Quote:Original post by dontstopdreaming
I find that the feeling of purpose in MMORPG's could be created by first creating a really challenging world! And everyone has to stick together in order to survive.

Problem: this isn't fun. I would avoid a game like that like the plague. Other people are obnoxious, who wants to be forced to work with them 24/7 in what's supposed to be a relaxing recreational activity?

Quote:Original post by Rahl
If you play an MMORPG, you should group with other people. I find it funny when people whine when there aren't solo features. If you want to play solo, play an RPG.

That's a pretty close-minded point of view. Most people enjoy group play some of the time, when they are in the mood, but don't enjoy it all or even most of the time. You think as soon as a person isn't in the mood for group play they should switch games? Ridiculous. The great thing about MMOs is that they are not single-faceted; an MMO should provide a virtual world in which the player can chose from a variety of activities both social and non-social. Any world lacks depth if it has no room for solo play.

Quote:Original post by sunandshadow

Quote:Original post by dontstopdreaming
I find that the feeling of purpose in MMORPG's could be created by first creating a really challenging world! And everyone has to stick together in order to survive.

Problem: this isn't fun. I would avoid a game like that like the plague. Other people are obnoxious, who wants to be forced to work with them 24/7 in what's supposed to be a relaxing recreational activity?

I'd like a game like this. Of course, it still needs a lot of work. By simply adding player driven quests and player controlled towns, the game can cater to both soloists and group players. A bit like Majesty, a mayor could put bounties for certain boss or a pay to players who accomplish tasks like killing baddies or sticking in an area to defend it. A soloist could log on, see where the cash is and go there without a group. There may or may not be other players there and the soloist may or may not get steamrolled by a random orc invasion. However, you'd need a group to take out an orc outpost to stop the orc progression, liberate resources and allow the players to progress in the game world just like you need a group to get epic loot in WoW.

The key to this idea is the world and your character are not immortal. When everything is conquered, that's it and the whole process start again. Otherwise, the game becomes stale and nothing interesting ever happens. To compensate, some bonuses can be given to veterans who proved themselves worthy in the previous world. Something like unique abilities, permanent stat bonuses or unique clothes. It requires a drastic change from the "grind and get better" approach WoW and every other MMORPG is using, but it could work as a niche game.

Quote:Original post by Tiblanc

Quote:Original post by sunandshadow

Quote:Original post by dontstopdreaming
I find that the feeling of purpose in MMORPG's could be created by first creating a really challenging world! And everyone has to stick together in order to survive.

Problem: this isn't fun. I would avoid a game like that like the plague. Other people are obnoxious, who wants to be forced to work with them 24/7 in what's supposed to be a relaxing recreational activity?

I'd like a game like this. Of course, it still needs a lot of work. By simply adding player driven quests and player controlled towns, the game can cater to both soloists and group players. A bit like Majesty, a mayor could put bounties for certain boss or a pay to players who accomplish tasks like killing baddies or sticking in an area to defend it. A soloist could log on, see where the cash is and go there without a group. There may or may not be other players there and the soloist may or may not get steamrolled by a random orc invasion. However, you'd need a group to take out an orc outpost to stop the orc progression, liberate resources and allow the players to progress in the game world just like you need a group to get epic loot in WoW.

The key to this idea is the world and your character are not immortal. When everything is conquered, that's it and the whole process start again. Otherwise, the game becomes stale and nothing interesting ever happens. To compensate, some bonuses can be given to veterans who proved themselves worthy in the previous world. Something like unique abilities, permanent stat bonuses or unique clothes. It requires a drastic change from the "grind and get better" approach WoW and every other MMORPG is using, but it could work as a niche game.

I could see that as a niche game, but I wouldn't personally be in that niche market. I'd prefer to see the game kept from getting stale by the use of interactive story gameplay (which is of course primarily solo content); playing the game a second or third time would be quite different because the game would show a different face to an avatar which made different story-related choices.

I personally prefer my MMO play to be about 85% solo, 15% multiplayer, and the multiplayer content to consist mainly of chatting (both rp and non), trading, and pug multiplayer minigames (including dungeons and pvp under this category). And I strongly prefer my characters to be immortal and protected from being steamrolled.

Hmm to me mmo is part of my life. Since i was introduced to mmos at 98/99 i have only played mmo games.

sunandshadow: Just wondering according to your play style why even bother playing mmo? whats the point. All that you can get from any game with multi-player support.


To me mmo is a world like any fictional world. A world with new rules, new contacts, new personalities to explore exploit and make footprint for my self.
Having an effect on the world and their players is for me very important.

Once explored once i understand most of the mechanics and usally get tierd of a game like Aion or WoW.
The one game i never really got tierd of was AC mostly because during thouse first years the developers where very very good with updating changing the world
having events that involved many people. Having town criers calling out about new adventures to find each new patch. It made you involve your self in the world and you became a part of it. Thay also had a very short tutorial. But instead made it so that if an other played adopted you as his vassel he would teach you the game while gaining benefit from having you as a vasssel.

But today in say wow you don't need to approach any other player till you are 80 and once you reach 80 you will probably be bored and or have missed most the fun parts of mmo anyway. I mean why play those glorified single player games with integrated multi player support? I mean even in new expansion of WoW me and my girlfriend got separated because we had progressed a quest at different speeds. she couldn't see me and i her even though geographically we stood beside each other.

Same goes for all those games calling them self mmo nowadays. Nowadays the definition of an MMO game is a lobby server with instanced games. Redicilus.

If the story is about the player then just make a single player game.


The main difference between all these different games "mmos" like wow and aion and games like diablo, cs and a game i would call REAL MMO is that in a real MMO the story isnt prewritten. The Story is ongoing and living, directed, but you can change it. Same goes for the world. Once a uberleet boss is dead he isn't a threat anymore hence he is dead for everyone. The ones who killed him is entwined into the story and the world. through developer updates and acknowledgment from npc's and such in the world. And the world is ever chaning. Creatures migrate lands terraform disasters happened towns destroyed rivers redirected lands and countries ever changing. All this by having the player as a nobody. When you start the game out you are a nobody and unless you choose to take part in the world you will still be a nobody. While the warlords conquering lands and leading armies against foul demons get the attention for their real world skills and leadership. The sage guiding newbies in the starting villages will get well known and respected by their peers long after he stops playing. Regardless the same should support the way you want to play. solo / pk / team / leader / crafter and so on. But the main focus should be that you are a nobody and none cares about you until you have made an effort to get recognized.

Why dosnt any of the number of MMO's we see today really make use of the Presistant world they are blessed with?

So in short
MMOS for me is about exploring and fun. Games should be fun. If a game isnt fun i dont play it.


Sorry for a long and messy post.
-Athos

Quote:Original post by Athos
Hmm to me mmo is part of my life. Since i was introduced to mmos at 98/99 i have only played mmo games.

sunandshadow: Just wondering according to your play style why even bother playing mmo? whats the point. All that you can get from any game with multi-player support.

Please name a few games which deliver all that because I'm not aware of any. But, the essential part is the community, I mean there's no point getting awesome-looking clothes and a mount if no one sees them, there's no point thinking about economics and strategy if you can't discuss them with anyone else. One's roleplay identity within the world means more in the context of other players' shared imaginings, and one's feats of beating a boss, soloing a dungeon, finishing a quest, have meaning in the context that higher level players have done them before you and have nostalgia about it, while lower level players anticipate doing in the future and are impressed that you did it because they can't yet. I like to give tips and help to newbies, and see the interesting possessions higher level players have so I can form the goal of acquiring them myself. I love having other players in the world with me, I just don't want to be forced to fight either alongside them or against them. I like to do things at my own pace, and accomplish feats by myself, not with help.