Is the MMO genre actually the best genre?
Lets take Skyrim. In Skyrim, the developers stopped adding content to the game, you'll never see new content again unless you download mods or pay for paid mods. However the developers themselves won't add anything. In WoW, the game has been getting content for over 10 years...no singleplayer game has gotten content for that long by the developers.
To play WoW, you spend 15 a month (or farm gold for tokens and play free). To play new games after (quickly) running out of content in singleplayer games, gotta spend all the way up to 60 dollars. 60 dollars a month on new games is far more expensive than 15 dollars (or free in many cases since the vast majority of MMOs cost nothing or just the box price)
In Skyrim, the economy is very stagnant and never changing. In MMOs, the economy fluctuates, changes on demand and is very dynamic.
In Skyrim, you'll hear the same boring lines NPCs do non-stop. In MMOs, while NPCs may repeat the same things...the players around always have new things to say (well except meme stuff). Conversations are far more dynamic in MMOs than singleplayer games.
So for 15 dollars a month, I (and many others) have gotten content for over 10 years. For 60 dollars+DLC I ran out of content in Skyrim very quickly compared to MMOs and the developers will never update it again. For 15 dollars a month, I've saved thousands by not having to pay new games all the time since singleplayer games are very short (even a 100-200 hour game is nothing compared to the played time in WoW.
So that is why I feel the MMO genre is actually the best genre. its super cheap, vast majority of MMOs keep adding content (singleplayer games stop adding content) and that doesn't even go to the dynamics of the people playing it. I play on Emerald Dream, and the dynamics of world pvp is far more involved than anything in singleplayer games just because how dynamic PvP is between players.
What makes the MMO genre best for you? Or are you one not happy anymore with MMOs and moved onto singleplayer games or other genres?
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Comments
Not to mention, there is disagreement of what the "MMO" genre is. Just look at the topic "Okay WTF is a MMO? Really?"
I really like MMOs but I am a huge fan of 4X games and I honestly think that genre is better at the moment with quality games. That doesn't make that genre "best" either.
I play games from many different genres (no sports game though) but the genre comparision is worthless. You can't compare metal, blues, rap and classical music either.
So your question should be: Is MMOs your favorite genre?
In my case I would sadly have to say no at the moment, it have been on and off the last 20 years though.
I look at gaming in general as an enjoyable experience in my life, a hobby I spend money on. Honestly I don't really pay for single titles but for gaming in general including spending money on bad games aswell. It's been a unique and unrepeatable journey so far. Some people love to experience and taste all the wines in the world, I love games.
And yes, sometimes the cheapest ingredients make the whole dish unforgettable but you have to pay for the full dish to have the whole experience. I hope you guys get what I mean.
I have played MMOs that take some content away and replace it with other content, and i have played MMOs that makes older content meaningless and obsolete when a new 'expansion' pack arrives.
In this regards i can't say 'MMOs genre is actually the best genre'. It has all that it takes to be the best but game developers and producers have been clueless how to treat these games properly.
Personally, I judge how good the game is on the game mechanics. Whether it's single player or online is irrelevant.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
Of course it is .. this year anyhow
according to sales and popular opinion
http://www.activebeat.com/diet-nutrition/15-most-popular-ice-cream-flavors-the-winner-may-surprise-you/15/
Vanilla, Breyers
Scoop for scoop, America prefers vanilla. At nearly every major ice-cream company — Edy's, Dreyer's, Häagen-Dazs, Turkey Hill, Blue Bunny, Friendly's, Carvel — this classic flavor sells more than any other.
Now unless you intend to remove the word best from the english language we cant stop using it ..
Best -
Something has to be best by use/sale or popular opinion/vote: excelling all others the best student in the class
2 : most productive of good : offering or producing the greatest advantage, utility, or satisfaction What is the best thing to do?
There is always a best Movie/Book/TVshow/etc...
If 100 people vote Vanilla as the best and 10 vote strawberry , by popular opinion its the best
Strawberry is second best
If we start a poll here on What is the Best game Genre .. By popular opinion one genre would be the Best to the most people ,because 10 people feel differenlty only makes it not the best to those 10
Unless of course we are going to remove the word Best from the english language...
A MMO+rpg SHOULD give you the most longevity,replayability...VALUE.
Value means better,therefore better.
Devs are not creating true value mmos,they are giving us half ass efforts but not just half ass in mmo's ,in all genres.Then again it depends on what type of MMO as the term MMO is extremely vague.A mmo+rpg is the best in the genre.
To RATE a game or give it a value,you have to score it piece by piece,if a genre does only one thing ,example a mindless arpg or a game of yahtzee or Chess,then the value is far less and yes you can score game designs if talking about value.This has no bearing on opinionated ideals like saying "i don't like that type of game therefore it has no value to me",that would be a near meaningless argument if objectively scoring game designs,you cannot just vaguely say i hate it ,therefore it's no good.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
OP using the presumptive posting titles.
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
~~ postlarval ~~
I just bought Vanilla Ice from Trader Joes Yesterday. ...Going to eat some now!
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
I want an economy to evolve through trade between players and crafting / trading to be more than just a distraction. It should be a viable focus of play.
Not all MMOs offer this but no non-MMOs offer it on the level of the ones who do. There are survival games that can emulate it on a smaller scale but I still prefer the larger scale of an MMO.
SKYRIM IS AN RPG.
In certain ways, the genre got worse than in its early days.
Like, when WoW started: it got eight races and six different starting areas. You could level to the max multiple times and you'd barely visited a zone twice. I don't know of a recent MMORPG offering that.
To get a modern MMORPG, you basically take a good single player RPG. Then you add multiple hundred dollar founder packs and a P2W mechanic. Next you replace a good storyline and quests with mindless grinding over and over and over.
Let's play Fallen Earth (blind, 300 episodes)
Let's play Guild Wars 2 (blind, 45 episodes)