MetaQuest - A proposed solution to bettering player's well-being

Some time ago, we had a design sprint where I had championed the cause of bettering player’s well-being. This is the system I came up with that I would like to share here to get your opinions and feedback. I apologize if it’s a hard read, but this is the closest I’ve gotten to condensing my thoughts and abstractions. As it stands now, everything stated in the document is modular, subject to change and open for discussion. I’ve provided my suggestions on the topics, but I’m eager to see yours. Also, if proceeded with this proposal, everything mentioned will fall on my shoulders unless people want to contribute with their field-of-expertise. Currently my range of skills doesn’t cover the whole spectrum of the project but it will eventually if no one joins (this isn’t a cry for help but rather a proof-of-will). I do, however, have some people/guilds in mind that could help which I will contact if we opt to proceed. Otherwise, it would be cool if those who take interest join the cause and perhaps this can evolve into a raid of sorts.
Please do share your concerns, thoughts and objections, it is greatly appreciated.
Cheers! :beers:
Document:

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Read it & really, really like the idea. It is something that can set MetaGame apart from (almost) every other initiative I am aware of. Explicitly acknowledging and looking after well-being is just not something that often comes to mind outside of intentional communities set up to support well-being.

For me, this would be a really engaging way to help foster the kind of community it seems MetaGame wants to be. I’d love to help with this, so count me in!

More detailed thoughts about mechanisms and structure later once I’ve had a better chance to absorb what you’re proposing.

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Thanks for taking your time, really appreciate it!
'Twas rather hard to condense all I had in mind but this should serve as an introduction of sorts. I can answer any question that occurs or explain in depth what I had in mind. Nice having you onboard :upside_down_face: :vulcan_salute:

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Added some comments. Really like this idea and I feel like it is an important thing to do!

What are the next steps?

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Just read them through, not sure how to use the commenting system on gdocs as I’ve never done it but ill figure.
The next steps would be defining and assembling the questionnaire, then figuring out how to determine archetype, not sure if its legal to use the mtg color wheel which I really want to use so I’ll check on that and form a database for quotes. That’s what i propose that is.

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This is great work. I really like this direction. Healthy happy players are fundamental!

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[UPDATE]

So, had a call with @Sparrow today in the #townhall on discord, didn’t record the call though so the results of my weak scribe game are the following:

  • Reinforcement vs punishment: It is suggested to reinforce positive behavior rather than punishing negative. Punishment forces discipline through negative stimulus while rewarding motivates learning new behavior. Real case example: In World of Warcraft, you don’t get punished for playing too much but rather rewarded when taking breaks and resting (your xp multiplier grows when you’re rested) Reward Vs. Punishment: Which One is More Effective? Let's Discuss - Psychologenie
  • If the players will have the option of selecting their color type in addition to completing a test to find it out (like we have currently with enneagrams), we would prefer players willing to engage having to pass the test rather than selecting it themselves. With all due respect to player’s choice/self-opinion which is important, completing the test would benefit us in accuracy. After all, it is the color that will determine the approach to questing/prompting. Meaning, each quest should have 5 iterations, one for each color.
  • Although in my original post i stated we should ideally format the questionnaire with a maximum of 15 questions, longer formats could be used if their completion doesn’t require high time frames. Example https://ipip.ori.org/New_IPIP-50-item-scale.htm . For those who click the link-would completing a survey such as this one be cumbersome/too long?
    Another thing worth considering is language/culture barriers. The way we define our world is in many ways tied to our culture so, English being the “universal” language may introduce confusion/misinterpretation. I.E “Do you talk a lot?” may have a different meaning in Germany than in the USA. So, the questionnaire will ideally have to be translated for better accuracy.
  • Possibility to decline offered quest- It could prove beneficial for the player to have an option to decline an offered quest. There are many ways to gamify this approach: Having a credit system whereby activity yields the player credit which can be used to summon a different quest if he doesn’t feel like doing the one he got offered. I.E after completing 3 quests the player now has 3x credit, after being offered the fourth one, he spends 1 credit to summon a different quest because the one he got wasn’t that appealing in the given moment. The new quest is even less appealing so he spends the two remaining cred to summon back the first one. There are many ways to do this.
  • Using NFTs as data trackers-players are minted an nft upon completing quests whose issuance is tracked and used to calculate credit mentioned above.
    An idea surfaced that we could mint a “dynamic” NFT when the player signs up and as he makes progress the nft changes- data stored could indicate past performance and instead of minting xyz NFTs for each quest we could have a dynamic one that contains relevant data. I.E. your NFT starts as a dirt pile with a seed inside and as you grow and heal the seed grows into a tree.
  • Databasing collected data should be relatively simple as its just categorization.
  • @Sparrow linked some excellent resources regarding self care practices according to your type - Example: article- The Best Self-Care Practices for Enneagram Type Seven - Simple Roots img - https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/795992281034653697/796785657426083960/1_1.png
  • There should be balancing functions where we recommend the player certain actions to return to the mean. I.E if the player is heavily focused on developing his physical body, he might get a suggestion pushing him towards strengthening his mind.

UNRESOLVED

  • fitting the 5-color wheel in the octalysis @heterotic
    The purpose of using the color wheel as described above is to provide us with information on how to have the player approach a certain task. How to implement this in the octalysis framework is currently beyond my scope. I’m willing to explore and work on that as we progress but I’ll say that I’m against ruling-out the color wheel as a reference because “it doesn’t fit in the octalysis”. We’ll work some magic :slight_smile:

Cheers! :beers: :beers:

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tbc, I am not objecting to either model, and my curiosity is more focused on how to integrate Bartle’s Player Types or any of the other more common player typing models with the 5 color wheel model that is proposed in the article that you had linked <3 Another possible solution would be a matrix of the 5 color wheel with the other (non-Bartle) dimensions from the Octolysis model (the Levels of Play in the Player’s Journey) or even any other developmental learning model… doesn’t have to be Octo themed… the trick that Yukai Chou demonstrated in that model, is that you can construct a fairly complete model of game balance using intersections between a Player Typing model and a Developmental Learning model to construct a grid for balancing interactions… although, again, we have yet to discuss the 3rd dimension in the Octolysis model that Yukai Chou only hints at on their external website, but that I have a feeling is related to the fact that a Player is playing a Character (an idealized version of self based on the vision of the game as seen from outside the game) while that Player is also a Person (an actual person in a real environment with a Maslo’s Hierarchy (or some other such model) of Needs) <3
Thank you for the scribing <3 You may not consider yourself a master, but the effort was appreciated and impactful <3

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What I think is REALLY interesting about Yukai Chou’s idea, is that combining it with the XP/Cred system across a network of players takes the basic Player/Game functions involving the Identity of a player inside a game and their Extension through the game and the relation between that Extension Inside the game and their Identity Outside the game (via the player Needs hierarchy), and applies them to a Force space that constructs a Monadology for that Person that can be considered not only in relation to the changes in that Person over time, but also in relation to all other players within that game, or between that Person and their play in different games, or even as a way to measure perspective between different groups of players of different games, or even as a way to measure perspective between different games themselves, in real time… but we have to build a MetaMap of MetaVille before we can define the actual Game Environment (as it applies to the real world).

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Hey Misanth, this is fkn awesome man!! Absolutely essential and critical it is taken forwards and developed, so cool we are on the same page with this, I really feel like there is a lot of allignment of thought here and love that things just pop up that I have been thinking about without me even knowing others were thinking the same, it is truly an exchange of expanded consciousness and it is an honour to be surrounded by such beings. Good work Sir!!!

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Finally got to reading this!
Great work dude! :star_struck:

Which reminds me, we should probably take some inspiration from Yu Kai Chou’ Octalysis Prime, since he’s been trying to solve pretty much the same problem as MetaQuests - “level up in real life”

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I added some comments to the doc

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So interesting that this is what i ended up wanting to build into the questing system on Moloch Cloudship. Your concepts and mind are amazing and we should revive and do this quest now.

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