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Why Classic WoW Beta is Popular with 3rd Gen MMO Players

EronakisEronakis Member UncommonPosts: 2,248
edited June 2019 in World of Warcraft
For the first time I am actually going to say that I am ecstatic that Classic WoW Beta has been popular among a ton of new age mmo gamers and streamers. Let's define what a 3rd mmo player is. These definitions are just based off my person opinion but one can make an argument that it could be valid.

1st Generation MMO Player -- Is someone who started with Ultima Online, Everquest or anyone pre-WoW era.

2nd Generation MMO Player -- Is someone who started with Classic WoW

3rd Generation MMO Player -- is someone who started playing mmo's with Black Desert, Legion WoW Expansion etc.

Over the years you can clearly see that the core gameplay and design philosophy has changed. More modern designs are about getting players to completing specific generic objectives for low substance rewards. Most of the time it's a solo game that you happen to play with others. For higher end content grouping is more involved.

I recently watched a video by Bellular Gaming, he does pretty good videos and I agree with him on most of his design philosophies but in his latest, he brought up a point I have been trying to make for years.

Classic WoW is fun for these 3rd Generation MMO players because it actually has RPG elements integrated in the core gameplay. That is just the ingredients. What makes it all come together in a cohesive form is the "Work" that compliments the "relationship" to the "Work".

So what is this "work". It's essentially the leveling process, the exploring process in which is the essence of the core gameplay of an mmoRPG. The "relationship" is the community in which your Character/Player needs to help accomplish that "work". 

Take a gander at retail WoW right now. The core gameplay is stale, lacks substance and it's merely a lobby game. Your character is powerful, the environment isn't dangerous and you're not as dependent on players anymore. What I mean by that is, the sense of Community is bland in retail WoW. The "relationship" to the "work" has diminished significantly.

Now, take a gander at Classic WoW (Which is a dumbed down version of EQ), but still. Classic WoW had more RPG elements and the "relationship" to "work" was stronger. Your character wasn't all powerful. You needed a few players to help venture the world. Quests didn't hand hold you as much so that dependency of community grew.

I have been a member on this forum for a while and have always advocated that there is a MARKET for the First/Second Generation MMORPG in the modern era. I still truly believe that and the surge of popularity among the Third Generation MMO player for WoW Classic, to me at least somewhat proves that. I have been saying for years. If we can have access to an mmorpg that is a harmonious blend of Everquest + Classic WoW in the RPG element factor, that might be the next 'big' thing.

For those who are curious, here is Bellular's video I watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Zxl98tGZk&t=618s 

AmatheGdemamiXarktardKyleran

Comments

  • AmatheAmathe Member LegendaryPosts: 7,630
    I think there are a lot of people, both first generation and after, who are looking for a mmorpg that presents a challenge - one where their achievements, be they epic or modest, mean something.




    WaanEronakis

    EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests

  • gunklackergunklacker Member UncommonPosts: 247
    its good to see mmo,s like WOW classic and COH still draw lots of players, there still hope for MMORPGS. People say mmo's are dead, i don't think so, you just need good ones to play :smile:
    Amathe
  • Vermillion_RaventhalVermillion_Raventhal Member EpicPosts: 4,198
    Funny thing is solo challenge encourages grouping.  I don't like being forced to group all the time.  I like when the challenge is just right where me and another player are struggling to do a quest.  In this situation working together makes sense.  We group up and complete the quest.

    I don't want a cake walk and I don't want to die because an NPC glared at me without a group. 
  • TEKK3NTEKK3N Member RarePosts: 1,115
    I always said the Old School games would appeal to younger generation, though many objected that "no one has time for this stuff anymore".

    My reply was: "Sure, you a 49 years old dad with 3 kids and a mortgage to pay might not have time anymore, but sure kids do, they always did and always will".

    It's as if people forgot they've been young once, I didn't forget.

    By the way, I can't wait to play Classic.
    I even stopped playing on private servers so I can enjoy the real thing even more.

    Three more months lads......
    Axxar
  • hikaru77hikaru77 Member UncommonPosts: 1,123
    Just.......No. WoW classics is for the people who have been playing the game since ¨forever¨ or are disappointed with BFA. And they probably will be bored after 3 months. 
    Caffynated
  • MadFrenchieMadFrenchie Member LegendaryPosts: 8,505
    Only MMORPG I'm currently playing is CoH, I was a "1st Gen" player but am a millennial, meaning I was about 13 years old when I first started playing MMORPGs on my parent's PC and dial-up.

    The interest has remained, but the genre created tools to try and make itself more like smaller multiplayer games than massively mulplayer games.  Of course, that poor decision panned out about as well as you'd expect: they're now all second fiddle to regular ole multiplayer games that include RPG systems, because devs didn't give the credit to community for their game's successes they should have.

    What was once a genre with the most well-known pop culture crossover appeal title in the industry is now irrelevant.  What an amazing "success" the evolution of MMORPGs turned out to be.
    NildenAxxar

    image
  • OGDeathRowOGDeathRow Member UncommonPosts: 129
    gunklacker said:
    its good to see mmo,s like WOW classic and COH still draw lots of players, there still hope for MMORPGS. People say mmo's are dead, i don't think so, you just need good ones to play :smile:
    I think its more along the lines of theres too many good ones to play. No games perfect, its a matter of what your willing to look past.
  • EronakisEronakis Member UncommonPosts: 2,248
    hikaru77 said:
    Just.......No. WoW classics is for the people who have been playing the game since ¨forever¨ or are disappointed with BFA. And they probably will be bored after 3 months. 
    I mean, WoW has never been a game of substance. 
  • QuarterStackQuarterStack Member RarePosts: 546
    edited June 2019
    TEKK3N said:
    I always said the Old School games would appeal to younger generation, though many objected that "no one has time for this stuff anymore".

    My reply was: "Sure, you a 49 years old dad with 3 kids and a mortgage to pay might not have time anymore, but sure kids do, they always did and always will".

    It's as if people forgot they've been young once, I didn't forget.

    By the way, I can't wait to play Classic.
    I even stopped playing on private servers so I can enjoy the real thing even more.

    Three more months lads......
    To add to this, the whole "I'm adult with kids and a job", etc doesn't even hold up to basic scrutiny. I eyeroll every time I see someone use that. Even "back then"  with 1st and 2nd Gen MMOs, there were plenty of people playing with careers, families, etc. When I was playing FFXI a lot, I was playing along with people who had businesses, were full-time students with jobs.. Had families, etc.

    "Gamers with busy, full lives" isn't something that just came about in the last 20 years. People haven't changed. People's lives haven't changed. Their expectations, mentalities and attention spans have. Nowadays, we have "adults" expressing a lot of very "un-adult-like" attitudes.

    Back then, people appreciated slower gratification, or at least accepted it as part of the hobby of playing a MMORPG. A "productive play session" was logging in and just having fun doing whatever they had planned, or whatever came up. The fun was had and appreciated more moment-to-moment. These days, fun is measured in "how many levels did I get?", or "how many dungeons did I speed-run?" or "how many purples did I get?" "Fun" is felt and measured only by the rewards now.

    MadFrenchieEronakis
  • MadFrenchieMadFrenchie Member LegendaryPosts: 8,505
    edited June 2019
    TEKK3N said:
    I always said the Old School games would appeal to younger generation, though many objected that "no one has time for this stuff anymore".

    My reply was: "Sure, you a 49 years old dad with 3 kids and a mortgage to pay might not have time anymore, but sure kids do, they always did and always will".

    It's as if people forgot they've been young once, I didn't forget.

    By the way, I can't wait to play Classic.
    I even stopped playing on private servers so I can enjoy the real thing even more.

    Three more months lads......
    To add to this, the whole "I'm adult with kids and a job", etc doesn't even hold up to basic scrutiny. I eyeroll every time I see someone use that. Even "back then"  with 1st and 2nd Gen MMOs, there were plenty of people playing with careers, families, etc. When I was playing FFXI a lot, I was playing along with people who had businesses, were full-time students with jobs.. Had families, etc.

    "Gamers with busy, full lives" isn't something that just came about in the last 20 years. People haven't changed. People's lives haven't changed. Their expectations, mentalities and attention spans have. Nowadays, we have "adults" expressing a lot of very "un-adult-like" attitudes.

    Back then, people appreciated slower gratification, or at least accepted it as part of the hobby of playing a MMORPG. A "productive play session" was logging in and just having fun doing whatever they had planned, or whatever came up. The fun was had and appreciated more moment-to-moment. These days, fun is measured in "how many levels did I get?", or "how many dungeons did I speed-run?" or "how many purples did I get?" "Fun" is felt and measured only by the rewards.

    I think the sentiment is summed up in how those MMORPGs were much more about the journey than the destination.  It wasn't a locust frenzy.  It was a communal activity and pastime.

    Today's MMORPGs take that communal atmosphere for granted, and have become irrelevant for it.
    Eronakis

    image
  • Shanky_ShankyShanky_Shanky Member UncommonPosts: 33
    There's something special about original WoW - even though I started from Burning Crusade I always wanted to see how it was way back then. And with every new expansion the idea of "classic" World of Warcraft felt better and better. Probably it won't do a trick - but let's see.
  • MMOExposedMMOExposed Member RarePosts: 7,387
    No people always gravitate to new hyped MMOs and then leave. This is no different 

    Philosophy of MMO Game Design

  • Jamar870Jamar870 Member UncommonPosts: 570
    Well I played vanilla and remember it.  I will also put time into the classic, especially since the retail puts you on a fast track to the end. Thankfully they have include "brakes"  ie  stop getting xp for as long as you desire and then be able to turn it back  on again.  I put the "brakes" on 2 of my 2 right now.

  • FinvegaFinvega Member RarePosts: 260
    WoW through WotLK was an great game. No wonder younger folks would like it.
  • ragebulletragebullet Member UncommonPosts: 55
    not hyped for this at all, not sure they can rope me back into any form of wow at this time.. Ill stick with rocket league 1100 hours and i only spent like 30 dollars on it. most of what i bought in the cash shop i bought with pubg skins money :).
  • Kevyne-ShandrisKevyne-Shandris Member UncommonPosts: 2,077
    "I don't want a cake walk and I don't want to die because an NPC glared at me without a group."

    Agreed. I like doing older raids solo, as it's enough challenge for one player, but also without all the blinding lights and bunny hopping that goes on in modern raids.

    WoW 8.2 is up folks at 1:35pm EST. WoW boredom relieved!

  • Kevyne-ShandrisKevyne-Shandris Member UncommonPosts: 2,077
    edited June 2019
    1st generation RPG player (forget MMO) was Dungeons and Dragons and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, which started the genre. It began in 1973 during the Tolkien idolization period, and took off just before PCs became popular (1983).

    I started playing the genre with AD&D in 1978.

    Video game wise, WoW is NOT the spiritual recreation of that genre. It's the dumbed down version of A/D&D and EQ. Everquest had SOME of the aspects, especially the RPGness (your backstory that YOU created; first and last names for an identity; Lore and Legends system; character customization; and much more player stats). That's the core of RPGs, everything revolves around YOU the character.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qImCjQ4K988
    Eronakis

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