3pointD.com

My latest guest post for Terra Nova deals with the excellent massively multiplayer online game NationStates, which was created by Australian author Max Barry, loosely based on his book, Jennifer Government (which I read last night; good read). Check out the post (and the game) for more details about how it all works, but the point is that the game incorporates some interesting mechanics of player governance. Of course, the game is all about governance, so that’s not surprising, but the point is that I think there are lessons there that could be applied to 3D online environments as well.

They’re lessons that are similar to those that have been learned at eBay and Slashdot, though of course in slightly different ways at each. Essentially, though, all three sites have found ways to reward users for continued use and good behavior. These reward tokens can then be used to discipline other users. In NationStates, it costs more to discipline a player who has accrued more reward tokens, so that players are forced to consider their actions carefully, making them think twice before spending their tokens on something like a capricious disciplinary action.

I’m interested in these governance mechanics because governance in a place like Second Life is a constant problem. The SL ratings system proved worse than useless, since it was so easy to game. But the eBay, Slashdot and NationStates systems, while of course not foolproof, are much more resistant to gaming. I’d love to see this kind of thing introduced in more contexts, whether 3D or no. No solution is going to be perfect, but I think the companies that run these places could ease their burden and please their users by putting such systems into place.

If you want to check out NationStates, feel free to join us in the TerraNova region, as Jerry and a few others have. My nation there is Experimentatio. And more importantly than all this: it’s fun!