Originally Posted by
Dubanka
This has been discussed in another thread, but after the mechanics are ironed out, the game really needs purpose...purpose beyond a village building sym. Purpose to interact with other players. Purpose to drive events and actions. here is where the 'its a sand box, make your own purpose' comes out. But it doesn't really work that way...most of us require some degree of 'real' feedback from our actions. If i do this, something else occurs, which i then have to deal with. Cause and effect. Consequence. Call it what you will. We need reasons for doing things, and ramifications for doing them.
Item decay/quality is a subset of a system that will help create this, but on its own, it doesnt do anything. The world is flooded with resources and you can craft at a rate that far exceeds any degree of decay. Then of course you have the PITA factor...too much decay, and the game becomes sim replace (imagine having to upkeep walls to the toon 5% decay per 24 hr period, per wall...4 bricks, per wall section, per day...keeping the walls up becomes a full time job...who plays that game? Too little decay, and you might as well not have it in there. Anyway, Item decay and quality is a feature, not a solution.
The solution is...something (things?) that everybody needs, that nobody has, that exists in very finite quantities in limited and defined geographical areas.
Rare timber stands? Rare metal deposits? Rare plant species? Again, balance between good enough to 'need' but not so good that your completely screwed if you're a have not.
PVP and economy is a chicken/egg argument in this type of environment. Sorry, but you really cant have one without the other.