Season Thoughts

[Erik_the_Blue]

There'd probably also be laborious tasks that new/poor players could perform in return for food.

Casual players don't play much by definition. If the majority of the time they do play is spent working for other players just so they can acquire the means to progress in the game, the game becomes more like work and the more likely they are to leave. In general, casual players should only need to play the game as they please; it's the hardcore gamers that should put in extra effort.

This isn't to say that working for others shouldn't be viable, just that it shouldn't be required for basic survival of those who don't play much.

[ArPharazon]

I'd imagine there would be ways of getting food in the winter, just not as high yield as in the other months. There'd probably also be laborious tasks that new/poor players could perform in return for food.

Hunting? Fishing (maybe after drilling the ice)? Berries (many berries can be found in winter) and roots?

[theTrav]

There'd probably also be laborious tasks that new/poor players could perform in return for food.

Casual players don't play much by definition. If the majority of the time they do play is spent working for other players just so they can acquire the means to progress in the game, the game becomes more like work and the more likely they are to leave. In general, casual players should only need to play the game as they please; it's the hardcore gamers that should put in extra effort.

This isn't to say that working for others shouldn't be viable, just that it shouldn't be required for basic survival of those who don't play much.

You ignored the rest of my post. They could either use the low yield (possibly no stat gain) methods on their own, or they could do tasks for other players for higher yield / stat gain food.
You're also equating laborious with un-fun, I simply meant time consuming, even hard core players have only finite time

[Erik_the_Blue]

@theTrav:
Regarding low yields, I ignored that because it's not relevant to the conflict which I have with your idea. Casual players play for relatively short periods of time and for immediate gain (in the form of entertainment). If they're having to do work for another player *only because they feel it is necessary*, either for the stat gain or the stamina refueling, then they're using their limited time for something not entertaining, and thus won't play. Casual players simply do not have the time to engage in time consuming activities for non-immediate gain. Period.

To put it another way, to many a casual player, labour is indeed un-fun. They're playing to escape the rigours of work, after all.

[theTrav]

@theTrav:
Regarding low yields, I ignored that because it's not relevant to the conflict which I have with your idea. Casual players play for relatively short periods of time and for immediate gain (in the form of entertainment). If they're having to do work for another player *only because they feel it is necessary*, either for the stat gain or the stamina refueling, then they're using their limited time for something not entertaining, and thus won't play. Casual players simply do not have the time to engage in time consuming activities for non-immediate gain. Period.

To put it another way, to many a casual player, labour is indeed un-fun. They're playing to escape the rigours of work, after all.

You're arguing without putting forth any solid information. Arguing against an undefined concept of "labour for food" because casual players who want to spend an undefined "short period of time" for an undefined "immediate gain (in the form of entertainment)" is crazy talk.

You are perhaps arguing that the change from summer to winter should be nothing but cosmetic, or at the least that winter should have absolutely no overall difference to the difficulty of survival (close to the same thing)? Either way that's not what I'm concerned with.

Lets be clear here that my contribution is simply that implementing winter, and having it make a difference to the difficulty of survival does not in any way mandate that new or casual players will be unable to survive.

[Erik_the_Blue]

Labour for food? Crops produce more things than just food, i.e. tea, among other things. Furthermore, the immediate gain is not crazy talk; I'm referring to utility. Notice I'm not arguing against the low yield idea. That's because I don't find it fundamentally flawed. When you adjust the amount of output a player gains from their usual and favored activities, they'll respond by changing the amount of time they play the game. Cut the output off completely and you force them to find new activities. If they can't find something else desirable in this game, then they leave.

...having it make a difference to the difficulty of survival does not in any way mandate that new or casual players will be unable to survive.

A character does not survive if the player finds the increased grind necessary to survive enough of a deterrent to playing the game such that they stop playing.

To be perfectly clear: I am arguing against the idea that yields should be severely reduced during given periods such that players need to engage in other activities during said periods. Such a 'policy' would lead to casual players quitting the game (or so I argue). I am *not* arguing in favour of anything, or against anything else.

[jorb]

When we get around to seasons, I think I can assure you that winters will be harsh and unforgiving. But there'll of course also be skis, skates and snowmen. (Finally an extended use for coal, carrots and cylinder hats)

[Jackard]

will there also be yeti?

[jorb]

will there also be yeti?

image

Oh goodness. I remember playing that snowboard game on a school computer when I was in third or fourth grade or so.

Yeti? Nah.

[Jackard]

yeti? not yet