1.6.4.1 I've heard that Sigil has a number of 'tenets' related to MMOGs... could you share a few?

Here are a few, in no particular order:

1. More smaller carrots, more often.

(Meaning, control the rate of advancement of characters, but have them advance in smaller ways more often so you get feedback/new abilities/etc. more frequently but in smaller doses).

2. Content is king.

3. The path of least resistance shall also be the path to the most fun.

(This is more about the fact that many gamers and in many games have come to a crossroads: to the 'left' is more efficient advancement but less fun (say, camping, or even 'grinding' in general), and to the 'right' is a more fun experience. It puts many players in a situation where they feel it's imperative they choose the more efficient but boring path... but then they're having less fun.

That should ideally never occur (although it's been commonplace in many/most MMOGs). The more efficient way should also involve fun and what the designers had in mind for their target audience).

4. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

(This applies to a great many things, but in general to the recent reactionary trend to respond to traditional MMOG mechanics that have had some problems by completely removing them as opposed to fixing them. Travel is tedious? Remove travel! People are camping and ninja looting and being rotten to each other in a dungeon? Remove the other people! (Instancing). Sigil, rather, is intent on fixing and tweaking traditional MUD/MMOG mechanics that have existed for so long, not throwing them out).

5. The collective long term happiness of the playerbase and therefore the overall health of the game is always right.

(This is in reponse to the assertion that the 'customer is always right'. The assertion is correct, but since players are in a world shared by other players, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one or the few; likewise, what is good for the game long term takes precedence over the short term, in that it's in both the developers and players interest that the game retain its long term health).

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