Is Lost Ark really a MMO?

MMOExposed

I been searching around and looking at youtubers talk about the game.  

I must say, I am very confused by this. From the reviews I have seen of the game, as well as the gameplay, this game doesnt seem like a MMO. Seem like a typical multiplayer Online Always Diablo-like ARPG.

BUT,,,,,,

Just about everywhere online, the game is listed and mentioned as a MMO. 

I havnt seen any MMO gameplay in the reviews and videos. 

Figured I ask straight up instead of playing around with the false MMO labeling marketing game that developers tend to play. 
The game seem interesting regardless, just too large of a download for me to try it for myself.

I am mostly a MMO gamer, and would rather use my harddrive space for MMOs. 

again I dont think every game that isnt a MMO is automatically a bad game. I am not saying that, but I prioritize MMO gaming. Is this truly a MMO?
Or is the world instanced with hubs like Guild Wars 1? 

kitarad

There are a lot of open world areas in the game.

Scot

It is not really a MMO, definitely not a MMORPG. The term MMO has been widely abused for over ten years now, so when I remember I use MMORPG to indicate the real McCoy. LA looks more like a MOARPG to me, but the media only deals in simplicity and hype so what else can we expect?

MMOExposed

kitarad said:

There are a lot of open world areas in the game.

have video examples? 

kitarad

You can watch some let's play and see where they go.

Problem is this game has already been out for 3 years. Most of the vids are focused on dungeons, builds and tips.

Games like BDO have an open world but most times you can switch between one version of the map you're on to another if anyone is harassing you or it is too crowded.

Everquest 2 when they launched a time limited server always have several instances of  Antonica or Thundering Steppes because of the crush and you could switch between them. SWTOR was like that too. Are those MMOs or not?

You can sit here all day long and make definitions. Definitions don't make a game enjoyable. 1.3 over million players on steam must be enjoying themselves to some extent. My kid is playing with his friends and having an absolute blast and he is out in the open world most times I look at where he is.

This game is unfortunately all about the end game though. So even if the game may have an open world you will be spending a lot of it in dungeons in the end. 

Scot

kitarad said:

You can watch some let's play and see where they go.

Problem is this game has already been out for 3 years. Most of the vids are focused on dungeons, builds and tips.

Games like BDO have an open world but most times you can switch between one version of the map you're on to another if anyone is harassing you or it is too crowded.

Everquest 2 when they launched a time limited server always have several instances of  Antonica or Thundering Steppes because of the crush and you could switch between them. SWTOR was like that too. Are those MMOs or not?

How long is a piece of string? Eventually you have to cut it and say that's not a MMO, it is not strange that we don't all cut it in the same place.

kitarad

Not quibbling about that though but I ask you if you're going to be in a dungeon and raids almost all the time what difference does the open world make when once you have done that content and levelled up the chances are you may never set foot there again. It's window dressing.

Look at WoW. It has an open world but ask all the raiders that raid log and spend their time on the catwalk in Ironforge or Orgrimmar how much of their time is actually spent in that open world aside from cruising around on their mount sniping herbs. No sorry they just use the GDKP to buy the herbs on the AH..my bad.

Gold farmers probably do more open world content than they do.

Scot

kitarad said:

Not quibbling about that though but I ask you if you're going to be in a dungeon and raids almost all the time what difference does the open world make when once you have done that content and levelled up the chances are you may never set foot there again. It's window dressing.

Look at WoW. It has an open world but ask all the raiders that raid log and spend their time on the catwalk in Ironforge or Orgrimmar how much of their time is actually spent in that open world aside from cruising around on their mount sniping herbs. No sorry they just use the GDKP to buy the herbs on the AH..my bad.

Gold farmers probably do more open world content than they do.

I see your point there, but does not speak more to what the developers want players to do rather than anything else? So for example if there was no AH players would be riding around collecting herbs. If trading was regional AH they would at least have to go to the regional trading outpost and if trading was only by player traders, then gods of MMOs forbid some player interaction might be needed?

Still, even if I played exactly as you mentioned I would prefer to have leveled up in an open world not the ARPG version of one.

kitarad

I am sitting in a queue to get in right now. Central Europe the servers are nuts. So far loving the game. 

A game without an AH will have large numbers playing you think or will it crash  and burn?

Scot

kitarad said:

I am sitting in a queue to get in right now. Central Europe the servers are nuts. So far loving the game. 

A game without an AH will have large numbers playing you think or will it crash  and burn?

Well let me put it like this, I would not want to be playing a game which only had player traders at launch and the huge numbers LA is getting.

But down the line that would certainly be best for player interaction. Of course new "market stalls" allow you to purchase at any time, to me if you can do that it rather negates the point of having them. Guild "stalls" are another option but that comes with their own complications.

kitarad

There is an insane amount of gold laundering going on with GDKP I was fascinated to learn. All these systems /smh.

Still in the damn queue. I hate this.

Linif

kitarad said:

There is an insane amount of gold laundering going on with GDKP I was fascinated to learn. All these systems /smh.

Still in the damn queue. I hate this.

Fortunately, whoever is in charge has learned from their mistakes. Maintenance this morning laid the groundwork for EU server cap increases. Hopefully they'll get this sorted soon, it's just a shame they didn't do this prior to the weekend

Quizzical

It's definitely multiplayer and online.  The only real question is about the first M.  And for that, we can surely find some word that starts with M such that Lost Ark is M Multiplayer Online.  M could be anything from marginally to minimally to modestly to moderately to massively, and surely at least one of those fits the game's degree of multiplayer onlineness.  So yes, it is an MMO.

finefluff

I would say that yes it is an MMORPG. You see other players in town and in zones fighting enemies, doing their thing, just as you would in a games like FFXIV and WoW. It's not like Diablo or PoE where you go to your own version of a zone unless it is a story scenario/dungeon.

I'm not sure how the instancing works for zones, which I assume there is, but that is also something that exists in FFXIV where you can switch between the instances of a zone.

I think the traditional idea of an MMORPG is a seamless open world with minimal instancing outside of dungeons. I don't think anyone would question whether such a game was an MMORPG. But most MMOs these days tend to break up zones with loading screens and instancing. I think this is where the question arises of whether it is an MMO.

Mendel

I'm a bit unsure about Lost Ark being an MMOARPG.

First, the game (so far) is incredibly linear.  The story, the progression, the maps -- all linear.  There's no real place to venture off the beaten path.

Second, while I've seen a lot of people (mostly blocking access to critical NPCs), I've not seen any need for a group, and haven't talked to anyone yet.  The only real use of the global chat that I've seen is the ubiquitous gold-sellers.

Third, while there are numerous classes, they don't necessarily play any differently.  Everyone is a one-man army, mowing down hoards of opponents in a frenzy of button mashing.  Different graphic effects, maybe, but a lot of run-and-gun.

Fourth, so far (just about to leave Pridehome), there hasn't been any real decisions I've had to make.  Even the basics like 'do I go here or there today'.  Everything is planned out for you,  I haven't see any distinction in the story between classes, at least nothing that is tailored to my Sharpshooter class.  Maybe when I start another class.

Fifth.  (A personal peeve).  There are entirely too many cut scenes for my tastes.  You move your character to a hidden trigger point, and the camera PoV changes, your control over your character stops, and you watch a movie.  Not much game to this game.

LA may become an MMOARPG at some point, but I haven't seen signs of it yet.  It seems more like a SPOAIN (Single Player Online Action Interactive Novel).

Kyleran

Mendel said:

I'm a bit unsure about Lost Ark being an MMOARPG.

First, the game (so far) is incredibly linear.  The story, the progression, the maps -- all linear.  There's no real place to venture off the beaten path.

Second, while I've seen a lot of people (mostly blocking access to critical NPCs), I've not seen any need for a group, and haven't talked to anyone yet.  The only real use of the global chat that I've seen is the ubiquitous gold-sellers.

Third, while there are numerous classes, they don't necessarily play any differently.  Everyone is a one-man army, mowing down hoards of opponents in a frenzy of button mashing.  Different graphic effects, maybe, but a lot of run-and-gun.

Fourth, so far (just about to leave Pridehome), there hasn't been any real decisions I've had to make.  Even the basics like 'do I go here or there today'.  Everything is planned out for you,  I haven't see any distinction in the story between classes, at least nothing that is tailored to my Sharpshooter class.  Maybe when I start another class.

Fifth.  (A personal peeve).  There are entirely too many cut scenes for my tastes.  You move your character to a hidden trigger point, and the camera PoV changes, your control over your character stops, and you watch a movie.  Not much game to this game.

LA may become an MMOARPG at some point, but I haven't seen signs of it yet.  It seems more like a SPOAIN (Single Player Online Action Interactive Novel).

The "bad" news is you are still in the tutorial.

I'm level 25, a couple of zones ahead of you, and yet, I'm still in the tutorial, working through learning trade skills ATM.

In some of the fights along the way to where I am you'll be introduced to  mechanics which are invoked on a limited basis, such as using objects in the world to help defeat foes.

My guess is all of this is preparing players to experience the end game content once they reach level 50. 

I haven't seen much group content yet, but it's out there, so we'll see how that plays out.

Of course while leveling there's still a number of skills out of reach which are part of my planned final build.

Scorchien

I would not put it squarely in the MMO category , but it certainly is the closest ARPG we have to being one ..

Kyleran

Scorchien said:

I would not put it squarely in the MMO category , but it certainly is the closest ARPG we have to being one ..

Hybrid is a very appropriate term for it.

MaxBacon

This is based on an initial perception. In one side you have the first phase of the game until endgame that is linear story progression.

On end-game, it vastly opens up, the ocean content itself is where the open content kicks in.


So yeah, get out of the "tutorial", and the game will open up to what you do on a traditional MMORPG, be it dungeons, raids, pvp, gathering, open-world+events, islands, completionist stuff, etc..

Slapshot1188

Kyleran said:

Scorchien said:

I would not put it squarely in the MMO category , but it certainly is the closest ARPG we have to being one ..

Hybrid is a very appropriate term for it.

Sure is...  Where else can I start as a holy Paladin with a sword, kill demons, get a Stronghold to manage, ships to sail, fight in Martial Arts Tournaments complete with Kung Fu introductions, and move to a Steampunk/Laser weapon setting?

I'm almost afraid to ask what comes next...

MaxBacon

Slapshot1188 said:

Kyleran said:

Scorchien said:

I would not put it squarely in the MMO category , but it certainly is the closest ARPG we have to being one ..

Hybrid is a very appropriate term for it.

Sure is...  Where else can I start as a holy Paladin with a sword, kill demons, get a Stronghold to manage, ships to sale, fight in Martial Arts Tournaments complete with Kung Fu introductions, and move to a Steampunk/Laser weapon setting?

I'm almost afraid to ask what comes next...

A lot more.

The story front of the game continues moving while you will be moving to do stuff like islands getting the materials to upgrade your gear, as well doing the first end-game bits that open daily.

The story fronts do not end and end-game starts, it just accompanies you and it forces you to play endgame to upgrade and reach the gear score level it needs for the next story phase to continue.

FrodoFragins

Scot said:

It is not really a MMO, definitely not a MMORPG. The term MMO has been widely abused for over ten years now, so when I remember I use MMORPG to indicate the real McCoy. LA looks more like a MOARPG to me, but the media only deals in simplicity and hype so what else can we expect?

Well yeah it's an MMOARPG, but that's a subset of MMOs right?  So yeah it's an MMO.  The only difference being the combat and camera position (although UO was isometric as well).

Most of the systems are taken from popular MMO's.  It feels like an MMO with the dalies/weeklies, lockout timers, world bosses and such.

MaxBacon

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

It is not really a MMO, definitely not a MMORPG. The term MMO has been widely abused for over ten years now, so when I remember I use MMORPG to indicate the real McCoy. LA looks more like a MOARPG to me, but the media only deals in simplicity and hype so what else can we expect?

Well yeah it's an MMOARPG, but that's a subset of MMOs right?  So yeah it's an MMO.  The only difference being the combat and camera position (although UO was isometric as well).

Most of the systems are taken from popular MMO's.  It feels like an MMO with the dalies/weeklies, lockout timers, world bosses and such.

Yeah it has all MMO but the classic going to X location grinding xp killing mobs for Y hours to level up.

FrodoFragins

MaxBacon said:

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

It is not really a MMO, definitely not a MMORPG. The term MMO has been widely abused for over ten years now, so when I remember I use MMORPG to indicate the real McCoy. LA looks more like a MOARPG to me, but the media only deals in simplicity and hype so what else can we expect?

Well yeah it's an MMOARPG, but that's a subset of MMOs right?  So yeah it's an MMO.  The only difference being the combat and camera position (although UO was isometric as well).

Most of the systems are taken from popular MMO's.  It feels like an MMO with the dalies/weeklies, lockout timers, world bosses and such.

Yeah it has all MMO but the classic going to X location grinding xp killing mobs for Y hours to level up.

Honestly, at this point, on rails leveling is better than all the back and forth WOW gives ya.  And apparently after leveling one char to 50 you get to boost two to the cap.

Kyleran

MaxBacon said:

Slapshot1188 said:

Kyleran said:

Scorchien said:

I would not put it squarely in the MMO category , but it certainly is the closest ARPG we have to being one ..

Hybrid is a very appropriate term for it.

Sure is...  Where else can I start as a holy Paladin with a sword, kill demons, get a Stronghold to manage, ships to sale, fight in Martial Arts Tournaments complete with Kung Fu introductions, and move to a Steampunk/Laser weapon setting?

I'm almost afraid to ask what comes next...

A lot more.

The story front of the game continues moving while you will be moving to do stuff like islands getting the materials to upgrade your gear, as well doing the first end-game bits that open daily.

The story fronts do not end and end-game starts, it just accompanies you and it forces you to play endgame to upgrade and reach the gear score level it needs for the next story phase to continue.

Depending how difficult it is to get to that level cap without having to reach too deeply into my wallet will determine how long I stay with LA.

You may have just shared a glimpse of the wall which will send me away, unless I can easily ignore bothering with said content.

Mendel

Kyleran said:

MaxBacon said:

Slapshot1188 said:

Kyleran said:

Scorchien said:

I would not put it squarely in the MMO category , but it certainly is the closest ARPG we have to being one ..

Hybrid is a very appropriate term for it.

Sure is...  Where else can I start as a holy Paladin with a sword, kill demons, get a Stronghold to manage, ships to sale, fight in Martial Arts Tournaments complete with Kung Fu introductions, and move to a Steampunk/Laser weapon setting?

I'm almost afraid to ask what comes next...

A lot more.

The story front of the game continues moving while you will be moving to do stuff like islands getting the materials to upgrade your gear, as well doing the first end-game bits that open daily.

The story fronts do not end and end-game starts, it just accompanies you and it forces you to play endgame to upgrade and reach the gear score level it needs for the next story phase to continue.

Depending how difficult it is to get to that level cap without having to reach too deeply into my wallet will determine how long I stay with LA.

You may have just shared a glimpse of the wall which will send me away, unless I can easily ignore bothering with said content.

I've found all the invisible walls annoying, but they're less likely to drive me away than an outright paywall.