Plato's (new) world

Day 5,251, 11:38 • Published in Austria Austria • by RodderickJames

For a moment, imagine yourself as the owner of a large building with plenty of appartments in it.

Being a big landlord is kinda nice, but the whole thing has been getting on your nerves lately and you totally lost the passion to take care of it any longer. So many people, so many parties to keep happy... it's no longer for you. Sure, there is some revenue coming in from all the inhabitants, but, frankly, you don't like most of the people very much. You're save on the money-side also and you got more interesting projects to try out, more intriguing ventures at hand that ask for your time.

You talk to some of the inhabitants: They are unsatisfied with your committment, obviously, and they name a lot of things they would like you to do. But you really don't feel like it. You want it all to end. The once lively neighbourhood turns more and more negative and they turn on you, because you're responsible. But despite all that, most of them plan to stay.



For quite some time now you haven't taken care of the estate anymore - and it looks the part. You even forgot to renew the electricity contract, there are reports coming in regularly of broken things. The heaters don't work any more and even warm water is a memory of a distant past.
You think: "Oh well, let them complain. Let them leave. Soon they will all move out and I will have peace and freedom again and this damn house won't bother me anymore."

But they don't. They don't move out, at least a lot of them. They stay in their appartments, through the cold winter, and through another year. And another year. They keep complaining about the lack of internet, electricity, warm water, about the broken windows and the garbage that is not collected anymore. But they stay. And a lot of them still pay the rent.


Can you imagine living there?

Well, you do. The house is called eRepublik and Plato is the lazy Landlord. Plato has accepted our unwillingness to leave the game. Reluctantly, but eventually he has. Despite all his efforts to get rid of his players, a core still keeps playing. While he can't really figure out the reason, he has decided to cope with the situation in his favour.

Plato still doesn't care about the house, the game, the inhabitants or players, but he willingly accepts the money he still gets out of it. Especially if it comes without high maintenance. So he thinks about ways to get more while doing less. And don't get me wrong: Plato might be stupid, but he's not dumb.

Stick with what works: People are active during events. People pay more during events. People demand more events. So let them have an event every day! Give them missions every day and errands to run, put up a reward system that makes them spend ressources to fulfil the tasks. And it doesn't even require creative ideas, not even a storyline or a new design like a real event would. It's so simple.


So once again we have to say: GG Plato. Well played. After all, this is Plato's world, and we all just live in it.




PS: I don't know who owns the credits to that fabulous Plato pic, but it's not me. I hope it's ok I rented it out. It's just so fitting...