*** Geek Alert: Please don't bother reading if you are not a computer geek ***
Having spent a lot of time recently playing AO, and having played EQ back in the day, I have come to a few realizations about MMORPGs.
1. There is in fact no "role playing" in MMORPGs. This is not because people do not speak to each other in character ("ho there! Well met fine ranger!") or because players are largely focused on gathering items as opposed to prestige or knowledge, but rather because there is no story. The lack of a story to push characters out of the inn, give them meaning for their "camping" the dungeons, and pull them on towards clear goals makes for an unavoidably vacuous experience.
2. The "massive" in MMORPG is refering to the shocking number of people who desire what I can only describe as twitch gaming for the cerebral set. The insanely tight challenge-reward cycle that drives all MMORPG combat (aka core gameplay) creates a low intensity, but high frequency, feeling of value and success. There is little difference between a player at level 1 from a player at level 100, since the overwhelming focus of these games is combat. Fighting rats differs from fighting Supreme Overlords of the Chaos Dimension only in one's ability to take and dish out damage.
3. I am eagerly awaiting a hybrid of traditional CRPGS and MMORPGS wherein I am offered the potential to start a 1st level character, and follow a Baldur's Gate (or at least Icewind Dale) grade plotline for a long stretch, say perhaps a month or two, and then move on to a different area/world/continent/island/dimension with the same character to engage in a new adventure. I want a beginning and an end. I just want the end to come at the end of a year of play, instead of a few weeks (BG, IWD) or never (EQ, AO, etc.)
Sadly, I think we have many many more years of my first sentence.
Posted by Matt at December 4, 2003 03:56 PMArr AO has a huge story line I mean.
Posted by: d0g_p00p at December 5, 2003 11:15 PMI have to disagree. EQ has *HUGE* storyline in it. You have just not played enough to know that.
The problem is camps. I know as you do the camps are what is the money maker. I played EQ for 2 years, I seen what they can do to get your money. I gave up on the game when I had to do a weeik long camp with a random spawn, and it was not a "choice" item. It was *required* for mew class.
People (and that includes you Matt) have these misconceptions that the makers of the game, want you to have fun and have a sense of joy and happyness to making it to level 60 and getting your (insert item here) in reality, you are cold hard cash to them and they can care less about your *fun*
This is the problems with ORPGS. They want you to keep *paying* to gain your level and whatnot. There is TONS of "role playing" in the game if you look for it. I myself hate it. I hate talking to a *RPGer* and hearing "welcome, fellow monk. glad to meet you and how is the fair maden doing?" You can eat a fat one and what not.
In general, you know this. ORPGs, its all about money. EQ banks in MILLIONS per month, and every type of ORPG wants this money. It will never end, and it will continue forever.
I play the game and have fun doing it. I know what FC wants from me, and who cares. I understand the limitations and work with it;.
The game is enjoyable to me. I don't mind spending the cash to have fun (thanks matt, I enjoy it more thank you think)and I live with the problmes.
I am sorry, got off on a rant so now it's over.
Posted by: d0g_p00p at December 5, 2003 11:08 PM