Brevis
08-11-2004, 04:34 PM
This is my first post, so hopefully it doesn't seem too far off topic.
For discussion's sake, I'm curious what motivates people to do tradeskills in a MMOG.
I've noticed different tradeskill playstyles over the handful of MMOGs I've played, and I'm going to try to roughly group them. I'm sure it won't be perfect:
1. Tycoon - One does tradeskills in order to compete like a business entity. The objective is to have a large volume of happy customers, have a good reputation, and make lots of in-game currency.
2. Outfitter - Where the player is not as interested in selling their production like a tycoon, but likes to craft to outfit themself, friends, and/or guild members.
3. Hobbyist - Someone who just enjoys the mechanics of the crafting process or the tradeskill content. I think EQ1 tradeskills (pre-PoTC) originally appealled more to the hobbyist style since there wasn't much functionality to the items you could make.
4. Creative - Someone who crafts for a way to be expressive. It seems like an odd possibility, but I noticed that the SWG tailor profession has appeal because you have lots of colors and fashions to mix and match in order to create something appealing.
I'm sure there are other approaches people take towards tradekills. These just capture most of the motivations I've seen in games like EQ, SWG, DAOC, and Horizons. Where do you fit?
I find oscillate between hobbyist/outfitter/creative depending on the game and circumstances. In EQ1 I started as a outfitter (tattered leather armor anyone?) and became more of a hobbyist. In SWG I've settled more into a creative role as a tailor, but I realize that the game favors the tycoon style of play, especially for other craft professions.
For discussion's sake, I'm curious what motivates people to do tradeskills in a MMOG.
I've noticed different tradeskill playstyles over the handful of MMOGs I've played, and I'm going to try to roughly group them. I'm sure it won't be perfect:
1. Tycoon - One does tradeskills in order to compete like a business entity. The objective is to have a large volume of happy customers, have a good reputation, and make lots of in-game currency.
2. Outfitter - Where the player is not as interested in selling their production like a tycoon, but likes to craft to outfit themself, friends, and/or guild members.
3. Hobbyist - Someone who just enjoys the mechanics of the crafting process or the tradeskill content. I think EQ1 tradeskills (pre-PoTC) originally appealled more to the hobbyist style since there wasn't much functionality to the items you could make.
4. Creative - Someone who crafts for a way to be expressive. It seems like an odd possibility, but I noticed that the SWG tailor profession has appeal because you have lots of colors and fashions to mix and match in order to create something appealing.
I'm sure there are other approaches people take towards tradekills. These just capture most of the motivations I've seen in games like EQ, SWG, DAOC, and Horizons. Where do you fit?
I find oscillate between hobbyist/outfitter/creative depending on the game and circumstances. In EQ1 I started as a outfitter (tattered leather armor anyone?) and became more of a hobbyist. In SWG I've settled more into a creative role as a tailor, but I realize that the game favors the tycoon style of play, especially for other craft professions.