Every mmo (at least that I've played) has gradually progressing content difficulty matched with gradually progressing gear/stat/ability making the content approximately the same sort of actual difficulty.  The PvE balance means that you have to be "roughly this good of a player" to be able to conquer the content. Raids or dungeons may push the envelope a bit, but they still have a designed mechanic on how to solve them.

What if the game (basic description only) had a series of checkpoints, that you progressed through with the content continually getting more difficult as you went along, until finally it was so extremely hard that people couldn't possibly finish.  So rather than completing content, it was more about how far you could push the content, but nobody ever reaches the "end". 

If the

So what do you think?

EDIT: I guess I should have done a better job explaining it. Think of it like a high jump. You might always be able to jump a little higher, so you never reach that point of completion, but every time you improve on where you made it to last time you still get a feeling of accomplishment.

EDIT EDIT:  Here is a better description of what I was thinking about.

The game plays like a warzone between NPC's and players. the more players join the map, the stronger the NPC's also get.

Anytime a player or NPC dies, they respawn immediately at their base and have to run back to the battle.

The NPC's are trying to take over the players base, and if left alone they will take over the entire map up to virtually the doorstep of the playerbase before being too spread out be effective at conquering the playerbase.

The players work from checkpoint to checkpoint, pushing back the NPC's in an attempt to drive them back to their base and take over. 

 As they get closer to the base the NPC respawn is virtually constant, and the base becomes impossible to take over. 

However, I think reaching the base would be a failed mechanic, and the battle should be a remarkable endeavor to make it 3/4 or even 1/2 way.

Same sentiments with the good sir above me.

As long as I enjoy it and it keeps me busy, well why not.

I never really focused on beating the game, esp if its MMO, Im more of a casual player.

I don't remember ever winning an MMO.

( let me clarify that - I generally play solo, so in almost every game, there are dungeons or raids aimed at teams that are beyond me, until some later date when I can outlevel them; so every game out there already feels like what you are suggesting to me ... and I have to admit I prefer it that way )

Originally posted by eyelolled

What if the game (basic description only) had a series of checkpoints, that you progressed through with the content continually getting more difficult as you went along, until finally it was so extremely hard that people couldn't possibly finish.  So rather than completing content, it was more about how far you could push the content, but nobody ever reaches the "end". 

You just described what it's like to be a raid leader in a social guild. 

I am already playing such a game ... D3 (not a MMO).

Unless you are like a top 1% player in the game, MP10 farming (and uber boss) is just impossible. And i keep pushing my MP level for more challenge every time i play. That includes getting new gear, and tweaking builds.

Originally posted by eyelolled

Every mmo (at least that I've played) has gradually progressing content difficulty matched with gradually progressing gear/stat/ability making the content approximately the same sort of actual difficulty.  The PvE balance means that you have to be "roughly this good of a player" to be able to conquer the content. Raids or dungeons may push the envelope a bit, but they still have a designed mechanic on how to solve them.

 

What if the game (basic description only) had a series of checkpoints, that you progressed through with the content continually getting more difficult as you went along, until finally it was so extremely hard that people couldn't possibly finish.  So rather than completing content, it was more about how far you could push the content, but nobody ever reaches the "end". 

 

So what do you think?

 

EDIT: I guess I should have done a better job explaining it. Think of it like a high jump. You might always be able to jump a little higher, so you never reach that point of completion, but every time you improve on where you made it to last time you still get a feeling of accomplishment.

 

Tldr: like space invaders

improved the original description

I voted yes because honestly I feel that is the way they were intended. EQ was called EVERquest for a reason. It has like 23+ expansions and is still adding content  a decade+ later. They are suppose to be nearly never ending adventures.

People want something they can win...there is another genre for that I need not name.

Originally posted by eyelolled

Every mmo (at least that I've played) has gradually progressing content difficulty matched with gradually progressing gear/stat/ability making the content approximately the same sort of actual difficulty.  The PvE balance means that you have to be "roughly this good of a player" to be able to conquer the content. Raids or dungeons may push the envelope a bit, but they still have a designed mechanic on how to solve them.

 

What if the game (basic description only) had a series of checkpoints, that you progressed through with the content continually getting more difficult as you went along, until finally it was so extremely hard that people couldn't possibly finish.  So rather than completing content, it was more about how far you could push the content, but nobody ever reaches the "end". 

If the

 

So what do you think?

 

EDIT: I guess I should have done a better job explaining it. Think of it like a high jump. You might always be able to jump a little higher, so you never reach that point of completion, but every time you improve on where you made it to last time you still get a feeling of accomplishment.

 

EDIT EDIT:  Here is a better description of what I was thinking about.

 

The game plays like a warzone between NPC's and players. the more players join the map, the stronger the NPC's also get.

Anytime a player or NPC dies, they respawn immediately at their base and have to run back to the battle.

The NPC's are trying to take over the players base, and if left alone they will take over the entire map up to virtually the doorstep of the playerbase before being too spread out be effective at conquering the playerbase.

The players work from checkpoint to checkpoint, pushing back the NPC's in an attempt to drive them back to their base and take over. 

 As they get closer to the base the NPC respawn is virtually constant, and the base becomes impossible to take over. 

However, I think reaching the base would be a failed mechanic, and the battle should be a remarkable endeavor to make it 3/4 or even 1/2 way.

I wouldn't play an MMO that you could win. And what you describe up there, I wouldn't play that whether I could win or not because it reads as a monotonous grind of kill x to kill 2x to kill 3x etc with no actual point outside of seeing how far you could go.

It's space invaders with a subscription fee.

There was an MMO, I don't remember the name but you had an Island and you were given time to establish a strategy on how you wanted to build it up and fortify, make conquering elements. In short time you were exposed to the rest of the player base and you all duked it out for a spot on a leader board. In 3 months the whole thing reset. You couldn't "win" per say, you repeated the same 3 month cycle and built a leader board stat by figuring effective strategies.

The game failed.

Originally posted by Loktofeit

 

I wouldn't play an MMO that you could win. And what you describe up there, I wouldn't play that whether I could win or not because it reads as a monotonous grind of kill x to kill 2x to kill 3x etc with no actual point outside of seeing how far you could go.

 

It's space invaders with a subscription fee.

Sorry, I never implied there would be a subscription fee. I was just curious about how people would respond if the ultimate goal was unobtainable.  Of course there could be a lot more dynamics and such involved.

If the battleground was the only thing in the game, then no.  It's too narrow to keep my interest.

On the other side, it sounds like it would be a fun mini-game for embedding into a larger world MMORPG.  Especially if there was decent progression to be had in the battle.  One plus is that it's massively multiplayer, almost like a giant raid group.  Given how little activity in MMORPGs still is massively multiplayer, this is a big plus for me.

In a way it also sounds like it could be adapted for PVP, sort of a zerg-ish RVR bg.

I love MMOs but because of time constrains, I rarely do dungeons and almost never raid if it's available, so technically I'm always playing games that I couldn't win.

That said, the game style described by the op I wouldn't play, not because I couldn't win, but because to be frank, the game design sounds a little boring and repetitive to me, though I know that basically it's what most online FPSs and MOBA games are all about.