Social Dynamics In Games
Kingdom of Loathing is much more of a single player RPG than an MMORPG. The player's social experience is limited to brief, non-immersive PVP battles. These battles might as well be random because there is no social interaction other than a victory or defeat message. There is, however, an active forum and various high score lists where players can compete for the top ten spots.
The most innovate part of Kingdom of Loathing is that it restricts the amount of a time a user can play. Every day, players are given limited number of “adventures” where they can explore a location, battle a monster, or both. Even though players are allowed to earn a limited number of additional adventures, this restriction prevents the game from consuming their life.
Unlike the majority of online games, Kingdom of Loathing is HTML-based and does not rely on technologies such as Flash, Java, or Shockwave. Additionally, the programmers are not pushing the boundaries of HTML with Javascript animation or AJAX. While this may result in less immersive gameplay, it does maximize compatibility. Users can likely play Kingdom of Loathing on older computers and even cell phones where advanced web technology is not available.
The artist's style is plain, two-tone style which is absolutely appropriate for Kingdom of Loathing and its website, but it is the writer's shtick that holds the game together. Overall, Kingdom of Loathing is a solitary yet entertaining gaming experience.
Unlike Kingdom of Loathing, Sissy Fight is completely socially dependent. Three to six players have turn-based interactions on the school yard where they can scratch, grab, and tease other players, or heal themselves, and tattle on the other players.
Sissy Fight reveals quite a bit about human nature in survival situations. For example, players will relentlessly target the weaker player(s) if it increases their own chances of survival. Also, players attempt to ally themselves against others who stand out or do not conform to the group's social dynamic.
Players are allowed to chat with each other as much as they want at any given time in the game. Most of the dialog consists of taunting or insulting of other players, and sometimes attempts to ally against a specific player. The majority of the time, if you are too quiet, you are targeted; likewise, if you talk too much, you may be targeted.
While Sissy Fight does not inspire much camaraderie, it does strongly encourage you to socialize with other players, which held my attention much longer than Kingdom of Loathing.