Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t MMORPGs supposed to be huge dynamic worlds where anything and everything could happen. Yet instead it seems that they are becoming just like single player RPGs, except you can play along with friends. Think about it. In a single player RPG, you create a character out of a half dozen or so choices and then build them to become the type of warrior, mage or whatever else you want. When you start the game there is a beginning and end, with a few hundred quests in between, some part of the main storyline some optional. Now stop me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t that sound like nearly all the MMORPGs that have come out over the last few years? There are obviously a few exceptions to this, but for the most part they are.
You start your character and complete quests to get XP and since quests give you the most XP players tend to do all the quests possible to level up quickly. Now by doing all these quests you are following a straight line, go here and do this. Go here and bring this back, go deliver this. Nothing dynamic about this at all. Yes you can choose if you want to skip a quest and in what order you do the quests, but the main point is that everyone is doing basically all the same quests. Everyone is basically playing a single player RPG online with a few hundred other people at the same time.
Now once you complete all the quests and reach the level limit at least now the game should become more dynamic, and it does for many games. However it only does if your playing a MMORPG with PvP. If your playing a game that does not offer this than you are stuck in a lifeless linear game, nothing to do except what the developers tell you to do. Yes you can chat and explore where ever you want, but you are confined to what the developers allow you to do. Once you have completed the game and maxed your character out, theres really nothing to do except start a new character or play a different game until an expansion or patch with new content is released. Sorry, just not my thing.
However most RPGs do have some PvP which offers some dynamic interaction. Fighting against other real people offers a much greater challenge to gamers which enhances the game play. However even todays PvP are watered down. You can’t loot, no penalty for PK and no penalty for dying. Basically it has become bragging rights. “Haha I pwn u”. Again there are games out there that are exceptions to this, but most of them are many years old at this point. There really hasn’t been a new MMORPG that has taken PvP to the next level and we desperately need one.
Play EVE.
Your game is out there, log in and I’ll see you in Jita.
Uh… it’s called EVE online
As I said in the post, there are exceptions, Eve definitely being one of them. I tried Eve out using the 14 day free trial, but it was way to complicated for me. I played about 5 hrs worth and still had no clue what I was doing so I gave up.
The problem with non-linear games comes in lack of direction. Not that there can’t be direction /without/ being so linear but doing so in such a straight fashion definitely saves programming time, money and gets the game out faster.
It’s all about money, after all. Designers know people will pay to play these games, in the hopes of finding ‘the one’. Why? Because MMOs are no longer niche games as they were in the beginning and in the days of UO/Everquest.
In my mind, my ideal MMO would allow for the good-ol’ finding quests through rumors whispered in taverns, pieces of maps found of dusty tombs, wandering across villages and towns in travels.
Personally, I want to be able to take up shop if I want to and be a baker, farmer, etc. I want to be able to live the life of a nomad, wandering across the countries in search of adventure and treasure. I want choice and freedom to do what I see as fun in a game.
But until developers create for the gamers themselves and NOT for the bottom dollar, you won’t see such in an MMO.
And in EVE’s credit, it is a very open and expansive game. However, the control scheme is daunting for me personally, as is the whole stock market thing. EVE is a game of politics and industry and unless those two things appeal to you, you’re really just out of your league in it.
Yeah they really do not hanle Level/XP right in MMOs. Take a look at Mass Effect it uses a Level/XP progression system yet I am free to explore the universe and do any quest I want at will. I am no stuck following a linear path per se (well maybe along main quest but you get my gist I hope).
About EVE, EVE/CCP should probably jsut get rid of the 14 day trial. I didnt get anywhere in the trial either. But luckily I valued the good things I heard bout it on forums and registered anyway. Was blown away once I really gave it a chance. much better then most MMOs out there.
What EVE Online does was pretty awesome and its alarming its pretty much the only current MMO we have in this niche (besides Asian MMOs in regards to more ‘hardcore’ PVP)
What Amanda says really rings a bell for me:
“Amanda
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:38 am
…Personally, I want to be able to take up shop if I want to and be a baker, farmer, etc. I want to be able to live the life of a nomad, wandering across the countries in search of adventure and treasure. I want choice and freedom to do what I see as fun in a game.
But until developers create for the gamers themselves and NOT for the bottom dollar, you won’t see such in an MMO…”
This helped clarify why I get so sick of grinding, and most mmo’s today.
I’d like to add that I think they are creating mmo’s that are ‘blockbusters’ like a movie that’s much hyped, special effects, looks very promising… but falls flat when watched.
I’ve played EQ, WOW, EQ2, and many shorter forays into ‘blockbuster’ games.
but, the best game I’ve ever played was Morrowind, Elder Scrolls III, where it really was like Amanda described: as a wanderer, finding clues anywhere in a vast open world. That and the player expansions had me playing Morrowind for 1.5 years. hehe.
Now, about PVP, this only works if you are young and still need to prove yourself: bragging rights. helps to be male.
PVP is the easy, cheap way for developers to add to the game.
Bad news it it ruins the PVE part. due to ‘rebalancing’ the classes. Ha! YES, LETS NERF EVERYONE. so they’ll all leave and we’ll get a new crop of suckers to pay for this game. and do it one class at a time so it is an ongoing thing…
For me, Developers can take their “blockbuster”, PVP’d, 7 day wonder games and SHOVE THEM.