Nefarious Means

I'm up to no good. I want to get that out of the way right from the beginning, just so there are no questions later.

Author: madeux

Everyone here knows what the MM in MMORPG stands for, but I think there are a lot of players who do not really understand it.  Without putting much thought into it, they underestimate the role that the community plays in the success or failure of a given game.

I began a thread soliciting some specific reasons that players hated a game that seemed to me to be receiving a lot of aggresively negative comments.  One common complaint was the inevitable gankfest that would be inflicted upon all newcomers.

Now, I'm all for some serious PvP action, it's a core component in an MMO that will not play without.  But after hearing from player after player who quit after the free trial for this reason, I couldn't help but wonder how many really great players would never end up fully giving the game of chance.  The MMO is struggling, it's subscription base never reaching it's potential.  Besides the developer, who else is going to lose out here?  That's right.

The "hardcore" players out there need take some time to think about their community as a whole.  Beware the elitism that will only thin out the subscription base.  Think about the positive impact you could have by actually welcoming new players, offering them helps and assistance.  Not calling them noobs.

There is a lot of complaining about MMO developers, and I've got a long list of my own complaints there, but in reality there's only so much we can do about that.  But what can you, as a player, do to actually make a difference in the virtual world you are chosing to make your home?

A few hundred years from now, someone looking back at our generation could easily come to the mistaken conclusion that Danielle Steele and John Grisham represent the best literature that our age has to offer. They push out book after book, and the public snatches them up every single time.

I won’t argue that the works of these authors do not offer some kind of entertainment, otherwise they would not sell. However, sheer volume does not in any way equal greatness. They cater to the largest common denominator. Newspapers, in order to capture this audience, are said to be written at a 7th grade reading level.

What about the likes of Tom Robbins and Christopher Moore? Or even Douglas Adams and Robert Jordan? Sure, they’ve had a moderate amount of financial success, and they have a solid fan base. But dollar for dollar, they can’t compete with Steele and Grisham. As a result, future generations may completely miss out on the clever satire, the intelligent humor, and the amazing worlds offered by these masters.

No one will argue the popularity of World of Warcraft. Their subscription numbers are outstanding. But we cannot make the mistake of believing that this makes them the best. I played WoW for a long time, and I am in no way trying to offend it’s fans or start a flame war. I’m just saying that I’m tired of the fluff, it’s not enough for me any more. I want some real substance.

Perhaps no other MMO will reach the popularity of WoW. The best developers out there know this. The companies behind them want to make money, and that will always be the driving force, but there are plenty in the industry who simply want to express their creativity. They want to build a world that a few hundred thousand people can completely lose themselves in.

It’s completely possible, if not highly likely, that the best games out there will never be the most popular. And I’m fine with that.

The world is full of choices, and that’s what makes it so great. As far as I am concerned, The Firm really has no solid foundation, and Matters of the Heart simply does not matter to me. If anyone is looking for me, I’ll probably be passing my time between The Eye of the World and the Island of the Sequined Love Nun.
 

Having burned myself out on WoW long ago, I took a break from the online gaming world to finish up some schooling and am now attempting to return.  I wanted something new and fresh, something worth putting my time into.

The market is flooded with mmo's, and sorthing through them has become a nightmare.  In my searching, I've discovered that the number one roadblock that I've run into is other players.

Many would think that soliciting the advise of fellow players would be a good idea.  The idea isn't as great as it should be.  I have to sort through pages and pages of immature, hate-filled rants in order to find a few intelligent words of critisism.  Likewise, well thought critiques are normally hidden under a mountain of blind, meaningless praise.

I have a few suggestions for those thinking about blessing the community with their opinions:

• Don't tell me not to play a game, especially if you haven't played it yourself.
• Even if you have played it, don't tell me not to play a game.  Tell me why, specifically, you did not enjoy the game.
• Be specific, as well, when telling me why you enjoy the game and what it's good points are.
• Be careful when using generic terms:
  • Grind:  What exactly does that mean?  What is a Grind for me might not be a Grind for you.
  • Sandbox: I'm not into shovels, buckets, or tonka toys.
  • MMO: How many players are required before the game is "massively" multi-player?  Let's not waste time arguing whether or not a particular game should be classified as an MMO.
  • RPG:  Technically speaking 99% of all games are RPGs.  You can role play being a frog, or a pilot, or an assasin, or a rogue, but it's all role-playing.  Let's not waste time arguing whether or not a game should be classified as an RPG.  If the game is lacking certain elements you would like to see, then address them specificially.
• For those who did not like a game, it would also be good to know exactly what you were expecting, so we can better understand why you were so dissapointed.
• Understand that not everyone is going to have the same opinions as you.  The very reason you have come to so violently hate a game (the leveling system, the grind, too much realism, not enough realism), could very well be the same reason that another player will love the game.

By all means, tell us about your experiences, both good and bad.  Just don't tell me not to play it.  I'll make that decision for myself.

I'm still looking for a WoW replacement.  WoW bores me, I'll never go back, so don't bother trying.

I'm anxiously awaiting the release of Champions online... I'm toying with City of Heroes just to try out the whole superhero concept.

I'll pre-order The Old Republic, no question there.  I have complete faith in Bioware.

Star Trek online has potential to be my favorite... or the bane of my existance.  I'll withhold judgement until I can play it...