Cassius wrote:Jesus Christ RAGE If theres a big shiny at the end of grinding more people will mission
Actually this is not true. Static rewards dont encourage gameplay, its a series of different types of reward linked through linear, time based and randomized reward. Essentially you build a skinner box.
First you need reinforcers:
Reinforcement is any event that strengthens or increases the behavior it follows. There are two kinds of reinforcers:
Positive reinforcers are favorable events or outcomes that are presented after the behavior. In situations that reflect positive reinforcement, a response or behavior is strengthened by the addition of something, such as praise or a direct reward.
Negative reinforcers involve the removal of an unfavorable events or outcomes after the display of a behavior. In these situations, a response is strengthened by the removal of something considered unpleasant.
You would then make your reinforcers varied to continue to drive behavior:
Once a behavior has been acquired, it is often a good idea to switch to a partial reinforcement schedule. The four main types of partial reinforcement are:
Fixed-ratio schedules: Reinforcing a behavior after a specific number of responses have occurred.
Fixed-interval schedules: Reinforcing a behavior after a specific period of time has elapsed.
Variable-ratio schedules: Reinforcing the behavior after an unpredictable number of responses.
Variable-interval schedules: Reinforcing the behavior after an unpredictable period of time has elapsed.
An example might be Eve - you can get ordinary rewards but every X number of missions you get a storyline mission. As well as that you get faction stuff and ships both as a cumulative reward and as a random drop. In addition to that you get officer stuff that is very very rare alongside very rare drops. What drives you isn't so much the goal but just like in gambling the chance of a random big win.
Proverbs 23:20-21 warns us, “Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags."