Back in the day before the internet and online games, we enjoyed the single player RPG. We took our times leveling, exploring, making sure we didn’t miss anything important. As our character’s leveled we experimented with different skills and attribute points, unsure if what we were doing was the best for our character. If we were able to continue the game, clear out dungeons and beat bosses we figured we were doing pretty good. And if we couldn’t then we would just hang around killing MOBs until we were a high enough level to continue the game. Back then the point of the game depended on the gamer. Some people were content to beating the storyline while others wanted to show off their characters might by being able to dominate any in game character or boss, whether it be enemy or friend. I was the ladder. I would level my character and get the best items possible until there was no one left in the game I couldn’t beat. When I did beat an RPG, I would almost never replay it, with the exception of FF7 and Zelda.
There were books to guide us, but they weren’t free or instantly accessible, plus there was more of a taboo about using gaming guides then there is today. I know I would call any of my friends cheaters if they ever admitted to using a gaming guide to beat an RPG. Hell, I didn’t even like helping them if they asked me for help, you gotta figure it out on your own buddy.
Today the single player RPG is on its last legs with most studios taking a shot at their own MMO title. It’s no argument that MMO’s have revolutionized the RPG and perhaps even saved it from the slow death adventure games are currently in. But the difference is great.
Today replaying an MMORPG from scratch is nothing to brag about as nearly everyone has a least one alt character. There’s not more guessing on how to spend your skill or attribute points. If we don’t know we go online and lookup whatever type of character we’re building and see exactly where we should put our points in order to make the best character possible. Not only do we use guides to tell us where to put our points, we use them to tell us what weapons and armor to wear and where to get them. Unless you bought a guide, you would never know whether your equipment was the best in the single player RPG.
It also seems that gamers are in more of rush these days. Aside from the early quests I know today I almost never read the quests description. I merely get my quest, look at the goals and follow the little arrow on my radar to tell me where to go. The magic from playing a RPG seems to have faded away towards more statistics and grinding. Your no longer playing to beat the game, we all know were going to beat the game, so there’s no sense of accomplishment when we do, what gamers now want is to have the baddest ass character on the server. Which there’s absolutely nothing wrong with. I do to.