1.6.2.1.3 How important is player interdependence and how does it relate to community development?

Player interdependence is the key to community building.

Friendships and alliances often form when a player needs another player to be more effective or to complete a task. This is the stuff that helps to form healthy, active communities. The real world isn't made up of 'jack-of-all-trades'; a virtual world shouldn't be either. Different roles and responsibilities should exist. Many or most of those should offer a fulfillment of other characters' needs. This will be especially true in our group areas and a must in our raid areas.

We should emphasize, however, that interdependence shouldn't be tedious, nor, in effect, a 'denial of service'. In other words, if you can't find someone to help you with a task one evening, there ought to be other things for you to do -- perhaps something you can do on your own, or with fewer people, or with other characters you do encounter that evening.

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