Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

As with any game, Aion is being reviewed and evaluated by a multitude media outlets and pundits. The reviews discuss the PvPvE ramifications and the required comparison with World of Warcraft. Of the many game design decisions being discussed, one that dances around the edge of the conversations is the amount of downtime in the game.

Designers factor in a certain amount of downtime by necessity. Similar to movies, a MMOG can’t typically run at redline all the time, heck people would pass out or their eyes would dry up. Gameplay with no pacing is quite taxing on the attention span of the players and cuts into valuable community building time. Downtime can be designed in a multitude of ways. Travel is always an easy target, such as making a player get on a bird or gryphon or some other transportation and the characters then have time to catch up on conversations, or run to the bathroom.

Long time readers of Ten Ton Hammer’s Loading… column may recall a couple of editions where the topic of downtime was discussed as a conscious game design. Fresh off my Tabula Rasa and Auto Assault enjoyment, I could not imagine a game developer putting in some scheduled time for characters to do nothing. What I failed to realize is that the lack of downtime may have contributed to the downfall of those games more than I thought. If any of you played those games you’ll remember that there was little to no downtime unless you ran into a base and it was quite difficult nigh impossible to carry on a conversation while in battle.

Aion Does Downtime

My first experience with downtime in Aion arose when I found the “Rest” function. This is reminiscent of what I hear Everquest players discussing from “back in the day.” After a few fights I take five and have a few minutes to jot down some conversational notes or check through my inventory. If I can check my type A personality and enjoy the brief respite, I realize that this is part of the journey.

The other way that Aion is building downtime into the game is through the lack of instancing. Player groups will be in situations where multiple groups will be waiting for specific enemies to spawn. This seemingly simple decision causes two types of community building opportunities.  First, the groups are in competition to defeat the enemy but they also have to contend with the ethics and morality of waiting in line for their turn. This will have groups talking amongst themselves and undoubtedly some groups will behave poorly. Those poorly behaved will cause other groups to solidify and bond thus providing a stronger community. So even the jackasses help build the community. 

The second way that the lack of instancing may build community is by providing the groups time to chat. Some of the funniest moments I’ve had in games have occurred over voice chat or typed conversations while out of combat. Using the downtime constructively allows players to take a break, handle an issue at their house (I’m glaring at my children), or read up on the encounter.

It’s not all peaches and cream.

The term downtime is typically a derogatory term in MMOGs. It refers to time not spent advancing a character which means wasting time to some. If this is how you feel, then I would not want to be around you during rush hour in Los Angeles. It also means that you may want to reflect on why you are playing a game genre built around communities. If you want nonstop action, try Call of Duty or a racing game (which has downtime between races, by the way). I’m sure that none of us pay a monthly fee to sit around doing nothing. I would argue that downtime is not the same as doing “nothing” if you choose to make it useful.

The verdict is just over the horizon.

The true test of the game design mechanic is the player adoption. If the players do not enjoy the amount of downtime for raiding, then other parts of the game will be more populated. The players that get too frustrated will ultimately leave the game. Many players are looking for a new game that shows off the visuals and combat, yet still provides some throw back to previous game styles. Maybe this one tip of the cap to the old Everquest tradition is well placed, or maybe it’s too much.