Levels

[mobydick]

Question 10 on the story proposal form
asks "What are the different levels of play that people might engage in...?" Can someone clarify what the term "levels" means in this case? I'm taking it to mean something like levels of time commitment: if you only want to play occasionally, if you want to play
a few hours a week, if you want to play an hour a day, or if you want to power-game for hours on end. Is that right, or is something else intended?

Moby

[shannon_appel]

Moby,

Sorry for the delay in answering your question. I wrote up the Skotos Seven Proposal Form and then promptly left on vacation right after our web site went up.

You said, <<Question 10 on the story proposal form asks "What are the different levels of play that people might engage in...?" Can someone clarify what the term "levels" means in this case?>>

By "levels" we mean the _type_ of play that players engage in. Most games run at a personal level. The player takes the role of an individual and interacts with other people/monsters/obstacles/etc. on a one-to-one basis.

However, there are other levels of play than this one-on-one basis. Other computer games out there show some of these other levels. In _Civilization_, you take on an omnipotent role, guiding a civilization; when you interact with other people, they take on this same omnipotent role. _SimCity_, _SimEarth_, and _The Sims_ show other examples of games which take a step beyond just one-on-one interaction.

In our game, _Alvatia_, we'll be mixing up these levels of gameplay. Players will start out playing one-on-one: controlling a hero and investigating the world of Alvatia. But, as time goes on, he may become a lord and be able to enjoy a different level of game play: controlling the economics and society of his realm. At the same time, he'll be able to step back into that single persona at any time he wants, adventuring across Alvatia.

The question is partially intended to free up your thinking. Games don't just have to be the traditional one-on-one games you find in traditional roleplaying (though most will be). The most exciting games will probably combine that one-on-one gameplaying with other levels of play: economic, social, feudal, etc.

Does the game you're considering have this potential?

Shannon
Skotos Guy