All Posts by RAWRG

I certainly beleive the leveling aspect has been overdone in a cookiecutter fashion. Level up, improve skills, repeat basic tasks, level up, improve skills, etc, etc...

I've made mention of this before, but it just seems to keep coming back up because it is so different. A game that I've found that breaks the mold is Beyond Protocol. It's an MMORTS instead of an RPG, but it does the RTS thing in a very different way. While you are progressing technologies, almost the same way you would skills in an RPG, the technologies end up creating a very unique skill set for your empire, in addition you can customize/craft, just about any type of weapon/radar/armor/vehicle you can think of with the custom technology builders. With this there really isn't any leveling, it's all pretty much development, in a fun way.

I know half of you won't read this, but for those who do, really, give it a shot. It's something different, and it's in open beta now.

I can't beleive they went with a Buffy MMO rather than a Firefly one. Seriously, how many Buffey fans are left that still have money! Now Firefly fans, they've got the dough!

Way to go Fox, yet another thing screwed up!

Ditto, mute point, most MMO's I play don't even have CD's, but I would NOT play such a game, should one appear.

Originally posted by Briansho

I'll increase my multi-tasking gameplay skills when this comes out. I'll be doing it with Fallout 3 at the end of this month too.

Amen brother!

If you start taking breaks from things you love, then time wins... don't let time make a fool of you!

Originally posted by tvalentine

Originally posted by saint4God

I don't think we're exempt from blame in this event.  Not only do gaming sites review the games, but we do in beta's as well.  For some reason we're full of hope and praise for games that take a short nose-dive after release.  We ramp up the hype-meter here on mmorpg.com...for what?  Is it because we're hoping we're 'not alone' on release day?

 

lol "we" as in who? I dont bother following games in development, i check in from time to time but thats about it.

Well, the problem with that philosophy (whether it's a good one or not) is that it's contrary to human nature. By nature, humans are a communal creature, so when they find something interesting, they find others to tell and get involved, that's why the MMO craze is so big. The next human issue here is the need to impress. So even when a person knows nothing, they still want to say they know something, good or bad, thus we have rumors. Rumors of a well executed campaign generally turn to hype, and hype to high expectactions. Media campaigns are getting too good at what they do and the result is overhyping a lot of games... It happened to Spore, and (I'm not sure, but I'm getting the feeling) WAR. So really, it's humanity and veteran media members we have to blame for this one :P

Originally posted by Tatum

I hate to be negative...but, I have to admit that I cringe every time I picture another great IP getting hacked into little bits and crammed into an MMO box.  I guess you could apply this (to an extent) to all gaming genres that take on big IPs, but MMOs have to be , by far, the biggest butcher.

On a lighter note, I do think that the KOTOR era, rather than the "classical" era,  would be a MUCH better choice for an MMO.  More freedom, more possibilities, and more mystery...as long as they don't paint themselves into a corner by plopping the game right in the middle of an already established piece of the time line.  Actually, when I think about it, why not take the game even further back in time where theres little to no history?

I agree with every point made. It seems the MMO is the new pinnicle of gaming, so everything that has been done, must now be done as an MMO, which simply doens't work... However, if it must be done, do so by giving the players a new story/theater that is loosly related to the IP but far enough from it not to be constraining. I'm almost thinking a Star Wars meets Eve type story line. A system gets cut off from the rest of the known universe and evolves it's own new story with only hints of the old.

Originally posted by grimboj

You're someone sat in front of a keyboard grinding on mobs roleplaying someone having fun sat in front of a keyboard grinding mobs.

Sorry, but does that make sense to anyone else?

As to the OP, I also think "Grind" is another one of these overused gaming terms that people use when they are either bored with a game, or haven't played it and for any number of reasons don't want others to. There are games where it's appropriate, but in a lot of cases, I seem to think the person is complaining about playing the game!

An abscence of plot or logical drive (other than leveling) behind the specific actions you are taking is a good way to classify grind, and repetative plot is abscent plot! So, stories with better plots may feel less grindy is one solution. Can anyone tell me what WAR feels like with it's widely touted Tome of Knowledge?

Originally posted by Zyllos

The MMO genre is in hard times right now. Money is tight all around and that translates into less companies producing them. Considering there are not many innovating or different MMOs out, this compounds the issue greatly. But I think help is just over the horizon. There are several new MMOs coming out that have changed the pace just a little bit. TCoS, Aion, Fallen Earth, Darkfall, and a few others.

I don't so much agree with the money problems. I think even if we were in a surplus of wealth, companies would still be releasing near clones of what was already successful. Less companies producing them? There have never been so many in production that I can remember. It seems like everyone and their grandmother has a new MMO coming out, your own little list there proves that, those are just a handful of them. Five years ago, you'd be lucky to have 1 new MMO every couple months, now we have several per month releasing.

In any case, I don't think there is a "Holy Grail" of MMO's. The premise is that everyone would want to play it, and that game simply does not exist, cause that would have to be a linear sandbox, fantasy scifi, horror comedy, permadeath without repeating levels, insane clostrophobic nightmare of a game... I'd settle for something where I'm not bored out of my mind ;)

Originally posted by Kyntor

Complexity can be a great thing, but only when it serves a purpose.  Complexity has to serve a purpose, it has to open up options.  If it doesn't,  then we are better off without it (K.I.S.S.).  Complexity with purpose is depth.

 

I like this differentiation. There are few games out today that I would qualify as deep. Some are very complex, but they are complex for the sake of extending game life, which leads to boredom which leads to fewer players. I have been keeping tabs on games that still require thinking, without making it complex for no reason, and most tend to be from the neglected genre of MMORTS. In my mind fewer and fewer MMORPG's are hitting the depth level that I prefer, mostly because they're trying to recreate WoW without openly cloning it... which is a mistake... My favorite game as of now is Beyond Protocol (google it), if you want depth, this game has it, just be prepared to step outside of your normal game box.

Well, I'd have to say part of the problem here is there are too many MMO games, each without enough replayability in them, so there are not enough new players in every game. However, that is one of the beuties of a perma death server. Even the big veteran players will eventually get killed so they'd have to start over, alas not enough games adopt this play style to fix your problem...

Wow, title seems to point at a different angle, but I'm glad to see others are not taken in by the utter stupidity of today's politics!

Yeah, I'm kinda tired of the camp vs camp that seems to happen on these boards. I think having the option is cool, if you don't like it, thats fine, and if you want it, I think that's great.

All I have to say about this particular topic is, I wish it was a different game. I think it's kinda odd that such a cartoony game would be one of the few to adopt this style of play, but whatever!

A hybrid is certainly the ideal situation. If there are choices, either at the start of the game, or throughout, that would be the best option. Take a look at Entropia Universe, they have one of the best hybridized systems I've seen. Players can target things and have their character make the shot, or fire their guns wildly. The game is pretty much a glorified gambling system, so it's not all that fun in terms of a typical MMO, but it's still one if the best balances I've seen.

All in all, if it has to be one or the other, the hardcore gamers will say real time, but the mass gamers will say target based. Depends on your target market.

I certainly need PvP.

As others said, I don't understand anyone playing an MMO that doesn't do at least a little PvE.

However, that doesn't mean I don't want a healthy dosing of plot, or some reason to get to level xx.

I do like the book to MMO type transition, I'm not so familiar with the specific title here, but you just might be on to something. If MMO companies would start looking at what already has a decent fan following in the literary crowds, and there's a way to turn that into a game, then you don't need to write plot, one of the most lacking issues in the gaming industry today. Cause let's face it, were starting to see either no plot, or plot from a 10 year old franchise...

I'd prefer it be Sci-Fi, but that's just me!

(Incidentally, I just realized StarGate Worlds IS based off of a more than 10 year old franchise! And it is one of the only Sci-Fi games I know of with any actual plot coming out soon, huh...)

I'm kinda scared at how many of the SAME threads I've seen with different names. Yes, MMO's are becoming unoriginal, so use your time to go find a better game, or better yet, start developing your own game.

Complaining about it on this forum is going to do nothing but up your post count...

I'll have to think of this next time I'm caught in rush hour, like I do whenever I get board with a game: "Common man, you're supposed to be having fun, this is a game after all!"

Oh and Grand Prix GTP

Originally posted by Uzik

Everything the player will do is planned out from the beginning.  What armor they will have, what abilities they acquire, even what sort of adventuring they do.  Through quests and instances, levels and gear,  people have fewer actual choices in "how" to play a game than ever before.

You should really check out Beyond Protocol. I've never seen so many choices in "how" to play a game before. ;)

Originally posted by PapaLazarou

Whats with all this head start bollox?

I thought the exact same thing (in american ;) ), yay, I get a head start on the leveling!... I thought it was supposed to be about the community!