Frustration

I make it a personal rule to not play a video game when I get frustrated with it. This isn't for any reason except that it's not fun to play a game when it's not fun anymore. Games are fun, enjoyment, and entertainment. There is no good reason to continue on when the game has lost the enjoyment factor.

So! Because of this rule I have, I am dedicated to keep the frustration levels at a minimum in games that I take part in developing. The frustrating part of a game should be done on purpose, and not as a punishment to the players. Frustration in a game should be a result of the events that transpire. It is frustrating to never find the real princess in Mario, but it is more frustrating to spend all your lives trying to get past the same flying koopa who seems to have random flight intervals just to throw you off.

Running an instance in WoW: Frustrating. Mostly.

Dungeons in WoW are not always frustrating, it really depends. However, by not being fully prepared with the perfect group and gear and specs throughout the instance, you will find yourselves being punished frequently. You take extra time dying and running back to your corpses, and that is boring. There is a such thing as a penalty, and there is a such thing as a punishment. Penalties are good. Dying should not be the end of the world. IN A VIDEO GAME. It's not in most, but the penalty is a silent march back to your corpse. What would be a good alternative? A demerit to your inventory. Some sort of penalty that you must commit some play time to make up for, but not right then, not when it's late and you spent all night getting a group together. Repair bills are a great incentive to not die, but put another spin on it. Let people earn or purchase revive tokens. You can res where you died with certain amounts of health and mana. And you could even trade in your Badge of Justice for one! It would be more of a penalty, and less of a punishment.


Oh, and that picture? That was Tylth and Ragnrak switching glasses via webcam. Tylth spent a good while entertaining a few of us from CT by doing sweet webcam tricks. We think he could start his own business, and I want to find a way to market it on a website somehow.