In-Game Achievement System
This was originally going to be about adding some more Xbox 360 achievements...but I decided to go a different route. Though I'd still like more Xbox 360 achievements. =P
I'm a person that likes goals. I may not be better than people, but I work hard. I like to set goals. I also like rewards, whether it's the little FF fanfare I get when I level up, or a fancy new piece of gear. But what happens when you're at a point that you get less and less rewards? You become less interested in the game. An achievement system would be a good way to keep people interested.
Now I know what you're thinking:
"Achievements artificially inflate the length of the game!"
I think you forget that the goal of the business is to keep customers. If they give you a little nibble every so often, you're more likely to keep going to get more. Too long between nibbles? You're going elsewhere.
"Achievements are annoying and stupid and provide nothing for me!"
So don't do them. Nothing should be forced onto someone. It's just a little something extra to work towards.
"Consider the items you get as your incentive to continue!"
No. I'm bored and don't have the attention span to work as hard for one item as some people do. You give me a little shiny action every so often, I'll be happy.
"Oh boy, I got an achievement for hitting level 10! That's retarded and everyone can get it!"
Again, this is why achievements exist. To keep the people that may be less interested in some things have something to do.
"This is just another thing players can judge me by!"
I can't make predictions about what the players will expect of people with this. It really depends on what kind of achievements are made. I would expect a wide variety of achievements, from easy stuff like leveling to hard stuff like relics/mythics/empyreans. If players start expecting you to have achievements for having a full set of empyrean +2 gear, I apologize. That's their decision though, and it's not unlike just /checking someone.
But yeah. Gimme some achievements. Keep me attracted! D=