Developers Corner

What you described above is more of a "Concept".... it shouldn't really be in the programming forum, not that anyone cares, no one comes in here anyway...

If you do a wipe, it might look something like this....

....
#include <libsqlitewrapped.h>

...

public void killEveryone()
{
char YN;
Database db("TheGameDataBase.db");
Query q(db);

cout << "Do you want to wipe everyone from the database?" << endl;
cin >> YN;

if (YN == 'N')
{
cout << "Oops... too late" << endl;
cout << " :( " << endl << endl;
}

cout << "This is the way the world ends" << endl;
cout << "FULL PLAYER DELETION" << endl;
cout << "\n\t\t" << "Muuhahahahah !!!!!" << "endl";

// Assuming that the database is set up this way...

q.execute("DELETE * FROM PlayerListTable");
q.execute("DELETE * FROM PlayerGearTable");
q.execute("DELETE * FROM PlayerStatsTable");
q.execute("DELETE * FROM PlayerQuestCompletionTable");

q.execute("DELETE * FROM BankedItemsTable");
q.execute("DELETE * FROM SaleItemsTable");
q.execute("DELETE * FROM DroppedItemsTable");

cout << "I am Death, destroyer of worlds" << endl;
cout << "What\'s done is done" << endl;
cout << "When all is said and done, at the last, Death too must die";

}

Sorry, couldn't resist :)

DROP DATABASE thegamedatabase.db;

As a concept, having the middle be what expands is a great idea. I don't know if wiping is really the answer. People don't like to lose their chars... I really think games should have some sort of epic final story quest that closes the book on your character though. Like they go out in a blaze of glory, or get super rich and go off and retire, or just get old. Something to that effect. Personally I've never been high level, although at 37 on LOTRO I am very close to high level. At least I would be close if I played more than once a week lol. But I, like you, tend to get bored once I hit the mid range. I tend to only enjoy a game while I am still learning how it all works, with my PROGRAMMING based mind, once I feel like I have it figured out, it doesn't offer much to me.

I only game as research for my PROGRAMMING skills.

Well,

This really is a design flaw common to most mmos.  Check out Mabinogi.   They have a pretty interesting system that influances veteran players to revisit 'lowbie' areas. 

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Originally posted by Jixx
Well,
This really is a design flaw common to most mmos. Check out Mabinogi. They have a pretty interesting system that influances veteran players to revisit 'lowbie' areas.

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Yeah I agree, I think wiping the entire game is a bad idea. People don't want to feel like their hard work is for nothing, and wiping will just make them feel like nothing they do matters at all. The better plan is to do either a reciprocal system where players are encouraged to replay older content (but not repeatedly within a short time), or a system where their things can be destroyed by other players or marauding NPCs, which can give them a reason to build it back up and continue playing.

Reproduction acts and real death.

How about that?

If, instead of a wipe you could constantly open new servers, that would have the same effect the OP is looking for, a fresh start.

It's fun to start off the game, and there aren't a bunch of Maxed out toons already running around, and the economy hasn't already experienced mudflation, where noobs are running around twinked and carrying the ultimate sword of destruction.

Perhaps the occaisional server merge, to make room for opening up a fresh server.

solution: permadeath

http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/grimfall/112007/758_10-New-Things-My-MMORPG-Will-Have

Number 6.