I posted this on another thread but wanted to repeat it cause I want some feedback. Original thread ->http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/post/3643245#3643245

The OP mentioned EQ as an example of one of the great starting MMOs created. WoW brought to the table polish on those methods and ideas.

What needs to be done to make a game that compares or even tops WoW is go back to the basics.

Things that need to be accomplished in my opinion are;

- Bring skills back into the spot light. (WoW has a skill tab but is ignored for the most part, and after cataclysm you wont even have a weapon skill bar)

EQ had skills for everything and they mattered. Evocation, Alteration, Meditation. This brought more depth.

- Bring the need for groups back. (After WoW was released every other mmo in development has tried to 'power' their classes so that they didnt 'need' a group)

Remember and enchanter in EQ, you couldnt solo that class if you had the best gear possible.

- Get rid of the AH. (EQ brought the bazaar, WoW brought the Auction House. BOTH killed the economies.)

- Fan sites need to be restricted to just screen shots and fun (EQs community in game was so helpful because information wasnt easily found online *at first*. Nowadays if you ask a question in chat the usual response is "go look it up")

- Travel needs to be harder. (again back to EQ. SoW and ports was the best we had. You are eliminating player interactivity with easier travel. I know this one sounds tough but its so true.)

Thats just a few off the top of my head.

Thanks for reading.

P.S. Just on one final note. WoW didnt diversify very well on their classes. Its hard to think up a new one that is unique.

P.P.S. Blizzard please stop spoon feeding me content.

For the most part, I agree with you. The only thing I COMPLETELY disagree with you on is getting rid of the AH. Go play Guild Wars and tell me how awesome it is without an AH. Selling loot is a huge pain in the butt, and a big hassle if selling stuff doesn't tickle your fancy. An AH doesn't kill an economy, it just makes moving goods easier.

I would agree with your points about the AH staying if I hadnt seen it work in EQ so well. The players made an auction area, it was the tunnel in East Commonlands.

I would contribute the rough economy in Guild Wars to the community being seperated there. The zones were instance based so getting everyone in one area to deal would be difficult. With EQ it worked because the world (again, at first) was persistant.

Get people to work together in a game world and theyll make the economy happen. Force them to compete with selling and buying and you get a rediculous result. Im not saying 'im right' or that it cant work but from what I have seen, throught playing games with different systems, global markets dont work.

APB launched a week ago and their economy is already screwed.