Do you think story is really what MMO players want?

[Zocat]

It drives me nuts to hear people talking about SW:TOR like its supposed to be a "WOW Killer". Fact of the matter is that the only way WoW is going to die is if Blizzard decides to kill it (Enter the Dancing Panda). This is all about market share and customer interest.

 

The market is well aware that many players have gotten tired of WoW. So developers are looking for ways to satisfy that market share.

 

This so many times. No one is going to kill WoW. Why? Because they had more development time on their product than almost anyone else (7 years since release & prerelease production). They have tons of content and a polished system. They do have the best endgame raiding content there is (and a decent PVP endgame).

It also was released at the right time (broadband available in a lot of households) - similiar how the games from the 90's were successful for a very long time (internet available in a lot of households, CS, SC:BW, Q3).

 

Also the most important part is: They have an existing playerbase & community. Sure, everyone laughs / insults the WoW community, but it does exist.

Some people play WoW only because of the people they have there. And it's hard to convince whole groups to switch (only one has to say no, and the rest will also probably stay, since they dont want to lose him).

 

So SWTOR is trying to target a different demographic than WoW. WoW has all the endgame hardcore raiders. That's their target demographic. What else? PvPers? I honestly dont know - sure everyone likes to PvP once in a while, but true pvp as the endgame? Imho most competetive players are in other genres (I dont want to say MMOs dont have competetive players^^).

BW is trying the story approach. Is story what the WoW-endgame raiders want? No. Is it what the PvP crowd wants? No. Sandbox players? No. Will enough players like it and think it's worth their monthly subscription? I honestly dont know - no one knows.

 

Hell, I dont even know if a free2play approach would not be better for that model (free to play doesnt mean cheap / failure btw - they just target a different demographic; read http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6457/the_fwords_of_mmos_freetoplay.php for more).

 

TLDR:

"The" MMO players dont exist. Everyone has different taste & preference. Some will like it, some wont. And if enough want it it's profitable.

And if you (or I) dont like it - let's look for a game which is fitting our needs - instead of making BW try to change their game to fit a different target demographic.

[Olzmo]

People look for different aspects in a game, true. That's why you have different genres to choose a game from – I think MMO shouldn't be the genre for people who rank the story aspect as a very important factor in a game. Edited January 1, 2012 by Olzmo

[Samy_Merchi]

Story is innately shallow.

Not really, no. Bioware has done some amazing non-shallow stories that I have loved the heck out of.

 

What we are learning from TOR is that while everyone enjoys story, people on the main don't choose NOT to play an MMO because its story sucks

Story sucking is why I have quit most MMOs I've ever played.

 

and they don't generally choose to stick with an MMO just because the story is good.

Story is why I'm paying a subscription for this one.

 

Story is ancilliary to an MMO.

In most other MMOs this is true, and that's why they suck. Story is anything but ancillary to this MMO. It's at the very heart and center of this MMO.

[Asuka]

Yes, not going to be able to look at any mmo the same without a number of the things SWTOR has.

 

EDIT: WoW doesn't need a WoW killer, SWTOR doesn't have to be a WoW killer to be successful. Play whatever game you like. Personally I like EQII far more than WoW and WoW was born from EQII. Let the games co-exist and play what you want unless you're on Soviet Russia where they play you .

Edited January 1, 2012 by Asuka

[Uben]

I disagree that's what Bioware should have done. I'm a roleplayer too, and I find way more fun to roleplay the storyline that had been created by the game, with the cinematic and everything, than slack in a random Cantina, and see two guys making a emo fight about a stupid arguement (and wait 2 min between each sentences given by the other players). Like I've seen million time in World of Warcraft.

 

I also don't understand all those players complaining about the story. Why are you playing this game then? Really, StarWars story is the main selling point, and you don't like it? But if you wanted a PVE game or a PVP game there is already a lot of very good title on the market, why bother here???

 

A. How do you roleplay the story? Everyone has the same thing. Do you roleplay that you are brothers that went through the exact same expeirience?

 

B. They play it because it is Star Wars. it draws more of them to the title than some cookie cutter story.

[Daeborn]

Do you think story is really what MMO players want?

 

I do, if you or others don't best find that game which has no story and nothing but grind. WoW for instance.

[Eshaye]

(My main point out of all of this is that I don't think adding Story as a new pillar of the MMO is a smart move when trying to beat WoW in the MMO market)

 

 

Too bad. This is the game they made, honestly your entire post would be better served as a blog post on a general gaming website then here. This is a complete waste of time as there's nothing that will EVER change it, it's too big of a part.

 

What I would rather see are discussions on what else could be added to appeal to MMO players to what's already here, saying that the story isn't important is again so pointless at this stage it's not even funny.

 

Clearly this was not the MMO for you, do have fun playing or waiting for something that fits your bill. Sorry for adding the exact type of post you didn't want to see but it what it is. PERSONALLY, this MY PERFECT MMO. And there's nothing people like you could ever post to convince me otherwise.

 

So YES there are many people out there who were waiting for a story driven multiplayer game, and we have it and it's fantastic. It could be even more fantastic with even more activities included.

[Uben]

Too bad. This is the game they made, honestly your entire post would be better served as a blog post on a general gaming website then here. This is a complete waste of time as there's nothing that will EVER change it, it's too big of a part.

 

What I would rather see are discussions on what else could be added to appeal to MMO players to what's already here, saying that the story isn't important is again so pointless at this stage it's not even funny.

 

Clearly this was not the MMO for you, do have fun playing or waiting for something that fits your bill. Sorry for adding the exact type of post you didn't want to see but it what it is. PERSONALLY, this MY PERFECT MMO. And there's nothing people like you could ever post to convince me otherwise.

 

So YES there are many people out there who were waiting for a story driven multiplayer game, and we have it and it's fantastic. It could be even more fantastic with even more activities included.

 

Actually NO. There will be expansions. in those expansions they can go without the 'story' parts and VO if it is deemed useless by most of the population. MMOs evolve....

 

 

-Especially if the budget starts to lapse... may be the cheaper option also.

Edited January 1, 2012 by Uben

[noggerr]

Alot of you missunderstands the post from poster, its not that the story is bad or that there shouldnt be a story. But as its stated, the game has suffered in the core of MMO and instead gotten to rely more on epic storrytelling and progressing with interest of coming to the next act etc.

 

Something i feel is pretty bad are all the instances, there are so many and they are so medicre that there are none whatsoever magical feeling about them, AND its harder to find groups. The feeling when you got in to Deadmines the first time was obsolete, it was hard it was big and it was an epic ending. Theese instances are just like the rest of the mao, they just added more HP and more damage to the mobs, and a regular boss that has 10times the HP.

 

THATS IT. and that suck!!

[Aldiirn]

Do you know what the problem with this post and the OP is?

 

The fact that is doesnt have to play but wants to critize anyway when there are apparent better choices out there.

 

I LOVE the dam story and I mean I LOVE it.. its very engaging to me. Its not another just log on smash buttons and play game to me.

 

So answer to your question . Yes people want story and love it, if not they move on to a diffrent MMO. Otherwise just leave me and my story lovers to SWTOR.

[archifikoss]

I don't give a toss what MMO players want. Bioware designed this game around their main strength, story,and invited people on for the ride. If some MMO players don't want it, too bad, there are other games out there for them. Everybody knew from the start that the game would be heavily story driven anyway.

 

The game has much more pressing issues that could prove more harmful. Once those are fixed, everybody should settle down and enjoy the game.

[Mannic]

In most other MMOs this is true, and that's why they suck. Story is anything but ancillary to this MMO. It's at the very heart and center of this MMO.

 

You are the exception-- and within 3-6 months you will see the truth in what I'm saying.

 

MMO's are meant to be played for years. It's not going to be long at all before the story is generally an afterthought in TOR even for those who play it for the story.

[Givro]

!!!spacebar!!!

[Uben]

Do you know what the problem with this post and the OP is?

 

The fact that is doesnt have to play but wants to critize anyway when there are apparent better choices out there.

 

I LOVE the dam story and I mean I LOVE it.. its very engaging to me. Its not another just log on smash buttons and play game to me.

 

So answer to your question . Yes people want story and love it, if not they move on to a diffrent MMO. Otherwise just leave me and my story lovers to SWTOR.

 

That would make sense if this was not Star Wars. If it was World of Warcraft or something. Take an iconic franchise and make a game from it? Yer gonna get people coming to the game JUST for the Star Wars universe.

[Eshaye]

Actually NO. There will be expansions. in those expansions they can go without the 'story' parts and VO if it is deemed useless by most of the population. MMOs evolve....

 

They will NEVER do this. The whole point of this game is to BE story driven with VO. Seriously give it up. Without these things this game is NOTHING more then yet another boring progression to endlessly run dungeons and/or kill others for loot so that you can run more dungeons and kill more players.

 

Yes thank you played those games enough times already, I want something that actually speaks to me on another level and has another purpose, in this case; to tell a story.

[Mannic]

!!!spacebar!!!

 

The problem is that when you spacebar everything, the rest of the game doesn't hold up very well to scrutiny. If they were smart they would have made a game that's just as engaging to those who love the story and to those who spacebar everything and just want good combat and gameplay.

 

They succeeded only on the former point.

Edited January 1, 2012 by Mannic

[Yaluk]

It's important.. more to a single player game than an mmo..

 

story will not carry an mmo

[Samy_Merchi]

You are the exception

 

Well thank god there is one game for us exceptions then.

 

There's a 100 MMOs out there for you grinders.

 

I'm damn glad we exceptions can get even 1. And you can't stand even that. You want to take even that 1 game from us away and turn it into number 101 when you guys already have a hundred games in your style.

Edited January 1, 2012 by Samy_Merchi

[Runealdo]

This is a new game people feel so much need to compare anything to everything, I'm playing it having fun, when it stops being fun I play something else. The story, the fun and the amount of hours played on my lvl 46 Sith Juggernaut so far has been been worth the purchase of the game. When he's story ends I'll have a look at how playing without story is, if it leaves me feeling short of things to do, I have 2-3 other Class stories i'm etching to experience, and who knows. Perhaps by then they've added more cool stuff at lvl 50 (if there is stuff missing, I'm 46 so can't know at this point)

[Eshaye]

Do you know what the problem with this post and the OP is?

 

The fact that is doesnt have to play but wants to critize anyway when there are apparent better choices out there.

 

I LOVE the dam story and I mean I LOVE it.. its very engaging to me. Its not another just log on smash buttons and play game to me.

 

So answer to your question . Yes people want story and love it, if not they move on to a diffrent MMO. Otherwise just leave me and my story lovers to SWTOR.

 

A-freaking-men.

 

He wants to play GW2, I suggest OP goes back to GW and grind more trophies in anticipation of that game. Do not come here and tell us why SWTOR isn't GW2 and therefore sucks. How pointless.

[Pheroras]

the story is okay, not stellar but playing a few of them they have their moments

 

the cut scenes and 'acting' are atrocious, a waste of resources for the company and bloat on my hard drive

[WLpride]

no, but it's not unwanted either.... but if other areas are lacking because of it then... no point really.

[ClayPeopleCry]

It is to me.

[Arkhias]

Multiplayer (and singleplayer) story is highly important to me and probably the primary reason I will pay for a subscription.

 

If I wanted a PvP game, I would go play BF3 or something designed for balanced PvP.

 

If I wanted to do the same boring new raid grind every 4-6 months, for 15-20 hrs/week, I would go back to WoW (or numerous other MMOs). This model of endgame has been the MMO standard for the past 13 years and its grown excessively tiresome (for me and most of my friends, at least).

 

That said, I'll admit I don't see any feasible way a story driven model will be able to keep up with the content demands of a subscription based service.

[PatrickHenley]

The rpg in mmorpg stand for role playing game... so since I want to feel like I am playing a role in the whole story, I obviously want a story to play in. Bioware as made a good job to make the story the core of this game. If you don't like the core of a game... why are u bothering yourself to play it? Just go play some asian grinding game or a mmo fps.

 

The lore in world of warcraft has always been an important part of the game and if you played the last expansion, you can see how hard they worked hard to get the lore closer to their quests... Wow is now more linear and the new starting zones have a story.

 

Bioware only succeded with their story where every mmo before poorly failed. And for those who said the story isn't multiplayer, I will say, try to find a group and follow the story with them. You might be surprised how multiplayer it is.

 

There's a bunch of group quests and flashpoints to get together and play. And if you don't like the story... you just have to hit space bar a couple of times, it's gonna be skipped and you can return to your quest log if you think you missed something important to help you to complete the quest.