My first post here so hello everybody. I'm currently writing browser based persistent, open ended RPG game and I'm pretty much set on idea of limited gameplay, ie. you get few turns every hour to perform actions. By design it would take roughly 2 years to complete main plot missions, playing would take about 30 min if you log in once per day, of course could take more if you start tinkering about strategy, review items etc. I like this idea for few reasons: - everyone has same chance, regardless if they are busy with their lives or have all time of the world on their hands (remember setting up alarm clock in the middle of the night to save coming back fleet in Ogame?) By the way, players joining later in the game will get a chance to catch up with older players. - people won't get bored too quickly and will crave to play the game, thing like with cigarette, the more you can't have it, the more you want it. - some people getting into the game too much may realise after a while how much time it cost them, thus leaving the game. With limited gameplay you just can't get over the top. What disadvantages do you see?

A disadvantage I see is it gets annoying when you have more time to play or want to achieve something. I used to play Sorcery Quest, which has that limited play feature. I stopped playing when I had to level up my characters to progress because I decided to restart them(better stats and build), but couldn't do it because I ran out of turns. It would have taken a few weeks to get back to where I was and I lost interest midway. That is a good way to profit off compulsive addicts though since you can buy turns with real money.

You may also have trouble with the community aspects since your population will be offline most of the time. Any group event will be hard to coordinate because some members may run out of turns midway or you may not find anyone online willing to spend turns to help you out when they could use them in a better way.

Boredom and frustration are the main disadvantages I see. There's probably a group of people that would like it, but personally it would drive me crazy, even worse than sims which move at their own pace and you can't speed them up.

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Original post by Sabot - everyone has same chance, regardless if they are busy with their lives or have all time of the world on their hands (remember setting up alarm clock in the middle of the night to save coming back fleet in Ogame?) By the way, players joining later in the game will get a chance to catch up with older players.

You didn't mention that this is an online game, but I'll assume that if "catching up" is a concern, it must be. That said, I see two problems with these "advantages" already. First, "everyone has the same chance" translates to "you can't put in effort." Why would you think that disallowing players to give their all to a game would make them enjoy it more? Constraints like these generate feelings of frustration, not excitement. Second, if new players can simply "catch up," then there would be no sense in playing until - say - the last week. At least then you could play for as long as you wanted.

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- people won't get bored too quickly and will crave to play the game, thing like with cigarette, the more you can't have it, the more you want it.

The exact opposite is far more likely, truth to be told. You're trying to bank on psychology, but it just doesn't work that way. People will get tired of waiting, and will search for alternatives that appease them for longer (rather like how a smoker might abandon a certain brand in favor of one that provides more nicotine or a better taste). Further, people don't want something simply because they can't have it. Consider that you can't have ice from pluto. Do you crave it? If someone can't have something for too long, they'll simply disregard it and move on.

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- some people getting into the game too much may realise after a while how much time it cost them, thus leaving the game. With limited gameplay you just can't get over the top.

In other words you have no dedicated players, no lasting communities, and nothing that would make the world's persistence meaningful. Players enjoy going over the top, which is why so many do so in games that allow them to. Taking away this ability doesn't aide anyone except those who play casually, and those players would be just as well off playing a single player game.

I would strongly, strongly advise against this model.

Sounds good to me. Rewarding players for time spent with no cap forces every competetively minded player to either quit or play day and night. Unless the game is ridiculously awesome, they will all quit.

That said, it's still just a band-aid on the fundamental suckiness of any game with grinding. Better to remove the grind instead.

I wouldnt play it :P

i might for like a week or 2, but then id be done.

maybe youd still get enough ad revenue from those people that only played for a short period of time to make it worth while though.

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Original post by Stroppy Katamari Unless the game is ridiculously awesome, they will all quit.

Which does much to explain maple story's popularity... or indeed the popularity of most Korean RPGs that require you to grind in the way you described just to reach cap. No, most successful games employ an unlimited progression and I cannot think of an example of one that forces limitations on players.

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Original post by Stroppy Katamari That said, it's still just a band-aid on the fundamental suckiness of any game with grinding. Better to remove the grind instead.

Now this I completely agree with, though I wouldn't be kind enough to say band aide, rather it's like throwing salt into the wound.

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Original post by Zouflain Quote: Original post by Stroppy Katamari Unless the game is ridiculously awesome, they will all quit. Which does much to explain maple story's popularity... or indeed the popularity of most Korean RPGs that require you to grind in the way you described just to reach cap. No, most successful games employ an unlimited progression and I cannot think of an example of one that forces limitations on players.

You missed the competetively minded qualifier.

Sounds like you'd be best off making one of those Facebook games that gives you points each day for logging in.

As mentioned here allready you can not really limit the playtime and hope to build a huge community.

Lets say you design your game to need approx. 30minutes per day. Everyone who wants to play less will still be behind. And everyone who wants to play more will get bored.

If you want to make it a little bit easier for players without that much time, you could implement a system to reward this playstyle a little bit.

i.e. double skillgains for the first hour of playtime (UO did this) or
Everyone can fight against a fixed amount of special monsters each day. And unlimited time inside a dungeon with less experience gains.