Hey all ~
(Note: This only about games where pet age affects gameplay.)
Some pet sites, especially older ones, run continuously regardless of player activity. Players on breaks or vacation may return to find their pets hungry, neglected, or even dead. Other sites can "freeze" pets, i.e. through manual account locking or player-initiated rollovers.
It's good when devs recognize players are real people playing for fun. A real dog is a responsibility, but a virtual one shouldn't be.
That said, the "freezing" systems I've seen so far do have some cons.
If pets don't age during player absence, family trees/pedigrees get messed up. Offspring older than their parents, elderly pets with newborn littermates... I don't think that's ideal for a comprehensive breeding sim.
And lack of incentive can lead to player disengagement. If it makes no difference to log in today or in six months, players may not return after an intended break for a long time. Again, players shouldn't be penalized or unable to catch up, but zero incentive may be too little?
So, my question to you is: What do you think would be a good way to keep the game "living" (pets age up, retire/die at old age, etc.) without making players feel punished for being absent?
