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Head-to-Head
An overview of GDC 2006's Competitive & PvP Systems Round Table
PvP and Player Killing was not the only topic discussed however, on day 3 the group discussed competitive gameplay in a non-PvP setting. Ideas such as economic warfare, diplomacy and other systems such as player driven content were the center of discussion.
Games like EVE Online have taken the idea of economic warfare to the next level where players can engage in hostile takeovers and run money making pyramid schemes. While this may or may not sound exciting, social and crafting systems are still attracting 1000's of gamers.
Sadly the group kept falling into discussion about managing online communities and not in-game designs such as political / diplomatic systems.
"Games like EVE Online have taken the idea of economic warfare to the next level where players can engage in hostile take over's and run money making pyramid schemes. "
I believe that innovation will be the key to the next generation of MMOs, taking advantage of the differences, as Damion presented it, between MMOs and Multi-player games is a necessity.
While there is no "BEST" design, there are many very good ideas that have already been put into games or are waiting to become part of a game.
Taking advantage of the massive part of massively multi-player either in a non-violent or all out siege warfare will be the true hurdle for the next gen MMOs.
I look forward to seeing how this discussion continues at next years GDC.
--Tom "Dolby" Finn
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