MMORPG.com Staff Blog

The staff of MMORPG.com gets together to bring you some behind the scenes insights on stories, the industry and the site itself.

Author: staffblog

Contributors: Admin,Dana,Stradden,MikeB,garrett,

This has been an exciting month or so in the world of video games, with the launch of a number of a number of new and exciting titles that have had people buzzing with excitement and lining up out the doors of electronics stores at midnight.

Unfortunately, none of them are MMOs. It’s not as though it hasn’t been our genre in the spotlight before. Crowds reliably line up and forums at MMORPG.com and elsewhere light up for any expansion to Blizzard’s World of Warcraft and I expect they will again when Cataclysm has its day in the sun. Buzz for MMOs was also huge last summer with the launches of the two highly anticipated titles, Age of Conan and Warhammer Online.

These days though, it’s hard for upcoming MMOs like Jumpgate Evolution Star Trek Online or even Star Wars: The Old Republic, let alone popular and exciting pre-existing titles, to grab the spotlight the way that maybe they should be.

There are three companies I blame for this: Infinity Ward, Bioware and Valve have been hogging the spotlight these days. Damn them for crafting new and exciting gaming experiences outside of the MMO genre and damn them for making me choose where to spend what little money I’ve been able to set aside for video games this far before Christmas.

In the end, for anyone who might be sitting at home wondering which of the three mega-hit games I decided to pick up from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Dragon Age: Origins or Left 4 Dead 2, I went with the latter. I really had no choice; it’s like an addiction now.

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I’ve had an undead monkey on my back ever since the first game in the series launched last year and I can even tell you why. It’s the co-operative nature of the game. Sure, I could sit here and talk about how Valve has managed to weave an interesting and immersive story into a game with no text boxes and very few cut scenes. I could also rave about how great the visuals are and how this second game has captured the gore of the genre in ways that the first never could, but I won’t talk about those things. Instead, it’s the co-op.

Honestly, I wish all online games were designed in such a way as to encourage co-operative play, even within random pickup groups, on such a level. Players are so dependent on one another for survival (and, of course ultimate victory), that while there is plenty of opportunity for players to stealth loot and look out for themselves first, it rarely, if ever happens outside of the very occasional griefer. Can you say that about your current MMO? Can you say it about your favourite shooter?

The overall, I suppose the word is friendliness, that comes along with this game is a) refreshing and b) ironic given the graphic and extreme violence that the gameplay implies.

I am also impressed with the fact that as far as sequels go, Valve got the formula right. When you play L4D2, they took all of the conventions and mechanics of the original game, improved a number of them, mixed in a few new elements and created a gameplay experience that was familiar enough to fan of the original game that it was easy to jump right into, but different enough that there’s a bit of a learning curve and you don’t feel like you’re playing something that should have been made available as DLC to the original game.

Still, while my attention may have been diverted briefly by the shiny new games from other genres, I’m just about ready to turn my attention back to waiting to see what the new batch of MMOs might hold.
 

This weeks Community Spotlight focuses on a thread started by user MMOnsterkill entitled, “FFS Stop Complaining About Subscription Fees”. In the original post, MMOnsterkill makes his case against the many people out there who scoff at the industry standard $15.00 monthly subscription fee attached to most AAA MMOG’s:
 

“$15.00
That is pretty much the industry standard monthly subscription fee to play an MMO nowadays. That being said, there are a lot of people that don't seem to understand why this fee is necessary -- and they swear on their lives that it's because the publishers / developers are trying to be greedy. Did you ever wonder who was working on all those lovely content updates that you bitch for? ACTUAL PEOPLE who have families, bills to pay, and taxes. Game developers don't make a whole lot of money, but it does take a bit to pay a team of 50 engineers, artists, and designers. Not to mention just running a company and an online service(s) has a lot of upkeep cost as well. “
 

While the original post is a little more abrasive than I’d normally choose to highlight, the discussion that follows, and the subject matter itself are considerably important.
 

User BlueSkunk used to be one of those very scoffers, but he has since seen the light, apparently:
 

“I used to not like paying subs, but then I realised that $15/month is extremely cheap.
 

Movie ticket with popcorn and drink $20+ for 1.5 to 3 hours entertainment.
 

A day at a theme park $50 - $100+ (extremely fun tho).
 

Ticket for a sporting event of your choice $10++.”
 

I have to agree, and I’ll be honest; this is one of my pet peeves. There are tons of people who won’t try a MMOG on the principle of having to pay monthly. I seriously doubt the $15.00 figure is the problem. It seems to be, at least for many, the principle of it more than anything. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard friends scoff at paying monthly for a game, or having watched trailers for upcoming MMOG’s for either work or pleasure and read users comments to the tune of: “Looks awesome! But if this is one of those games where you have to pay monthly, no deal!”
 

To use BlueSkunks example, I recently went out with my girlfriend and spent about $70 that night on dinner and a movie. Three to four hours of entertainment and I’m almost out $100! I immediately thought of all the people who scoff at MMOG subscription fees and shook my head.

If you find a game that is of sufficient quality and interesting enough to you, the $15 shouldn’t get in your way of playing it. There are many much more expensive hobbies out there. A friend of mine is a chef, and dabbles in all sorts of things, including photography. You want to talk expensive? That is an expensive hobby! $400 for a camera lens is the norm. He received a $1000 lighting set from his boss as an early xmas present recently, which prompted me to have this very discussion with him as well.
 

User Johnmatthais brings some interesting figures to the discussion, citing the original incarnation of Neverwinter Nights' subscription rates:
 

“My only input:
 

"The game originally cost standard AOL hourly rates to play. Depending on the user's rate plan, this could be USD$6.00 per hour for a flat rate plan, or $8.00 per hour during premium (daytime) hours or $4.00 during off hours."
 

"Near the end of its run in 1997 the game had 115,000 players and typically hosted 2,000 adventurers during prime evening hours, a 4000% increase over 1991."
 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neverwinter_Nights_(AOL_game)
 

Seriously, Stop complaining. The game had a few thousand players when it started. Another source I cannot find at the moment stated that it was not uncommon for people to spend in the hundreds per month to play the game.
 

And you guys are complaining about $15/month? Tisk tisk.
 

NOTE: I purposely didn't include the part about it becoming a free part of an AOL subscription at the end of it's run. That's not what I was referencing.”
 

Boy, do I remember those days! Anyone out there ever play Gemstone? Gemstone is essentially a MUD with subscription fees, and still runs to this day! As several other posters have pointed out, fully text based games have demanded subscription fees in the past (Gemstone IV still does!) and yet many of us scoff at $15 for a high-production value AAA MMOG.  For the record, Gemstone IV will run you $25/month for Premium memberships, and $49/month for Platinum memberships. Ouch! Standard membership is $14.95 a month.
 

When I was younger, I had to play Gemstone on an older friends account because I could not make the case to my completely internet/computer illiterate mother that shelling out for that kind of dough every month was a good or even sane idea. Which brings me to another point that several other users have raised: Perhaps most of the people complaining are younger folks who must make the case to their parents? Of course, this is pure speculation, but it is certainly plausible.
 

Are you an adult with an income reading this, yet still vehemently opposed to subscription fees?
 

For those of you who are opposed to subscription fees, are you also opposed to the microtransaction supported model as an alternative?
 

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

This week’s Community Spotlight focuses on a discussion started by user Varny that poses the question: “Does it sadden any of you when you return to an old mmorpg?” Varny had this to say on the subject:
 

“I mean for me mmorpgs hold such special nostalgic memories of the past and how everything used to be better. Like returning to your home town when you were a child and how summers always seemed warmer and brighter when you were a kid. For me mmorpgs give me that same feeling from the ones I was fond of.

I play a SWG and at the time it launched I was 17 or 18 and going through that time in your life when you experience a lot of thing for the first time and have that first heart breaking G/F lol. So like a Song that you used to love and can't play anymore because of her, I also put games to parts of my life that were meaningful. When I try to go back to them, not only am I pissed off that the developer ruined them but I can never like them again due the nostalgia of my past making me wish I could go back”
 

I know how you feel! I recently returned to The Matrix Online to say my good-byes a few weeks before the game was set to close and all accounts were set as active. I zoned into the Mara hardline, which for the few of you out there who actually played MXO know as the central hub of the game, and seeing almost no one around. I recall kvetching about the fact we had a huge awesome Megacity to explore and yet half the server would all clog up Mara hardline and hang out there. Seeing no one around was a real shocker and definitely made me feel nostalgic, if not a bit sad, as well.
 

On the other hand, it can be heart-warming at times when you return to an old game. I suppose it all depends on the state the game is in. Varny mentions Star Wars Galaxies in his post, and like anyone’s first MMOG, Star Wars Galaxies has a special place in my heart. I left, like many after the NGE fiasco, but I have returned on multiple occasions to see how things were. Until recently most of those returns were quite depressing. I played on Starsider which was one of the three most active servers at launch, and I recall logging in and finding the place essentially a ghost town with my entire friends list empty with no one on. That didn’t evoke such a pleasant feeling.
 

Recently, however, I returned to Star Wars Galaxies this summer and for whatever reason over the past few years a large part of the remaining SWG community had all consolidated on my home server, Starsider, and the place was jumping like it was launch day all over again. I was actually happy that some of the things that previously annoyed me had returned, simply because they reminded me of better days in the game. Things like long sprawling lines for buffs being a good example, or the poplocking Wookiee in Mos Eisley starport hawking his wares, who I guarantee you is still there at this moment.
 

User Finbar offers his eloquent, if somewhat amusing, response on the subject:
 

“I would't say sad. Sad is a word I use for stronger more important emotions. However I know what you are talking about. There is a certain forlorn silence that is felt when you play an older game. The same feeling that you get when you entre an abandoned building, or when you finally finish a long series of books (eg: Song of Ice and Fire, or whatever). It's a muted sense of loss or a gentle haunting perse. For me this feeling is a classic trademark of a well realized story or environment. So no your not alone in this; you will find me and many others walking the lonely halls of the worlds of yesterday musing at things come to pass.”
 

User Balthor’s response echoes a number of others in the discussion who never really get the opportunity to feel sad, as they don’t return at all once they’re gone:
 

“I won't go back to a MMO that I have left. If I stoped playing and quit, it was for a good reason. It's like if I break up with an annoying GF, I'm not going to take her back ... she's still annoying.”
I guess I can see your point! Though some of us do reignite old flames!
 

So, do you too feel sad when you return to an old MMOG? Let us know in the comments!

I wanted to take the time to post in my blog about the tough day that Mythic had today.

As many of you saw, there were staff cuts there today and people had to go home without a job. Instead of pointing the blame at EA, Mythic, or Warhammer, I simply want to point out that this type of event never helps anyone. I listened to EA's earnings call today while they explained to analysts that the company is moving forward and the stock price is up. I heard no mention of the people who were out of work today because of bottom line decisions.

So I am posting today to those people who lost there jobs at Mythic. Many people dream about making games as an occupation and to me nothing worse can happen to you than losing your job, okay maybe a health or family problem is the only thing worse.

I had a lot of friends at Mythic, some who lost their jobs today. My heart and best wishes go out to them and their families and I hope they all find a bright future.

If this sounds sentimental, it is. There is nothing worse than seeing people out of work, struggling to make ends meet. Regardless if games are a success or failure, people now have to scramble to find a pay check and take care of themselves or the ones they love.

I wish we lived in a world where everyone could work, do a good job, and never fear losing their livelyhood.

This week’s Community Spotlight focuses on a topic started by user Eronakis which poses the question: how many classes are appropriate for an MMORPG? The thread is entitled “Acceptable amount of classes in an mmorpg” and features a poll with ranges from 9 or lower, to 20+ classes. The topic is fairly straightforward, but responses in the thread indicate that most users definitely do have some pretty specific preferences in this regard.

User Lansid offers his take on more is better:

“I'm in favor for as much as possble... then you won't have as many cookie cutter builds. I think Guild Wars in a way has done some nice things regarding class/skill use making many viable "builds"... and with all the constant nerfing of powers people are always coming up with the next Flavor of the Month build. The more I look at CO it looks like it has a bunch of potential regarding this subject, but I can't say because I have not played it yet.
 

I guess my main point is, the more variables you throw in, the more individuality you get. Uniqueness is good, imho, regarding MMO's. I don't wanna be the same Healer or DD toon, just with #2 hair, #6 face.”
 

On the other end of the spectrum we have the user Axehilt who makes a compelling argument against having many classes:
 

“I tend to like games with fewer classes. It gives the developer more time to ensure each of the classes is balanced and (more importantly) fun.
However I definitely prefer the advancement system to open up more opportunities for different playstyles (at this point WOW's 10 classes are worth 2-3 distinct classes each; but that's not really realistic for an on-release game.)
 

The playstyle count is more important than class count, and how many alts you need to roll to reach all of those playstyles. As much as I disliked FFXI's interface (so much that I only gave it 30 mins of play) I eventually realized that being able to access all your playstyles with a single character is a pretty cool approach to things (although I suppose you basically are still "rolling an alt" if you have to go back to fight newbie things to level the new job.)”
 

Overall, however, opinions are pretty mixed. I’m generally in agreement with Axehilt’s sentiment that less is more, but this is purely coming from someone who has spent a lot of time designing classes in MUD’s and realizes how hard it can be to juggle that balancing act while making the classes interesting at the same time, and I feel this translates for MMOGs, as well. Having 100 classes that are really only unique in name and frankly impossible to balance isn’t really good idea. Even if you take World of Warcraft as an example, which many in the thread cite as an MMOG featuring few classes, its been almost five years yet even still most would argue that the classes are unbalanced. It’s pretty much expected at this point that various classes go from underpowered to overpowered all the time. If it can’t be done by an A-list developer like Blizzard with only a handful of classes it seems pretty unlikely that a game with 100 classes would achieve both balance and variety.
 

And of course, we can’t have this kind of discussion without the mention of classless MMOGs as an option, as user Madeux chimes in to make a simple point:
“I'm gonna have to go with... 0
Zero is the only acceptable number of classes in an mmorpg.
Skills....”
 

As many of you may know by now from past spotlights, I got my feet wet in a classless game: Star Wars Galaxies. And these sorts of games aren’t without their issues either, as user heremypet (has since deleted their account) says, “…The complete opposite for classless games, where someone with melee and healing skills isn't really a paladin. And everyone gravitates towards tank-mage or the FOTM.”
 

Using Star Wars Galaxies as an example, different skill sets or specs became must have’s anyways and so you still saw many cookie cutter builds. At one point everyone was either x/Combat Medic or x/Master Doctor for example. Now, I don’t feel this necessarily means that the concept is invalid, but I don’t think it has been perfected quite yet. Funcom’s next MMOG, The Secret World, will be entirely level-less and class-less, so I suppose we should all keep on eye on that one and see how it pans out!
 

The jury is still out on the sweet spot, or whether to have classes at all in Eronakis’ thread. As of this writing the poll is at 26.9% for 9 or fewer classes on the lowest end and 26.9% for 20+ classes on the high end. Quite interesting results!
 

So what do you think? What is the sweet spot for the number of classes? Should we really focus on the number at all? Or do you not care for classes outright and prefer a skill-based system like Ultima Online? Let us know in the comments!
 

Also, congratulations are in order for user Eronakis, as he’s received the title “Spotlight Poster” for being featured in this week’s Community Spotlight!

So, the TV remake of "V" debuted last night on ABC. For those who do not know, this is a remake of a cheesy sci-fi mini-series where the "V" (Visitors) arrive Independence Day style over every major city in the World. Instead of shooting, they turn their ships into giant jumbotrons, reportedly only moderately smaller than the one in the new Cowboys stadium, and deliver a message of peace from their leader Anna (the prostitute from Firefly).

Naturally, there's more to it than that, but I'll save the general plot points for your DVRs. Let's just say, they likely are not quite as nice as they appear.

So, at the risk of jumping the gun in a new an exciting way (and that's why this is in the blog), did anyone else watch this and get an itchy trigger finger to jump into this world? Could we have a more perfect contemporary setting for an MMO?

Of course, the show's ratings are not even in yet, so it has to be a huge success before anyone would consider it, but of all the TV shows out there I watch, this one seems the most natural to let people run around in it.

The game seems to have three well defined factions, enough science-fiction fun to expand into, as well as a good excuse to build some elements of the real world, but in a fantastic way.

So, here's to "V" becoming a big enough hit that someone goes and buys the rights!

Warning to comment readers: I tried not to deliver any major spoilers, but I make no promises for people in the comment thread.

Yep kids, it is Dragon Age time!

So with the latest RPG from Bioware finally launching what impact will it have on the MMO community?

I personally think it will have a huge impact. Games like Dragon Age, Torchlight, and the upcoming Diablo 3 all have an impact on MMOs.

1. They are fantasy games.

2. They are RPGs

3. They may contain game design elements that will be used in future MMOs.

These are just three of the reasons to watch Dragon Age.

I know Star Wars is being done in a separate Bioware Studio far to the south of Vancouver, but there might be some elements of Dragon Age that make it into SW:TOR. Just a guess, but TOR is already being heralded as an all talking MMO.

So I pose this question to the commumity, how many of you will buy and play Dragon Age? 

Will the game be permanently good enough to take you away from your MMO?

Not for me, but for now it will be a nice break until 3.3 comes out :) 

Carbine Studios, a California subsidiary of NCsoft at work on an unnanounced MMO, shared some of their best Halloween costumes with us. They've got everything from Dr. Phil to the Dancing Banana.

So, I got wondering, any particularly fun Halloween costumes in our community? At the local costume store, I noticed they're selling World of Warcraft branded elf ears.

Games provide some of the best costumes, but nerd culture in general has lots of things too as Carbine showed.

In the past, I've been The Burger King - it's creepy! - and this year I'm dialing it back to 2005 and being V from V For Vendetta (had to buy the Guy Fawkes mask!). Last year, my girlfriend and I were Ninja Turtles.

What is everyone else being?

We'd love to see some of the best costumes, maybe even some pictures. So let us know.

Even if you cannot get us a photo, just describe the insanity :)

This week’s Community Spotlight focuses on a thread by forum user Ihmotepp called, “Do you enjoy the Holy Trinity game mechanic? If so, how much?” In the thread, Ihmotepp explains the holy trinity mechanic and quizzes the MMORPG.community on their preferences for or against the tried-and-true game design of the holy trinity of healer, nuker, and tank. The thread is complete with a poll whose results so far are pretty evenly split. Roughly the same ratio of people who have voted so far like, dislike, or have no preference either way. But what are the members of the community actually saying?
 

User Kyleran chimes in on the issue saying, “At one time I thought I didn't like the mechanic, but after all MMO's started to try and do away with it I think my iniital assessment was in error.
 

We use the trinity in EVE btw, in our wormhole gangs we have battleships that tank/heal each other, grouped with DPS and aggro control ships (which they also heal) and it makes for much better combat opportunities. (esp the PVE side)
 

Even in PVP, nothing can throw a fight to a gang more than an couple of logistics ships that are repping everyone's armor/shields.
 

So yes, I do enjoy the mechanic and feel it needs to be maintained to develop good group based combat mechanics.”
 

And I would have to agree, for the most part. I feel the design concept is sound at a basic level, but that doesn’t mean it is perfect, and it can be refined into being a bit more flexible. We have seen this in recent years with the advent of hybrid classes and such, and I feel that is probably going in the right direction. It’s no fun being a tankmage when everyone on your team is one as well. I came to this realization when playing Champions Online and wishing to be more useful to my group of friends. While the game provides some neat ways of handling roles, there really isn’t much reason to do so. Everyone can take care of themselves, and so it really tosses that whole aspect of support gameplay to the side.
 

The basic problem with the trinity ties into another recently highlighted topic in the Community Spotlight series: grouping vs. soloing. Early examples of the holy trinity fit well into group scenarios, but what are these pieces of the puzzle like on their own? The healer would have a hard time doing enough damage to play on their own, the nuker would be hard pressed to survive, and the tank could generally solo but at a slower rate.
 

LiquidWolf has a different take on the issue, stating that he feels the idea of the holy trinity is so ingrained into our minds that even when the developers lessen its impact, we still try to figure out ways to shoehorn it into our game of choice:
 

“Game devs are not the source of the holy trinity... the players are.
It doesn't matter what the game devs do, players always find a way to revert the layout back to: Tank - Healer - DPS.
 

Even if they had one class with no specializations... players would find out what gear is required to be placed in those three roles.
 

The "Holy Trinity" is a solution developed by players to tackle most problems inside a multi-player game... hell, even in single player games, you will see this approach used. The developers are gamers too, so their line of thinking falls along the same path as the players...
 

and it continues to work and make them money.
 

You could try to make every class capable of doing tanking, healing, and DPS... and if the company is somehow successful as making each class viable for any role... you'd still see players arguing who is the best at one of the three. If there is one patch that doesn't hit every class equally... you will bring the whole thing down and players will set the "Top Three".
 

Problems in MMOs will ALWAYS be boiled down into the "Holy Trinity"... there is no escaping the mentality of people who play multi-player games together.”
 

My above comments on Champions Online definitely support LiquidWolf’s claims, at least for myself. While everyone could essentially be a tankmage in Champs, I was still trying to figure out how to build a support toon so I could fill that role, however unnecessary it was. There is certainly some truth to these claims then, though I don’t feel the issue falls squarely on the players, of course, though the latter point that LiquidWolf makes about what are essentially hybrid classes, is definitely one area where I would agree players are either equally or more at fault than the developers.
 

Hybrid classes were introduced to alleviate some of the issues with the rigid holy trinity design, but it is quite true that most players will still try and figure out which of the classes available are the purest tank, healer, or DPS class, and those will be given preference in any sort of group activities. Age of Conan was a good example of this issue. The developers at Funcom sought to do things a bit differently and introduced many hybrid classes, and yet players still preferred the purest of any of the three archetypes for their group activities. Why choose a Dark Templar or Conqueror over a Guardian as the main tank? The latter two were certainly more versatile characters, but the Guardian could soak it up better than either, and so he was largely preferred for groups.
 

Whether developers should stop trying to deviate from the holy trinity design is probably a discussion for another day, but how do you feel about the design concept in general? Do you enjoy filling a specific role? Or do you prefer things to be a bit more flexible or free form? Let us know in the comments below.

CNN has a little slide-show that shows a few ways video games have been proven to have positive health benefits for those using them.

It's a fascinating list. Obviously, the benefits of hand-eye coordination have always been something people pointed at, but actually using it to "warm up" surgeons who make less mistakes as a result is a wonderful fact to know. They also studied to show that video games can do more good for "lazy eye" than traditional medical treatments and can be used to treat Parkinson's.

The trick here is that most of these games are of a specific kind. It takes Wii-Fit to help Parkinson's, FPSs to help "lazy eye," etc.

So, today, I got to wondering what benefits there are to MMOs? They've become a kind of target for a lot of media outlets and obviously have their negative sides.

For me, MMOs have done a lot of great things. For one, they in part taught me how to write. Sometimes we forget that when we talk about "socialization" and the like, we're really talking about a very basic skill: typing.

Through MMOs, I learned that very basic skill. It taught me to type quickly, and properly. Later, it also inspired me to learn how to write and eventually led to a career writing about them. My parents might in some ways be secretly happy I ignored so many earnest pleas to go outside and stop playing on the Internet.

What other benefits do you think MMOs bring in general to people who play them? We spend so much time focused on the bad, it's easy to overlook the good.