Originally posted by Beatnik59

MMORPGs are just distilled versions of the good American life: you wander into the wilderness with nothing, where every bit of work you do is rewarded with additional power and wealth.  Amassing power and wealth is simply an application of the old bourgeois formula: it is there for everyone who puts forth the effort to earn it.

Actually MMO's were originally designed to follow the RPG formula, meaning storytelling with dynamic (changing) characters.  The common theme of rags to riches follows the general trend in fantasy literature - adventuring brings challenges that offer wealth, success at those challenges gives a character greater knowledge and skill.  The object of the game from the player's point of view never really had much to do with the skill, power, or wealth.  The object was the story, and it could just as well be tragic as it could be heroic.

MMOs worked best when story was the purpose.  Combat in open worlds generally ONLY works if story is the purpose.  Until someone (anyone) is able to return story to its purpose, the point of having thousands of people in the same gaming instance will continue to elude the self-deluded.

Originally posted by Beatnik59

MMORPGs are just distilled versions of the good American life: you wander into the wilderness with nothing, where every bit of work you do is rewarded with additional power and wealth.  Amassing power and wealth is simply an application of the old bourgeois formula: it is there for everyone who puts forth the effort to earn it.

MMORPGs give those who do not experience the good American life a chance to experience what the good American life is like.  Because we don't all start at level 1 in reality, there's hardly any wilderness to wander into that hasn't already been claimed, and the vast majority of us are working harder and harder only to get poorer and poorer.

MMOs aren't a reflection of reality.  They are the manifestation of what reality ought to look like.  As Baudrillard would say, MMOs are a "hyperreality."

I believe that we wouldn't find MMOs so appealing if life resembled MMOs, if "life was a perfect game," as the OP says.  The fact that MMOs are already "perfect lives" is the reason we play them.  Because it is nice to know that we have a chance at some rare loot when we pwn bosses, when we work for bosses that can't be pwned, and don't drop any loot we can keep when we do pwn them.

Well everyone has their own preferences. I just personally don't think a life in which you get everything handed to you and nothing makes sense is all that interesting. Maybe it's just because I have such an easy life, however getting praised for doing nothing is never as enjoyable as earning it. If everyone is above average that just means everyone is average. Feel free to soothe the hardships of life with fluff all you want, that's your right. Just don't assume anything and be open to new experiences, even if they take some effort.

Originally posted by MyTabbycat
Your statement was too vague so I didn't vote in your poll.

Fair enough. It basically just means a game with a free form start and a more loosely set path. For example, choose race, name, starting outfit/appearance and drop into the game. From random or prechosen start point within a relatively safe area, explore and find things out. Eventually figure out your likes and choose something more specific to do, or not. Does that help?

ArcheAge has a lot of those features.  Just hoping the NA release comes this year.  I'd gladly pay monthly sub for that amazing looking game.

Huge success it's had in Korea already.

It is really more of subtype of MMORPG called Sandbox. The original Star War Galaxies had lots of non-combat activitiesUnfortunately most dev studios have dug in their heels and do not support Sandbox designs anymore. This stubborness gives the impression that sandbox would be an entirely new genre but this has really part of what MMORPGs are from the beginning.

Originally posted by Novusod

 

 

 

It is really more of subtype of MMORPG called Sandbox. The original Star War Galaxies had lots of non-combat activitiesUnfortunately most dev studios have dug in their heels and do not support Sandbox designs anymore. This stubborness gives the impression that sandbox would be an entirely new genre but this has really part of what MMORPGs are from the beginning.

The games in the sandbox genre are hardly any different to theme parks. You can run about messing with things, but in the end your stuck doing the same old storyline. Sometimes you can change it a little with a few choices they give you, but it's still far from actual freedom. The older games had tried but all had the same distinc design which disallows a truly open experience of discovery. My main point is how the basic formula needs to be rebuilt from the ground up, or even just thrown away.

It isn't about how many side quests or distractions the game has, it's about letting go of the idea of main gameplay.

Originally posted by Godshelp12

ArcheAge has a lot of those features.  Just hoping the NA release comes this year.  I'd gladly pay monthly sub for that amazing looking game.

 

Huge success it's had in Korea already.

Whenever someone says feature they basically mean an inorganic almost completely separate tack on to a primarily (insert main role of game here) focused environment. I don't think I've ever heard anyone call combat a feature, certainly not in remotely the same context. I'm more of a big picture kind of guy. I like my games to feel alive.

Originally posted by Volkon
HOW ABOUT GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR?

That got a chuckle out of me.  How many people remember this?

Originally posted by Torvaldr

Originally posted by Volkon
HOW ABOUT GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR?

That got a chuckle out of me.  How many people remember this?

I have no idea what that meant, couldn't even tell if he was making a joke lol.