A developer admits that it was his job to manipulate players psychologically. He was supposed to develop a novel system that unfortunately never made it to the final phase.
What kind of system would that have been? In the Reddit forum, user EjnarH introduces the system he was supposed to develop for the Danish game developer BetaDwarf for a MOBA. Since his non-disclosure agreement (NDA) has expired and he is leaving the gaming industry, he talks about his novel system in the forum:
- Players should be able to distribute likes and honors. The honors could have been awarded for specific qualities and only in a limited daily number. Examples would be “great communication” or “awesome teamwork.”
- In this way, players would build their own reputation and encounter other players more often who also received many honors.
- The honors from their own friends should also play a role here and be displayed.
The goal: Players should not feel like they have to prove their worth in every game. According to the developer, this pressure leads to toxicity in games. Even if players have a bad day, they should not be harshly judged.
With the honors, at least the foundation would have been secured that players usually play well. If they still play poorly, it could have been dismissed as an exception. The developer states that he would have tricked the players with their own egos:
Suddenly, the player who plays the worst is someone you already know you have given 4 honors because you happened to meet him in his best moments. You’re not stupid, are you? It’s much easier to accept that the person is just having a bad game and might need some support. (Yes, I use your ego as a weapon against you. Deal with it.)
In the meantime, they have switched their model from MOBA to PvPvE co-op extraction. In this genre, there are other issues to address than those that the developer’s system was supposed to fix.
What do others say about it? The top commentator sees it as a double-edged sword. On one hand, you would be proud of your honors. On the other hand, people would be judged based on their behavior, and it could then be too quick to judge other players who don’t have many ratings yet.
The problem with the toxic community can also be transferred to other genres. A WoW newcomer was also afraid of his fellow players but found that they are not that mean: “The community is not toxic at all” – WoW newcomer is amazed that everyone is so nice
If a player did not receive an honor, it could simply have been that the daily limit was reached.
The system unfortunately ended quickly
What would it have been good for? The system would have ensured that matchmaking would be less toxic. By encountering your recommended players more often, there would have been less reason to complain. This would have benefited MOBAs like League of Legends, which are known for their toxic community.
At the same time, friendships could have formed even faster. Through recommendations from friends, a larger circle could have been built.
It would also have been a practical system for guilds: New applicants could have used their honors as a “resume,” allowing guild leaders to directly know who they are dealing with.
Why was it never released? The investors would have been enthusiastic about BetaDwarf’s idea. However, due to the currently very tense situation in Europe, the investors eventually backed out, causing the project to go through difficult times.
In the meantime, they have switched their model from MOBA to PvPvE co-op extraction. In this genre, there are other issues to address than those that the developer’s system was supposed to fix.
What do others say about it? The top commentator sees it as a double-edged sword. On one hand, you would be proud of your honors. On the other hand, people would be judged based on their behavior, and it could then be too quick to judge other players who don’t have many ratings yet.
The problem with the toxic community can also be transferred to other genres. A WoW newcomer was also afraid of his fellow players but found that they are not that mean: “The community is not toxic at all” – WoW newcomer is amazed that everyone is so nice
