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Does time to level cap matter and why?
Roxtarr
Member CommonPosts: 1,122
How long does it take to get to level cap in your favorite MMO? Does it matter? Why?
I overheard a discussion on this subject when a fan asked a community manager this question. The person asked how long it would take to get to level cap in their game and the community manager said, "It doesn't matter." The fan was a bit confused at this answer and insisted that it does matter. The CM replied, "If our endgame is good, it doesn't matter how long it takes to get there."
I get his point since I think there needs to be a balance between having a solid amount of content to make the leveling experience fun, but if it's too much then people will get bored and leave.
My view is that it ultimately doesn't matter since some dude in a basement will blast through it all quickly, while the average player will reach it in 2-4 weeks. The studio can say, "We have 200 hours of leveling content" while some guy skips it all, gets his pocket healers to follow him around and skyrockets to cap.
Ultimately what's more important is how good the game is AFTER everybody reaches cap.
What do you guys think?
If in 1982 we played with the current mentality, we would have burned down all the pac man games since the red ghost was clearly OP. Instead we just got better at the game.
Comments
Ultimately i don't think it matters as long as there's multiple forms and paths of content to back up the time it takes.
My preference is still months+ instead of the days and weeks we're getting though.
It doesn't matter. Often the game doesn't end when you get to the level cap. You can reach the level cap within 3 hours in GW1. It doesn't mean the game has only 3 hours of content.
In contrast, even if it took 6 months to reach the level cap, it doesn't mean the game has content for 6 months. Usually you just spend time repeating or grinding the same content over and over.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
I think that it's crazy that MMO gamers buy into the whole 'endgame' idea at all.
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
leveling content doesn't matter to me -- relevant content does matter
I know some players don't like it
but I appreciate how GW2 "autoscales" your level downwards when revisiting earlier content
makes it easier to play with players of all levels
EQ2 has a level scaling system called mentoring / chronomancy
- I wish more mmo's offered that feature, other games do offer leveling scaling, but not enough
EQ2 fan sites
The journey as always been much better to me. Death to endgame.
It does. In fact, I'd prefer a game with an extremely low level cap, like GW1. Why? Because MMO's are about playing with other people. It's pretty ridiculous to limit the amount of people you can play with by separating you via levels.
Indeed. When I reach the cap, there's only rp and social fun left, or finishing exploration, clearing missing pieces off the log, that kinda stuff. No way I'll touch "endgame" even with a 10foot pole.
The game is in the content for me, and not in the: "hop onto this treadmill, after two months we'll move it forward to you by 10inches to represent your progress. In 2 years you'll be able to reach the oposite wall even - but not, since we'll release an expanison by then. No worries though, we'll put your good ol' trusty treadmill at the end of that content as well"
"living by the raid calendar", my *ss
have fun with that, I'll rather stick to the rpg part of mmorpg's...
Exactly my thoughts.
Being somone who enjoys both soloin and group stuff. i can say that i really enjoy a long drawn out leveling course. i hate it when im at max in afew weeks. The main problem is that when i get there i either have to join a guild (or like 4 trying to find one that doesnt have Dbag members). then be put at the end of the line for all endgame based stuff because at that point people usually just log in to run raids or have no interest in running the old stuff to help a guildie.
I wish games took months to get to max level again.
Because i can.
I'm Hopeful For Every Game, Until the Fan Boys Attack My Games. Then the Knives Come Out.
Logic every gamers worst enemy.
The longer it takes to level the better the game. It makes gear and crafting have more impact while leveling and makes you feel like you accomplished something when you do reach max level. Max level itself needs some alternate goal other than just gear as well. Whether that be hunting down skills like in GW or AA xp like in EQ or even achievements like GW2. To me the leveling process is almost always more fun than what happens at max level. EQ is an example of a game that got this right for me, GW2 fails for me. While leveling in GW2 I don't even care about any items I get or keeping up my crafting or anything, everything just seems worthless.
I will also add that I hate the GW2 system of forcing you to downlevel in areas and I hate that I can get level appropriate gear from these lower level zones. It just makes me feel like my character is never growing in strength. A mentoring system is fine when you choose to downlevel but don't force me.
im more of a no level cap, like back in the day of legend of mir2,
where there was no level crap, yes another like lvl 45 u got no more skills, but u got some added stats every level after, and its like higher ur lvl the more commitment u have put in
but hey thats me
Currently Playing:
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I want a mmorpg where people have gone through misery, have gone through school stuff and actually have had sex even. -sagil
The only thing that matter is whether it is fun.
If leveling is not fun, i don't want any of it.
If it is fun, bring it on.
(disclaimer .. fun is subjective .. so the matter thing matters to me is "fun to me")