Update on gameplay

I spent several hours today going over gameplay ideas and foundational concepts.  I decided to put together a basic list of design tenants that will guide mechanics.  I'm calling this the "game promise" - what the game will (eventually) look like.

Build an MMO which prioritizes group play and friendship building

Have reasonably good-looking content through the use of quality third party/marketplace assets and a balance of procedurally generated and hand-crafted environments

Create game mechanics which allow veteran players to play with new/inexperienced players and incentivizes experienced players to help new players

Allow for large amounts of player agency through the use of toon customization, player housing, mounts, player castles, horde type battles, automated commerce, hired workers, labor marketplace and similar agency / game connecting mechanics

Penalize players who engage in anti-social or disruptive behavior through the use of reporting and ranking systems

Eliminate / discourage the play concept of levels and end game gear grinding

Have gameplay that allows for (and rewards) multiple types of engagement, PvE solo or group, PvP solo or group, pure exploration, farming, crafting, etc

Random surprise roving bands of mobs and random spawn world bosses

Random dungeons or raid bosses

Frequent content updates

Ability for players to find other players with similar real-world interests

Avoid very crowded hub areas

Reward players for experiencing varied content instead of grinding the most efficient play path

Allow for scheduled events that are player moderated

No holy trinity

Have meaningful consequences for player creation choices – religion, stats, race, traits, something that alters core gameplay, such as additional limbs, equipment slots, etc

Allow for tribes, guilds, clans, etc.

Make a game for real people being the best people they can be – avoid dehumanizing elements

Allow for global trade or marketplace but do not turn loot drops into simple gold – rare loot drops must still be valuable and have appropriate risk/reward

Allow all players to use all types of equipment, with consequences/rewards

Ability to timeshare an epic item within a guild/group/tribe/etc

Amount of self-reliance vs group trust and reliance scales rewards – e.g. high diversity of skill and cooperation in an event yields higher loot/skill raise/etc

Active management and monitoring of hackers/cheat mitigation/etc

The game must be financially viable, therefore some content must be obtained via real world money

Keep a history photobook of achievements or random events

Create structures in game which generates player volition without severely limiting freedom

Have NPCs / mobs remember players