I’ve been an MMORPG-addict for quite some time now, but for some reason something has driven me to this uncomfortable MMORPG-free episode in my life. I suddenly realize I have more times in my hands than I have use. It feels weird when I have nothing to fill that gap with. I know some smart ass thinks now “Go out you fking nerd and see the world!” but the truth is I do have real life too. Got even couple friends, a lovely girlfriend and a brain dead dog who all keep me busy equally. Occasionally I even have school and work stuff to do.
But, yeah back to the subject. My prime gaming time is on the evening after I’ve walked the dog and said “G’night” to missus. After that I usually trenched deep into other realms with my headphones tightly glued to my ears. The good old times…
Lately the past MMORPG releases have pure junk. Don’t get me wrong now, I’m writing this strictly from my own personal perspective. I know there are worthy MMORPGs popping out every now and then, some of them may have one neat, new and “revolutionary” feature but the rest of the game is still same old shit. And in worst case it’s even something worse than the same old shit. Seems like the gaming companies are watering down their games drastically - like we gamers just all came up with sudden strike of Down syndrome. Oh God, am I soon forced to try a… A single player game?
I personally am so fed up with the never changing Human, Elf, Dwarf –setting. It’s just so old. And the few brave game developers who want to step out of this mold, replace those races with dogs, cows and wolves. I mean, come on! Give us something new, show us you still have imagination. Tabula Rasa tried to create new races, too bad I didn’t stick around long enough to find out if the difference was more than cosmetic. Vanguard had these funny, dumb looking animal races. Don’t even remember their names anymore, but the point is: they just stuck an animal head into human body. The characters even moved like humans. It’s like they don’t even want to see any effort and try to cut corners in stupid ways. At first I thought the cat-like Kurashawhatever felt likea cool addition, but after gaining a few levels it just felt so awkward I had to reroll a human.
(I learned to accept cat race since EQ2 had them and I didn’t want to deny a great game from myself because of that. Though, after seeing the rat race I was pretty sure SOE will add a turtle class next and then the servers are swarming with TMNT’s Leonardos and Splinters. I promised myself I’d quit after that. Eventually overdosing the game made me quit.)
And where’s the originality in games? Who the hell hired The Monkey who designs the armors or dyes them? In most of the MMORPGs I’ve crawled through, you have really trouble finding an armor set that makes you look different than the rest 50 guys standing next to you in Auction House. “Yeah we all use it because the stats are great!”. Well damn, can’t you just throw few extra bananas to the monkey and say “We want 3 more designs of this G8 EPIX pWnishr Rmor”? Oh and while you at it, please make sure that the monkey isn’t color blind. I hate it when my stalker-cloak is pink. It kinda breaks the immersion. *CoughLOTROcough*
I remember Dungeons & Dragons Online had few very great looking, unique armors. Mages had weird glowing potions hanging in their belts, scrolls busting out of pockets and Rangers had backpacks with climbing rope hanging out of it and stuff like that. Oh, and so did Tabula Rasa. They had very nice looking high tech armors and It’s the first game I remember where female players wore body armors equally with guys. Not just thongs and bikinis like in so many other games. Someone should award them from trying to make something new and very cool. I’m not going to analyze either one of the games here completely, I don’t want to piss of any of fans. I come in peace.
I just think while growing with heart full of Neverwinter Nights, the DnD ruleset is still the best. When you are used to have tons of various kinds of skills and spells in your game, with all neat effects and animations it’s hard to accept the current MMORPG setting where you are handed a fistful of skills/spells and the rest of the game you just update the skills/spells with better ranks. And in few cases the same animations are used over and over again while casting the rest of your spells. Once again it only feels like lazy designing.
Ok, now some of you are thinking “Hey come on man, they are on a tight schedule, they need to focus on delivering working game mechanics, then tweak the animations and stuffs.” Well why are they on a tight schedule? “Because of the money man, creating a game drains capital so fast that you can’t even imagine it!” Well can’t they just raise a bit more capital before pushing this halfway done pile of poop to the market?
I’m just soooo full of playing these bugged, non playable games the companies are offering to us. I went through Vanguard’s, Age of Conan’s, Tabula Rasa’s and Darkfall’s (and so on) launch. I think they should give some sort of medal from that or perhaps knight me, so the people of this fair land may start calling me Sire. Maybe I should even start introducing myself as a “Launch Veteran!” I think it might even give me a few pity-points in my Curriculum Vitae. My potential boss would immediately know that I’ve got a long fuse and I’m not afraid to sacrifice myself for the greater good.
So how do we get the gaming companies to realize we deserve more? We aren’t just brainless puppies who settle on (is the most used term?) cookie cutter games, where you first promise us a list of features in our game and once we’ve bought your shit, the whole back description is like from another game that I’m actually playing.
My fellows, I’m offering you a solution. Some of these are not easy to do, some might even sound outrageous:
- Stop buying that shit like a good sheep you are! Pretty soon they’ll learn we actually deserve more.
- Do not believe in ALL pre-reviews from a game that’s almost ready to launch. You don’t think the gaming companies are afraid to bribe journalists? If I were making a shitty game, I’d sure give a good review from it in every gaming- and betaleak forum I can imagine. So many are so easily fooled.
- Maybe even do the leap of faith. If you come up with a good game concept, don’t be afraid of starting to put your thoughts on paper and so on. We are currently on a stall here and the MMORPG-scene desperately needs new blood and fresh ideas. I’ll give you an example:
- Know your own value. I know some of you guys play a game just because your friend does. Don’t touch that shit even if Timmy is so dumb! You are not forced to play with him and feed the crippled game.
- If you close your subscription, give feedback when asked. I know it feels like a drag when just got enough of the game, threw the DVDs out of the window and uninstalled to game. If no-one gives feedback, they’ll NEVER know why you guys left and what’s wrong with the game. With good luck, they’ll just redo the same mistakes in sequel, if no one points them out.
- When you are given the opportunity to participate in Alpha or Beta, don’t think it as a test drive. Most people forget it’s not the finished product and actually start “playing” the game, when instead you should be writing down bug reports etc. Yeah, I know… “Let those fools do the bug hunting.” This is the part where you blindly accept the idea of “Ok, I’m buying this game and then I'm bitching like a mofo when there’s still bugs in the launched product.”
- Maybe even write a game review yourself too. A lot of folks are giving their honest opinions of games here on this site, and there’s never too many reviews available. Don’t go the usual “This game is so much better than before, you should join back in!!” –way. It has no effect on anything. In most cases this is might even be understood quite the opposite, like “Oh shit, this game is dying, I wish someone would join here to play with me. Why did I waste my time in this?”
Who here has resubscribed to a game that wasn’t actually the polished gem like those guys told it would be? Yeah I feel your pain man. Once again we paid some more to The Monkey, from the same shitty game it once fooled us to buy.
- If you come up with a great idea how to make your favorite MMORPG even better, be sure to point your thoughts into right direction. Cussing in Ventrilo won’t probably reach the right pair of ears unless your chatting with a GM.
Damn, I’ve ran out of beer. Time to wipe the spit out of my monitor and calm down. Oh, and don’t mind the typos or bad English, obviously my new interpreter was sleeping on her first day or she had a timezone issue, hence I was forced to pour my thoughts here with the force of Sake.
Cheers!
-Mortemia-
nice article/rant lol
i totally agree with you :)
Sat Apr 25 2009 3:49AM ReportUnconventional, yet you sprinkle truth in a ferociously frustrated manner. I'll bump it.
Sat Apr 25 2009 8:57AM ReportDude.... Ur soooooo right. Nice post !!
Sat Apr 25 2009 2:25PM ReportGood article. I'm pretty much in the same situation. I've got a job and a social life, but sometimes in the evenings I just want to sit down and play a good game. I'm just not that bothered though to invest time in the same old games I gave up playing. I've been trying to play Single Player games. They have held me over for some time, but even the PC SP genre dries out once you've played all the good games.
Personally I intend to make my return to MMOs (Since August, AoC) with Aion. That has been put through its paces, tested and proven to be enjoyable (at least in the East). I certainly hope it succeeds in the West.
Sun Apr 26 2009 5:32AM ReportHah, thanks guys! I'm glad I'm not sailing alone in this dark sea of below average, bugged to death, halfway done MMORPGs.
My only hopes for now are Jumpgate Evolution and Black Prophecy, after that I'm done. And already I'm starting to hear bad rumours about JGE, how arcade it's going to be with it's silly features... :/
Sun Apr 26 2009 5:51AM ReportMortemia:
Have you tried D&D Online recently? I mean, maybe in last 2 months? If not, you're missing out.
If not now, I'd recommend you to download free trial of it when Module 9 hits the release. It's max month waiting now, in my opinion. This game is one of a kind. It's the best MMO in my opinion now, and I'm exactly in your situation.
I have a busy real life, so if I have time I am a frequent DDO player (and constant trier of other MMOs), and when I don't have much time to spare - pure casual.
Recently I've checked WAR again, and WotLK before it, but they're just generic and boring to me. To few choices besides equipment, combat is sleepy, heck, whole these games are too sleepy for me now. I need some action, some story, good deal of emotion to keep me playing, and vast number of choices to make. I like to use my skill, not some template where I can choose only where to go, what "talent" to choose or which item now or next. In DDO I can create any character I want and this level of customization WoWers can only dream about.
Most recent game I've tried was Age of Conan. But it's like watered down D&D Online mixed with WoW gameplay. Oh, ok, plus great voices, nice stories. But when you go to do a quest, it's... simple as WoW quests. If not these voices and mature theme, AoC wouldn't be installed on my PC even till the end of the trial. So, concluding - AoC lacks replayability to me, it's overhyped.
AoC combat... wow, almost like DDO ; ). I was fun to see some action. But it's really nothing like DDO. If someone didn't play it long enough, he won't be able to even imagine such thing exists in MMO world.
So either you tried it or not, I'd really encourage to try DDO either now or after Mod 9's live. Mod 8 -> Mod 9 will be such a huge difference for whole this game, that if someone's turned off now, he/she can get hooked after Mod 9. It's all about these UI and gameplay improvements that are coming, and will sure make a difference for those not-yet-hooked :).
Anyway, great post, bumping up Mortemia.
Sun Apr 26 2009 9:20AM Report@ Sarr:
I can't even remember when was the last time I played DDO. I did play a couple trials with my buddy here and there but everytime the game was overrun by something else (Last time my DDO trial was left cold when AOC's beta started and I got sucked in).
Well, like I said, NwN has had a big influence in my RPG-history so the DnD rules are like tattooed inside my eye lids. When I tried DDO the first time I was actually relieved when I saw it was working almost on same mechanics. Too bad they had to add that robot-like race in DDO, I think it's little out of place.
Anyways, it might actually be a good idea to check the game when the Mod 9 gets implemented. It's not like I have anything better to do in these sad times.
A trial is always allowed, paying the subscription blindly with high hopes of miracle patches and addons only feeds The Monkey. :P
Cheers!
-Mortemia-
Sun Apr 26 2009 10:38AM ReportHave to say you wrote the perfect article for this site as nearly everyone is going to agree. A lot of your recommendations are really just common sense. I'll add another, if you buy into the hype and got disappointed just accept it and don't bitch about it for 3 years. :)
One thing I vehemently disagree with is the idea that somehow new MMOs will not launch with severe issues.... There's always an adjustment period, doesn't really matter how many beta testers they had the first 6 months of a new mmo will never be as good as older games. Live with it and you might actually be pleasantly surprised. For example many people complained about AoC's performance.
I never ever had an issue at launch and I'm not the only one who shows surprise at people faulting this game for that.
As for fantasy settings, in a short while you won't be seeing many of them as most upcoming games are human only and set in sci fi or comic book environments if they all see launch day and don't get cancelled before hand that is... In 5 years you might actually welcome back fantasy titles. :)
Sun Apr 26 2009 7:11PM ReportWhile I do agree with your views...I can't help but think this was just a long article to hype Inifinity: Quest for Earth.
Sun Apr 26 2009 7:22PM ReportGreat article. Really intelligently written. Bump!^^
P.S. Good Luck
Sun Apr 26 2009 7:36PM ReportThanks for the feedback guys and girls!
Oh, and don't worry AlienShirt, the Infinity thing was mainly something I recently found, an observation while trying to learn "surfing" in the Internet again.
The seamless possibility to fly in space and land in planets how ever you feel like just seems so fresh and opens tons of new doors gameplay wise. But so far there's only a downloadable PvP client that doesn't let you do that. And the client doesn't work well with my 2xATI cards.
Oh and btw, I wasn't trying to re-invent a wheel here. I'm not mentally or verbally equipped for something like that. I guess I was just trying to channel my frustration through the blog, I bet my girlfriend is bored hearing all this.
Damn, I even had to explain her for so long what the basic armor kit in WoW is and does. :D
Mon Apr 27 2009 12:13AM Reportahhh am with the OP all the way!!!
Loved Ultima and have played tonnes and tonnes of MMORPGs since and non have ever come up to the complexity if you like of that lil 2d game!! you could eve dye your own clothes!! but then they tinkered with it............
seems to me once we got 3d graphics, to cope with the graphical content etc and high end pcs needed to cope all the interactivity and complexity was dumbed down and hasnt ever come back up tp match what it was back then.
come on guys surely theres got to be something exciting and interesting out there? Am currently pondering immersing myself into eve tho am not a spacey type just because it seems to have that lil extra edge to it.
agreed 100%
have also resorted to playing single player games, tho prefer mulit through sheer lack of boredom and needing a bit of a mental challenge!!
my other thoughts were tho....are we just becoming so au fait with online gaming that anything new has to be rockin' before it is exciting? I reember first stepping into WoW and being blown away for at least a year by the graphics, and remember having felt the same when I beta'd Meridian 59.....was gobsmacked that the other chars running round on the screen were actually other human beings!!! wow!!
maybe we've all just grown along with the games in our expectations and experience etc
:)
Mon Apr 27 2009 9:27AM ReportGreat post
Tue Apr 28 2009 2:23AM ReportSomeone said everyone here will agree. Hogwash, I totally disagree with the OP. I have been playing mmos since the first 3d graphical mmo Meridian 59 in 1996. The OP is so off base it is not funny. I am so tired of this nonsense that the current mmo world is void of any good games or choices. There is a lot more then just elves and wizards, the mmo scene has never had more choices and good games then ever before.
I do agree with some ideas like submitting feedback and such. However, the tone of this post is that somehow we the players do not get it and allow game companies to lead us around like ignorant cattle. Of course there are bad games, that comes with the large amount of choices. This article was nothing more then hyping Infinity Quest for Earth. I have looked into this game I see nothing all that new or interesting about it. If that is your idea of a great mmo or the future of mmos count me out. Just because you do not like a game does not mean it is not good.
Here is my list of current good mmos. That I have played. All of them I have played for at least a couple weeks and some for years. My picks are not based on the success of the game in the market but simply on if I had fun and feel the game was worth my time and money. I do not expect everyone to agree with my choices but I want to show mmos are alive and well and getting better all the time.
Tales of the Desert, Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, Asheron's Call, Atlantica Online, Cabal Online, City of Heroes/Villians, Darl ages of Camelot, Dungeon Runner, D&D Online, Entropia Universe, Everquest, Everquest 2, Final Fantasy XI, Flyff, Guild Wars, Lord of the Rings Online, Maple Story, Meridian 59, Minions of Mirth, Perfect World, Phantasy Star Universe, Pirate of the Burning Sea, PlanetSide, Ragnarok Online, RF Online, ROSE, Runes of Magic, Ryzom, Silkroad Online, StarQuest, Sword of the New World, Chronicles of Spellborn, Maatrix Online, ToonTown, Ultima Online, Vanguard, Vendetta, Warhammer Online, Wizards 101, and World of WArcraft.
You can see all these games are the same no originality all of them with elves, females in thongs , greedy developers, just the same old shit. Your right OP you need to go play a single player game. Leave the mmos to the real fans who truly try to support the effort of the developers. You might make more sense if you put down the beer. You want to be knighted? I dub thee "Sir Know it all".
Tue Apr 28 2009 7:30AM ReportWow. A well written post with alot of good comments. I wish that my english skills was better so I could join into this nice discourse :)
Keep the post going Mortemia
Tue Apr 28 2009 8:43AM ReportCurriculum Vitae?? Thats the funniest sht I have ever read in a gamers post? I was totally tracking until I read that. Good stuff man.
Tue Apr 28 2009 10:28AM ReportThere is a simple solution to your biggest problem but you won't like it. Don't play a MMORPG until its been released for at least one year. If you think these games are crap at release its because you're right, they are crap. Give them some time to mature before you soil yourself with the release copy.
The question is, can you resist the alure of a new game?
Tue Apr 28 2009 11:06AM ReportThanks for the feedback all! It's great to hear all your thoughts.
@eccoton:
Don't take MY thoughts so personally, I had no intention to hurt anyone's feelings. Just telling how I feel.
It's great that there's good games for you currently. You like it - I don't. It's a matter of opinions. Arguing about whose opinion is better is just silly and a waste of time. Oh and btw, I never said anything about gamers being "ignorant cattle", I'm an anxious gamer myself too. There's just not much to do, once you buy a game and realise it wasn't what you were promised.
@Aganazer:
Trust me, I have thought of your suggestion of sometimes just not buying the game and giving it some time to start flourishing. Sometimes the temptation is just too much, sometimes your buddy ruins your plans an hand over a free copy of WAR.
I've turned down all kinds of weird offers, but I never say "no" for a free game.
Tue Apr 28 2009 12:52PM ReportAnother delusional gamer, I see.
The actual developers have little control over what goes in and what gets cut in the game. It's not their fault at all. They just do their job. If they didn't do what they were told, they would be fired. Most of the mistakes made by companies can be traced back to the publishers. Money-hungry publishers who don't give a damn about the game and just want to find a way to ramp up sales.
The reason why MMOs follow trends is because they work. When your spending millions of dollars on a project, you want to make sure you have some security. It's a compromising business. Something someone like you wouldn't understand. All you ever have to deal with is sitting at your computer, bitching about it.
Every MMO project has only so much time to get developed. They need to have a plan and they need to stick to it. It's hard to venture away from the beaten path for the fear of losing money.
Let give you an example that you can relate to. Go to your bank and withdraw a one-hundred dollar bill. Go home and into your bathroom. Now drop that one-hundred dollar bill into your toilet. Imagine the flush lever as a new idea. There's a chance that the bill won't flush down and it will remain. But it seems all too likely that it will be swallowed up. I dare you to pull that lever. I doubt you could do it.
MMO development is a business. There's nothing you can do about that. You'll just have to wait for the daring to try the new things and see if they work or not. Or as you suggested, look into the Indy market.
Tue Apr 28 2009 1:09PM Report@ Mequellios:
Lol! Thank you for... erm... Bringing your expertice aboard.
Tue Apr 28 2009 1:35PM ReportVery good and I agree with your words. I think you have shown a level of intelligence and wisdom in your words while still making it amusing to read.
Tue Apr 28 2009 3:15PM Reportdude I bow before your holy words..
so true, pretty much what I think a majority of gamers are feeling these days, and yes, we're being forced to try single player (*gasp) games over mmos until one glorious day a game not made by a rtarded zombie monkey comes our way.
godspeed.
Thu Apr 30 2009 9:51AM ReportYou and I have probably been playing mmos longer then anyone here. I still remember the lovely days of Legends of Kesmai. No class simular, but you could learn other classes skill but only to 6th level (out of 22)
Snafu is still a god.
I currently look to the MMo's made by cryptic to break the mold. Champions is fun and new. Its feels new. I honestly NEVER felt this compelled to work in a mmo. Out side of planetside before BFR's (Big Fucked Retards).
Maybe we'll get lucky and someone will give a damn in this economy and make a game thats accually fun and not a skill spam.
I have my personal favs I play: atlantica, Dreamlords, UO, and Champions
Fri May 01 2009 2:27AM Report@Blackfire1:
I haven't tested Legends of Kesmai but that multiclassing is a feature I miss from Neverwinter Nights. I loved being able to mix skills and feats from various classes and make a unique character.
It's just so boring to think that find yourself thinking: "Ok, I'm making a soldier now. I can use axes, swords and heavy armor. I wish I could add a little ranger twist to my character and be good with bows too. Oh, and maybe sacrifice some of my strenght to intelligence and do some spellcasting too."
In reality that class would obviously suck MMORPG-wise, since it isn't really good in anything and in MMORPGs it's all about stats - but hey, it would be unique and maybe even fun to play.
Fri May 01 2009 2:51AM ReportMMORPG.com writes:
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