Level Up.pdf

390 LEVEL 14 Multiplayer—the More the Merrier
MMOs have dedicated PvP servers. Another alternative is that your world
has PvP combat restricted to certain locations.
• Raids. Raids are when players team up to defeat difficult game
scenarios, such as storming a castle or battling a particularly fearsome
enemy. Players that assemble and lead a raid need to be one part
strategist, one part manager, and one part social director. As a designer,
you want to create scenarios that can be overcome by a variety of party
configurations, and even allow for the player ’ s creative thinking or just
plain dumb luck. Creating and cultivating the legends of these raid
targets will let the players know that they have to marshal their forces to
defeat them. Design systems that make it easy for players to share the
loot after the raid is over based on each player ’ s performance.
• Spawn camping. A practice by players who wait for an enemy or player
to appear at a spawn point to kill them. It ’ s a practice frowned upon by
most MMO creators and you will have to develop safeguards into your
game to discourage or disable this kind of behavior.
• Trading/auctions. Because players often end up with lots of identical
loot, or with items that their character class can ’ t use, trading and
auctions are good solutions to help players clear out inventory. Make