My type of player
I went to my neighborhood cibercafe at Korea town looking for playing a Mmpog videogame and the most related game that I founded, from the suggested, was Warcraft III. I had played once before World of Warcraft so I had the opportunity of compare how the administrators of both games “…maintain a balanced relationship between the different types of player” (Brandies R. (1996), Players who suits Mud’s p. 5). I felt between the achiever-explorer type of player more than a killer or a socialiser. The control menu that Warcraft III offered was no clear for me neither for the purpose of learning easily how to achieve the goals and being part of the purpose of the game. I was killed very easily and fast. It took me a lot to learn how to move around and kill others, or at least to defend my avatar so I could be useful for my team.
After I was killed seven times and I had just killed once I felt the fast killers, and my ignorance of how to develop my skills, “were driving me away the game” (p.5). However, I kept trying once more and I realized I could get more info about how to manage my skills, in the world and through the battle, using the chat but I did not. I felt embarrass of being a new Warcraft gamer asking for help in a chat room full of “Double killed” comments (p 4-5), I did not want anybody killing me because my ignorance.
Although I chose my avatar in Warcraft III I did not identify with it as much as I did in World of Warcraft. This happens, in my opinion, not only because the over the heads POV of Warcraft III and the god hand managing my avatar, but because I could not set up the different aspects of my character, physical and psychological, as I was able of doing in other mmopgs. Then I realized how World of Warcraft helps to the explorer experience and keep more balance between the different types of players, because you can customize your interface based in your own player likes and skills. The player can interact or/and acting with the players and/or with the world in most effective ways (p.6) and I believe that is the clue why so many types of players and games are possible in World of Warcraft.
I think that there are some interest points and real arguments in Brandeis’ paper. Although I believe balance the different players and gamers improve the playability of a game at the same time I think sometimes they are games just for one type of players.
Anyway, I looking for a cybercafe with the game City of Heroes or World of Warcraft near USC or Koreatown so if someone knows about it please let me know.