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Are "themepark" MMOs really that bad?
GPrestige
Member UncommonPosts: 523
So, after frequenting these forums I get the impression that people are not happy with themepark MMOs. I personally have begun to get bored of certain aspects of the themepark-style MMO, such as repetitiveness... but I do not hate it like I see a lot of people here do.
What I want to know is if people actually HATE themepark MMOs, or they are just sick of seeing that a majority of MMOs coming out fit into that category. A lot of MMOs that have been released in the last few years seem to have something wrong with them, but the themepark complaint seems to only be pre-release. Post-release, people completely forget about it, and start to complain about something else.
When it comes down to it, do you think that themepark MMOs are boring in general, or that they could be good, but are just executed poorly?
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Comments
I don't hate themepark mmorpg's. I'm just bored to tears of them. It's gotten to the point where if I try one, it just feels like a continuation of the last one I played. Sure, some add a new gimmick or two but it's not enough to differentiate it from the crowd.
I'm really hoping for something radically different to come out one day.
There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own.
-- Herman Melville
I dont hate themeparks, they hate me. I started playing mmos because i could make my own stories and create and share my own content. But themeparks already have a story for your character and all the rides are finished
I sit on a man's back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means - except by getting off his back.
Can't be that bad since people keep playing them.
But yes, I have been staying away from most modern themeparks. They're focusing to much on soloplay.
Fixed.
I thought these forums would be about in-depth discussions regarding MMO gameplay, either in relation to particular MMOs or MMOs in general. Instead it's mostly full of trolls in stand-by mode who have grown out of MMOs and need a new hobby.
My youtube MMO gaming channel
Aion - Free to play
AoC - Free to play
STO - Free to play
CO - Free to play
LOTRO - Free to play
EQ2 - Free to play
DCUO - Free to play
WAR - Free to play
I mean sure.... people play themeparks in there current state, but not enough seem to stick around for the game to be profitable off of subs.
But nah, I'm just playing devils advocate here. I'm actually looking forward to a themepark GW2 :P
heh
Don't go by these forums. These forums have far too many nutbars that throw about the "sandbox mmo" term, but neglect the basic fact that a "sandbox mmo" simply isn't viable. It simply can't attract enough subscribers.
These people are hanging around the wrong genre, simple as that.
RPers have consistently twisted what RPG means. In doing that, and consistently being the most vocal minority on pretty much every gaming related site, they are slowly killing the genre.
I've complained about themeparks on here quite a bit but that doesn't mean that I hate them as much as I just like being a critic and give other interested people my input.
I think that generally a lot of the hate that you see is because people are sick of MMORPG games that come out which are too similar to other games to be called original.
The style of 'start at level 1 and follow the quest tracker' gets old after awhile and the gaming industry has been at it long enough that most PC gamers expected better when looking into the future ten years ago. Console games are pretty amazing though but I prefer PC.
The definition of MMORPG is supposed to be Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game but most people (including developers and especially investers) just think of World of Warcraft or something like it.
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I think a large part of the problem is that the triple A titles released since SWG have been themepark, so there is this large void in terms of game design variety. Of course, themeparks have their place too. I don't think they are inherently bad and there are times when that kind of experience can be entertaining. But sometimes you want something more.
Thinking back to when I was a kid, I had all my action figures and I would sit in my room, many times alone, inventing story lines with my toys and acting them out. As a kid I was good at creating activities and entertaining myself. Other activies like sports which had defined parameters and rules was okay but it never really interested me. So I think sandbox games appeal to a more creative mindset too, just as strategy games appeal to one type of player and fps games to another. Different strokes for different folks, but lately the industry has been playing the same tune and it is boring, very boring.
I hate them enough to not buy one...
Here is what I hate...
Lack of a death penalty, no fear for dying
Quests.... blah
Levels... creates an endgame.. why do you want it to end? Why do you even think its a game.. It should be an alternate life.
Lack of a an alternate life. Ive never seen someone plop down in one of the zones in a themepark and say Im living here (except for 1 exception)
Crafting isnt complex or deep.
Resource refining and gathering is boring. Shiny nodes ftl.
Easy, easy,easy. maps, insta-ports, tokens. What is this crap?
Tab target... no thanks
Cute things---cute little pets, girls with bunny ears, npcs with celebrity names. (shoots self)
This list could go on and on and on. Im not saying they need to go away Im just saying every single game that comes out doesnt need to be that. No amount of dynamic content is going to perfume the themepark pig. In addition, Im not dissing people who like them Im just giving my opinion.
Your post is a commentary more on a shift in pereferred payment method than it is on preferred type of game.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Furthermore, those games were all but canceled before going F2P. The list he has there is essentially a list of failed games, save AoC - in some opinions.
*caugh*
Eve Online
Unless, ofc, you're going to call it a different type; then you would need to define your opinion of sandbox.
If they weren't all converted to f2p because they failed to perform as pay to plays maybe. It's not like they said, well the f2p model is better so we will switch. Players were leaving and revenue was dropping.
Many didn't find most themeparks worth paying for, but many don't mind playing if they are free.
Only at MMORPG.com does "still running and profitable 3-5 years later" = "failed game"
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
So I could make a text based MMO with players and make $5 a month, success.
I can't speak for the other games, but in the case of LOTRO they actually did make the decision to switch because free to play was gaining traction in NA/EU markets. LOTRO was designed and sold with free to play in mind.
Again, you're still pointing out that it was the business model not the game that caused the change, because if the games were a failure they would still be a failure after the shift to free to play. In some cases they are, in others (ex: EQ2, LOTRO, Aion) it was obvious that the target audience preferred the microtransaction model over subscription. Your point would be made by a list of games that closed, not by a list of games that are doing better under a different business model.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
See, now you're not even trying.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
By measure of MMORPG standards, if a sub game is falling in subscribers, it's dieing - ie. WoW. Games like AoC was all but dead and wasn't really saved because it went F2P but because it got some developer love in conjunction with F2P.
F2P for alot of sub-born games is a great way to save them from death and pull some money out of the product.
Sub games are and will continue to be profitable if they are done right, WoW, Rift and Eve Online are examples.
Have been playing MMORPGs since everquest was first released so yeah kinda getting bored of themepark type games..
I enjoy gaems with more freedom and sandbox features.. I know they are not as popular but guess was i really dont care as long as i have fun.. but basically since wow was released I have not been able to find a themepark game that has been able to hold me for very long..
ah i lie.. I did play Age of Conan for a year and i must admit its probally the best themepark game out there at the moment but still..
Darkfall has held my interest for a lot longer and wil continue to do so.. but thats what i like i guess.
Yes, it is really the lack of alternatives that is the problem, not the themeparks in themselves.
The fact that almost all MMOs are so similar annoys a lot of people and while you can make themeparks very different in quality and mechanics few studios bother.
Most people doesn´t actually care if a game is a themepark or a sandbox, they just want a good game. Which is hard enough to find.
Its not that they're similar, most aren't, but people who don't like them bunch them up under same label ("x-clone"). Smart people know that Rift is not the same as WoW, but people that dislike both don't bother making any distiction.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
Nah, LOTRO was losing subs and competition was growing. A few heavy titles were on the way and they made the switch to f2p to compete. If they could have continued making a profit with the pay to play model they would have.
And I'm glad they are doing better because they were all on the verge of shutting down without the switch. At least in the NA/EU market.
They still uses a lot of the same mechanics, trinity combat, questing, skills go on cooldown, levels and a whole other bunch of similarites. They are different as well, Rift have just 4 classes with a lot of customization to mention one thing but you still find so many similarites compared to the differences.
Being the same is not the same as similar, but a Wow player recognizes almost everything in Rift and learn the games really fast.
Compare it to pen and paper RPGs that uses a myriad of different mechanics.
My point is that themeparks should try ut more new things, that would lower the themepark hate a lot.
You don´t have to use any special mechanics for a themepark at all. You don´t really need levels, trinitty combat, classes or whateverand it is a lot easier to find something you like if they are doing different things instead of basically the same.
They aren't bad they are just tired and worn out. They need something fresh, something to stimulate the sub genre. It's all subjective though. I've been playing MMOs since birth of Ultima Online so my opinions are purely anecdotal. When I think "MMO" or want to play one I think of a seemless open world ready to explore, ready to socialize, no rules, just a virtual world with endless possibilties and options. Call that what you want.
Themeparks have always been a hard sale to me. I never really understood why they were even called MMOs, or even had a monthly fee. To me they are just glorified singleplayer experiences, with the option to play with some friends. I can do that in a coop RPG or FPS with no monthly charge and without all the down time and waiting around.
No they are worse than bad utterly boring rubbish is best description for them .