Not really a suggestion, not really a true counter theory debunking the effectiveness/lack of effectives of old school points:
Achievements vs. Shop - Shop plays nice with rewards, achievements plays nice with placement.
Example: Eat ice cream = get reward = Shop. Place money for ice cream in front of you next time you use Point Motivator = add reward = Achievement. Different receiving point of reward, different effect on the brain.
Mechanic difference: Achievements are auto-spent but then are told. Shops are spent.
Point of No Return vs. Immortality - Point of No Return is good for pressure/reminder. Immortality is good for creativity.
Example: Do homework adds points vs. manage to insert extra homework in-between tough schedule flattens graph/resets points.
Mechanic difference: Point of No Return is what Point Motivator currently is. Immortality is:
One of the paper’s authors, Ferdinando Boero, likened the Turritopsis to a butterfly that, instead of dying, turns back into a caterpillar. Another metaphor is a chicken that transforms into an egg, which gives birth to another chicken.
http://www.nytimes.c...mmortality.html?_r=0Race vs. Rounds: Races need good starts regardless of sprints or marathons. Good for checking off lists. Rounds need upheaval. Not quite failure vs. success or maintenance but tempo setting. Often works well for training and reducing crashes.
Example: Lift weights works well for a regular gym visitor. (Someone with regular salary and stable location) Maintain fitness standard works better for a lesser disciplined constantly stressed out user.
Mechanic Difference: Races add points. More points = more mileage. Rounds can be everything from board game/card game game by game strategy to colored priorities to intensity. Using only numbers but keeping with value rather than time, points are based on sets or stages. You don't get a point for lifting weights if you don't completely complete the sub-tasks underneath the master list but the entry disappears.
Log vs. Locks Log is good for safety. Lock is good for stress.
Example: Reading that you ate a cookie helps regulate your next few days of eating habits but not being able to access the log unless you regularly "logged back in" helps make you want to read the logs.
Mechanic difference: Logs show. Locks show only when unlocked.
