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MMORPG or MMOCPG?
itsneo
Member UncommonPosts: 18
Hi all,
Believe it or not, this is the very first thread I have stared since I joined MMORPG.COM a long time ago. Just never really felt the need as everyone seemed to already be discussing things that were on my mind, lol, and some things that blow my mind. But, I wanted to share something, and I hope to have an open, rational, and troll free discussion here.
It has dawned on me that of late, with all the recent title releases in the past few years, and those soon to be released, that MMO Role Playing Games are not really RPGs. That is to say, so very few people immerse themselves into their characters anymore. And as such, I think the genre needs be renamed. Perhaps to.. MMO Class Playable Games.
The Holy Trinity, no matter the game, despite claims of a classless system exists. And yes I know this is not the fault of the game maker, but rather, that of the players themselves. By that I mean, it seems we have been brainwashed that this is the only way to succeed in the game. (Not True) Recent titles with claims of being classless and giving player freedom (sandboxing) all end the same way... /lfg LF1M TANK for XXXXX Instance. I am not saying this is bad or good, I am saying, I guess, what's so unique about a classless system where everyone still plays a class and this extends to Roge, Warrior, Mage, or what have you. They are all class' are they not? Sorry GW2 and TSW, love you both, but.... you failed at classless.
And that brings me to my main point, have we redefined the word ROLE to mean CLASS? Sure, Tanking is a Role, DPS or Healing, are roles. But I remember when RPG meant role playing game. As in, we were all in character, played out a fantasy role what ever it was for you. There was a HUGE social aspect to RPGs you NEVER see anymore, and I don't mean social as in we are all on a VoIP server communicating strategies. The RPGs of today are no more than a co-operative kill spree, race to end game games, and then what? Bitch about no content updates? That the game got boring? Of course it did, your not in character, your just OOC Killing. Yes? No? Your thoughts on this? Oh and I know there are some of you out there "Competitive Professionals" who enjoy the out right slaughter of others for the shear fun of it, me too at times. But the race to END GAME? lol just saying it makes me laugh, we call it END GAME because? Well, its the END of the game, there is no more.. Some will argue that an MMO starts at end game, lol, silly people, it started at 0. What you did, or how long it takes you to get to 220, well.. that's up to you. (I am guilty, I do it too, so I am not arguing this point. Just saying.)
I for one miss the days when logging into my favorite MMO at the time (what ever it was) and getting INTO CHARACTER, and playing out a role in a very social, fun, and often crazy wacked out world WE made. Yes yes, there were times we ran amuck sticking daggers and arrows into the knees of mobs, and or ganked a few newbs who stumbled into our little community unaware of the dangers a foot. But we never went OOC. I have played on a few RP servers, in MANY.. omg so many MMO in the past few years, and um... where was the RP? I might as well have just joined the PvP server and ran around owning noobs and yelling.. WHO'S YOUR DADDY? after each kill. Really.
I am sure this topic has been brought up, but I thought we'd re-visit it considering recent so called classless ROLE PLAYING GAMES being released. But I think the consistant whine, bitching, complaining and general unhappiness of gamers in threads these days really boils down to being our own fault. We turned a once awesome genre into a race to the end, and world firsts, and co-operative instance gear farming. "HEY.. LOOK I GOT AN ACNIENT EPIC PURPLE WITH GOLD BORDER CHEST.. WOOOT ! " big deal.. now you need farm the rest of the set for the set bonus. lol keep grinding.
I personally am bored, burned out of the now normality of MMOCPGs. BRING BACK THE ROLE PLAYING IN RPGs.
/end rant.
Comments welcome, please be civil.
Cheers.
Comments
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
There's been a lot of talk on the forums about how the original moniker of MMORPG really doesn't represent the many "flavors" of MMO's out there today.
We've seen suggestions for names such as MMOVRPG, (virtual), MMOARPG (action), and even CORPG (cooperative, see GW1)
At the end of the day, it's just easier to lump them all under a single umbrella and not worry about the acronym acurately reflecting the core design of the MMO.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
This ^
I don't know why people get so up-in-arms about silly lil' labels. At the end of the day did you enjoy your game? Does it really matter if it has 60 people on the same server at the same time vs. 50,000 on the same server as you?
I understand there is a thrill about having so many concurrent players on at once, and I agree that there is a time and place for it but not every "MMO" is capable of pulling this off. My question to the OP would be, does every multiplayer game out there that isn't capable of server loads such as what you see in EvE, or capable of obtaining and holding onto sub numbers seen in WOW really effect your game play to the point that its no longer an "MMO"?
Firstly, I don't think we are up in arms about anything really. I simply wanted to point out that perhaps we need take a look at what it is we are actually playing. MMO Role Playing Games(RPG), MMO Action Games (AC) , MMO Real Time Strategy (RTS), MMO Fantasy Action Games (FAG), MMO First Person Shooter (FPS), MMO Third Person Shooter (TPS), and the like. I am saying, or rather, suggesting, that we have lumped everything together in an attempt to simplify things? or confuse the gaming comminity as a whole? Let's be realistic, allot of gamers read a review, and see FPS, and immediatly they think stalking prey in a fist person view PvP action filled war time shooter. They'd be correct, for the most part. But Say RPG and all of a sudden it COULD mean role playing, it COULD mean Action Adventure PvE , WvW, Exploration, and or anything else you can stick in there. It's a discussion, not a true rant or an attempt to troll. Everyone's thoughts, opinions and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for yours.
In response to your question, I'd first like to point out, that....
a) Server population or capacity has absolutly nothing to do with the topic of MMO's being Role Playing or not. While population might extend the Role Play to a wider audiance, or groups of players intereacting more interestingly, it has no baring on the topic.
b) By definition, and MMO is a MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE game. Or, that is to say, 2 or more players.
really, multiplayer implies more than one. That is all I have to say on that subject.
In closing, the point of this topic was to discuss the RPG, or not RPG in many MMO today. While a ROSE of any other name may smell as sweet, it's still a rose. And todays so-called RPG's, especially the MMORPG, are simply no longer a rose, but instead, perhaps, a Tulip? The Role Play is lost in RPGs today, that was my point. And the topic of discussion, not server populations or subscription retension. Which by the way, the future of MMO is the FREEMIUM business model, subscriptions will soon be a thing of the past. You can mark my words on a calendar.
Anyway, thanks for the replies tho, I do appreciate you input, and I will again check back in to continue the descussion.
Also, you were all over the map with your post. Hard to tell if you are bagging on gw2 and tsw, or what we call the games we play.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
GW2 and TSW were not both trying to be classless. Op you made a slight mistake. GW2 is a class based system where the ROLES are blurred to become near roleless so no dedicated tank or healer roles. TSW is a CLASSLESS game but still employs roles such as Tank, DPS and Heals. The two words are not synonymous and should not be lumped together.
/end mini rant.
You would be correct, and my use of the words roles and or class in conjunction with both TSW and GW2 was intentional, it was in fact meant to exaggerate my point some what. I agree with you whole heartedly, with one exception, I do, and perhaps others might agree, is that infact the lines have been blurred. For example, there are Tanking Class', that fill the tank role. Healer Class' that fill the Healer Role. The Class's can be blurred too, for example in Rift, Cleric, Rouge, and Warrior have a Tanking Spec, soon, the Mage will have a Battle hardened off Tank (and from what I have heard a very possible full on tank). As such, these Class' not longer have a set Role. That was sort of my intent. Perhaps could have been more clear. But, I am no professional writer, just.. random thoughts jumbled together to form a pseudo-logical discussion about what was on my mind, and to perhaps get some thoughts on the subject from all of you.
As for the posters comment about ragging on any game, no, I enjoy playing most games solo, in groups, or what have you, I absolutely will not flame any one game, well, perhaps WoW. Never really cared for it much lol. hahah Sorry.. had to be funny.
Cheers.