MMORPG is misnomer

[Redcorn]

There is a fundamental flaw in the current MMORPG genre, and that is that it is a disjointed mess that is either not Massively Multiplayer or a Role Playing Game. At best it is a RPG as you level and MMO as you PVP.

 

SWTOR did a good job adding RP in the leveling experience, but that promptly died as you hit level 50. At 50 you simply tread water and PVP which may be multiplayer, but is not RP.

 

Then the game designer is placed in a dilemma, do you build rule sets based on PVP or PVE? The choice in all MMORPGs is to code to the PVP crowd. This means constant changes to abilities etc. as players learn new tricks to exert power of their abilities and gear. This is where the constant attempt at balance comes in. This is also where all pretense at RPG is dropped.

 

I know multiplayer RP. Dice and paper along with a GMs's imagination made for good times. There was no PVP, and we were happy. Computers came to be and we thought this would be a great way to replace the GM and allow us all to RP, letting the computer churn out the numbers replacing the dice and books.

 

But this never actually happened. It was either a single player experience or WoW. Neverwinter nights and Eq1 probably came the closest to achieve this goal. Now I have never been a big sandbox MMO player, and that might be where MMO and RPG can be united, I don't know do to a lack of experience.

 

At best this genre is a MMO that may have some RPG elements tacked on, but those elements are solo play only.

 

I hope the industry will someday find a way to make money and give me D&D pen and paper play on the net. As long as PVP is a focus and the thought that quasi-action combat is key to the gameplay MMOs will be what they have been...lacking and not deserving of the RPG acronym.

[MMornard]

Computer games are a little fun.

 

Table top RPGs are billions of times more fun.

 

Essentially, it's the nature of the beast. The thing I love about tabletop is that if I can think of 10 ways to resolve a situation, my players will devise an 11th.

 

As a referee I can cope with that. A computer can't. I speak as both a long time gamer (with acknowledgement in the 1st Ed PHB of AD&D) and a computer programmer with over 20 years in the industry.

 

That ability to go outside of what's been preplanned is the dividing line between computers and tabletop, and it's the far side of that line where the fun is.

[Johnnah]

It is indeed a misnomer. My main character is lvl 21 and I have seen perhaps a half dozen other players during my game play.

 

It takes nearly a whole day to get into a BG.

 

I have yet exchanged even ONE WORD to another player, since there are literally none around.

 

Are there instances in this game? I haven't seen any yet.

 

Is there a town or major city where people gather? If so, it's a well kept secret.

 

My least favorite BG is the basketball game. *** is that about?

 

I am completely disillusioned with this game and would really like my money back. It is not the MMORPG they say it is.

[Esproc]

But this never actually happened. It was either a single player experience or WoW.[/Quote]

 

WoW is a single player game and Not an MMO as you describe it. When do you really group for the very few low level dungeons? Hardly ever if that, as you can solo the whole game to max level without once grouping, sound familiar? This is the same element that can be faced with the low level Heroics of SWTOR. They are not needed, you do not have to group, and you can still attain max level.

 

 

At best this genre is a MMO that may have some RPG elements tacked on, but those elements are solo play only.

 

Only if you decide to solo and not group. You can group for more than the Heroics, you can do any of the quests with friends, even the Story Line Arcs. If you decide to solo only, well, whose fault is that?

 

I hope the industry will someday find a way to make money and give me D&D pen and paper play on the net. As long as PVP is a focus and the thought that quasi-action combat is key to the gameplay MMOs will be what they have been...lacking and not deserving of the RPG acronym.

 

There was a time that we all sat around a table (those of us who played D&D that is) and experienced a game that still had Theme Park attributes. Yes you were questing with friends and the world may have seemed open, but it was still played within a specific "area", such as pre-made dungeons.

 

SWTOR has RP servers, both PvE and PvP, for that express element of game play that is desired. Much more so than many other games out there. The RP severs are very much alive, and they enjoy the role playing.

 

All games that I know of in this gender of MMO is based on Gary Gygax's work with random "rolls" that determine the outcome of an attack, block, dodge, damage, the outcome of crafting/RE , and more.

 

I'm sorry that you miss so much what once was. Golden memories are the hardest to have anything stack up against as they will seem lackluster and devoid of the same "qualities" that you desire.

 

May you someday find the peace that you desire, and the game that you may finally enjoy for being what it is, a game.

 

p.s. I laid out 3 links that covered the MMO gaming. It is some pages back in this thread of Community as I though that it was enlightening on many things. I recommend the first one in particular is it covers the start of it all with MUDs. I think somewhere in the middle you may find out some answers as well.

 

 

When did PvP start in video games, why, and by whom

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Edited April 14, 2012 by Esproc