The Epic Strut Through Town.

World of Warcraft is one of (if not the) most successful video game in history. With over 12 million subscriptions that generate $12-$15 each every month, they have proven that they can implement good game design. So what is so good about their game design? There are many to consider, but I'd like to focus on one today.

I think one of the most powerful things in the design of World of Warcraft is what I like to call "The Epic strut through Town". Perhaps this short story will help illustrate the principal in use.

There I was, a level 16 shaman standing at the gates of a capital city, Orgrimmar. I see a level 7 running past me, but I quickly catch up and pass him after using my Ghost Wolf ability which gives me +30% movement speed. I smile as I bask in this small, yet meaningful benefit my accomplishments lends me. I cannot be content though, as a level 25 character rides past me on a mount that gives him +60% movement speed. Only 4 more levels to go before I can enjoy that game changing benefit. I make my way to the trainer and see there a level 85 (max level) readjusting his skill set. He looks POWERFUL!! I know I have a long way to go, but with enough time and effort, I can become just as strong. Finally I work my way to the bank to pick up some gear I had been saving for this level. Just before I enter, a dragon swoops down and lands in front of me. The rider, noticing my surprise, waits a moment before dismounting. I had heard from a friend about the new dragon mounts that are only given to those who have completed the most difficult achievements in the game. This player has instantly earned a portion of my respect, and I believe he knows it.

So what can we learn from this small walk through town? I had both experienced satisfaction and anticipation while doing every day activities within the game. This both validated the time I spent in the game and encouraged me to continue to spend more time in it as well.

One of the things I love to do is to break down things like this into its most fundamental elements. In order to properly duplicate similar experiences in your game, you must have two components. The first is at least one common place where no matter what stage of the game you are in, you must go to that place. In World of Warcraft, there are multiple places: Class Trainers, Profession Trainers, Trade Vendors, Banks, Mail Boxes and Auction Houses. The second essential component is a way to make accomplishments visible to other players. Again, World of Warcraft does this splendidly with different gear appearance, seeing the character level and HP when you select them, titles, mounts and finally with the 'inspect' tool and Armory. Both the inspect tool and the Armory allows players to see details of that player including most of his accomplishments.

If I were to design an MMO of any scope (including Facebook games), I would hope to include a place or two where players from all power levels would need to go and provide a way for them to "show off" their current game standing.