Jhereg
Elite
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2005
- Posts
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- Feng Huan SecretAznMan Zho
MA currently has a built in distribution function that applies multipliers to returns in order to create a casino-like mechanism within Entropia. This has been the reality for the game ever since the birth of Planet Calypso.
One main reason for having this type of system is promote player activity (hits provide a gambling-like aspect to the game that results in dopamine and the need to continue the activity). Whether EU qualifies as casino gambling is not the topic of this post however, but is an important question for MA to tackle for the safety and survival of the game.
The second reason, which I think is just as if not more problematic, is that this allows MA to hide actual player costs to play, i.e. MA's rake. Recently there has been regulations that force casinos and video games to post odds/EVs of their games publicly. Casinos that are properly regulated are made to be transparent about EVs to their players. Yet EU still is not transparent about actual player costs.
Consider a mental experiment: Would EU work if the multiplier system is taken away, and you get exactly what your expected value is for each mob? Yes it would, but MA would be forced to display to the player what their cost to play is.
Whatever the reason is for MA to continue to hide their fee/rake from the individual player, I question whether this obfuscation is ethical.
Some possible solutions would be to display expected value to individual players/MA's rake, or just remove the multiplier system altogether.
One main reason for having this type of system is promote player activity (hits provide a gambling-like aspect to the game that results in dopamine and the need to continue the activity). Whether EU qualifies as casino gambling is not the topic of this post however, but is an important question for MA to tackle for the safety and survival of the game.
The second reason, which I think is just as if not more problematic, is that this allows MA to hide actual player costs to play, i.e. MA's rake. Recently there has been regulations that force casinos and video games to post odds/EVs of their games publicly. Casinos that are properly regulated are made to be transparent about EVs to their players. Yet EU still is not transparent about actual player costs.
Consider a mental experiment: Would EU work if the multiplier system is taken away, and you get exactly what your expected value is for each mob? Yes it would, but MA would be forced to display to the player what their cost to play is.
Whatever the reason is for MA to continue to hide their fee/rake from the individual player, I question whether this obfuscation is ethical.
Some possible solutions would be to display expected value to individual players/MA's rake, or just remove the multiplier system altogether.