revort
09-16-11, 06:27 PM
Hi everyone. I have often lurked the forums here but I thought that I would make a post commenting on some of the general trends and arguments that I have seen pop-up in forum discussions.
One issue that I see debated most commonly here related to the ethics of tipping and gifting. For many players the tipping/gifting system is not simply part of the economics of the game, but rather a system in which ethics and common manners are posited. This is not a radical assertion to make. These types of social games rely, obviously, on a particular social system (i.e. returning favors and providing support to your friends to build one anothers empire [so-to-speak]). Therefore it should be no surprise that certain members of the community react with fever whenever the topic of tipping comes up. To not tip back or maintain at least a one star rating can be seen as a greedy/selfish decision.
To those players who react negatively to non-tippers or the like, I would ask you to consider the numerous factors that might influence someone?s decision not to tip. Initially when I began to play RS I was highly appreciative of tips from my neighbors. Now that I am at level 87 I view tips as a hassle. The same goes for gifting food/parts. As a lower level player I preferred gifts of stew over an appliance part. Now that I have almost built every easy appliance, all that I care about is receiving parts. Soon, however, I will likely not care what type of gifts I receive because they will have little use for me.
That being said, I still tip/gift people even if it has no benefit to me simply because of social pressure. All that I ask of those individuals who are critical of non-tippers is that you try to see their actions from a different perspective.
How you react to someone?s actions in this game is likely due to how you perceive the goal of this game. As a player primarily concerned with leveling up, I have little desire for aesthetics (at least until I have nothing else to do). Another person who is cares more about the decoration of his or her restaurant might react differently. Likewise, someone who plays this game for its social connections will view tipping/gifting as highly important.
The second issue that I want to address is the issue of gems and TL?s approach to game design. Sometimes I hear people complain about the accidental use of gems and their desire for TL to add confirmation screens when making gem purchases. I do not believe that TL has an incentive to fix these game dynamics. TL makes money by selling gems, therefore it is in their interest to make it easy for you to spend those gems. While I admit it is frustrating, to me, it is simply the nature of social games with paid extras.
Furthermore, the question of adding buttons for automation (for example, picking up tips or sending gifts) is often asked but I do not think that it is in the interest of TL to implement these features (to do so would simply lead to an autonomous game and a disinterested player base). For many players, the act of tipping/gifting may not simply a chore but a way to create social connections and produce their own karma.
That is all that I have to say now. Thanks for taking the time to read it.
One issue that I see debated most commonly here related to the ethics of tipping and gifting. For many players the tipping/gifting system is not simply part of the economics of the game, but rather a system in which ethics and common manners are posited. This is not a radical assertion to make. These types of social games rely, obviously, on a particular social system (i.e. returning favors and providing support to your friends to build one anothers empire [so-to-speak]). Therefore it should be no surprise that certain members of the community react with fever whenever the topic of tipping comes up. To not tip back or maintain at least a one star rating can be seen as a greedy/selfish decision.
To those players who react negatively to non-tippers or the like, I would ask you to consider the numerous factors that might influence someone?s decision not to tip. Initially when I began to play RS I was highly appreciative of tips from my neighbors. Now that I am at level 87 I view tips as a hassle. The same goes for gifting food/parts. As a lower level player I preferred gifts of stew over an appliance part. Now that I have almost built every easy appliance, all that I care about is receiving parts. Soon, however, I will likely not care what type of gifts I receive because they will have little use for me.
That being said, I still tip/gift people even if it has no benefit to me simply because of social pressure. All that I ask of those individuals who are critical of non-tippers is that you try to see their actions from a different perspective.
How you react to someone?s actions in this game is likely due to how you perceive the goal of this game. As a player primarily concerned with leveling up, I have little desire for aesthetics (at least until I have nothing else to do). Another person who is cares more about the decoration of his or her restaurant might react differently. Likewise, someone who plays this game for its social connections will view tipping/gifting as highly important.
The second issue that I want to address is the issue of gems and TL?s approach to game design. Sometimes I hear people complain about the accidental use of gems and their desire for TL to add confirmation screens when making gem purchases. I do not believe that TL has an incentive to fix these game dynamics. TL makes money by selling gems, therefore it is in their interest to make it easy for you to spend those gems. While I admit it is frustrating, to me, it is simply the nature of social games with paid extras.
Furthermore, the question of adding buttons for automation (for example, picking up tips or sending gifts) is often asked but I do not think that it is in the interest of TL to implement these features (to do so would simply lead to an autonomous game and a disinterested player base). For many players, the act of tipping/gifting may not simply a chore but a way to create social connections and produce their own karma.
That is all that I have to say now. Thanks for taking the time to read it.