作者：Andrzej Marczewski

我自己曾经说过，“如今的游戏化其实就是对于外部刺激的巴甫洛夫反应。”很多人都会使用奖励去鼓励人们做某事，就像给小狗一些小点心让它做出翻滚动作。

奖励是有效的。

并不是说奖励没有功效，只是对于很多人来说光有奖励是不够的，特别是当他们未好好计划奖励时。

最近我听到的使用奖励的最佳方式便是完全随机派发。不用说了，在适当的环境下随机奖励总是能有效吸引人们的注意。例如在赌场或酒吧里玩老虎机。这并不需要太多技巧，也没有任何方法能够预测何时会把所有钱花光。这种奖励看似是随机的，但事实上它却不是。奖励之所以能够让人上瘾是因为他让对象知道自己的付出有可能得到回报。如果你投入了越多钱，你便越有可能获得回报。随机性并不是等同于你付出了多少就一定能够获得回报。而数字奖励因为没有足够的意义或价值，所以不可能基于同样的方式运行。在赌场，我会努力抓住机会去赢取回报，而这与“喜欢100页”的奖励是不同的。

回到玩家的旅程

player journey（from gamasutra）

我们该如何有效地利用奖励？让我们着眼于玩家旅程图表。我们在此使用的是Amy Jo Kim的玩家旅程图表，其中共包含三个主要阶段，即适应，习惯养成以及精通。而奖励真正能够起到帮助的是在适应过程，以及在习惯养成的某个阶段。

reward schedule（from gamasutra）

我们可以看到，在图中的一些点上成就具有很好的功效。

大多数人在进入一个新系统时都需要一定的指导。而当他们开始学习系统时，奖励能够帮助他们进一步巩固所学到的内容。当他们真正进入系统时，你需要给予一定的欢迎奖励。因为通常情况下最困难的便是迈出第一步，所以你需要恭喜并感谢他们这么做。

在他们获得一些新的成就时，给予满满的鼓励。明确你所感受到的行动和成就非常重要，如此用户也会感受到它们的重要性。在用户旅程中很重要的一点便是提供有意义或有效的奖励。在公司的适应阶段，你需要给予那些为游戏化系统做出一定贡献的玩家奢侈品奖励（游戏邦注：如iPad）。不过你也需要谨慎地使用这一方法，要记得我们的真正目标是实现高质量的工作而不只是提供奖励。

当你开始经历习惯养成阶段时，奖励和成就也能够在某些方面强化用户开发过程，但是随着用户技能的加强，奖励也就变得更加稀缺了。而当他们到达精通阶段时（或至少知道自己正在做什么），我们便更加不需要使用奖励了。

不要得意忘形

我们很容易因为成就和奖励而得意忘形，即基于用户无意义的任务而提供给他们大量无意义的奖励。我们必须告诉用户他们为何会得到某种奖励。如果是因为他们完成了训练课程，那就必须在适当的时机告诉他们。如果是因为他们待在系统中12个月了，也请让他们知道。因为如果用户在获得奖励后却不知道是为何得到它时便会非常沮丧。同时如果别人告诉你自己得到了一个奖励，但是却不说明原因，这也会很烦恼——如果你搞不清楚为何别人能够获得奖励而自己却不能，你便会很受挫。

奖励忠诚度

人们的忠诚度总是很善变。我们必须意识到并感谢用户所给予的这种忠诚度，特别是对于那些长期维持的忠诚度。如果用户在几个月甚至几年后仍尾随着你，请大声地说出你的感谢。而更好的回报方式便是提供给他们一些有意义的内容。有些人喜欢个人感觉，也有些人希望将其挂在墙壁上战士。不管怎样，我们都必须记住当前的用户而不只是新用户—-这也是手机产业长期以来所吸引的经验教训。

《使命召唤》和随机性

我们也不能忘记随机性。在奖励计划中也应该考虑到这一点。大多数人都喜欢惊喜，而随机性会让人们产生“哇，我想知道自己接下来会获得什么”的想法。我们必须确保奖励是面向所有人，并且也需要提供一些方法让人们知道接下来会出现什么。就像在《使命召唤：黑色行动2》中我们便可以同时看到奖励使用的合理性与不合理性。

当你在玩多人游戏时，你将会因为杀死敌人的次数以及帮助同伴的次数等等而获得定期的奖励。其实这种方法较为无情，并且对于大多数玩家来说也是无意义的。

但是有时候玩家也会因此而备受鼓励。特别是在这种奖励是呈现于玩家的分数或分数板上时—-即告诉其他玩家自己在游戏中获得了某种程度的奖励。这具有一定的意义，并提升了玩家在游戏中的声誉。但是对于我来说最有用的还是获得新武器或者当前武器的升级。这并不是随机的，但是如果你不知道奖励是什么或者何时会出现，你也能够在看到它时产生惊喜感。如此开发者便能够根据自己的游戏类型去定制玩家，并在游戏中添加一种自由感。就像我所说的，这都是事先安排好的，并涉及到一定的成就水平，但是通常情况下你并不会对此报以期待，而它却能够推动着你更加努力地游戏以获得更大的奖励。

总结

1.欢迎用户：向用户介绍奖励并感谢他们迈出第一步——期待，用户粘性，不可预见性

2.鼓励与加强：使用成就和奖励去推动用户在系统早期阶段的表现——期待，任务不可预见性，意外，非任务不可预见性，固定间隔和可变间隔

3.稀缺：当继续基于同样的规律分发奖励时，我们将会因为用户获得更高的地位或技能而找不到合适的奖励。如果系统创建是合理的，我们就无需在用户精通系统时继续提供同样的奖励——期待，任务不可预见性，意外，非任务不可预见性，固定间隔和可变间隔。

4.奖励忠实用户：我们很容易忘记这点，但是我们却必须意识到长久的忠诚度。对于大多数人来说这些人都很棒，但是对于有些人来说这只是在炫耀自己的地位和名誉——期待，固定间隔

5.带来惊喜：我们可以以玩家猜不到的方式去提供有意义的奖励。尝试着通过提供一些会让他们开心或者具有用途的奖励而带去惊喜。不过这种方法的使用必须适度——意外，非任务不可预见性

我需要提醒一句，我们不应该使用奖励而强制把用户拉出无聊的阶段。如果你将侧重点放在获得奖励而不是奖励成就，你便会很快失去人们的信任。

奖励的功效并不持久，所以系统必须具有内在的用户粘性，并真正依靠于自己。我必须再次强调，一个糟糕的系统是不会因为奖励机制而发生任何改变。

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Rewards and Reward Schedules in Gamification

by Andrzej Marczewski

I also found myself saying in an email “Gamification at the moment is often nothing more than an attempt to elicit Pavlovian responses to external stimuli”. I know… how up myself does that sound – but it’s true.  The way many people are using rewards are as a way to encourage people to do things – like giving a dog a biscuit for rolling over on command

Rewards can Work.

That is not to say this can’t work, but for many there comes a point where that is not enough, especially if you don’t plan the rewards correctly.

I recently heard that the best way to use rewards is totally randomly.  It is understood that random rewards can become addictive in the right circumstances.  Take a slot machine in a casino or a pub.  There is not a great deal of skill needed to play one of those and there is almost no way of predicting when one will pay out.  The reward seems to be random.  However, it really isn’t.  What makes it addictive is the element of chance AND knowing that it actually will pay out – it has to eventually. The more money you pump in, the higher the chance that it will pay as well.  The randomness is not so much what gets you as the knowledge that it will pay eventually.  Digital rewards really can’t work quite the same way, there is no great meaning or value. In a casino I stand the chance to win my fortune, not really the same as the “Liked 100 pages” medal!

Back to Player Journey

So how can we make the most of rewards?  Well, let’s look at our player journey diagrams I introduced. Using Amy Jo Kim’s player journey as our metaphor here, there are three main phases. On boarding, Habit Building and Mastery.  Where rewards and points etc can really help is in the on boarding phase and to a certain extent the habit building phase.

As you can see, there are a few points where we can say that an achievement would seem to fit nicely.

Most people coming into a new system require a little hand holding. As they learn the system, rewards can act as re-enforcement to things that they have just learned.  When they come into the system, you give them some kind of welcome achievement.  Often the hardest thing is just walking through the door, so congratulate and thank them for it.

As they achieve something new, congratulate them. Recognise actions and achievements that you feel are important and that the user will feel is important. At key points in the user’s journey consider giving meaningful rewards or even useful ones. In an on boarding process in a company, consider only giving your employees luxuries (such as an iPad) if they have achieved certain things in your gamified system. Be a little careful with this though, remember we are looking for quality of work – not just work to get the reward.

As you go through the habit building phase rewards and achievements can still help to re-enforce key points in the user’s development, but should become scarcer as they get more skilled.  By the time they have reached mastery (or at least know what they are doing), there should be less and less need to use achievements at all.

Don’t get Carried Away

It is easy to get carried away with achievements and rewards, flooding the user with dozens of meaningless achievements for pointless tasks. it also helps to remember to tell the user why they have been given the achievement. If it was for completing a training course, make sure that it says that somewhere. If it is for being in the system for 12 months, let them know that.  It is often frustrating to get some kind of achievement and have no idea what it was for or how you got it. It is also annoying when talking to others and they tell you they got something but then can’t tell you how – it makes you feel left out if you don’t understand why someone else got something that you seemingly can’t get.

Reward Loyalty

People’s loyalty is a fickle thing. It is worth at least thanking them and recognising loyalty and especially longevity of loyalty. When they have been with you for x number of months or years, say thank you. Better still – give them something meaningful. Some will like the personal feel of this, others will see it as another trophy on the wall.  Either way, it is important to remember current users and not just the new ones – this is a lesson the mobile phone industry has taken a very long time to realise.

Call of Duty and Seeming Random

Let’s not forget randomness though. There is a place for it in a reward schedule. Most people love a surprise and it can help to give the “Oo, I wonder what I may get next” feeling. These rewards should be available to all and I would probably say that there should be some way to know what may be coming up, there are some who will want to know what may be coming next.  If we look at Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 we can see rewards done both well and terribly at the same time.

As you play the multiplayer game you get lots (and I mean lots) of regular achievements for number of kills, number of assists, number of this number of that and number of the other.  It is relentless and as such utterly meaningless to most players.

However, every now and again you will get a promotion. This is nice as it shows on your player record and on the score boards – showing others that you have achieved a certain level of accomplishment within the game (I refrain from the using the word skill).  It has some meaning and adds to your overall reputation in the game.  What really works for me though is when you get a new weapon or an upgrade to an existing one.  These are not random, but unless you read into what you get and when, it has the feeling of surprise when it happens and it is always welcome.  It allows you to customise your player further to match your style and adds to a feeling of freedom of expression within the game (autonomy if you will).  As I say, these are totally scheduled and relate to certain levels of achievement, but normally you are not expecting it and it certainly makes you want to play a bit more to get the next big gun.

Putting it Together

1.Welcome the user: Introduce the user to the fact rewards are in use and thank them for taking that first step. – Expected, Engagement Contingent

2.Encourage and Re-Enforce:  use achievements and rewards to help re-enforce the behaviours you are trying to encourage in the early stages of the user’s journey through the system. – Expected, Task Contingent, Unexpected, Non Task Contingent, fixed interval and variable interval

3.Scarcity: Continue this in a regular but limited way as they achieve higher status or skill within the system. If the system is built correctly, you should not need to continue with regular pats on the back once they have mastered it all. Expected, Task Contingent, Unexpected, Non Task Contingent, fixed interval and variable interval

4.Reward Loyalty: It is easy to forget this, but it is important to recognise longevity of loyalty.  For most it will be nice, for some it will be something to show off as part of their status and reputation. – Expected, Fixed Interval

5.Surprise them: As well as these, use meaningful rewards in ways that the user may not naturally be expecting.  Try to surprise them with things that may actually make them smile or things that may be of use to them. These can be used in moderation for as long as you want. – Unexpected, Non Task Contingent

One word of warning, rewards should not be used to try and “lift” people out of boring phases of their journey. If you switch the emphasis on working to get a reward away from getting a reward for achievements, you will quickly lose your employees trust.

Rewards can not last forever, there comes a time where the system has to stand on its own two feet and be intrinsically engaging. I’ve said it before and will say it again, a bad system can not be made better with points and badges – You can’t polish a turd.(source:gamasutra)