OP using global chat channels to determine chat activity is kind of misrepresentative.
Maybe that is the point. The misconceptions begin by being misrepresentative and in order to discuss them requires you to misrepresent them or discuss how subjective it is.
OP using global chat channels to determine chat activity is kind of misrepresentative.
Maybe that is the point. The misconceptions begin by being misrepresentative and in order to discuss them requires you to misrepresent them or discuss how subjective it is.
Yes. And how is that misrepresentative?
I am not arguing that a small percentage of players chat. If they are killing stuff 90% of the time, they are not chatting.
However, isn't it true that global chats have enough chit-chat to keep busy .. and that if you want to chat, there are "enough" people to chat with?
I think that is the point. There are always someone chatting. You can always join in.
There seems to be this complaint about players rarely chat anymore.
But everytime i logged into any online games (MMO or not), the chat channels are always filled with chatter. So where is this strange notion coming from?
Last time i was in STO, D3, PoE (you name it), there are always chat about price checks, gameplay (how do i increase my dps? Where is the best place to farm? Where i can buy x?), and even rl stuff.
In fact, i found that most online games are as much a chat room as games. If chat and down-time is what you want ... just pause what you are doing, and talk in channels. There are plenty of people to talk to.
Don't think the complaint is about the chatchannels, but more like no one chats in formed groups>PUGS.
Voice chat was the worst thing that could happen to the genre.
Kicked immersion right out the window.
Also led to MMOs not having speech bubbles anymore.
True, although in almost all roleplaying communities, this heinous devilry is luckily non-existent and everyone is still chatting via text chat (with bubbles, if the game has them).
There seems to be this complaint about players rarely chat anymore.
But everytime i logged into any online games (MMO or not), the chat channels are always filled with chatter. So where is this strange notion coming from?
Last time i was in STO, D3, PoE (you name it), there are always chat about price checks, gameplay (how do i increase my dps? Where is the best place to farm? Where i can buy x?), and even rl stuff.
In fact, i found that most online games are as much a chat room as games. If chat and down-time is what you want ... just pause what you are doing, and talk in channels. There are plenty of people to talk to.
Don't think the complaint is about the chatchannels, but more like no one chats in formed groups>PUGS.
But that seems like a hollow complaint. If you like to chat, just go to the channels. They are always there. Why would you prefer one stranger (in your PUG), over another (in chat channel).
God forbid, chat someone up in the channel and then form a group.
OP using global chat channels to determine chat activity is kind of misrepresentative.
Maybe that is the point. The misconceptions begin by being misrepresentative and in order to discuss them requires you to misrepresent them or discuss how subjective it is.
Yes. And how is that misrepresentative?
I am not arguing that a small percentage of players chat. If they are killing stuff 90% of the time, they are not chatting.
However, isn't it true that global chats have enough chit-chat to keep busy .. and that if you want to chat, there are "enough" people to chat with?
I think that is the point. There are always someone chatting. You can always join in.
Someone says something that by literal translation misrepresents what they mean "People don't stop to chat" -> you used that misrepestative meaning to make a different statement "people actually do chat in MMOs!"
Chatting can be possible, nobody is say it isn't, but is meanful game-related chat happening like it used to?
Why so agrumentative for the sake of creating an arguement? Hyperbolic comments getting to you?
Voice chat was the worst thing that could happen to the genre.
Kicked immersion right out the window.
Also led to MMOs not having speech bubbles anymore.
One of my all time favorite things to do is to play mmo's while listening to music, all the time. So yeah, I agree that voice chat is horrible and it seems to be becomming more the norm for guilds to require you to use it. I guess people these days can't type and play at the same time anymore. I played with a few people that said it required to much effort to type. I found that to be firly sad hehe. Oh well, things change.
There seems to be this complaint about players rarely chat anymore.
But everytime i logged into any online games (MMO or not), the chat channels are always filled with chatter. So where is this strange notion coming from?
Last time i was in STO, D3, PoE (you name it), there are always chat about price checks, gameplay (how do i increase my dps? Where is the best place to farm? Where i can buy x?), and even rl stuff.
In fact, i found that most online games are as much a chat room as games. If chat and down-time is what you want ... just pause what you are doing, and talk in channels. There are plenty of people to talk to.
Don't think the complaint is about the chatchannels, but more like no one chats in formed groups>PUGS.
But that seems like a hollow complaint. If you like to chat, just go to the channels. They are always there. Why would you prefer one stranger (in your PUG), over another (in chat channel).
God forbid, chat someone up in the channel and then form a group.
Nope, already know and use the other chat channels, it's just towards your OP, as I never saw complaints about normal chatchannels, of course that doesn't mean they don't excist, but the complaints that I saw/read many many times which were sort of like "no one chats" it often had to do with groups or pugs.
Also I am not one of the complainers, as said just responded to your OP as in never seen those complaints other then what I mentioned. Though I do like to chat even in pugs, perhaps passed experiance have brought nice online friends or just like minded players, of course you might say you can do this aswell in the regular chat channels, but then again it's just something else when being face to face/pixel to pixel .
Voice chat was the worst thing that could happen to the genre.
Kicked immersion right out the window.
Also led to MMOs not having speech bubbles anymore.
True, although in almost all roleplaying communities, this heinous devilry is luckily non-existent and everyone is still chatting via text chat (with bubbles, if the game has them).
This is true only so long as there is separation between the player and his or her avatar. In my game of choice, Vendetta Online, there is very little separation between the player and the game world. The mobile version defaults to third person, but on laptops and PCs the default view is first-person with a full 360 degree view of the surroundings easily accessible. The game is also one of the only MMORPGs that I know of which includes a voice-chat platform integrated into its client. In other words, you don't have some players running the game with the ability to voice chat, some without; everyone who has the game has the ability to voice chat if s/he is in a group or with guildmates. This, combined with the fact that physical movements translate immediately and directly into movements within the game world following realistic physical laws, creates a feeling very much of being "there".
There is no need to role-play if the experience itself is the role. Role-playing is very much misunderstood; it's what naturally occurs if the experience is properly delivered, not something that happens because I speak in an artificial dialect.
"The simple is the seal of the true and beauty is the splendor of truth" -Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar Authored 139 missions in VendettaOnline and 6 tracks in Distance
There seems to be this complaint about players rarely chat anymore.
But everytime i logged into any online games (MMO or not), the chat channels are always filled with chatter. So where is this strange notion coming from?
Last time i was in STO, D3, PoE (you name it), there are always chat about price checks, gameplay (how do i increase my dps? Where is the best place to farm? Where i can buy x?), and even rl stuff.
In fact, i found that most online games are as much a chat room as games. If chat and down-time is what you want ... just pause what you are doing, and talk in channels. There are plenty of people to talk to.
Don't think the complaint is about the chatchannels, but more like no one chats in formed groups>PUGS.
But that seems like a hollow complaint. If you like to chat, just go to the channels. They are always there. Why would you prefer one stranger (in your PUG), over another (in chat channel).
God forbid, chat someone up in the channel and then form a group.
To be honest, I'd very rarely ever chat with the people I was in a PUG with, they were there to achieve something, usually to gain levels or loot, there was no reason for communication so most of the time, nobody bothers. However, I almost always had a chat window open to talk to friends in, especially since a lot of grouping in PUGs is so mindlessly boring and repetitive anyhow, just follow the group around, perform a function, rake in XP.
There is a lot of chatting, sure. But social interaction? Nope.
Chats nowadays are either used as means to gain information to further increase your leveling speed or for simple rants.
- "Whats the strongest weapon / best build for my class?"
- "Where can I find NPC / quest x?"
- "Buy 100000 Gold for 1 €. Fasssst delivery."
- "This game sucks because there is no paladin like in WoW."
- Oh and of course "L2P noob"
May be because people do not want to socialize? I gather if they want to just socialize, they would have join a chat channel or something, instead of playing a GAME that focuess on KILLING STUFF.
To be honest, I'd very rarely ever chat with the people I was in a PUG with, they were there to achieve something, usually to gain levels or loot, there was no reason for communication so most of the time, nobody bothers. However, I almost always had a chat window open to talk to friends in, especially since a lot of grouping in PUGs is so mindlessly boring and repetitive anyhow, just follow the group around, perform a function, rake in XP.
THe first part make sense. The last sentence does not. If anything is "mindlessly boring", why would you do it in an ENTERTAINMENT product?
The only reason why i like farming Diablo is because combat is fun. When it ceases to be fun, i am out of there. I don't understand why people will complain something that is "mindlessly boring", then spend hours doing it.
For me personally my social mmorpg habbits have changed over the years.
When I was in college I had all the time in the world and it was not uncommon for me to play for a few hours and then just sit and chat for a couple more.
These days with a child and fulltime job I don't have enough time to do much more then log in and do my dailys.
On weekends i am more likely to chat a bit if I have the time.
hrm maybe I missed it, but I find it weird that no one challange the notion that someone asking for a fast tips or groups, is the same as chatting.
and peoples thoughts on what a MMO is have changed from virtual world to a, more or less, open world game - so now the developers are busy turning the speed up, which ofc make it impossible to chat, without voice chat - in EQ2 I could easily sit and chat for most of the games lifetime, without missing anything else, it is not really possible in the past couple of years, usually can still do it without ruin a raid, but even in a group it is taking a risk to type something during a fight - I used to be doing stupid jokes all the time during fights, and often it sparked a good fun chat, while playing. if I try do this today I risk to kill my group and most times would just be asked to focus....since people just want the run done asap - could happen at launch as well, but very rare.
hrm maybe I missed it, but I find it weird that no one challange the notion that someone asking for a fast tips or groups, is the same as chatting.
and peoples thoughts on what a MMO is have changed from virtual world to a, more or less, open world game - so now the developers are busy turning the speed up, which ofc make it impossible to chat, without voice chat - in EQ2 I could easily sit and chat for most of the games lifetime, without missing anything else, it is not really possible in the past couple of years, usually can still do it without ruin a raid, but even in a group it is taking a risk to type something during a fight - I used to be doing stupid jokes all the time during fights, and often it sparked a good fun chat, while playing. if I try do this today I risk to kill my group and most times would just be asked to focus....since people just want the run done asap - could happen at launch as well, but very rare.
Why would anyone chat during a fight? Even back in EQ times, you chat when you are WAITING for a fight, not DURING the fight.
And in this case, you can easily take a break between dungeon runs, and chat, which people do.
Originally posted by fonoi For me personally my social mmorpg habbits have changed over the years.
When I was in college I had all the time in the world and it was not uncommon for me to play for a few hours and then just sit and chat for a couple more.
These days with a child and fulltime job I don't have enough time to do much more then log in and do my dailys.
On weekends i am more likely to chat a bit if I have the time.
Don't get me wrong I understand that some might have changed.
In fact I personaly havn't changed towards games, obviously life has but I still look at a MMORPG very differently then common singleplayer or multiplayer games. Sure some games actually force you that you do not need to be social. But overall I know that if I enter a MMORPG there is a part of me that enjoy's the social aspect, just little things like PUGS but PUGS where I know I am really playing with other players meaning if no one talks I might aswell just form a group with my companion or pet, funny thing they often react more then people in pugs react.
I do not see time as a issue to not be social, even though like you I hardly have time to play a MMORPG, but I often choose other genre's of games if i want my quick game fix, but regardlles even if I hop in for 20minutes in a MMORPG and might I be lucky to find a PUG or other trade activities or crafting it doesn't stop me from being social. Of course I will make sure that I do not join a PUG who are going to do a long raid or dungeon if I know my time is limited, unless f they know and they don't mind if I might quite in 15 or 20 minutes.
Personaly I would say people should stop putting this time presure onto themselfs, MMORPG are not a race to be won, what's not done today could be done tommorow, next week, next month.....or when ever....
Personaly I would say people should stop putting this time presure onto themselfs, MMORPG are not a race to be won, what's not done today could be done tommorow, next week, next month.....or when ever....
I don't think it is a time pressure issue. it is more about what people want out of their entertainment.
If i have 30 min to play, i can choose to kill stuff, or spend some of that time chatting. It is really about which way is more entertaining. And often than not, people choose gameplay over social. That should not be surprising since they are playing games.
To be honest, I'd very rarely ever chat with the people I was in a PUG with, they were there to achieve something, usually to gain levels or loot, there was no reason for communication so most of the time, nobody bothers. However, I almost always had a chat window open to talk to friends in, especially since a lot of grouping in PUGs is so mindlessly boring and repetitive anyhow, just follow the group around, perform a function, rake in XP.
THe first part make sense. The last sentence does not. If anything is "mindlessly boring", why would you do it in an ENTERTAINMENT product?
The only reason why i like farming Diablo is because combat is fun. When it ceases to be fun, i am out of there. I don't understand why people will complain something that is "mindlessly boring", then spend hours doing it.
Grinding is no fun, but in most games, it is a necessity so you can get enough XP/loot/gear to go do something more fun. If I had to cut out all of the no-fun parts, I'd never play an MMO at all. It's just not realistic to think that it's all going to be wonderful.
To be honest, I'd very rarely ever chat with the people I was in a PUG with, they were there to achieve something, usually to gain levels or loot, there was no reason for communication so most of the time, nobody bothers. However, I almost always had a chat window open to talk to friends in, especially since a lot of grouping in PUGs is so mindlessly boring and repetitive anyhow, just follow the group around, perform a function, rake in XP.
THe first part make sense. The last sentence does not. If anything is "mindlessly boring", why would you do it in an ENTERTAINMENT product?
The only reason why i like farming Diablo is because combat is fun. When it ceases to be fun, i am out of there. I don't understand why people will complain something that is "mindlessly boring", then spend hours doing it.
Grinding is no fun, but in most games, it is a necessity so you can get enough XP/loot/gear to go do something more fun. If I had to cut out all of the no-fun parts, I'd never play an MMO at all. It's just not realistic to think that it's all going to be wonderful.
Or in F2P games, you *can* pay to by-pass some of the no-fun part. That is also what i don't understand. Are the fun parts so compelling that many players are willing to endure the no-fun parts?
Personally i won't. I will just switch game and play one that only have fun parts. And there are plenty of those for me.
To be honest, I'd very rarely ever chat with the people I was in a PUG with, they were there to achieve something, usually to gain levels or loot, there was no reason for communication so most of the time, nobody bothers. However, I almost always had a chat window open to talk to friends in, especially since a lot of grouping in PUGs is so mindlessly boring and repetitive anyhow, just follow the group around, perform a function, rake in XP.
THe first part make sense. The last sentence does not. If anything is "mindlessly boring", why would you do it in an ENTERTAINMENT product?
The only reason why i like farming Diablo is because combat is fun. When it ceases to be fun, i am out of there. I don't understand why people will complain something that is "mindlessly boring", then spend hours doing it.
Grinding is no fun, but in most games, it is a necessity so you can get enough XP/loot/gear to go do something more fun. If I had to cut out all of the no-fun parts, I'd never play an MMO at all. It's just not realistic to think that it's all going to be wonderful.
Or in F2P games, you *can* pay to by-pass some of the no-fun part. That is also what i don't understand. Are the fun parts so compelling that many players are willing to endure the no-fun parts?
Personally i won't. I will just switch game and play one that only have fun parts. And there are plenty of those for me.
There's no such thing as an MMO that only has fun parts though, the grind is a part of the genre. I will never pay a penny in any game (outside of a subscription) to lessen the grind. I accept it as what it is, a part of the game. If there were enough really good single player games, I'd never play another MMO as long as I lived.
Which I guess is why I haven't played one in almost a year. Lots of really good single-player games out at the moment.
There's no such thing as an MMO that only has fun parts though, the grind is a part of the genre. I will never pay a penny in any game (outside of a subscription) to lessen the grind. I accept it as what it is, a part of the game. If there were enough really good single player games, I'd never play another MMO as long as I lived.
Which I guess is why I haven't played one in almost a year. Lots of really good single-player games out at the moment.
It does not have to be. Look at D3. There is no grind. Combat is just pure fun. MMO can be like that. Also i am playing STO and there is no grind. Just play the story missions as a SP/co-op game.
But like you say, there are enough games (MMO or not) that are fun through and through. There is very little reason to spend time on non-fun part of any game.
What SP games are you playing? I just started Dead Space 3. I like it better than the second one. And finally crafting matters!
Comments
Maybe that is the point. The misconceptions begin by being misrepresentative and in order to discuss them requires you to misrepresent them or discuss how subjective it is.
Yes. And how is that misrepresentative?
I am not arguing that a small percentage of players chat. If they are killing stuff 90% of the time, they are not chatting.
However, isn't it true that global chats have enough chit-chat to keep busy .. and that if you want to chat, there are "enough" people to chat with?
I think that is the point. There are always someone chatting. You can always join in.
Don't think the complaint is about the chatchannels, but more like no one chats in formed groups>PUGS.
True, although in almost all roleplaying communities, this heinous devilry is luckily non-existent and everyone is still chatting via text chat (with bubbles, if the game has them).
But that seems like a hollow complaint. If you like to chat, just go to the channels. They are always there. Why would you prefer one stranger (in your PUG), over another (in chat channel).
God forbid, chat someone up in the channel and then form a group.
Someone says something that by literal translation misrepresents what they mean "People don't stop to chat" -> you used that misrepestative meaning to make a different statement "people actually do chat in MMOs!"
Chatting can be possible, nobody is say it isn't, but is meanful game-related chat happening like it used to?
Why so agrumentative for the sake of creating an arguement? Hyperbolic comments getting to you?
One of my all time favorite things to do is to play mmo's while listening to music, all the time. So yeah, I agree that voice chat is horrible and it seems to be becomming more the norm for guilds to require you to use it. I guess people these days can't type and play at the same time anymore. I played with a few people that said it required to much effort to type. I found that to be firly sad hehe. Oh well, things change.
Nope, already know and use the other chat channels, it's just towards your OP, as I never saw complaints about normal chatchannels, of course that doesn't mean they don't excist, but the complaints that I saw/read many many times which were sort of like "no one chats" it often had to do with groups or pugs.
Also I am not one of the complainers, as said just responded to your OP as in never seen those complaints other then what I mentioned. Though I do like to chat even in pugs, perhaps passed experiance have brought nice online friends or just like minded players, of course you might say you can do this aswell in the regular chat channels, but then again it's just something else when being face to face/pixel to pixel .
This is true only so long as there is separation between the player and his or her avatar. In my game of choice, Vendetta Online, there is very little separation between the player and the game world. The mobile version defaults to third person, but on laptops and PCs the default view is first-person with a full 360 degree view of the surroundings easily accessible. The game is also one of the only MMORPGs that I know of which includes a voice-chat platform integrated into its client. In other words, you don't have some players running the game with the ability to voice chat, some without; everyone who has the game has the ability to voice chat if s/he is in a group or with guildmates. This, combined with the fact that physical movements translate immediately and directly into movements within the game world following realistic physical laws, creates a feeling very much of being "there".
There is no need to role-play if the experience itself is the role. Role-playing is very much misunderstood; it's what naturally occurs if the experience is properly delivered, not something that happens because I speak in an artificial dialect.
"The simple is the seal of the true and beauty is the splendor of truth" -Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Authored 139 missions in Vendetta Online and 6 tracks in Distance
There is a lot of chatting, sure. But social interaction? Nope.
Chats nowadays are either used as means to gain information to further increase your leveling speed or for simple rants.
- "Whats the strongest weapon / best build for my class?"
- "Where can I find NPC / quest x?"
- "Buy 100000 Gold for 1 €. Fasssst delivery."
- "This game sucks because there is no paladin like in WoW."
- Oh and of course "L2P noob"
---
Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
To be honest, I'd very rarely ever chat with the people I was in a PUG with, they were there to achieve something, usually to gain levels or loot, there was no reason for communication so most of the time, nobody bothers. However, I almost always had a chat window open to talk to friends in, especially since a lot of grouping in PUGs is so mindlessly boring and repetitive anyhow, just follow the group around, perform a function, rake in XP.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
May be because people do not want to socialize? I gather if they want to just socialize, they would have join a chat channel or something, instead of playing a GAME that focuess on KILLING STUFF.
THe first part make sense. The last sentence does not. If anything is "mindlessly boring", why would you do it in an ENTERTAINMENT product?
The only reason why i like farming Diablo is because combat is fun. When it ceases to be fun, i am out of there. I don't understand why people will complain something that is "mindlessly boring", then spend hours doing it.
When I was in college I had all the time in the world and it was not uncommon for me to play for a few hours and then just sit and chat for a couple more.
These days with a child and fulltime job I don't have enough time to do much more then log in and do my dailys.
On weekends i am more likely to chat a bit if I have the time.
hrm maybe I missed it, but I find it weird that no one challange the notion that someone asking for a fast tips or groups, is the same as chatting.
and peoples thoughts on what a MMO is have changed from virtual world to a, more or less, open world game - so now the developers are busy turning the speed up, which ofc make it impossible to chat, without voice chat - in EQ2 I could easily sit and chat for most of the games lifetime, without missing anything else, it is not really possible in the past couple of years, usually can still do it without ruin a raid, but even in a group it is taking a risk to type something during a fight - I used to be doing stupid jokes all the time during fights, and often it sparked a good fun chat, while playing. if I try do this today I risk to kill my group and most times would just be asked to focus....since people just want the run done asap - could happen at launch as well, but very rare.
Why would anyone chat during a fight? Even back in EQ times, you chat when you are WAITING for a fight, not DURING the fight.
And in this case, you can easily take a break between dungeon runs, and chat, which people do.
Don't get me wrong I understand that some might have changed.
In fact I personaly havn't changed towards games, obviously life has but I still look at a MMORPG very differently then common singleplayer or multiplayer games. Sure some games actually force you that you do not need to be social. But overall I know that if I enter a MMORPG there is a part of me that enjoy's the social aspect, just little things like PUGS but PUGS where I know I am really playing with other players meaning if no one talks I might aswell just form a group with my companion or pet, funny thing they often react more then people in pugs react.
I do not see time as a issue to not be social, even though like you I hardly have time to play a MMORPG, but I often choose other genre's of games if i want my quick game fix, but regardlles even if I hop in for 20minutes in a MMORPG and might I be lucky to find a PUG or other trade activities or crafting it doesn't stop me from being social. Of course I will make sure that I do not join a PUG who are going to do a long raid or dungeon if I know my time is limited, unless f they know and they don't mind if I might quite in 15 or 20 minutes.
Personaly I would say people should stop putting this time presure onto themselfs, MMORPG are not a race to be won, what's not done today could be done tommorow, next week, next month.....or when ever....
I don't think it is a time pressure issue. it is more about what people want out of their entertainment.
If i have 30 min to play, i can choose to kill stuff, or spend some of that time chatting. It is really about which way is more entertaining. And often than not, people choose gameplay over social. That should not be surprising since they are playing games.
Grinding is no fun, but in most games, it is a necessity so you can get enough XP/loot/gear to go do something more fun. If I had to cut out all of the no-fun parts, I'd never play an MMO at all. It's just not realistic to think that it's all going to be wonderful.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
Or in F2P games, you *can* pay to by-pass some of the no-fun part. That is also what i don't understand. Are the fun parts so compelling that many players are willing to endure the no-fun parts?
Personally i won't. I will just switch game and play one that only have fun parts. And there are plenty of those for me.
There's no such thing as an MMO that only has fun parts though, the grind is a part of the genre. I will never pay a penny in any game (outside of a subscription) to lessen the grind. I accept it as what it is, a part of the game. If there were enough really good single player games, I'd never play another MMO as long as I lived.
Which I guess is why I haven't played one in almost a year. Lots of really good single-player games out at the moment.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
It does not have to be. Look at D3. There is no grind. Combat is just pure fun. MMO can be like that. Also i am playing STO and there is no grind. Just play the story missions as a SP/co-op game.
But like you say, there are enough games (MMO or not) that are fun through and through. There is very little reason to spend time on non-fun part of any game.
What SP games are you playing? I just started Dead Space 3. I like it better than the second one. And finally crafting matters!