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Why when a MMORPG has so much it could do with it's world and systems does it have to have stuff tacked on from other genres?
Why would they focus on a single player story with a bunch of cutscences in an MMORPG? When the focus should be on grouping with other people.
Why would they have instanced pvp with smaller team numbers than FPS? When you could have open world pvp with contested and controlled territory and massive numbers of people.
Why on earth would they ignore the primary strengths of an open persistant virtual world and make everything private little instances?
There are so many design decisions that just seem counter to the entire purpose of making a MMORPG.
"classification of games into MMOs is not by rational reasoning" - nariusseldon
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To many single play companies jumping into the MMO market, and some how thinks single play aspects can pass well over to the MMO stage. Final Fantasy, SWTOR are good examples, and can't wait for ESO to fail.....
Because all of those are subjective strengths. To me those strengths can also be weaknesses I want out of my MMO
Exactly
MMOs have been devolving into co op single player games since Ultima Online.
Why?
Lazyness ? Lack of skilled programmers ? ... I dont know...
Because of the inherent contradiction in the genre: the namesake of massive multiplayer gameplay versus the limitations of netcode and the fact that most engines can't handle very large numbers of players in one spot.
Why would you want ESO to fail?Is it because you have posted somewhere that it will and don't want to be wrong?Is it because you liked the single player ES games and are frightened it could be a success and no other single player versions will be made?Or do the ...... at the end mean you don't really mean it?
Which Final Fantasy mmo were you playing that focused on single player?
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
That's horse crap.
If it's not broken, you are not innovating.
LOL... I remember my FFXI days. I think you soloed to 10 or something and that was the end of it, unless you unlocked Beastmaster.
Because the MMO genre has been invaded by way too many single rpg gamers.. IMO, WoW opened the door for all those to come flooding in and play a co-op / single linear game.. The market was just too big to ignore.. Trust me, if the devs could find a way to tap into your Zynga Farmville market with a lame subscription based MMO, they would.. Money talks..
I really like the answers in green.
Another motivation to put the story into a mmorpg is because the company doesn't dare to make a regular rpg because of piracy issues. I think they could have done it the way Diablo 3 has done it as well though. I way prefer to play an mmorpg with buddies than a singleplayer rpg, even if it's story based. A cooperative rpg would also fit what I am looking for. At the same time, look at all the flack Diablo 3 got because it required internet connection...
I sympathisize with your statement but do not believe the old days were any better. Other then Asherons Call Most MMO's were all about camping in a few select spots in the same group pulling mobs ad-naseum. I do not ever want to see a return to that style of gameplay ever again. Forced grouping as the only sole means to progress is the reason why MMO's in their early days were considered successful with 100K subs. 100K subs is a death knell for a AAA release now a days. I love the way that GW2 and TESO do to grouping, it doesnt force you to it but actually acenuates the mechanic artificially.
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Next Flop: Planetside 2
Best MMO of all time: Asheron's Call - The first company to recreate AC will be the next greatest MMO.
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
Because it's easier to shape the content and geometry of a world than to shape its players.
lol wut? Vanilla WoW even had massive open world fights, remember Tarren Mill vs. Southshore? On my server hundreds if not a thousand total players would be at it all day everyday, and that was a themepark game not designed for it in the first place and was way back in 2004.
I dont even need to mention sanbox titles/features of past.
It's only because fools keep buying rubbish games that they can get away with crap design and crap code. Why sell customers gold when their lining up in the millions to buy coal at gold prices?
To the OP...
I agree the genre is not stale,it is the many developers that jump on the bandwagon to make a quick buck.They al ltry to make a generic Wow copy ,not in the sense of looking like Wow but in the sense of it's core mechanics and design.Linear questing /dailies and the EQ idea of dungeon looting.I played and enjoyed FFXI,they did not cater to or copy any of these games,they made their own game.
The problem now is that Wow and all those games they made for 30mil now cost 100 mil to make and they try to make it for 30 mil ,so make tons of weak changes.
I will assume we know a bit about making games so....
An example ...Instances.it is a LOT simpler to create a simple box and turn it into a map.it takes a LOT more effort to create a game world and have each zone tie into each other.An instance does not have to have a theme or even match the game world,just create a boss,some desired loot and people play it just becuase they want that loot.
As for pvp,it jjust does NOT work to have the MASSIVE scale,you have to cut lots of corners to make that work.Personally i don't like anything pvp in a rpg,i with others played 6/7/8+ years in FFXI with no pvp,it is not needed to have a good game.
Tacking on other game ideas can be good but it can also be really bad.I prefer a game that says ,here is our game, play it if you like it but don't expect us to turn it into WOW.
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I guess the lesson here is just because some early entrys in the genre did a poor job of developing the concepts and opportunities of persistant online worlds doesn't mean one should completely discard them and fall back to single-player designs.
GW2 is on the right track in some regards, but might still be too small in scope. ESO is currently to much marketing BS and too little actual information to make any valid assessment.
1. You're right.
2. The gamers demand something else, otherwise people would play Lineage 2, not WoW.
That's what sells. Millions of people buy these games.
There's no need to develop MMORPGs for MMORPG fans, the MMORPG fans buy every new AAA MMO anyway.
I maintain this List of Sandbox MMORPGs. Please post or send PM for corrections and suggestions.
Lack of good programmers.
Bandwith problems.
The majority of players have cheap $400 laptops to play on.
Devs think because WoW went for being a lobby game, thats what the players want.
Ok, so I covered everything !
"classification of games into MMOs is not by rational reasoning" - nariusseldon
Love Minecraft. And check out my Youtube channel OhCanadaGamer
Try a MUD today at http://www.mudconnect.com/Instancing prevents boss stealing but I do miss the open world days.
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At least Arenanet is trying to change things with Guild Wars 2.
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LOL, didn't take long, hehe.
Single player personal story? Check.
Cutscenes? Check.
Instanced small-team PvP? Check.
Private little dungeons? Check.
Trying to change things? Nope.
I maintain this List of Sandbox MMORPGs. Please post or send PM for corrections and suggestions.