Psychology 101 For Anyone Who Asks "Why are players so concerned with money?"

[Therris]

I see a lot of posts asking a question that seems to have a very obvious answer. "Why do humans who play games concern themselves with increasing monetary wealth as efficiently as possible?"

It's psychology 101...and it relates to human psychological anthropology.
1) Human brains associate video games with the concept of progression. It's natural, inherent, and unavoidable.
2) Usually progression is associated with monetary resources.
3) Players naturally move towards more efficient ways of progressing.


Despite what some might think of certain parts of human psychology, good luck avoiding the need for progression-based mechanics - in life or in games. It's a fundamental component of our psychological anthropology.
It's how we also view real life. The concept of progression is simply unavoidable.

 

[Morbad]

Fortunately, I'm not human.

I stopped fussing over money in real life when it became evident I had enough to not have to much of anything I didn't want to do ever again, as long as I was careful about not blowing it frivolously. I don't have a lot by many measures, but I don't need a lot, and I value my free time far more than my labor is worth to others. I measure my progress by the amount of work I'm not doing, the money I'm not wasting, and the fun I am having.

I stopped caring about money in Elite: Dangerous (after release at least) once I got my favorite ship to where I wanted it, and had a suitable reserve to pay insurance several times. Now I'm content to let money trickle in from incidental encounters and random missions. Here I mostly measure my progress in my still growing skill and experience...and the proverbial height of the pile of corpses at my feet.

All that said, I think there are practical uses for credits in ED that most players simply don't have the experience or imagination to grasp, yet.

 

[ascendence]

Fortunately, I'm not human.

I stopped fussing over money in real life when it became evident I had enough to not have to much of anything I didn't want to do ever again, as long as I was careful about not blowing it frivolously. I don't have a lot by many measures, but I don't need a lot, and I value my free time far more than my labor is worth to others. I measure my progress by the amount of work I'm not doing, the money I'm not wasting, and the fun I am having.

I stopped caring about money in Elite: Dangerous (after release at least) once I got my favorite ship to where I wanted it, and had a suitable reserve to pay insurance several times. Now I'm content to let money trickle in from incidental encounters and random missions. Here I mostly measure my progress in my still growing skill and experience...and the proverbial height of the pile of corpses at my feet.

All that said, I think there are practical uses for credits in ED that most players simply don't have the experience or imagination to grasp, yet.

i cant even.

 

[CloneWarrior85]

i cant even.

Yes you can.

 

[Dabba]

Seems like Im in a similar position as Morbad. When I play games its just an entertainment pastime. I am a moderately successful professional with a wife of 20 years and a couple of great kids, and so with that perspective there really isn't any kind of progression or accomplishment to be achieved from playing a video game that would be fulfilling, and as such thats not going to be my goal when gaming. Its nothing more than something relaxing to do for a few hours no different from watching a basketball game on TV, playing a round of golf (which sadly Ive long since given up on being any good at), or any of the other pastimes I enjoy.

I think the problem is too many people nowadays are relying on their gaming "accomplishments" as a substitute for any kind of real life success or achievement rather than just another entertainment activity in their free time and so obviously progression mechanics are going to be vital to their approach.

 

[bAdbUd]

Fortunately, I'm not human.

I stopped fussing over money in real life when it became evident I had enough to not have to much of anything I didn't want to do ever again, as long as I was careful about not blowing it frivolously. I don't have a lot by many measures, but I don't need a lot, and I value my free time far more than my labor is worth to others. I measure my progress by the amount of work I'm not doing, the money I'm not wasting, and the fun I am having.

I stopped caring about money in Elite: Dangerous (after release at least) once I got my favorite ship to where I wanted it, and had a suitable reserve to pay insurance several times. Now I'm content to let money trickle in from incidental encounters and random missions. Here I mostly measure my progress in my still growing skill and experience...and the proverbial height of the pile of corpses at my feet.

All that said, I think there are practical uses for credits in ED that most players simply don't have the experience or imagination to grasp, yet.

I'd have to agree, once I got the ship I wanted the grinding for the credits to get it stopped immediately. I'm now playing the game how I want, when I want, without thinking how long is it going to take me to get X?

The game is vastly more enjoyable now I haven't got self imposed rules restricting me anymore.

 

[Therris]

I hear a lot of... "I'm NO LONGER preoccupied with progression in life/games because I reached X goal."

Ok, but you most certainly were concerned with progression at one point, until you reached a certain goal. Sure, everyone has different tolerances, but don't presume to claim it's not any part of what motivates you.
That's like claiming you're not at all concerned with vanity, and still getting your hair cut or combing it.

We're all slaves to the concept of progression to varying degrees, in life and in games. I realize it might be nice to imagine otherwise, but denial does not change reality

 

[bAdbUd]

It's not denial, it's acceptance that the progression slave is always there. There however becomes a point, for some that you overcome the grind and start to just enjoy what you've achieved and look forward to new learning, challenging experience's.

That applies to game's and life, in this context.

 

[BillD]

Good thread.
I have seen so many threads about "What's the best way to the most CR per hour, or this mechanic is useless as you don't make as much CR per hour as that mechanic, etc".
Umm what about just having fun. It would be awesome if people could get back to the fact that a game filled in some time or was used because it was entertaining.
Yes you do need some CR in ED so as to get comfortable and to be able to survive the hard knocks. It took me a while to get to where I wanted to be in ED because I did what I wanted to do based on what I felt like doing, not because I had to pull in max credits.
Hehe some nights I spend hours just in the map, exploring (but I am a bit strange like that).
The problem with chasing the bucks in ED is that it is still in its infancy, and pretty soon you may run out of things to chase or you will find that the insatiable desire can make losses so mush more devastating.

 

[Morbad]

Ok, but you most certainly were concerned with progression at one point, until you reached a certain goal. Sure, everyone has different tolerances, but don't presume to claim it's not any part of what motivates you.

Of course, but there is a difference between doing what's necessary to do to reach that goal and just doing to do.

I'm not interested in money or wealth for it's own sake.

 

[Therris]

Who ever said optimizing progression and fun cannot coexist? It's not binary. Some people get a kick out of optimizing progression...
Actually, I would suggest that the people who are in the best position, are the ones who can find fun in maximizing progression....they're not sacrificing anything!

 

[ronin516]

I see a lot of posts asking a question that seems to have a very obvious answer. "Why do humans who play games concern themselves with increasing monetary wealth as efficiently as possible?"

It's psychology 101...and it relates to human psychological anthropology.
1) Human brains associate video games with the concept of progression. It's natural, inherent, and unavoidable.
2) Usually progression is associated with monetary resources.
3) Players naturally move towards more efficient ways of progressing.


Despite what some might think of certain parts of human psychology, good luck avoiding the need for progression-based mechanics - in life or in games. It's a fundamental component of our psychological anthropology.
It's how we also view real life. The concept of progression is simply unavoidable.

Well and there is the little thing that. If you aren't trying to get money in the game then there is nothing else to do. Because if you can't by your reloads and pay fro repair then you will be dead in space. Not to mention no upgrades or better ships or modules. I can prove the point by asking if there is anyone who has been playing for more than a week (really put in some hours) that is still in a sidy with stock equipment and has not done delivery missions. Things get boring if you don't progress.

 

[BillD]

Who ever said optimizing progression and fun cannot coexist? It's not binary. Some people get a kick out of optimizing progression...
Actually, I would suggest that the people who are in the best position, are the ones who can find fun in maximizing progression....they're not sacrificing anything!

Absolutely Agree. It is a great position to be in.

 

[EUBanana]

I think few games I play have any in built progression - nor do I think it's absolutely required therefore, though certainly some people are just addicted to that sort of motive. See: Candy Crush. But I play Natural Selection 2 quite a lot, there's no progression in that at all - you play a round because it's fun. Or Wargame Red Dragon, I suppose you do have levels in it but I'm barely even aware of what level I am.

I'm also the lazy who can't be bothered solving even a single one of the Riddler's riddles in the Batman games, while one of my friends assiduously goes back when he's completed the game to complete every single one.

 

[Perseus]

I don't give a hoot about acquiring lots of money in Ed, at least not in the sense of rapidly acquiring it. The experience of being a CMDR is the reward for me and I intend to relish it. I currently have 3 ships (Eagle, Adder, Viper) that I use for different activities. They are all nearly fully upgraded to my desire and I doubt I'll ever sell them - I love them!
I'm more interested in missions/influence and my ranking than money. I don't have a problem with players who are chasing the big bucks, it's just that this incentive for progression doesn't cut it for me.

 

[nexxo]

Psychology 101 teaches us that people easily get hooked to any token economy. In behavioural modification programmes tokens are often used as reinforcers; they can be traded in for desired rewards (whether material rewards or desired activities). What many such programmes found however was that participants did not actually trade tokens in for rewards. They didn't care about the rewards. Accumulating tokens became a reward in itself.
-
The same mechanism may be happening in the game. People want to accumulate credits. It doesn't matter what these credits can or will buy; they just want them.

 

[bAdbUd]

Well and there is the little thing that. If you aren't trying to get money in the game then there is nothing else to do. Because if you can't by your reloads and pay fro repair then you will be dead in space. Not to mention no upgrades or better ships or modules. I can prove the point by asking if there is anyone who has been playing for more than a week (really put in some hours) that is still in a sidy with stock equipment and has not done delivery missions. Things get boring if you don't progress.

Oh I find plenty of things to do. All the things I do earn money, that's accepted, but my goal isn't to earn money. I do this and that and see where it takes me.

The point being money isn't the main driver, money, (CR) is just a platform to build, once built your free to do as you please, as do I.

 

[Nerdwing]

Elite: Dangerous is as prone to power-creep and carrot + stick game design as anything else out there. Those concepts exist solely because of what the OP described. Why should Elite's community, as a whole, be able to sustain itself upon people whom have reached their target-goal and continue to play? Keeping in mind these people are by most accounts a minority compared to their peers who reach a goal and then stop playing.

 

[bAdbUd]

Elite: Dangerous is as prone to power-creep and carrot + stick game design as anything else out there. Those concepts exist solely because of what the OP described. Why should Elite's community, as a whole, be able to sustain itself upon people whom have reached their target-goal and continue to play? Keeping in mind these people are by most accounts a minority compared to their peers who reach a goal and then stop playing.

And you know that how?

Sorry but you're talking rubbish (I'm not having a go at you here, well I am, sort off)

You're assuming why people play games, and why people won't play ED once they've achieved their goals.

Both assumptions, it seems to me, are based on your own experience. However, your experience and sense of fun isn't the same as mine or anyone elses for that matter.

 

[Morbad]

Why should Elite's community, as a whole, be able to sustain itself upon people whom have reached their target-goal and continue to play? Keeping in mind these people are by most accounts a minority compared to their peers who reach a goal and then stop playing.

I always have a goal, it's simply not always a monetary one.