Join the new world

Already have an account? Login



What is this?

You are reading an article written by a citizen of eRepublik, an immersive multiplayer strategy game based on real life countries. Create your own character and help your country achieve its glory while establishing yourself as a war hero, renowned publisher or finance guru.

eRepublick: A non zero-sum game

Day 3,812, 08:07 • Published in USA USA

• by Alphabethis

A non zero-sum game

The theory is here :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-sum_game

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonzero:_The_Logic_of_Human_Destiny

We have witnessed too many times how being defeated in this game has
made players leave the game. Whether it's a political humiliation (
political take over, election, bashing in the media or comments), or a
military defeat (wipe, collapse, robbed medal, 'weakness'), the result
is the same: a huge rise in the unhappiness of some players that is
not matched by a huge rise in the happiness of the winners. So, some
players feel really depressed by a defeat, whilst the winners are just
mildly happy by it. This is a kind of psychological non zero game
that leads, after many iterations, to the collapse of the game,
because, the losers cannot bear it ( even if these losers were winners
some times ).

Of course, some other factors concur on the size of the population,
such as facbook ads, casual new players, returning players ( once the
wounds have been healed), but the tred is clear: collapse.

In such matter of things, it's not advisable to long term investment
in the game: for eRepublik labs, or for players. Unless the game
mechanics change and becomes more balanced.

Comments

RobertGuajardo Day 3,812, 08:14

Good read! 🙂

chickensguys Day 3,812, 08:25

[removed]

chickensguys Day 3,812, 08:25

I agree, we can rise together!

Mister Y Day 3,812, 09:29

In the wiki no one said a non-zero sum game should collapse, by the way.

Alphabethis Day 3,812, 10:12

intelligent remark.

Alphabethis Day 3,812, 12:18

It says unstable games

aimeisan Day 3,812, 14:13

There are many types of imbalance in the game, between new players and old players, free players and costumer players, strong alliances and weak alliances. All imbalances force some players into inferior roles compared to the others, the new or free players can never win against strong players or against players with packs, the countries that belong to the weaker alliance always lose against the countries that belong to the stonger alliance. Yet people are different, not everybody leaves the game just because our possibilities are more limited than that of other's. I think the general boredom and that we can't expect anything new is what makes people leave.

Alphabethis Day 3,812, 15:52

But if you read what you have written you acknowledge winner vs loser, winner has fun, loser bores to edeath... and that happens all the time.

Post your comment