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Casual Play Column: Raiding Needs to Die
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EQ already does it with their amazing AA system. They could do better by offering just as much solo and small group questing and dungeons for end game just like they do for the rest of the game. It is a viable option, even if it requires more effort. God knows, they make enough money to justify it, if they weren't so damn greedy and lazy. Another option is making gathering and crafting more viable at end game, that doesn't require components from raids. Then there are alternatives like Vanguard's diplomacy. They could add in real player political systems. They could also add PvE content that helps drive the needed resources for PvP content in the same vein as DAoC for the building and repair of keeps and defenses. Player creation tools like the Foundry. How about more tools for roleplaying? How about a more serious integration of housing into the game world and making them part of the gaming experience by having random NPC's show up at your door with quests or the occasional dynamic event where the neighborhood catches on fire or is invaded by the local orc tribe? Where are the trade caravans where you can be hired on as guards? I'm not even a smart person with experience in content design and I can see the endless potential that none of the development houses seem to want to even investigate, let alone embrace for high end content.
They're the paid professionals, if they can't be bothered to even try, then they don't deserve the business they get. Considering how the genre has been going down hill financially over the last decade, I'd say they better get a clue fast, because people are getting damn tired of the same formula, day in and day out.
What the hell makes you think they aren't (or haven't) tried?
WoW's added at least a dozen at-the-cap systems that are all partial answers to the problem of capped-and-bored, (Not many of them are orignal to WoW, but that's typical of Blizzard design.)
See achievements, collection systems (many!), titles, mounts, heroics, your AA system--all partial answers, taken individually.
Not as big or as robust as to create it's own mini-hobby, the way PvP and Raiding are, but taken together they decrease the rate at which players grow too bored of playing the same old game despite years of exposure.
Developers are always looking for new ways to entertain players. What hasn't come along is the big, robust, can-stand-alone system that all of the players naively insist is so damn easy.
And it's NOT just Blizzard and never was, every developer on the planet is constantly working on new things to feed the rapacious carnivores.
Simple fact of the matter is that human beings just aren't designed to enjoy the same activity, month after month, year after year, indefinitely. Not even sex is that good.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
I have never raided but would like to. But maybe not in the form that it is today. I agree the coordination of 40+ people and running hour long campaigns for a chance to win loot is a little too much. But I am liking the idea of a LFR mechanic where we can (casually) be placed in a raid.
Its not the loot that I like when I read/see raids. Its the experience to fight these larger than life enemies and to take part in the story. Instead of loot (if I miss the roll) just give some "special" coins that I can redeem for other things.
But I also believe there needs to be other content at 'end game' besides raiding. I keep saying this. make the worlds virtual. Allow players to make the content. Allow crafting to be player made so you have to interact. Never understood why they avoid these common sense ideas. Its almost like they aren't listening or don't care. Which is a bad combination for any MMO.
Issue is that at the pace of leveling now even a casual can be at end-game within a week or two, maybe even three for the most casual of players, and so there needs to be end-game content created for these players. Why should a game have content only being used or seen by a muchh smaller segment of the playerbase (hardcore) compared to the larger segment (casuals), as this makes no sense both from a player stand point as well as dev stand point. Also get over that stupid elitist mind-set about casuals, since it makes you look like a concited child that wants only those they see as worthy of seeing their toy (raiding/end-game). Everyone from casual to harcore players deserve to have a end-game or the ability to see the end-game they pay money to allow it's creaation from.
The power of actually reading, employ it something. There iS NO HARDCORE ENDGAME CONTENT, I've said that multiple times. Anyone can successfully do all the raids that come out. The issue has never been that the raiding is geared toward hardcore players, this issue is that it's geared toward people willing to put in effort versus people who don't and then want t ocomplain about it being too hard. None of it is hard, but if you do 20 man raids carrying 3+ people on your back, it will feel hard, even when the solution is as simple as 10 minutes of pre-raid prep. What I've noticed from years of MMOing is there has never been a hardcore - casual divide just a divide only a go getter - "why can't I just show up and win" divide
That all depends on what you determine to be hardcore, and casual. As casual is mostly placed as people that want to play and enjoy the game without having to treat it like a job, while hardcore treat the game almost as a job or badge of honor. The fact is that there will always be hardcore content, not by the fact that the devs or such create it that way, but that the players themselves will view it as such. But why should a player that plays alittle or alot not be able to show up, play the content, and then complete it without having to treat it like a second job. This is gaming for entertainment not some spot or contest (as much as others might think it is, that is personally created.). I have never had an issue with having modes or such of content that you need more preping to finish, so long as the base of that content is largely open for the entire playerrbase to actually participate in without having to treat their gaming time like a job.
I feel like what you're seeking is already the case. Whenever the new instances come out, I see just about every raiding guild in it. The only difference is the "hardcore" people get through it faster than the "casual". I have never seen new content out and even the most casual of raiding guilds say boo hoo we can't go in there and try. They are in there just like we were, they just did the content way slower and died way more. All of which I credit to lack of preparation having watched most of their streams and having had alts in their guilds which I used to raid with them. This is and always will remain an effort issue. Those who put in the most effort will have a higher probability of success and a higher chance at the rewards than those who put in less. Nothing developers do can change that.
I agree with you on most points except for time spent. I am a casual player and I think raiding can be really fun, but not many games have done it in a good way for casual players. Most of my raiding experience was when playing EverQuest from 99-2005 and more recently on the Vulak progression server. I used to have the time to raid a lot back in the day, I just don't anymore. I couldn't keep up with the players in the guild I joined that litterally plays 24/7 and had to bow out. People would wait for hours and hours for a raid target and that doesn't appeal to me at all. I would much rather see raids instanced with lockout timers added for both defeating or for losing, so that the content isn't abused. There should also be a cap on the number of players so it isn't possible to "zerg" anything. This way players could still take part in raiding without the wasted time of "competing" (which in the case of EQ is just griefing) or waiting for hours for minutes of fun.
Well I understand and respect your statement... I do have a question for you and other casual gamers out there.
Being a casual gamer what would you all like to see as an idea for end game content?
Please dont say more questing ... we are talking about when you reached max level ...completed storylines , reputations max and so forth. What at that point due you want to see or have an idea about for end game content? Please keep in mind I am not trying to be disrespectful to the casual gamer I am trying to understand what is it that you want for endgame content.
I am strong support of the concept of risk vs reward. If you raid for month for shot at the big boss guy in hopes to get that shiny new pixal item .... then you deserve it. I believe if you put in the time and effort to achieve something then kudos to you.
So help me understand what does the casual want to see at the endgame content?
I have no problems with raids, but I do have a problem with it mostly being what most of end game is about. Let there be raids but let there also be allot of other alternatives, that's what is lacking.
I'm sure there are plenty of people who are able to do raids for hours upon hours (I am definitly not one of them) but should we really exclude them now from something they enjoy? nah I don't think so.Lack of alternatives is the problem, not the raids.
Where do you get off thinking your playstyle should have greatest amount of representation in the genre and anyone who disagrees should shut the hell up? You're whining about the whining, which makes you look like the real loser in this equation. When there is no option to play any casual game that doesn't have raiding as the ultimate path of progression, then yes, people like me have every right to speak up and demand something more. Get off your high horse and change your own stinking diapers. You're a child throwing a tantrum because people are calling foul on an industry that has catered to you spoiled brats for far too long.
15 plus years of MMO design stagnation. Either these people are clueless and lack any sort of imagination or the powers that be don't want to change. The recent trend of immediate player base losses is a wake up call they better start paying attention to if they want to keep the genre alive and paying.
I personally think 10 man Raiding has a future in a fashion, but the focus needs to be on asthetics and wow factor of the story telling and encounters, and not loot or 'balancing'. By all means give good loot, but loot you can get elsewhere as well. Dont make it possible to run through the encounter as fast as your legs can take you - all enemy NPC's are part of the adventure, allowing you to use different ranges of skils etc (running past everything is hardly fun)
If you look at forums discussing modern encounters its page after page after page after page of discussion regarding balancing, Over powered specs blah blah blah, even developers are sucked in. The more they struggle to get the 'balance' because 1 class does more 'dps' the more they lose grip. Remove the raid loot as the 'BIS only option, allow for specs to be different, and free up resource to massively expand on PVE skills -this is where fun lies imo. For those that want ultra hard mode, give it, but give extra gold as a reward not BIS gear and remove all the emotive rubbish that is destroying creativity.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
He wrote this article in 2006 and seven years later here you are slagging him off. I doubt he is listening.
Yeah, yeah, it's all so simple and they could fix it easy, if they just weren't so totally lazy and stupid. /yawn
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
A double-necro!
What does it mean!?!
I want a mmorpg where people have gone through misery, have gone through school stuff and actually have had sex even. -sagil