What comes after level 40?

[Atashi Toshihiko]

When my friends first got me to try 7Seas fishing, I started with the demo rod - I know enough about RL fishing to know that it's not really my thing. Still, it seemed kind of fun and sociable in SL, so after my 5 casts, I splurged on a Casual rod. Got a few fish (was VERY impressed by how well made they were, considering they are sort of Free!) then noticed my friends were having fun with levelling-up, so I ditched the Casual rod and got a Pro rod...

At that point, Level 5 seemed like a huge challenge, but it was a goal to strive for. Then after that, I wanted to catch all the SURs, and that seemed like a good difficult task. By the time I got all the SURs, I was doing pretty good with the levels, and suddenly the mythical Level 40 no longer seemed like an insurmountable challenge suitable only for those extremely dedicated and skilled individuals (like the ones who tackle Everest or the Iditarod)...

Now that I'm here though... I am wondering what's next? I look at the Hall of Fame and see people going higher and higher in XP, and I am wondering, what motivates / drives people to keep at it?

There've been some suggestions like badges etc, and personally I'd be pleased if there were some new challenges, like eg. every 50,000 points is a new 'bonus level', or star, or letter or something. 40, 40A, 40B, 40C; or 40, 40 Bronze, 40 Silver, 40 Gold, 40 Diamond; that sort of thing. I get that the levels are coded into the rods themselves, and it wouldn't be fair to suddenly make the levels go up to 100 etc, but having some kind of new goals above and beyond 50,000XP would be cool, I think.

Cheers!

-Atashi

[Seven Shikami]

The theory goes that there's four types of gamers out there. (Some are a mix of multiple types.) Here's what we do for them in 7Seas. I'm thinking you're gonna want to look at #1 here...

1. Achievers - These guys want to level up, to get new titles, to unlock the Hall of Fame, to win contests, to get medals, to earn trophies, etc. For them, once you get past the Hall of Fame, the XP itself becomes the "level"... who can unstead Shadada Shan, for instance? Also, fishing contests are key here, including the new types like Bounty Hunts. They give Achievers more things to Achieve. In the end, though, it's physically impossible to provide an unending stream of things to Achieve, so it's up to them to decide when they've achieved "enough".

2. Explorers - They want knowledge about the game; what the stats are, how it works, where the best fishing spots are, etc. They're first in line to get new customs at fishing areas and they follow the forums and news announcements carefully so they can stay in the loop and meet their goals of maximizing their fishing lore. New catches, new areas, and new things to do to expand their exploration of the game are what they want.

3. Socializers - For them, it's less about what tasks you accomplish and more about who they're with. 7Seas is an innatel social game; it requires very little attention and you can chat between castings, meet new people, visit new fishing areas, etc. 7Seas Social Chat, our SL group, is devoted to serving the needs of these folks by bringing together people who enjoy fishing and helping them communicate with each other.

4. Casuals - They aren't quite as devoted as the other three. They don't care what they achieve, or how much they know, and aren't really that interested in being a deep rooted community member. They just wanna fish and have some fun now and then alongside their other activities. 7Seas is simple to pick up and play, and casuals arguably get the best of all worlds because everything becomes new to them; they won't catch every fish so each one they get is interesting and different, they won't burn out on contests because they only participate now and then in impromptus, etc. For them the key is to remove the barriers between them and fun, make it quick and easy to pick up and put down.