Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
The "Perfect" MMO?
AlBQuirky
Member EpicPosts: 7,432
Who wants that? I certainly do not. I want contrast in gameplay, not perfection.
I need the low experiences to make my high experiences better. A game where everything goes perfectly would become boring very quickly to me. I need those frustrating, almost rage-quit inducing moments so that when I finally get through that experience, I feel duly vindicated 
Posters here love to point at features/mechanics and talk about how terrible those features/mechanics are. Depending on how bad and what specific features/mechanics are involved, I wonder about that assessment. Combat, since it is usually a large (75%+) portion of the activity in an MMO, certainly needs to be satisfactory to the player. And systems, overall, that a player deems enjoyable must be fairly balanced between frustrating and ego-stroking.
I may even look at singular systems and make a "judgment call" on a game as a whole. But really, it boils down to how the systems work together in the game. If a system is good enough, it can cover for other systems that may be lacking.
What do others think? Do you want a game that runs so smoothly that everything is deemed "perfect?"
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
Comments
I don't think that is possible; largely due to differing tastes: i.e. if everything was catered to my tastes then many other people would not like it and my social experience would probably be lacking.
The closest I have come to a perfect game 'for me' was probably Fallout 3/ NV; I played it through twice- which is once more than I have played through the vast majority of single player games or even mmo's.
But as you suggest- beauty is often found in the small imperfections.
Perfect MMO
#1 Secure
#2 Proper economy (where supply and demand are realistic)
#3 Is realistic with the value of its product compared to others.
#4 Competitive (so I can be valued as a player in the community)
#5 Rewarding (to play it for a purpose that benefits my main character in the game)
#6 Offers quality combat, PvP/PvE and a place for creativity, distinction on character builds.
#7 With plenty of GIRLS
(ok that was a j/k, but yea)
I think the OP is confusing "perfect" with "perfect MMO". The latter is subjective. What is a perfect MMO for one person could be a horrible one for another. For example, I hate WoW and have always hated it, but millions seems to love it.
I love sandbox, FFA, PvP MMOs but a lot of people hate those.
I love action based, non target, based combat in MMO. Some people prefer TAB target combat.
I hate stupid cosmetic fluff, such as pink unicorns, but some people seem to like that.
I don't like crafting, in MMOs, but a lot of people do.
And so on...
So yes, I would like a "perfect MMO". For me that would be a completely dynamic world where, almost, everything can be built and destroyed. Where are are no boss mobs which keep respawning and to be a "hero" is something one in a thousand people actually becomes. No instances, no zones, no levels. Just pure skills and an open ended world where you can go anywhere and do what you feel like and if you are good, you would be successful. A true virtual world with risk and reward and finally, a truly stunning GFX and sound immersion, rivalling the latest single player games.
That would be the perfect MMO for me and yes I would love to play it.
My gaming blog
I have lots of games (including a couple of MMOs) that I enjoy, but are far from "perfect"
Now, I should have pointed out I am not talking "bugs" here. Those need to be killed off immediately when discovered
I am talking mechanics. Restrictions that players often rail against (class, race, combat), the boring crafting, restrictive housing, and other such as that.
"Why does using my abilities root me?"
"Why can't my Mage use heavy armor?"
"Why can't my nature loving Elf be evil?"
I see these kinds of complaints as "challenges." Can I create the character I want within the boundaries of the game mechanics? Can I live without it or adjust my thinking on it? And the big question, is the game fun enough otherwise for me to even try?
I see so often that posters seem to "expect perfection" and wonder why? (I, too, can be guilty of this
)
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
I have often said that WoW is the perfect game because movement in the game to me was as flawless as skating on smooth ice. I considered many if not all of the game mechanics to be flawless. After your post about difficulty, I suspect that is why many players lose favor with WoW. But you weren’t talking about unresponsive UI, or lag do to excessive data updates. You were talking about mission objectives, and defeating mobs. But I suspect most of the WoW hater favor unresponsive UI, and lag do to excessive data updates. And WoW’s lack of these things is why they hate WoW.
I don’t think you are referring to a game where as a Pet class you, lost your pets when you take the elevator down one level and can’t re-summon them once inside. So you lose 1/4 - 1/2 of your defense and 1/4 - 1/2 of your DPS. Or a stealth class, that can’t stealth (turn invisible). What you are probably talking about is for example an imperfect way point system. A system with a single way point that can't be labeled and doesn’t persists across sessions. One that doesn’t have a in game visual device and pointer to said device so you can find the way point without blocking the screen with world map. Or combat lag due to the game updating the dance state, crafting state, and jump state of ever player not in your field of view.
What I think you are talking about is clearing your way to the base of a tower. Then fighting your way to the top of that tower pulling mobs one at a time, because you can’t survive even 1 add. When you get to the top of the tower and start to fight the last mob before the Mage Boss, a warrior runs by just like the last 3 times and kill steals the Boss. When the Boss re-spawns you you die again like the last four times you fought him. Yes this is an example of the many open world dungeons set in towers in WoW.
I want perfection in my mmo. So when I play a bad mmo, I know it.Boy: Why can't I talk to Him?
Mom: We don't talk to Priests.
As if it could exist, without being payed for.
F2P means you get what you paid for. Pay nothing, get nothing.
Even telemarketers wouldn't think that.
It costs money to play. Therefore P2W.
From your post, it seems you missed my point. Do you want a game that has no negative aspects at all? Everything is just as you want it? Maybe you do and my question has you raising your eyebrows thinking, "WTF?" I find that a little imperfection makes my experiences (in this case gaming) more memorable. I do not "fondly recall" the perfect moments, but rather the imperfect moments that I had to overcome.
Downtime between fights is a big negative to many players. However, most of my memorable moments in an MMO came during those downtimes, as the group chatted amongst ourselves, as we figured out how to overcome our obstacle or just told bad jokes
When I reached a pinnacle in some skill or ability, it could be made better by the imperfections that happened on the journey.
Take WoW, for instance. It used to be a matter of pride for me to keep up all of my combat abilities, or weapon skills. Now, those skills go up automatically when you level so those skills mean nothing to me anymore. The same with the Hunter's Pet taming and Druid shape-changing abilities. We used to have to go through "boring quests" to get those. Now, they automatically appear when we reach the [appropriate level.
I don't know. Maybe I am confused and seek something different from my experience than others do
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
Not sure what you mean by "unresponsive UI", but lag is never good, and I consider that a bug thing, not a mechanics thing.
The rest is really how much weight a player places on that mechanic. Losing the pet may become a challenge to make it "do this on your own." Not sure why a stealth class could not become stealthy, though I am sure you have an example in mind
Druids often could not cast some spells indoors.
The "other players" add something to the game experience for me. Having a boss "stolen" after working to get to it is a perfect example of what I am talking about. Yes, it is very frustrating, but for me, it adds to my experience, especially when I do finally get to down it. I find I have to work other players into my strategy.
I realize I play games (and MMOs) differently than most players today do, but that open world tower/dungeon also allows for a healer to park someplace and heal players, for no benefit than just helping out others, or a tank to see another player in trouble and jumping in to try and get it hitting them instead of the other player. I used to do that in CoH with my tank. Many players got worried that I was "kill stealing", but as long as I did no damage and just taunted, I got no XP.
You may be right overall, though. The chance at failure is a huge aspect for me
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
I do and it would be called Asheron's Call 1 with modern graphics and EVERYTHING ELSE THE SAME AS IT WAS.
It would be niche because only 1 out of 1000 would get past learning the spells before quitting, the difficulty and the risk of death...not to mention not having your hand held for everything.
"People who tell you youre awesome are useless. No, dangerous.
They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster
http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/
So you are looking for a game...
The game you are looking for isn't out yet...
You discuss what is or isn't your idea of a good game...
You are still looking for a game...
The game you are looking for isn't out yet...
You discuss what is or isn't your idea of a good game...
You are still looking for a game...
I'm reminded of the joke about the perfect European:
Sober as the Irish;
Cooks like a Brit;
Drives like a Frenchman;
Sense of humour like a German;
Quiet as an Italian;
Humble as a Spaniard ...
etc etc, you get the gist.
Darkfall concept/mechanics
EvE economy
WoW-like Lore
Chivalry Combat System
Archeage Naval Combat
Skyrim Music
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
I certainly don't want a broken MMO. Nobody does. And I don't think there is any wrong in wanting the MMO be exactly what it intented to be without technical problems, poor balance, (other)...
One of the reasons I enjoyed EQ was because of the things it did that frustrated me. When I overcame them, it was that much sweeter. Those infamous "hell levels" made getting through them an accomplishment. Getting into a great group or guild (a sometimes rare occasion) made finding one that much sweeter. Having a Druid's "Entangle" spell not work indoors was frustrating, but made indoor combat a different experience from outdoor combat. Things like that is more along the lines of what I am talking about
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
I'd love to have seen my favourite books and movies (LOTR) done by someone decent like Blizzard (without the cartoonish design of course) or SquareEnix or something.... hehehe
But tastes apart, I don't want a perfect MMO, i want a constantly mutating MMO (Yamota already said something in this line, but this is my take on it so :P Not stealing XD):
I'd like to see a Cardinal Quest System (in the genre of Sword Art Online lore) where the system has the automatic ability to research worldwide lore and myths and stuff (or sometimes with help form the company of course), and incorporate them in the game as big quests and events related to the world story, that alter the feel of the world. WoW did something nice when they changed the landscape in some of the expansions, but i'm talking about something more dynamic, that actually "changes" the world you play in as it progresses. True, it's a very hard idea, because the game now would be totally different in 2 months, BUT, that also means that players would be so much more into it since it constantly felt like new content was being added. We're probably just light-years away from this, and it is just my imagination floating away, but...
A game core system with the ability to create new quests and events that constantly have an effect on the worlds lore, landscape, etc, so that the game is everchanging, with new players always coming in in a different setting and old players "aging" with the "land" and the "story" of the world... You know, give us players a sense that we actually make a change in the world for real (and not - oh lets clear this area of monsters.... 10 years later... same problem in the same area.... what have we all been killing for? LOL).
I mean, if you do an event that consists of several quests, after a few weeks/days of people completing the event, the problem should be solved, or at least advance.... Is it unfair because new players will never experience older content? Maybe... Well, but there could be a starter area with more "stable" content, for the first gameplay like an "extendeeeeeeeeed tutorial" dimension, and then, once you enter the real world, it's like a train always running, you get in and travel with it, never back, always forward.... Plus, this would make older players different not just in level but also true skill, because they had endured trials over and over again, that new players hadn't yet....
Oh well, enough dreaming... *slaps the face* time to wake up XD
There are really two questions here:
1) What would be the perfect MMORPG if you were Bill Gates and you could recruit a huge team and tell them money was no object?
2) What would be the perfect MMORPG given the real financial constraints on developers?
In other words, what would be the best MMORPG that actually could have a chance of being developed? Otherwise - well, one can dream!
Well, we should all make a petition to Microsoft so they would partner up with a few of the gaming monsters out there and truly deliver gamers a game worth talking about for the next few generations....
Plus, lets face it, most of us are DYING to see those virtual reality MMO's like in anime's come to life in our lifetime (i for once would love to be in one of them...) Plus, it's dreaming that keeps the world rollinnnnnn' =P
But would we agree what the dream game is? It should be an opportunity to think the genre afresh and end the rigid repetition of tropes from EQ and WoW, but that might not be everyone's dream. Well it isn't, since judging by some other threads, there are folk here who just want EQ1 back with better graphics.
True... I dunno, I think it's hard to innovate these days. Between the more fantasy-driven and the sci-fi oriented, there is only so much you can actually do... I guess there would have to be SEVERAL of games with this functionality, or at least one more sci-fi guns and blazes oriented and one more fantasy swords and magic oriented... Or maybe just different servers of the same game, with different thematics ya know?
That way you could create a character in each one of those "worlds" if you wished 
OOOOOR, you can just mix both and do a weirdish fantasy/sci-fi/cartoonish thing, but i'm not so sure about that :P
In other words, you like unintended gameplay flaws and bugs or "broken parts".
Its not like a perfect game is a game without challenge, achievement, rare or unique encounters, or circumstantial gameplay.
Many players want to do everything with one character. When they can not, they decry the game as "imperfect." If there are parts of the game they can not get to with any one character, they think it "broken." Consequences also fall into what I am thinking about. "Why do the Orcs hate me if I help the Elves?"
Again, I am not talking "bugs", "broken mechanics", or "unintended gameplay", but rather mechanics that players may not agree with and therefor call "imperfection." If everything was "perfect" for me, I would become bored without that contrasting experience of "not perfect." I may be different, but my most memorable moments have centered around the imperfections overcome, rather than the smooth, perfect gameplay.
Am I making sense yet? I'm probably just off of my rocker
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
//replace "perfect" with "intersecting with personal interest" and "imperfect" with "not intersecting with personal interest"
//sense made
No man, you're not. Don't listen to the kiddies. They don't understand (and 80% of this forum is them). I played EQ, UO, DAoC, etc. And I know exactly what kind of satisfaction and "broken game mechanics" you're talking about that made it enjoyable.
The perfect MMO is real life !
its just to bad the pvp penalty is so high...damn carebears
I used "prefect" since we see so many posts about "My Perfect MMO" get bandied about here.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR