To me, immersion-breakers are things that "you would not expect to see." While you can argue the examples on your list, I don't find them half as immersion-breaking as my number one.
#5: Do people run in real life? Yes. Do they run all the time? No, but then again, I'm not following other players around all the time and I can run/walk as I see fit so, no, it's not very immersion-breaking for me.
#4: Do you see people riding mounts indoors? Well, not in my house, but then again, if my house were as large as say the interior of Ironforge I would probably have no issue with it. You see people riding "mounts" like a golf-cart inside places like stadiums and convention centers, so no--it's not that immersion-breaking for me.
#3: Children? No, not immersion-breaking. I don't go to children to get jobs, or information, or orders. I hope that when I'm doing my job (adventuring), they are at home with their parents or in school.
#2: Fantasy-style outfits/armor? Normally, I would say yes...very immersion breaking. But it's important to stay in context. Fantasy armor is bizarre, unless it's in a fantasy setting...then it seems normal. Just like Captain America's outfit looks bizarre when I see someone dressed as him in real life, but looks totally normal when I see him in context...in a comic book. So, no, not immersion-breaking.
#1: Giant weapons? I can see more of a problem here. It does look silly when someone is swinging a weapon around that you know in real life would weigh upwards of 200 lbs. However, I can slightly off-set this by realizing that most of them are supposed to be magical in nature. So, could they be extremely light due to that magical nature? Yeah, I suppose. Helps me accept them. I may not like them, but I don't look at them and think, "OMG, I'm in an MMO, not really in Azeroth." Because I expect them there. Goes back to #2, taking it in context. So, I'd say they're irritating but not tremendously immersion-breaking. More of a #12 or #13, definitely not a #1.
But what do I consider an absolute immersion-breaker? Something that when you see it, you can't do anything but be reminded that you're in a game with about an 80% retard population? Bad names. Noobkillr. Ipwnu. Deathdealer12. Etc.
If you saw these names used for serious characters in a fantasy novel like LotR or Ice & Fire series, you'd stop, check the cover to see what you're reading, and then probably put the book down and find a better way to spend your time. I know that some people feel all an MMO is is a PvP competition and your character's "name" is just really your "handle." So the goofier or more unusual the name the bettter. But for those of us that want to actually "slip inside" this world, it's like dropping a stack of books in a silent library when we see names that don't belong. And it's even more frustrating when they have servers just for us "RP-ers" so we don't have to see these names, and then it's not enforced. "So, having 90% of the servers either PvP or Regular isn't enough for you Teebahger? You have to come to our server with that name? Realllllly??"
I think the article contradicts itself by stating Immersion Breaker at the same time wanting things in game to be "realistic".
Immersion to me is to escape from reality and to see "realistic" things in game is an Immersion Breaker.
In contrast, I have no problem with the Top 5 from this article.
Immersion is the suspension of disbelief to such a state where you pretend something is real.
More realism means less suspension of disbelief is necessary and as such a state of immersion is easier to achieve.
It's not just escaping reality. It's escaping one reality into another reality. And for that other reality to be accepted as real there has to be an element of realism to it.
Because at the end of the day we're still grounded in reality, that's simply how our brains work. You can't escape it.
You said that "immersion is the suspension of disbelief", then you said "more realism means less suspension of disbelief is necessary", which also means "more realism, less immersion is necessary". That's a bunch of gooblah. You're not making sense trying to make sense of something that doesnt make sense in the first place.
Immersion is escaping reality and immersing into fantasy. If you are trading one reality to another, doctors calls that dimentia....and you might have a serious condition when you cannot tell reality from fantasy anymore.
The more impossible, improbable the fantasy is...the better.
If you want realism, then I don't know why you want to play an MMO or any game for that matter.
Suzie you covered most of my big complaints but there one that really bugs me and many MMO's have this issue. Creating a mature world and adding player items that just don't fit the world that they created. In WoW it normally is the pets, here you are in a fantasy setting and someone whips out a mech (Thor) that starts shooting up the place or you are walking down the rather war torn battle fields and out runs a heavily armored Orc who looks like he just finished sacking a near by village with his ballon trailing behind him.
Then there is AION, I was looking forward to this game as it's setting provided for some nice RP and ... well just look.
Let us not forget "Happy Feet"
Just fits the world perfectly....
Because flying a Minmatar ship is like going down a flight of stairs on an office chair while firing an Uzi.
I think the article contradicts itself by stating Immersion Breaker at the same time wanting things in game to be "realistic".
Immersion to me is to escape from reality and to see "realistic" things in game is an Immersion Breaker.
In contrast, I have no problem with the Top 5 from this article.
Immersion is the suspension of disbelief to such a state where you pretend something is real.
More realism means less suspension of disbelief is necessary and as such a state of immersion is easier to achieve.
It's not just escaping reality. It's escaping one reality into another reality. And for that other reality to be accepted as real there has to be an element of realism to it.
Because at the end of the day we're still grounded in reality, that's simply how our brains work. You can't escape it.
You said that "immersion is the suspension of disbelief", then you said "more realism means less suspension of disbelief is necessary", which also means "more realism, less immersion is necessary". That's a bunch of gooblah. You're not making sense trying to make sense of something that doesnt make sense in the first place.
Immersion is escaping reality and immersing into fantasy. If you are trading one reality to another, doctors calls that dimentia....and you might have a serious condition when you cannot tell reality from fantasy anymore.
The more impossible, improbable the fantasy is...the better.
If you want realism, then I don't know why you want to play an MMO or any game for that matter.
Let me walk you through it slowly.
First you need to read entire sentences, not just half of them.
Immersion is the suspension of disbelief to such a state where you pretend something is real.
See that second half? Read it.
You're pretending. You know it's a fantasy, but you suspend your disbelief and pretend that it's a reality. That's what makes it fun, because you can connect to it.
If you really wanted the most impossible and improbable things you wouldn't be playing games. They're filled with humanoids, gravity, causality, communication and all sorts of extremely realistic concepts.
You'd be tripping on acid watching how solid energy evaporates into purple smells that philosiphize about crying chairs.
We are the bunny. Resistance is futile. ''/\/\'''''/\/\''''''/\/\ ( o.o) ( o.o) ( o.o) (")("),,(")("),(")(")
Pretty much agree on the whole list (though I also know a few female gamers who will fight for their...trampier costumes).
I'll add one:
The biggest, baddest bad guy the world has ever seen is waiting patiently at the (choose: top of tower, bottom of cave) for you and your party to arrive. Just leaning there on his throne, possibly cleaning his fingernails while your group spreads out and takes combat positions in the room around him. He yawns and scratches himself while the party casts a succession of buffing spells, consumes potions and food, and has a nice long chat about strategy. He might even wonder what became of his guards, the ones that used to be standing at the doorways before your party ganked them--but if so, he doesn't wonder very hard.
Looking bored, he appears to be daydreaming as the main tank walks forward. Main tank readies his weapon and raises his shield, and queries the party about readiness. After a chorus of "Yups" and "Let's Gos", the big bruiser in plate mail strides forward and wakes the dozing Boss with a furious sword cut to the side of the head and a barbarian YAWP.
Somehow, the supremely intelligent superbaddie decides that guy in the foot-thick plate armor and a shield the size of a barn door looks like the most tempting target, and completely ignores the squishy little healers and mages.
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.
Pretty much agree on the whole list (though I also know a few female gamers who will fight for their...trampier costumes).
I'll add one:
The biggest, baddest bad guy the world has ever seen is waiting patiently at the (choose: top of tower, bottom of cave) for you and your party to arrive. Just leaning there on his throne, possibly cleaning his fingernails while your group spreads out and takes combat positions in the room around him. He yawns and scratches himself while the party casts a succession of buffing spells, consumes potions and food, and has a nice long chat about strategy. He might even wonder what became of his guards, the ones that used to be standing at the doorways before your party ganked them--but if so, he doesn't wonder very hard.
Looking bored, he appears to be daydreaming as the main tank walks forward. Main tank readies his weapon and raises his shield, and queries the party about readiness. After a chorus of "Yups" and "Let's Gos", the big bruiser in plate mail strides forward and wakes the dozing Boss with a furious sword cut to the side of the head and a barbarian YAWP.
Somehow, the supremely intelligent superbaddie decides that guy in the foot-thick plate armor and a shield the size of a barn door looks like the most tempting target, and completely ignores the squishy little healers and mages.
Heh, yeah - the Trinity is definitely a trip. To add to this though, how about the simple fact that you are often there playing whack-a-mole on the "boss" - while his subordinates are standing their watching?
All in all, it continues to boggle my mind - how we could possibly have more immersion in a PnP game where there are no visual references, no audio, etc, etc - those things that help us with immersion in watching a movie (that sometimes translates well from reading the book).
Games do not make a pretty translation from book to movie at all...
I miss the MMORPG genre. Will a developer ever make one again?
All in all, it continues to boggle my mind - how we could possibly have more immersion in a PnP game where there are no visual references, no audio, etc, etc
Well, if someone gives you a description of a room, your head fills in the gaps. As deep and rich as you're capable of imagining.
If you see it visually on a screen, WYSIWYG. There ain't no more.
Non-animated venues will always be superior vehicles for real roleplay.
Besides, if you're a PNP DM, in charge of the biggest baddest badguy ever, are you going to sit there for 20 minutes while the players prepare for the battle, or are you gonna lightning enema somebody? Would you somehow be too stupid to notice that your guards disappeared fifteen minutes ago? Attack the brick wall or reach out and hurt somebody that squishes real 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 think the article contradicts itself by stating Immersion Breaker at the same time wanting things in game to be "realistic".
Immersion to me is to escape from reality and to see "realistic" things in game is an Immersion Breaker.
In contrast, I have no problem with the Top 5 from this article.
Immersion is the suspension of disbelief to such a state where you pretend something is real.
More realism means less suspension of disbelief is necessary and as such a state of immersion is easier to achieve.
It's not just escaping reality. It's escaping one reality into another reality. And for that other reality to be accepted as real there has to be an element of realism to it.
Because at the end of the day we're still grounded in reality, that's simply how our brains work. You can't escape it.
You said that "immersion is the suspension of disbelief", then you said "more realism means less suspension of disbelief is necessary", which also means "more realism, less immersion is necessary". That's a bunch of gooblah. You're not making sense trying to make sense of something that doesnt make sense in the first place.
Immersion is escaping reality and immersing into fantasy. If you are trading one reality to another, doctors calls that dimentia....and you might have a serious condition when you cannot tell reality from fantasy anymore.
The more impossible, improbable the fantasy is...the better.
If you want realism, then I don't know why you want to play an MMO or any game for that matter.
Let me walk you through it slowly.
First you need to read entire sentences, not just half of them.
Immersion is the suspension of disbelief to such a state where you pretend something is real.
See that second half? Read it.
You're pretending. You know it's a fantasy, but you suspend your disbelief and pretend that it's a reality. That's what makes it fun, because you can connect to it.
If you really wanted the most impossible and improbable things you wouldn't be playing games. They're filled with humanoids, gravity, causality, communication and all sorts of extremely realistic concepts.
You'd be tripping on acid watching how solid energy evaporates into purple smells that philosiphize about crying chairs.
That second half didn't help your case thus it was discarded. Immersion is already a state, no such thing as "such a state", you're just making things up.
You immerse yourself into a world where everything is fantastic NOT realistic. The problem I have with games is when more and more realistic stuff are getting into the fantastic world.
Fantastically huge weapons, impenetrable bikini armor, 1-ton tower shield, etc all are good for immersion because you no longer in real world, you are in a fantasy world.
But it seems that is difficult for you to grasp so let me put it this way--the reality in the game world allows you to have exagerrated gears, so why are you going against that reality and not simply accept it?
One thing that always bothers me in some mmos is the ratio of NPCs to houses. I go to a quest hub with 20-30 npcs and I always wonder where they all live. I'm not saying they should add a house in for every single npc or that every npc should go about their daily lives and retire to their houses at night. But atleast have a few scattered villages that don't consist of only a Blacksmith's shop and a tavern..
Yes I have a dream And its not some MLK dream for equality. I wanna own a decommissioned lighthouse And I wanna live at the top And nobody knows I live there. And theres a button that I can press, and launch that lighthouse into space.
I feel that Instances and zone-wide chats are also enormous immersion breakers. Especially chat.
MMOs were always better when you could only talk to people local to your surroundings. Gathering in town or at a designated spot to enter a non-instanced dungeon? Oh boy! What a horrible concept!?!?!
Anyway. It creates more of a reliance to actually interact as humane person within your online community and it instantly limits all of the non-sense, abusive, and antagonistic chatter you see non stop.
But I agree with some of the above, if not all. Travel is another big one. IMO, a true MMO will be a world in which you find your comfortable zone and stick there - going out only for adventurers. UO was very community based. You usually hung around a certain town or area and would only go outside of that area to adventure (PvP, dungeons, resource, etc.) Then again, recalling sort of ruined that. It's like Earth though. You live in your area - explore the rest. MMOs are far more immersive when they feel that way. There's always something new to do because it's outside of the ordinary.
100% agree with the oversized weapons being the dumbest thing put into games. (Stares intently at asian's trying to compensate in every single one of their games.) Also the female "armor", can't agree more on that either, I think they should keep that as an option, just make it so that the character dies in 1 hit from just about anything while wearing anything like that. I'd do that as a joke if I ever made a MMO.
Loved the article. And agreed with the rest of it as well, just not as strongly as the above two.
To find an intelligent person in a PUG is not that rare, but to find a PUG made up of "all" intelligent people is one of the rarest phenomenons in the known universe.
These are some of the main reason i liked the original everquest so much it had all these thing xcept children, you were never realy in a rush and larger (still realistic looking) weapons has much slower weapon swing. you went at your own pace instead of rushing to the end
I also consider chat -- of virtually any kind -- to be a major immersion breaker (which is why I usually turn all chat channels off ASAP), as are stupid avatar names and stupid armors (which generally look stupider and stupider the more you level up, what with all the spikes, swirly bits, and sparkly sparkles). Kudos to any MMO (such as LotRO) that offer workarounds for those of us that like simple, realistic armors.
That second half didn't help your case thus it was discarded. Immersion is already a state, no such thing as "such a state", you're just making things up.
You immerse yourself into a world where everything is fantastic NOT realistic. The problem I have with games is when more and more realistic stuff are getting into the fantastic world.
Fantastically huge weapons, impenetrable bikini armor, 1-ton tower shield, etc all are good for immersion because you no longer in real world, you are in a fantasy world.
But it seems that is difficult for you to grasp so let me put it this way--the reality in the game world allows you to have exagerrated gears, so why are you going against that reality and not simply accept it?
Yup immersion is already a state. Such a state where you pretend something is real.
You forget that all the fantastic has a basis in reality, and that basis is what allows us to immerse ourselves.
Huge weapons have a basis in reality, normal weapons. Bikini armor has a basis in reality, normal bikinis. etc.
It's not the fantastical aspect that allows immersion, it's the realistical aspect. You can't immerse yourself in something that holds no realistical aspect. You can roleplay a modern soldier. Because he actually exists in reality. You can roleplay an orc, a brutish green-skinned humanoid. Because he's got a basis in reality. You can't roleplay a liquid birthday with the colour of amnesia. Because that has no basis in reality whatsoever.
Something requires a realistical aspect for anyone to immerse themselves in it. Without any basis in reality you can't connect to it and you can't immerse yourself in it.
The more realism the easier it is to immerse yourself in something. Whether or not you personally find it fun to immerse yourself in things very close to reality is another matter entirely.
But it's downright ridiculous to say that the more fantastical, improbable and impossible something is the better it is for immersion. Without a basis in reality there is no immersion.
We are the bunny. Resistance is futile. ''/\/\'''''/\/\''''''/\/\ ( o.o) ( o.o) ( o.o) (")("),,(")("),(")(")
Voice chat, it's usually optional, but it really destroys all immersion and I feel like a jerk when my buddies say... "hop on vent!" and I have to say... no, I am enjoying the game. I don't wanna hear some zombie go on for hours about what rotations are optimal for his epic warlock or WoW vs whatever new game is out debates while I am trying to get immersed in a game.
Gold spammers and scammers. Nothing like shooting a faceful of Force Lightning at your former master as you finally take your place as a Sith Lord in a glorious moment of trimumph when your eyes drift to the chat box and see the new IM you just received from Biowair that says your account will be suspended unless you visit their incredibly hard to decipher website which uses characters like ] and | between each letter.
Gnome Deathknights. This is for WoW only.
People who spam you to join their guild without ever talking to you. Same for group invites.
That second half didn't help your case thus it was discarded. Immersion is already a state, no such thing as "such a state", you're just making things up.
You immerse yourself into a world where everything is fantastic NOT realistic. The problem I have with games is when more and more realistic stuff are getting into the fantastic world.
Fantastically huge weapons, impenetrable bikini armor, 1-ton tower shield, etc all are good for immersion because you no longer in real world, you are in a fantasy world.
But it seems that is difficult for you to grasp so let me put it this way--the reality in the game world allows you to have exagerrated gears, so why are you going against that reality and not simply accept it?
Yup immersion is already a state. Such a state where you pretend something is real.
You forget that all the fantastic has a basis in reality, and that basis is what allows us to immerse ourselves.
Huge weapons have a basis in reality, normal weapons. Bikini armor has a basis in reality, normal bikinis. etc.
It's not the fantastical aspect that allows immersion, it's the realistical aspect. You can't immerse yourself in something that holds no realistical aspect. You can roleplay a modern soldier. Because he actually exists in reality. You can roleplay an orc, a brutish green-skinned humanoid. Because he's got a basis in reality. You can't roleplay a liquid birthday with the colour of amnesia. Because that has no basis in reality whatsoever.
Something requires a realistical aspect for anyone to immerse themselves in it. Without any basis in reality you can't connect to it and you can't immerse yourself in it.
The more realism the easier it is to immerse yourself in something. Whether or not you personally find it fun to immerse yourself in things very close to reality is another matter entirely.
But it's downright ridiculous to say that the more fantastical, improbable and impossible something is the better it is for immersion. Without a basis in reality there is no immersion.
That is a very good way to discuss the topic of "Suspension of Disbelief" and how it relates to stories, movies, TV shows, etc. If something is "too" unbelievable, bam - it rips us out of the story. Even in some of the most outlandish slasher flicks, there is still a level of that "SoD" at play. People even joke about some of the things that break it - Hell, to an extent - if those are not there for the movies - the movie does not work. Use those in a different type of movie, and it could turn the audience off.
So yep, there are fantastical elements involved in games (stories, movies, etc) - but they are grounded in reality. We're willing to accept a certain level of it - we're still connected. When things become too detached, draw too much attention to themselves - well, we're taken out of the world - we're no longer immersed.
I miss the MMORPG genre. Will a developer ever make one again?
Comments
I agree with the entire list (I was ok with the skimpy womens armor till I saw the pic you posted... killed it for me forever.
Number 1 and 5 are my two biggest gripes. Number 1 about ten times over, I can't even play a game that uses the giant weapons.
www.90and9.net
www.prophecymma.com
Would also like to add:
Transphasic PC's
(No collsion detection with pc's running through each other - hate that!)
To me, immersion-breakers are things that "you would not expect to see." While you can argue the examples on your list, I don't find them half as immersion-breaking as my number one.
#5: Do people run in real life? Yes. Do they run all the time? No, but then again, I'm not following other players around all the time and I can run/walk as I see fit so, no, it's not very immersion-breaking for me.
#4: Do you see people riding mounts indoors? Well, not in my house, but then again, if my house were as large as say the interior of Ironforge I would probably have no issue with it. You see people riding "mounts" like a golf-cart inside places like stadiums and convention centers, so no--it's not that immersion-breaking for me.
#3: Children? No, not immersion-breaking. I don't go to children to get jobs, or information, or orders. I hope that when I'm doing my job (adventuring), they are at home with their parents or in school.
#2: Fantasy-style outfits/armor? Normally, I would say yes...very immersion breaking. But it's important to stay in context. Fantasy armor is bizarre, unless it's in a fantasy setting...then it seems normal. Just like Captain America's outfit looks bizarre when I see someone dressed as him in real life, but looks totally normal when I see him in context...in a comic book. So, no, not immersion-breaking.
#1: Giant weapons? I can see more of a problem here. It does look silly when someone is swinging a weapon around that you know in real life would weigh upwards of 200 lbs. However, I can slightly off-set this by realizing that most of them are supposed to be magical in nature. So, could they be extremely light due to that magical nature? Yeah, I suppose. Helps me accept them. I may not like them, but I don't look at them and think, "OMG, I'm in an MMO, not really in Azeroth." Because I expect them there. Goes back to #2, taking it in context. So, I'd say they're irritating but not tremendously immersion-breaking. More of a #12 or #13, definitely not a #1.
But what do I consider an absolute immersion-breaker? Something that when you see it, you can't do anything but be reminded that you're in a game with about an 80% retard population? Bad names. Noobkillr. Ipwnu. Deathdealer12. Etc.
If you saw these names used for serious characters in a fantasy novel like LotR or Ice & Fire series, you'd stop, check the cover to see what you're reading, and then probably put the book down and find a better way to spend your time. I know that some people feel all an MMO is is a PvP competition and your character's "name" is just really your "handle." So the goofier or more unusual the name the bettter. But for those of us that want to actually "slip inside" this world, it's like dropping a stack of books in a silent library when we see names that don't belong. And it's even more frustrating when they have servers just for us "RP-ers" so we don't have to see these names, and then it's not enforced. "So, having 90% of the servers either PvP or Regular isn't enough for you Teebahger? You have to come to our server with that name? Realllllly??"
My top five:
#5 - Bad character names
#4 - Bad character names
#3 - Bad character names
#2 - Bad character names
#1 - Bad character names
You said that "immersion is the suspension of disbelief", then you said "more realism means less suspension of disbelief is necessary", which also means "more realism, less immersion is necessary". That's a bunch of gooblah. You're not making sense trying to make sense of something that doesnt make sense in the first place.
Immersion is escaping reality and immersing into fantasy. If you are trading one reality to another, doctors calls that dimentia....and you might have a serious condition when you cannot tell reality from fantasy anymore.
The more impossible, improbable the fantasy is...the better.
If you want realism, then I don't know why you want to play an MMO or any game for that matter.
Ready for GW2!!!
Suzie you covered most of my big complaints but there one that really bugs me and many MMO's have this issue. Creating a mature world and adding player items that just don't fit the world that they created. In WoW it normally is the pets, here you are in a fantasy setting and someone whips out a mech (Thor) that starts shooting up the place or you are walking down the rather war torn battle fields and out runs a heavily armored Orc who looks like he just finished sacking a near by village with his ballon trailing behind him.
Then there is AION, I was looking forward to this game as it's setting provided for some nice RP and ... well just look.
Let us not forget "Happy Feet"
Just fits the world perfectly....
Because flying a Minmatar ship is like going down a flight of stairs on an office chair while firing an Uzi.
With that list, it sounds like you don't like MMOs. uhh...what MMO game do you play and enjoy?
Let me walk you through it slowly.
First you need to read entire sentences, not just half of them.
Immersion is the suspension of disbelief to such a state where you pretend something is real.
See that second half? Read it.
You're pretending. You know it's a fantasy, but you suspend your disbelief and pretend that it's a reality. That's what makes it fun, because you can connect to it.
If you really wanted the most impossible and improbable things you wouldn't be playing games. They're filled with humanoids, gravity, causality, communication and all sorts of extremely realistic concepts.
You'd be tripping on acid watching how solid energy evaporates into purple smells that philosiphize about crying chairs.
We are the bunny.
Resistance is futile.
''/\/\'''''/\/\''''''/\/\
( o.o) ( o.o) ( o.o)
(")("),,(")("),(")(")
Pretty much agree on the whole list (though I also know a few female gamers who will fight for their...trampier costumes).
I'll add one:
The biggest, baddest bad guy the world has ever seen is waiting patiently at the (choose: top of tower, bottom of cave) for you and your party to arrive. Just leaning there on his throne, possibly cleaning his fingernails while your group spreads out and takes combat positions in the room around him. He yawns and scratches himself while the party casts a succession of buffing spells, consumes potions and food, and has a nice long chat about strategy. He might even wonder what became of his guards, the ones that used to be standing at the doorways before your party ganked them--but if so, he doesn't wonder very hard.
Looking bored, he appears to be daydreaming as the main tank walks forward. Main tank readies his weapon and raises his shield, and queries the party about readiness. After a chorus of "Yups" and "Let's Gos", the big bruiser in plate mail strides forward and wakes the dozing Boss with a furious sword cut to the side of the head and a barbarian YAWP.
Somehow, the supremely intelligent superbaddie decides that guy in the foot-thick plate armor and a shield the size of a barn door looks like the most tempting target, and completely ignores the squishy little healers and mages.
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.
Heh, yeah - the Trinity is definitely a trip. To add to this though, how about the simple fact that you are often there playing whack-a-mole on the "boss" - while his subordinates are standing their watching?
All in all, it continues to boggle my mind - how we could possibly have more immersion in a PnP game where there are no visual references, no audio, etc, etc - those things that help us with immersion in watching a movie (that sometimes translates well from reading the book).
Games do not make a pretty translation from book to movie at all...
I miss the MMORPG genre. Will a developer ever make one again?
Explorer: 87%, Killer: 67%, Achiever: 27%, Socializer: 20%
im going to take a guess but i bet its a old school game like ultima or Asherons Call.
those were the good days....
Well, if someone gives you a description of a room, your head fills in the gaps. As deep and rich as you're capable of imagining.
If you see it visually on a screen, WYSIWYG. There ain't no more.
Non-animated venues will always be superior vehicles for real roleplay.
Besides, if you're a PNP DM, in charge of the biggest baddest badguy ever, are you going to sit there for 20 minutes while the players prepare for the battle, or are you gonna lightning enema somebody? Would you somehow be too stupid to notice that your guards disappeared fifteen minutes ago? Attack the brick wall or reach out and hurt somebody that squishes real 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.
mmorpgs definitely need more guy candy in the viking go-go outfits.
I would also add my own 5:
- no day/night cycles (Hello SWTOR!)
- no animated, living cities (Hello Vanguard!)
- TS background babble
- gearscore powergamers & min-maxxers ("You can't do that dungeon with THAT gear/skills!" - Hello WOW!)
- no individual look of my character making all look like clones (Again, hello WOW!)
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
I'm generally not into immersion but several of the items on the list gave me a feeling of AVersion! (specifically #5 and #1)
That second half didn't help your case thus it was discarded. Immersion is already a state, no such thing as "such a state", you're just making things up.
You immerse yourself into a world where everything is fantastic NOT realistic. The problem I have with games is when more and more realistic stuff are getting into the fantastic world.
Fantastically huge weapons, impenetrable bikini armor, 1-ton tower shield, etc all are good for immersion because you no longer in real world, you are in a fantasy world.
But it seems that is difficult for you to grasp so let me put it this way--the reality in the game world allows you to have exagerrated gears, so why are you going against that reality and not simply accept it?
Ready for GW2!!!
One thing that always bothers me in some mmos is the ratio of NPCs to houses. I go to a quest hub with 20-30 npcs and I always wonder where they all live. I'm not saying they should add a house in for every single npc or that every npc should go about their daily lives and retire to their houses at night. But atleast have a few scattered villages that don't consist of only a Blacksmith's shop and a tavern..
Yes I have a dream And its not some MLK dream for equality. I wanna own a decommissioned lighthouse And I wanna live at the top And nobody knows I live there. And theres a button that I can press, and launch that lighthouse into space.
I feel that Instances and zone-wide chats are also enormous immersion breakers. Especially chat.
MMOs were always better when you could only talk to people local to your surroundings. Gathering in town or at a designated spot to enter a non-instanced dungeon? Oh boy! What a horrible concept!?!?!
Anyway. It creates more of a reliance to actually interact as humane person within your online community and it instantly limits all of the non-sense, abusive, and antagonistic chatter you see non stop.
But I agree with some of the above, if not all. Travel is another big one. IMO, a true MMO will be a world in which you find your comfortable zone and stick there - going out only for adventurers. UO was very community based. You usually hung around a certain town or area and would only go outside of that area to adventure (PvP, dungeons, resource, etc.) Then again, recalling sort of ruined that. It's like Earth though. You live in your area - explore the rest. MMOs are far more immersive when they feel that way. There's always something new to do because it's outside of the ordinary.
1. Loading screens from zone to zone. I'm looking at you, EQ2.
2. Too many instanced areas---particularly regarding quests. I'm looking at you, Guild Wars, DDO and CoH.
3. Too many game systems that involve queueing. I'm looking at you, Rift.
100% agree with the oversized weapons being the dumbest thing put into games. (Stares intently at asian's trying to compensate in every single one of their games.) Also the female "armor", can't agree more on that either, I think they should keep that as an option, just make it so that the character dies in 1 hit from just about anything while wearing anything like that. I'd do that as a joke if I ever made a MMO.
Loved the article. And agreed with the rest of it as well, just not as strongly as the above two.
To find an intelligent person in a PUG is not that rare, but to find a PUG made up of "all" intelligent people is one of the rarest phenomenons in the known universe.
These are some of the main reason i liked the original everquest so much it had all these thing xcept children, you were never realy in a rush and larger (still realistic looking) weapons has much slower weapon swing. you went at your own pace instead of rushing to the end
Good list, OP! :-)
I also consider chat -- of virtually any kind -- to be a major immersion breaker (which is why I usually turn all chat channels off ASAP), as are stupid avatar names and stupid armors (which generally look stupider and stupider the more you level up, what with all the spikes, swirly bits, and sparkly sparkles). Kudos to any MMO (such as LotRO) that offer workarounds for those of us that like simple, realistic armors.
Yup immersion is already a state. Such a state where you pretend something is real.
You forget that all the fantastic has a basis in reality, and that basis is what allows us to immerse ourselves.
Huge weapons have a basis in reality, normal weapons. Bikini armor has a basis in reality, normal bikinis. etc.
It's not the fantastical aspect that allows immersion, it's the realistical aspect. You can't immerse yourself in something that holds no realistical aspect. You can roleplay a modern soldier. Because he actually exists in reality. You can roleplay an orc, a brutish green-skinned humanoid. Because he's got a basis in reality. You can't roleplay a liquid birthday with the colour of amnesia. Because that has no basis in reality whatsoever.
Something requires a realistical aspect for anyone to immerse themselves in it. Without any basis in reality you can't connect to it and you can't immerse yourself in it.
The more realism the easier it is to immerse yourself in something. Whether or not you personally find it fun to immerse yourself in things very close to reality is another matter entirely.
But it's downright ridiculous to say that the more fantastical, improbable and impossible something is the better it is for immersion. Without a basis in reality there is no immersion.
We are the bunny.
Resistance is futile.
''/\/\'''''/\/\''''''/\/\
( o.o) ( o.o) ( o.o)
(")("),,(")("),(")(")
Voice chat, it's usually optional, but it really destroys all immersion and I feel like a jerk when my buddies say... "hop on vent!" and I have to say... no, I am enjoying the game. I don't wanna hear some zombie go on for hours about what rotations are optimal for his epic warlock or WoW vs whatever new game is out debates while I am trying to get immersed in a game.
Gold spammers and scammers. Nothing like shooting a faceful of Force Lightning at your former master as you finally take your place as a Sith Lord in a glorious moment of trimumph when your eyes drift to the chat box and see the new IM you just received from Biowair that says your account will be suspended unless you visit their incredibly hard to decipher website which uses characters like ] and | between each letter.
Gnome Deathknights. This is for WoW only.
People who spam you to join their guild without ever talking to you. Same for group invites.
That is a very good way to discuss the topic of "Suspension of Disbelief" and how it relates to stories, movies, TV shows, etc. If something is "too" unbelievable, bam - it rips us out of the story. Even in some of the most outlandish slasher flicks, there is still a level of that "SoD" at play. People even joke about some of the things that break it - Hell, to an extent - if those are not there for the movies - the movie does not work. Use those in a different type of movie, and it could turn the audience off.
So yep, there are fantastical elements involved in games (stories, movies, etc) - but they are grounded in reality. We're willing to accept a certain level of it - we're still connected. When things become too detached, draw too much attention to themselves - well, we're taken out of the world - we're no longer immersed.
I miss the MMORPG genre. Will a developer ever make one again?
Explorer: 87%, Killer: 67%, Achiever: 27%, Socializer: 20%
I dont understand the point of this article.. THESE ARE VIDEO GAMES NOT REAL LIFE. Why on earth would i want to play a game that mirrors real life?