MyMMORPG: The 3 Pillars

This is a post in my ongoing series MyMMORPG where I pontificate about the MMORPG I would create should I ever get the chance.  See all of my MyMMORPG tagged posts.

 My last post for MyMMORPG covered my "rule of 10" and how it is important to strike a balance between too few and too many decisions to put in front of a player at any given time.  That rule sets a good tone for systems, but it doesn't give us a framework for those systems.  That is where my idea of pillars come into play.

 Stealing from my real life knowledgebase: A pillar refers to a fundamental principle or concept that serves as a core element of a project or product. Design pillars help guide decision-making and maintain focus throughout the development process.  Effective design pillars are typically:

•     Limited in number (usually 3-5)
•     Simple and easy to understand
•     Distinct from one another
•     Fundamental to the project's identity

  So what are my pillars?

1. Combat
2. Economy
3. Content

 Combat is really about conflict: conflict amongst players and conflict between players and the world.  Combat is not always strictly in the form of hitting things with sticks.  Conflict arises anywhere a player is challenged by the game: "to kill 10 rats", racing to get a gathering node, or an objective to climb to the top of a mountain.

 Economy is best represented by it's definition: An area of the production, distribution, trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. Trading is the most easily understood (trade with players or NPCs).  Production not far behind trading (bang anvil, make sword).  Distribution is harder to understand, but is best boiled down to rich vs poor (which itself takes on a lot of variation).  Consumption is the most important aspect of an economy and without it you don't really have an economy. 

 Content is best stated as "things to do".  Content is the engine that provides context for combat and drives the consumption that makes the economy work.  After 30+ years of online games I've come to realize that content is king and as much as we want to think players, when left to do what they want, will make up content the reality is they don't.  They get bored and play other games.  We must deliver them "things to do".

 And there may be discussion worth having on a missing 4th pillar: social.  Social would represent how players interact with each other.  However, I didn't make it a pillar because I feel like it violates our rules for an effective pillar.  

 Is Social "Simple and easy to understand"?  At first glance but when you dig further what does it really mean?  

 Which takes us to "Distinct from one another" where I'd argue it is not distinct.  Trading is a form of players interacting, combat is a way of interacting, and doing content is a way of interacting.  Social isn't distinct. 

 But isn't social "Fundamental to the project's identity"?  Yes it is.  Without social interaction I'd argue the second M is missing in MM(multiplayer)ORPG.  However, its fundamental in all of the other pillars.  Social isn't a pillar; it is the foundation.  Each of the pillars stands on players interacting with each other.

 In follow up posts about MyMMORPG I will try to reference back to the pillars.  Any idea for the game should fit into the pillars; preferably offering something across all three to be considered as a system worth adding to the game.  

 So what do you think of my pillars?  Any pillars that I missed or that you would include?