Crypto_Diva1

One of the interesting things about digital spaces is the idea of freedom the ability to move around create things or explore and talk to people without a lot of rules is what makes open-world environments much fun.
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‎Pixels seems to be about this idea at first.
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‎It gives players the feeling of being in control you get to decide what you want to do and how you want to do it or when you want to do it there are no paths that you have to follow and no things that you have to do.
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‎At least that is how it seems when you first start as you spend time playing Pixels you start to see another side of it a side that is not as obvious but is just as important structure.
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‎Because no system is completely free there are always some rules that you have to follow.
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‎In the most open environments there are things that guide how you behave.
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‎These things do not tell you what to do but they influence the choices you make.
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‎Over time they help you figure out what works best and what you like to do in Pixels the balance between freedom and structure is really interesting.
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‎On the surface you are free to do what you want you can farm or explore or talk to people or just exist in the world it is up to you.
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‎There is no pressure to do anything so it feels relaxed and easy to play.
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‎This makes it feel like the game is about you and what you want to do.
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‎Under the surface the system is guiding your behavior.
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‎Some things are more rewarding than others so you start to do those things often.
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‎Some ways of playing feel more effective so you start to play that way you start to do the things over and over again without even realizing it.
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‎Before you know it the freedom you had at the start to feel more like habit.
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‎This is not necessarily a thing.
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‎In fact it is what makes Pixels work.
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‎If you have much freedom and not enough structure you can get confused or feel like you do not know what to do.
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‎Players need some guidance even if they do not realize it structure provides that guidance. Not by telling you what to do by making some choices feel better than others.
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‎The hard part is finding the balance.
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‎If the structure is too strong the freedom starts to disappear or the game starts to feel like the thing over and over again and it gets boring.
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‎On the hand if the freedom is too much and there is not enough structure the game can feel empty.
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‎Pixels is right in the middle of this it lets players feel free it also guides them enough to keep the game interesting this balance is not always easy to keep it depends on how players play the game and how the game changes over time.
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‎Because players are not just sitting there they are trying to figure out how to play the game better they find patterns they use them to their advantage when they do the structure of the game becomes more obvious.
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‎What felt like freedom at the start can start to feel like you are just doing the thing over and over again.
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‎This creates an interesting situation the more you understand the game the less free it might feel at the same time understanding the game is what lets you play it better.
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‎So the question is not whether Pixels is about freedom or structure it is both.
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‎The real question is how each player experiences that balance and when one starts to be more important than the other because in the end freedom in worlds is not always what it seems it is designed to be a certain way and it is guided in ways that you might not even realize.
@Pixels #pixel $PIXEL

In games it is easy to see that we are making progress we level up unlock new items and get more resources.

We feel like we are moving ahead because we can see that we are getting better this is what most people mean when they talk about progress there is something else that people do not think about as much progression.

The difference between progress and progression is really important progress is when we get better at something because our numbers are going up or progression is when we have experiences and things change.

At first progress and progression seem like the thing.

For example when we play Pixels we start by learning the basics like farming and managing resources.

As time goes on we get faster and better at these things.

Our routine becomes smoother we can do things more efficiently that is progress but we have to ask ourselves.

Is the game really are we just getting better at playing it the same way?

If the game is still the same then we are not really progressing we are just getting better at doing the things.

The Comfort of Doing the Same Thing.

One reason we like to do the things over and over is that it feels good.

When we do something times and get better at it our brain thinks we are improving we feel like we are in control we can do things easily.

Pixels is a game that makes it easy for us to do the things over and over.

It helps us get into a routine and feel like we are good at the game.

Feeling comfortable can be a problem.

If a game is too easy to play it can stop us from progressing we might feel like we are moving forward really we are just doing the same things over and over just faster and more efficiently.

Where Real Progression Starts

Real progression happens when something changes not when we get better at something but when we have new experiences.

It happens when we do things differently try things instead of doing the same old things.

Break our own habits.

In words progression requires us to try new things and change.

This is not always easy.

Because games are designed to be stable progression requires change Pixels is a game that's in the middle of this on one side it has a routine that rewards us for doing the things on the side it is part of a bigger world that is still changing and evolving.

This creates a situation where progression is not always easy we have to make it happen ourselves.

The Risk of Getting Confused

If we think that progress and progression are the thing we might feel stuck even if we are doing more things this is not a problem with the game it is a problem with how we play games.

We tend to get better at things before we try things.

If we want to keep playing a game for a long time we need to have new experiences and feel like we are discovering new things.

A Bigger View

This idea is not about Pixels it is about all digital games it shows us a pattern in games where games are designed to keep us playing but not always to change and evolve with us.

The new Web3 world has the potential to change this because it is not a world it is a world that is always changing and evolving.

It has things like ownership and economy and community-driven dynamics these things can create ways for us to progress if they are designed and used correctly.

Pixels might seem like a game but it makes us think about how we measure progress in digital games.

Are we really moving forward?

Are we just getting better at doing the same things?

Because in the end real growth is not about doing things it is about becoming a different person.
@Pixels #pixel $PIXEL

When we think about competition in games we usually think about things we can see leaderboards rankings scores or direct battles between players this kind of competition is easy to understand you know where you stand and who you are competing against.
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‎There is another kind of competition.
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‎In places like Pixels people start to compete in a way this competition is subtle and quiet it is not always on the screen it is there in everything players do we can call this competition.
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‎At first playing Pixels feels like you are playing alone you do things at your pace you farm you explore you build or there is no pressure from players it feels calm.
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‎Something else is happening under the surface lots of people are doing the same things you are doing they are thinking about the things they are trying to be more efficient they are investing time this creates a kind of tension this kind of competition is different from the kind you do not see the players but you feel like they are there you feel them because of the way the game is changing or you see that some people are better than you.
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‎This changes how people play.
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‎Of paying attention to other players people start to focus on themselves they try to do things they try to be more consistent they compare themselves to how they could be playing if they were better in a way the game makes competition about what's going on in your mind.
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‎This is a challenge.
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‎When you cannot see the competition it feels like it will never end there is no finish line you always think that someone else might be doing more or doing better this can motivate players it can make them tired.
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‎Pixels is a place where this kind of competition happens it is a place where people can play without feeling like they have to compare themselves to others all the time it is also a place where people can feel pressure in a quieter way.
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‎Is this kind of system better for players?
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‎It is good because it does not make you feel bad if you are not the best. You can focus on your game it is also bad because it makes you feel pressure in a way that is hard to understand when competition is invisible it does not go away.
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‎It just moves into your mind.
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‎That is really interesting.
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‎Pixels might look like a game but it is actually creating a new kind of competition you are not just competing with players.
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‎You are always trying to be better than you were before.
@Pixels #pixel $PIXEL