A Parametric Analysis and Classification of Quests in Mmorpgs
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SBC - Proceedings of SBGames 2012 Computing Track – Full Papers A Parametric Analysis and Classification of Quests in MMORPGs Felipe K. C. Santos Geber L. Ramalho Federal University of Pernambuco, Dept. of Computer Science, Brazil Abstract environment is only possible due to the large number of players who play MMOGs for long periods of time. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games The most popular current MMOG, World of Warcraft, (MMORPG) are a particular sub-genre of massively has reached over its lifespan over 8.5 million players multiplayer online games (MMOG) whose commercial worldwide, with an average of 200 thousand importance has experienced a growth spurt in the last simultaneous connections [Raptorak 2011]. five years marked by commercially successful games such as World of Warcraft. A characteristic of the Of particular interest is a subgenre of MMOGs that genre is a focus on character progression and open- associates the characteristics of interaction and ended narratives by means of quests, which represent community building with elements of character tasks assigned to the players in exchange for in-game progression typical of role-playing games (RPG). rewards. Massively multiplayer online games (MMORPG) are atypical in that they provide a deeply immersive Progression mechanisms typically involve static storytelling experience by allowing players to assume requirements defined by the game designers, in such a the role of a character in a narrative and exact direct way that players of different skill levels performing a control over its actions. As in all RPGs, customization set of quests always face the same challenge and obtain is a central aspect of gameplay, a typical MMORPG the same rewards. As a consequence, speed of allowing for both character progression and character progression through the game is completely customization. The main objective in almost all disassociated from player experience and skills. MMORPGs can be described, then, as the constant development and evolution of a player’s avatars. This paper proposes a comprehensive quest classification model, as well as the set of difficulty Several progression mechanisms must therefore be parameters associated to each quest class, by the put in place to ensure that players always have exhaustive analysis of 480 quests. This allows for the challenges to face and rewards to obtain, the most creation of quest variants specifically tailored to the common of which is the use of experience points needs of each player by the game designers, and [Mulligan and Patrovsky 2003]. Upon completion of constitutes the first step towards a dynamic difficulty goals and as they interact with the environment of the adjustment (DDA) implementation. game, players receive points that can be accumulated and used to advance their characters in pre-defined and Keywords: MMORPG, difficulty adjustment, quest, discrete steps, a process known as level-up. By classification, DDA. advancing to the next level, avatars acquire new skills and increases in their basic attributes, effectively Authors’ contact: becoming more powerful in the context of the game. {fkcs,glr}@cin.ufpe.br Experience points are traditionally gained by vanquishing enemies, crafting items, completing 1. Introduction quests, or participating in holiday events. Massively multiplayer online Game, or MMOG, is a Despite being the central aspect of character specific genre of games that originated from traditional progression, the experience points system is often single-player games with the idea of bridging the gap complemented with a similar system to separately between individual players and form communities that manage skills. Skill points can be obtained in the same bring additional value to the experience of playing a way as experience points, due to the accumulation of game. By introducing other players in a virtual experience points, or any variation thereof as defined environment, the game becomes more connected to the by game mechanics [Wu-Chang et al. 2007]. The real world, making individual progress more connection between the two systems is dependent on rewarding. Concepts such as collaboration between their implementations, but it is common practice to put characters and direct player versus player in place limitations that ensure a parallel advancement confrontations are evidence of this shift in focus from a in both at a similar rate. personal experience to a social one. Other mechanisms can also have indirect impact on A key aspect of MMOGs in general is the avatar progression, such as the use of equipment or persistence of the virtual environment, that is other attribute-based items (commonly referred to as constantly evolving and changing even without direct “loot” when obtained as reward from a defeated input from the player. This dynamicity in the enemy). In most games of the genre, players can boost XI SBGames – Brasiliá – DF – Brazil, November 2nd - 4th, 2012 117 SBC - Proceedings of SBGames 2012 Computing Track – Full Papers their character’s strength, resistance, and vitality by Traditionally, an MMORPG contains a series of switching obsolete pieces of equipment with more quests that reflect the many possible evolution stages expensive gear. The choice of equipment is controlled of player characters, aiming to provide for any given by acquisition costs - the more powerful a piece of character level at least one quest specifically balanced equipment is, the harder it must be to acquire. Thus, to characters of that level. Quest difficulty in this weapons and armors with better benefits are more approach is static and defined as part of the easily obtained the farther along characters are on the development cycle based on the statistical analysis of progression scale. Nevertheless, it is common practice player success indicators. In practice, players ends up to directly restrict the use of equipment to a specific facing periods of gameplay in which all quests below range of characters levels, to ensure early-game their level have been completed but still have not balance. attained the necessary progression stage to face the next implemented quests. This intermediate state in Finally, actual player experience and familiarity which the players remain aimless and are forced to with game controls can also be interpreted as a factor evolve on their own in order to proceed with the game of progression. The game EVE Online is a typical is referred to as grinding [Raptorak 2011], and is example, being a hybrid space simulator and primarily responsible for the loss of enthusiasm and MMORPG in which the ability to manage resources motivation that leads a player to abandon an and control characters determine the success and MMORPG. progress of the player [CCP Games 2011]. It is also common the occasional inclusion of changes in control Regarding difficulty adjustment, we must therefore schemes or elements from other genres to alter the balance the elements of the game directly related to difficulty of quests. A typical example of this is the progression. In light of the definition given above, game World of Warcraft, known for its vehicle quests quests can be seen as the direct link between the game [WoWWiki 2011] in which players must achieve a environment and all virtual elements, allowing for a specific goal while driving a vehicle with unique quest-centric view, by which NPCs, objects, and controls, riding an animal, controlling an aircraft, or locations exist only when deliberately instantiated by a even in control of an unfamiliar character. quest. The problem of difficulty adjustment in MMORPGs can thus be simplified to the problem of The presented mechanisms for avatar progression adjusting the difficulty of quests to each individual are therefore linked to the rewards obtained by player. completing challenges in-game, be them experience points, new skills and abilities, or equipment upgrades. This study elaborates on the topic of quest As such, the progression rate of a player is determined difficulty adjustment in two preliminary steps to by how quickly and efficiently they can obtain said construct a comprehensive classification structure for rewards and improve their character, which in turn quests and identify quest elements that, when adjusted, improves their reward collection efficiency. This cycle have a direct impact on perceived difficulty. of rewards and improvements can quickly escalate out of control with players advancing too rapidly towards We began with a literature review on the fields of the end-game if the requirements for progression are procedural quest generation and DDA methodologies not scaled appropriately. For the players, this means to construct a classification structure aimed to our that each game challenge has pre-defined rewards specific needs. This is then followed by the analysis of according to an estimated difficulty, and that in order 480 quests, which serve the double purpose of to progress they must face ever more difficult validating the defined categories and allowing for the challenges. identification of the difficulty-related elements of each class. The problem with said approach is that not all players feel the same satisfaction and perceived This paper is structured in six major sections. In difficulty from a standardized challenge. Players with Section 2 we consider related work in the field of more experience could want to progress faster towards difficulty adjustment, quest classification, modeling, the end-game at the expense of facing