Do you think story is really what MMO players want?

[missy_phoenix]

No they are ones I get from my professions.

 

I'm sending a companion out right now out of curiosity. Usually with the crew skills gifts, the problem I run into is that my companions just aren't particularly interested in the type of gift they bring back so I feel it wasteful to use it on them. So usually I just bank it for later, or for another character to use... or I vendor it.

[Gunryu]

Any of the gifts I've gotten through UT I can just give away to a companion anyway. I don't know of any level requirement to use them as far as I've seen.

 

 

Some of them are like "Requires Mechanics Level 1" or some crap like that

[Vexas]

TLDR but LOTRO has a wonderful story. Requires lots of reading rather than listening but it's pretty awesome and immersive if you're into that sort of thing. Granted I was never huge into that game but I appreciate the effort put into the quests and text.

 

 

 

I think there is a market for some people who want a heavy dose of RPG with their MMO still yes, but overall partly due to the way gaming is evolving and partly due to the way successful brands like Blizzard are forcing the community to change, everything is becoming faster and more "arcade" based... as in, log on plow some stuff with friends, get achieves, get the high scores, compare with bros and people on the server, whatever... like a slightly extended version of a Diablo or something that oh, by the way, happens to also have questing on the side.

 

The old school RPG generation is now old and small, in other words.

[missy_phoenix]

TLDR but LOTRO has a wonderful story. Requires lots of reading rather than listening but it's pretty awesome and immersive if you're into that sort of thing. Granted I was never huge into that game but I appreciate the effort put into the quests and text.

 

 

 

I think there is a market for some people who want a heavy dose of RPG with their MMO still yes, but overall partly due to the way gaming is evolving and partly due to the way successful brands like Blizzard are forcing the community to change, everything is becoming faster and more "arcade" based... as in, log on plow some stuff with friends, get achieves, get the high scores, compare with bros and people on the server, whatever... like a slightly extended version of a Diablo or something that oh, by the way, happens to also have questing on the side.

 

The old school RPG generation is now old and small, in other words.

 

I suddenly feel old and small. LOL

[Kunra]

Been playing mmos for over 7 years now, to me, personally, Story isnt even a thought.

 

Click quest giver, look for arrow on map, kill/loot/speak/scavenge, complete quest to gain more Exp Points so I can advance, particularly in Craftng.

 

Want to Play and Explore while I Watch/Listen to TV.

 

If I want to read "Stories", i'll reread the Wheel of Time series or reread the any and all of the post-Jedi Returns books.

 

Yhuzan Vong Invasion...'nough said.

[statecollege]

I play for the story first, and for the MMO gameplay second.

[Vexas]

I suddenly feel old and small. LOL

 

Typing kinda fast and drunk but hopefully you know what I mean. Maybe minority is the better word, but why try so hard to cater to the 30-40+ year old "old school" RPG enthusiasts when you can go the other way to appease that other, larger crowd. You know the one.

[jayderyu]

???

 

There are usually three types of product consumers for games and well many things, but let's keep it to games and MMO's.

 

MMO Gamers

These are the players that are interested in the features and gameplay

 

Genre Gamers

Play because of an IP or genre.

 

Target Gamers

These are the players that play specifically cater to a market type.

 

 

Most forum goer's are MMO Gamers. With a good amount of MMO experience and have refined tastes. And in the essence of the OP's essay the insight has a lot of weight. However that weight is meaningless in light that BW created a Story Centric game for the purpose of market creation not market division. BW is not trying to STEAL the market. It's trying to create an MMO model of game to appeal to the Sci-Fi, KotoR and other BW Story driven games.

 

In others words. Mass Effect is a one time purchase of $50. Where as an MMO gamer for 1 year is 15 x 12 = $180. That's a persistence yearly income. Now multiply that by 500k as declared by EA saying if they have that they make a profit of

90,000,000 a YEAR

ok so let's consider this.

Mass Effect or Kotor assuming the 500k sale

60 x 500k = 30,000,000

 

Ok so follow this

Assuming the 500k sale for SWTOR hopes and for KoToR(ignoring current and real sales, but use this as a minimal figurative number)

SWTOR will bring in 90,000,000/ 90 million a year

Where as a single player game of it's other lines bring in

30,000,000/ 30 million once.

 

Since MMO are a long term investement and let's give SWTOR a 5 year life span.

That's 90m x 5 = 450 million over 5 years.. compared to the 30 million of just 1 solo games

 

 

the matter is. that there is a market for Story orientated games. It's not the same market of gamers who want a solid core MMO though. SWTOR is a Different Experience kind of game.

 

On the other hand. Games like Warhammer, Conan and the like were supposed to be market stealers. SWTOR idea of Story is suppose to be Market Creators.

 

Will BW succeed. well that's another matter and only time will tell.

Edited January 2, 2012 by jayderyu

[missy_phoenix]

Typing kinda fast and drunk but hopefully you know what I mean. Maybe minority is the better word, but why try so hard to cater to the 30-40+ year old "old school" RPG enthusiasts when you can go the other way to appease that other, larger crowd. You know the one.

 

Oh, I know the "other one". Silly kids and their silly WoW... err... plain old MMOs minus the RPG factor that I so love.

 

I just turned 30. Maybe that makes me middle-aged these days but while I admittedly missed out on the Atari, I had the classic NES, I used the blue DOS squares to play Klondike and King's Quest. I respect BW for giving me a reason to be excited about turning on my computer again.

 

edit: Oh and btw, I loved playing LOTRO, just haven't ever re-installed it since I had to rebuild my computer.

Edited January 2, 2012 by missy_phoenix

[brusthoden]

???

 

There are usually three types of product consumers for games and well many things, but let's keep it to games and MMO's.

 

MMO Gamers

These are the players that are interested in the features and gameplay

 

Genre Gamers

Play because of an IP or genre.

 

Target Gamers

These are the players that play specifically cater to a market type.

 

 

Most forum goer's are MMO Gamers. With a good amount of MMO experience and have refined tastes. And in the essence of the OP's essay the insight has a lot of weight. However that weight is meaningless in light that BW created a Story Centric game for the purpose of market creation not market division. BW is not trying to STEAL the market. It's trying to create an MMO model of game to appeal to the Sci-Fi, KotoR and other BW Story driven games.

 

In others words. Mass Effect is a one time purchase of $50. Where as an MMO gamer for 1 year is 15 x 12 = $180. That's a persistence yearly income. Now multiply that by 500k as declared by EA saying if they have that they make a profit of

90,000,000 a YEAR

ok so let's consider this.

Mass Effect or Kotor assuming the 500k sale

60 x 500k = 30,000,000

 

Ok so follow this

Assuming the 500k sale for SWTOR hopes and for KoToR(ignoring current and real sales, but use this as a minimal figurative number)

SWTOR will bring in 90,000,000/ 90 million a year

Where as a single player game of it's other lines bring in

30,000,000/ 30 million once.

 

Since MMO are a long term investement and let's give SWTOR a 5 year life span.

That's 90m x 5 = 450 million over 5 years.. compared to the 30 million of just 1 solo games

 

 

the matter is. that there is a market for Story orientated games. It's not the same market of gamers who want a solid core MMO though. SWTOR is a Different Experience kind of game.

 

On the other hand. Games like Warhammer, Conan and the like were supposed to be market stealers. SWTOR idea of Story is suppose to be Market Creators.

 

Will BW succeed. well that's another matter and only time will tell.

 

NICE me likey

[Crazyeyexl]

I don't really care about story in the slightest in MMOs. I'm trying to not hit the space bar in this one though. TRYING so hard...

[Red_Cruiser]

SWTOR's storytelling will go down as one of the most mediocre successes in MMORPG history. It's nice, but it is almost certainly not worth the time, cost and other resources it took to implement. And after the first go through, it's spacebar spacebar spacebar. And having to go through that for each daily mission and flashpoint run? Forget about it.

[Jalliah]

???

 

There are usually three types of product consumers for games and well many things, but let's keep it to games and MMO's.

 

MMO Gamers

These are the players that are interested in the features and gameplay

 

Genre Gamers

Play because of an IP or genre.

 

Target Gamers

These are the players that play specifically cater to a market type.

 

 

Most forum goer's are MMO Gamers. With a good amount of MMO experience and have refined tastes. And in the essence of the OP's essay the insight has a lot of weight. However that weight is meaningless in light that BW created a Story Centric game for the purpose of market creation not market division. BW is not trying to STEAL the market. It's trying to create an MMO model of game to appeal to the Sci-Fi, KotoR and other BW Story driven games.

 

 

 

the matter is. that there is a market for Story orientated games. It's not the same market of gamers who want a solid core MMO though. SWTOR is a Different Experience kind of game.

 

On the other hand. Games like Warhammer, Conan and the like were supposed to be market stealers. SWTOR idea of Story is suppose to be Market Creators.

 

Will BW succeed. well that's another matter and only time will tell.

 

 

Some interesting thoughts there.

 

Don't have much to say about my experience yet. I just got the game today after thinking about it for quite a while. I did play a weekend beta so I know a bit about what I'm getting though.

 

I'm am an MMO player with no plans to leave my current main one. However I've bought SWTOR now primarily because I am attracted to the story aspect and actually want something different. That's the part I loved most about my beta experience.

 

No idea how long I'll play or whether I will sub beyond the 30 days but I haven't been able to say that about any new MMO I've ever gotten.

 

So in direct response to the OP's question. Yes I think there is room for 'story' and 'story driven' in MMO's and that there are MMO players that want that.

 

I'm one that does.

[missy_phoenix]

Some of them are like "Requires Mechanics Level 1" or some crap like that

 

I just sent my companion Qyzen on 4 companion gifts mission. I got 3 Gold Necklace which say in red print 'Courting Rank 1' and one Vrblther Skull which says 'Trophy Rank 1' in red print. If that red print is what you are referring to at all, it in no way would stop you from right-clicking on that item and using it. If that red print is not what you are referring to... then you lost me.

[tuxdj]

I like my story. Thank you

[RachelAnne]

What I dont understand is, why every MMO that comes out - should beat WOW? I mean you cant beat wow, just like you cant beat CS 1.6 or Diablo 2. Such games last forever and whatever game comes next, it wont be as popular and people will always find something what they now dont have.

 

Right now there are maybe 9 or 10 Mio accounts at wow, if you guess that atleast 1/5 of the players got 2 or 3 accounts - then you should easily get to the point, where you see that in reality maybe just a few million real people actually play. The "success" of wow is always measured on its accounts and never on its real player base. While I still think that wow has many mio subs, it does not has as many players as it seems on the first view.

 

 

Will wow still be the "king" yes it will, vanilla wow is also for me the best MMO I played in the last 7 years - no future game will be able to top this, atleast this is my impression after trying all the MMO´s from the last years. Someone that did play only wotlk will say the same, just like the Cata guy will. The majority of wow players does not play since vanilla.

[brusthoden]

I just sent my companion Qyzen on 4 companion gifts mission. I got 3 Gold Necklace which say in red print 'Courting Rank 1' and one Vrblther Skull which says 'Trophy Rank 1' in red print. If that red print is what you are referring to at all, it in no way would stop you from right-clicking on that item and using it. If that red print is not what you are referring to... then you lost me.

 

 

http://www.oldrepublic.net/261-swtor-companion-gifts-guide-how-buy-your-love.html

 

to help even more

[Garmose]

Story is very important to some folks, like myself, who don't simply want to exercise the functionality of a game - BioWare made book on engaging story lines, voice talent, and immersive plots.

 

If this game doesn't work for you, if story isn't as important as, say, raid progression, then there are actually dozens of games out there that do cater to the "succession of hamster wheels" gameplay characteristic of current MMOs.

 

Everything he said. Is my opinion. Only worded well. Good.

[Jeweledleah]

Im about the story inside the game would rather play it and for some reason in all my 15 lvl 85 i have yet to see 1 stupid panda in game! and inserting a random panda in warcraft 3 and in portraits for warcraft as well as an april fools joke does not count by any means as thought out!

 

better late then never.

 

as much as I'm no longer a fan of WoW anymore and as little as mists of pandaria interests me - Chen's empty keg was one of the earliest quest chains in WoW (and the one I used to skip after finishing it first time - reward was just not worth the mind numbing grind to get all the ingredients). I THINK its still in game, not sure though. Chen was pandaren who fought alongside Rexxar. so technically... pandaren have been in the game all along.

[brusthoden]

panda race huge disappointment the racials well thought out the vanity pets dualing and lvling well thought out but the panda just cant get over it why not murloc or centaurs.

 

with that being said i want an ewok vanity pet that can dual other vanity pets who seconds it?

[Nadru]

I've spaced bar 90% of the voice acting since level 20 or so.

 

Whoever made these decisions at BW is a idiot. End game players don't care about story.

 

What is the quoted stat from Blizzard? Less than 10% of players have participated in end game raiding. Where did BioWare say they made this game with end game raiders in mind? They said they'd have end game raiding, but that is not the same thing.

 

Again, people constantly complain that no one ever "innovates" in the MMO field. Yet when a game isn't WOW, they complain. Maybe this game isn't for you. In 12 months we'll see how many people like this type of game.

[Seidex]

This game was made for people who play games, not just MMO players. From being mainly an MMO player since Lineage 1, the story element of this game is quite refreshing.

 

I don't want to play a WoW clone, if I wanted that I would of kept playing WoW. I'm playing this game because it seems like it will be the MMO for the casual gamer, which is what I am looking for. I've done hardcore raiding, I'm over it, sometimes I just want to log in and simply kill stuff.

Edited January 2, 2012 by Seidex

[Nadru]

???

In others words. Mass Effect is a one time purchase of $50. Where as an MMO gamer for 1 year is 15 x 12 = $180. That's a persistence yearly income. Now multiply that by 500k as declared by EA saying if they have that they make a profit of

90,000,000 a YEAR

ok so let's consider this.

Mass Effect or Kotor assuming the 500k sale

60 x 500k = 30,000,000

 

Ok so follow this

Assuming the 500k sale for SWTOR hopes and for KoToR(ignoring current and real sales, but use this as a minimal figurative number)

SWTOR will bring in 90,000,000/ 90 million a year

Where as a single player game of it's other lines bring in

30,000,000/ 30 million once.

 

Since MMO are a long term investement and let's give SWTOR a 5 year life span.

That's 90m x 5 = 450 million over 5 years.. compared to the 30 million of just 1 solo games

 

Just to expand on this, With Mass Effect, you got to play 1 storyline, Commander Sheppard. Here I have 8 story lines. Yes some is repeated, but the base story is different. I played through Mass Effect at least 4 times.

 

In essence, I have 8 BioWare story games here. Yes, I have to pay monthly, but lets look at the numbers. 8 games * 60 = $480. I paid 60 for the game, subtract that you get $420. Divide that by $15 per month and you get 28 months. If nothing else was added to this game, you could argue I could subscribe for 28 months (29 including the free month) and would have gotten my money's worth. Does anyone believe this game will have no new content in 28 months? I would quit well before then if that was the case.

 

This isn't *just* a money grab. Its a value add as well. The economics of it will have to play out, but with most games using DLC, even the single player offline games are nearly "free-to-play" model games. I think the review that said WOW with lightsabres may have been wrong.

[grandmasterub]

No, Story is not "that important"

 

It would've been a nice addition to a WoW-Quality MMO; but making a sub-WoW-Quality MMO, just with story sprinkled on, was a bad idea

 

i lol'd at "wow quality mmo"

 

wow is a lowsy mmo.

[kitharen]

Answer to the title: No.

 

I don't care about story in MMOs.