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is WoW an MMORPG?

majimaji Member UncommonPosts: 2,091

Especially when you reach level 80, I'm not sure if that's still the case.

Like, where is the "massive" part? What does it matter how many people roam the world on your server, if you won't meet them anymore? 90% of the action on level 80 takes place in dungeons or battlegrounds / arenas, and both are instanced and you normally teleport to. There is no need to enter the world of Azeroth anymore at all. And if there is no need for the world, why do the people in it count?

On 80, the game basically consists of Dalaran + several instanced activities you can directly teleport to. And those activities ain't massive. The largest would be Alterac Valley, but that's not massive either. They're all instanced small scale activities. You can basically scrap the whole world around you since it's not needed anymore. Dalaran works as a lounge or chat room, from where on you jump to what you want to do.

What's the difference, for example, to chatting on Steam, talking there to friend, and then hopping into a game of TF2 if you want PvP for example, compared to meeting in Dalaran and jumping into a battleground? The only difference is that Dalaran is 3D and you can walk around in it with your toon. And that's just some visual stuff that is not necessary.

What is left of the "World" of World of Warcraft? Even on low levels, the experience of discovering the world is more and more taken away, as you don't even have to find groups anymore to tackle dungeons. The people you meet with the dungeon finder ain't even part of "your" Azeroth, you won't meet them ever in your World of Warcraft, same as those in PvP.

When I was still playing WoW, and raiding Ulduar and such, all I did was log on for raids, teleport from Dalaran to Ulduar, and once the raid is over teleport back, repair, refill my backpack with necessary stuff for the raid, and log off. The world of azeroth was irrelevant, everyone outside my guild I never met.

If the world has become irrelevant, and the massive stripped away since everything has become instanced and divided into tiny groups... what is the difference between WoW and a collection of mini games? And if it continues this way, where will it end? 

Let's play Fallen Earth (blind, 300 episodes)

Let's play Guild Wars 2 (blind, 45 episodes)

Comments

  • HarafnirHarafnir Member UncommonPosts: 1,350

    Are you forced to just stand in Dalaran and wait for a teleport to an instance? No...?

    End of dicsussion. Stop being silly.

    "This is not a game to be tossed aside lightly.
    It should be thrown with great force"

  • KordeshKordesh Member Posts: 1,715
    Originally posted by Harafnir


    Are you forced to just stand in Dalaran and wait for a teleport to an instance? No...?
    End of dicsussion. Stop being silly.

    It's a matter of practicality and what people ACTUALLY DO in the game as opposed to the ignored leftovers of what is "outside". He makes a good point. So you, stop being silly. 

    Bans a perma, but so are sigs in necro posts.

    EAT ME MMORPG.com!

  • spookydomspookydom Member UncommonPosts: 1,782

    He's right op. This is very silly. By your rational that means no mmorpg is an mmorpg.......my head hurts.

     

  • Zeref.DyverZeref.Dyver Member Posts: 270

    The OP does in fact make a very good point. While I think WoW should still be considered an MMORPG, I do agree with the rest of his post. He actually outlines the main reasons that I quit playing WoW. It has become way too streamlined, and does not feel like an MMORPG, or even a world anymore.

  • HoobleyHoobley Member Posts: 421

    Silly thread is indeed silly.

  • Zeref.DyverZeref.Dyver Member Posts: 270

    Why don't we just admit that hes right? You aren't providing any argument or evidence otherwise.

  • spookydomspookydom Member UncommonPosts: 1,782

    Hmmm......reading through it agian I am retracting my silly statement. Haven't played it for a year or so and didn't realise it had got this way. My the point in my head was the whole experiance wasn't about the end game, my fave time on the game was about the journy to 80 afterwards it just got kind of pointless for me on whatever toon I lvl'd.  But if the points stated means the open world feeling has gone from the early game then it is well said and a trifle worrying if thats really the case.

  • majimaji Member UncommonPosts: 2,091
    Originally posted by Harafnir


    Are you forced to just stand in Dalaran and wait for a teleport to an instance? No...?
    End of dicsussion. Stop being silly.

    The game is designed that way that standing around in Dalaran and then teleporting into a dungeon or PvP thingy is what makes most sense, and what most people do. Sure, you don't have to do so. The same as you don't have to quests, assign talent points or get non-grey items. But the game is designed in a way that doing exactly this is what makes most sense.

     My the point in my head was the whole experiance wasn't about the end game

    Most people would say that the endgame is all WoW or similiar MMORPGs are about. That's why they so many people say "the game has no endgame? I won't even try it or start playing it", or "what is the fastest way to reach endgame / max level". And the endgame of WoW is nothing else but a collection of instanced mini games.

    Let's play Fallen Earth (blind, 300 episodes)

    Let's play Guild Wars 2 (blind, 45 episodes)

  • solocronosolocrono Member Posts: 173

                      I fully agree with the OP.  He hit the nail on the head with this game.  Back when I first started.. it was just a great experience, see all the sights... exploring, and meeting people in a game world that used to be a top down RTS.  Getting a reputation on a server actually used to mean something. 

                      Now... he's absolutely right.. the only need to go outside dalaran is to teleport to a city that has an AH, or maybe, go work your mining up, or doing your daily quests a.k.a chores sounds better.  Those are truthfully the only 3 reasons to ever leave Dalaran.  And if people just don't see it.. then they're just mindlessly obsessed with WoW.  Granted I like the game, but this is the harsh reality of what the game is now, there's really no denying it.

                      I play and try different mmo's now to get that feeling of exploration and meeting people.  So no... all MMO's are absolutely not like this as someone above me tried to say.

  • Zeref.DyverZeref.Dyver Member Posts: 270
    Originally posted by solocrono


                      I fully agree with the OP.  He hit the nail on the head with this game.  Back when I first started.. it was just a great experience, see all the sights... exploring, and meeting people in a game world that used to be a top down RTS.  Getting a reputation on a server actually used to mean something. 
                      Now... he's absolutely right.. the only need to go outside dalaran is to teleport to a city that has an AH, or maybe, go work your mining up, or doing your daily quests a.k.a chores sounds better.  Those are truthfully the only 3 reasons to ever leave Dalaran.  And if people just don't see it.. then they're just mindlessly obsessed with WoW.  Granted I like the game, but this is the harsh reality of what the game is now, there's really no denying it.
                      I play and try different mmo's now to get that feeling of exploration and meeting people.  So no... all MMO's are absolutely not like this as someone above me tried to say.

     

    I don't see where anyone said that all MMO's are like this.

  • solocronosolocrono Member Posts: 173

    "Spooky" said it... then a little ways afterward he retracted it.  But I thought I wasn't crazy lol.  I had to go back up and read again, but yeah, it's there.

  • spookydomspookydom Member UncommonPosts: 1,782
    Originally posted by maji

    Originally posted by Harafnir


    Are you forced to just stand in Dalaran and wait for a teleport to an instance? No...?
    End of dicsussion. Stop being silly.

    The game is designed that way that standing around in Dalaran and then teleporting into a dungeon or PvP thingy is what makes most sense, and what most people do. Sure, you don't have to do so. The same as you don't have to quests, assign talent points or get non-grey items. But the game is designed in a way that doing exactly this is what makes most sense.

     My the point in my head was the whole experiance wasn't about the end game

    Most people would say that the endgame is all WoW or similiar MMORPGs are about. That's why they so many people say "the game has no endgame? I won't even try it or start playing it", or "what is the fastest way to reach endgame / max level". And the endgame of WoW is nothing else but a collection of instanced mini games.

    I really don't get on with the whole play for endgame thing. For me the wonder of mmorpg's is the whole exploring, meeting people. working together and story and lore. It shouldn't be a an e-sport. If these elements are taken away from our games then whats the point of them?

  • Zeref.DyverZeref.Dyver Member Posts: 270
    Originally posted by solocrono


    "Spooky" said it... then a little ways afterward he retracted it.  But I thought I wasn't crazy lol.  I had to go back up and read again, but yeah, it's there.

     

    Oh, that's what you meant, lol.

  • causscauss Member UncommonPosts: 666

    True, While I quit playing the game at level 60, I still see the game everyday at friends. Its all about daily quests, and raiding. I'm playing Fallen Earth now, since a couple of weeks, and for me, that's what a mmorpg should be . Immersive, one server. Not only Fallen Earth tho, just using that as an example.

  • spookydomspookydom Member UncommonPosts: 1,782
    Originally posted by Zeno89

    Originally posted by solocrono


    "Spooky" said it... then a little ways afterward he retracted it.  But I thought I wasn't crazy lol.  I had to go back up and read again, but yeah, it's there.

     

    Oh, that's what you meant, lol.

     

    Lol sorry guys.....bad hangover.....not at all sure what I ment by that statement. Will just be liying down over here if anybody needs me for anything :)

  • solocronosolocrono Member Posts: 173

    Well said.   I stopped PvPing in wow when they opened the Arenas.... after that, the factions became irrelavent (spell check?  just doesn't look right lol no matter how I type it, hate it when that happens)  

  • Zeref.DyverZeref.Dyver Member Posts: 270

    I think they just kept adding and adding and adding features, and they took it a bit too far. They started adding things to streamline and simplify the gaming experience and make it to where you don't have to walk anywhere. Hell, now, if you so choose, you can start the game, get to level 15, and then do Dungeons, back to back, all the way to 80. It's not a bad choice in terms of speed either, and hell, you never have to leave Orgrimmar.

    That, is seriously flawed.

  • SuperXero89SuperXero89 Member UncommonPosts: 2,551
    Originally posted by Zeno89


    I think they just kept adding and adding and adding features, and they took it a bit too far. They started adding things to streamline and simplify the gaming experience and make it to where you don't have to walk anywhere. Hell, now, if you so choose, you can start the game, get to level 15, and then do Dungeons, back to back, all the way to 80. It's not a bad choice in terms of speed either, and hell, you never have to leave Orgrimmar.
    That, is seriously flawed.

     

    On paper it sounds flawed, but take a moment to think about what people would do in a game like Everquest to gain levels.  Unless you were a Necromancer or one of a small assortment of other classes with the ability to solo, you stood around the Portal of Knowledge all day until someone PMed you about a group.  After you go the PM, the only real difference lies in the fact that you actually had to know the location of the dungeon and travel to it.  Of course, it balances out when you consider "running dungeons" in EQ largely consisted of pulling mobs one by one from an unoccupied room for hours on end compared to WoW where you actually have to know the layout of each dungeon in order to get the most out of it.

    The differences lies in the fact that simple dungeon runs aren't the "only" way to level up.  If an individual chooses to focus primarily on groups from the dungeon finder to level up, he has that option, but he also has the ability to solo almost equally well with any class, which if nothing else, provide an excellent diversion of the monotony of running constant dungeons.  In fact, in leveling my hunter from 45-58, that's almost exactly what I did as I had trouble finding consistent quest hubs.  After I hit 58, I put a much greater emphasis on running every solo quest I can find within the Burning Crusade content with a dungeon run thrown in the mix simply for a special drop or a quest update.  

    It's all about options, and to me, the ability to play the game however you want to play it is what makes it great.  I love the original EQ as much as most of us all do, but one thing I love about EQ2 and now WoW with the dungeon finder is the ability to accommodate all types of playstyles.  I may not agree with the individual who chooses to level 80 all by his or herself, but as long as his or her ability to solo does not hinder the enjoyment I get out of group play (as WoW previously did), I have no problem with that personal progressing through the game in whatever way the player wishes.  We get too caught up in expecting everyone to play the game exactly like we do, and I believe that's the wrong mentality to have as games such as WoW and EQ2 before it have proven to be able to support each style of play, relatively independent of each other.  Given that I'm the one paying the $15 a month for my current subscription, the only individual's happiness I'm worried about is my own.  If I'm having a good time playing whatever game I'm playing, I could care less how anyone else plays the game that they spend their own money on.

  • FdzzaiglFdzzaigl Member UncommonPosts: 2,433
    Originally posted by Kordesh

    Originally posted by Harafnir


    Are you forced to just stand in Dalaran and wait for a teleport to an instance? No...?
    End of dicsussion. Stop being silly.

    It's a matter of practicality and what people ACTUALLY DO in the game as opposed to the ignored leftovers of what is "outside". He makes a good point. So you, stop being silly. 

     

    That is just absolutely ridiculous, so if I choose to do mostly instances in any game that has them that makes the game not an mmo?

    So what an individual player does now suddenly determines the definition and genre of a game??

    Then you can honestly just scrap 90+% of the games off the list on this site, as I'm sure most of them have some form of instancing or a way to only do the game in small groups of people.

     

    Whether a game is an mmo is determined by what you can do as a player, not what you actually do; if you want to explore the world in WoW, if you want to organise huge raids against an enemy city, you can do that (and it happens) it'll just take some effort from you.

     

     

    Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!

  • KharumKharum Member Posts: 94

    In the end of the day, only us players can be blamed. 

    Waiting on Xsyon & betaing stuff

  • camp11111camp11111 Member Posts: 602
    Originally posted by Kharum


    In the end of the day, only us players can be blamed. 



     

    If you want to level just by standing in the BG's: possible.

    If you want to level by standing in the leveling dungeons: possible.

    If you want to solo play and ignore everyone and everything : possible.

    If you only want to play it as an e-sport in arena with auto-maxed gear: possible.

    If you want to never do any professions and any side games: possible.

    If you want to do just endless raid runs at the end game: possible.

    If you want to shut down all experience overall (even experience gains): possible.

    But you'll only get 5% of the total mmorpg game play offered by Blizzard: your choice.

     

    Want a real mmorpg? Play WOW with experience turned off mode and be Pve_Pvp King at any level without a rat race.

  • tro44_1tro44_1 Member Posts: 1,819

    Hey doesnt the player have the FREEDOM to team up and raid down World Bosses and Elites in the world?

    So why dont they do that?

    Isnt it their choice like Sandboxs like to say?

  • Daffid011Daffid011 Member UncommonPosts: 7,945

    The original poster makes a point specific to his own experience, but it is far from the only point and treating it as if it is the only possible way to play the game is indeed silly.

    I see people of various levels all over the world, so obviously it still has significance to other people.

     

    The original posts sounds more like someone who is burned out on a game rather than anything else.

  • zethcarnzethcarn Member UncommonPosts: 1,558

    I agree that WoW has nowhere near a feeling of "massive world".  The world itself is very, very dead.  However the instances are well designed and pretty fun.

This discussion has been closed.