they’re only thinking of the role-play side or someone posing that 'an coin economy wouldn’t work' because they’re only looking at the shorter games of the goal orientated style. Minecraft has a lot of potential so there’s no need for people to be naysayers to every suggestion that doesn’t fit what they think the game should be.
Thanks for reading. :smile.gif:
Well something like that.
http://www.minerwars.com/?aid=640
More of the opposite:
(Emphasis mine)
But, yes, there should be an opened ended option as well.