To Trust Or To Grief, That Is The MMO Question And Stars Reach Might Have Some Answers

Raph Koster and the Playable Worlds team is back with another foray into what Stars Reach will be and, maybe more importantly, what it will not be when the MMO releases. If you've been following the game's development blogs, you've already heard about the team's commitment to making Stars Reach approachable but deep, how the planned systems allow the devs to tackle serious themes, and how Stars Reach plans to do things other MMOs never even thought about doing.

The newest blog from the team is an important one for me. I'm very experienced in the MMO space. I've been able to see the development of the genre from the pre-World of Warcraft days through the current iterations of the massively multiplayer space. I've seen the "open world" nature of MMOs be slowly stripped away over time in favor of ease of access, monetization, and providing solo players with their own experience.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not automatically implying that every step has been negative, just pointing out that the steps happened and continue to happen. I like solo dungeons sometimes. Should they be in an "MMO"? I don't know, probably not in a "pure" MMO, but I appreciate that type of content at certain times. I like meeting new players and taking on challenges with strangers. Granted, that ability certainly comes with the cons of griefing and other annoyances, but I'm ok with that. I also understand if you, my MMO playing friend, are not.

That's a big focus in Koster's latest piece. Stars Reach certainly wants to appeal to as many players as possible. Hell, all games do. However, the team recognizes that what they are trying to do just flat out won't appeal to some players, and they're ok with that, too. It's why they are trying to be upfront with what Stars Reach will and will not be.

While the post goes into tremendous detail (including reference to Star Wars Galaxies and Beowulf), I'll spotlight a few key points from my perspective. One of Stars Reach's philosophies is that the player is in control. This could come in the form of guilds running planets, the way you harvest resources, or what you decide to do in space. That's a lot of implied player agency, something that MMOs today literally pull back on so the devs can make smaller, controlled experiences where players may not have to "trust" other players.

How does one encourage players to begin to trust other players in a place as dark and untrustworthy as the internet is sometimes? First, you make trusting another player something that isn't required. Sure, a guild could basically "own" a planet in Stars Reach. They may even be able to make the rules for PvP and other settings. Hell, MAYBE someday they could mod their planet. That said, you don't HAVE to go there. Has the guild made the world something you don't enjoy? Don't go there. Stars Reach will have many other worlds that will have whatever you may be looking for right now. Some other worlds may be owned by guilds who take the opposite approach and are new or solo player friendly. Both ends of the spectrum can exist and you can avoid both if you like.

This philosophy extends to smaller items, too. Trust between players is earned. When players can actually help each other, trust is encouraged. How many MMOs these days just don't let you do that? Everything worth having is bound to your character and you can't physically help someone out. It's a small thing and it's one I didn't ever really think of until reading the latest post. Griefing is annoying, but can you make systems that encourage people to NOT grief others or rewards trustworthy behavior? Maybe. Stars Reach thinks so.

I love this direction. It may not be for you, but it 100% is for me. I loved aspects of games like Dark Age of Camelot and Final Fantasy XI that just seem to be missing these days. Yes, it introduces a "competition" aspect to some game elements and that isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, it's mine though. And if that planet gets a little too competitive for my liking. Well, that's what space travel to another planet is for, right?

That said, we're still in the "this is a lot of cool talk" phase of Stars Reach when it comes to players actually playing the game. How well the team delivers has yet to be seen, but I'll be watching closely and looking forward to it.