If there isn't a deep storyline to follow until the end and give you a purpose, then what is the point of playing? To me, it sounds like many sandbox players really want a second life where they can live in a fantasy world, but that's not really a game. I personally want a balance with an intriguing storyline and plenty of quests to give me a direction, a goal. Idk it seems like I'm very old-school, but that's the difference between games like UO and games like The 4th Coming. I would play The 4th Coming any day over UO because as one player said, "It's basically like a glorified chat room." There is no purpose or end to your actions except gaining new things. There is no epic story. Nothing you do changes the way the world reacts to you. FFXI definitely had the best storyline of any game but is also very theme-parkish and OMG the grind. So could anyone enlighten me as to what makes Ryzom hold appeal? I can try the game for a few weeks, but there isn't anything to keep people playing.

btw I was in the very early batch of beta testers for Ryzom. I remembered the mailed me the disk from Europe. So, I do have a background on the game, but I never got very far (mostly tested various builds).

First off, I'm not your typical MMO player. I'm pretty casual. I don't have tons of time to invest every night. I enjoy the ride, rather than trying to blaze my way to level cap as fast as possible.

I like playing Ryzom because I can do whatever I want or go wherever I want when I want to. Within the confines of the game of course. I'm not locked into any class roles. I'm not shuffled along from one area to another, doing one quest after another.

I don't want a second life. If I did, I'd play Second Life. I want a place where I can socialize with online friends. A place that's fun to explore. Crafting that's challenging, but not over the top. The world in Ryzom is really well done, which adds to the fun of the game, imo.

I got sick of the endless gear grind in WoW. I don't need a carrot dangled in front of me all the time to enjoy my online game time. Sometimes I just feel like harvesting or crafting. Other times I might want to join up with some guild-mates and go boss hunting. Still other times I may just want to solo and explore.

I'm not following your comment about "Nothing you do changes the way the world reacts to you". There are very few games out at all that have a truly dynamic world. EVE maybe. I can't think of another one off the top of my head.

Really, I think Ryzom has limited appeal. It appeals to certain kinds of people. People who are more into socializing than raiding. Or harvesting and crafting than PvP. Or exploring the world rather than conquering repetitive dungeons.

That's my 1.5 cents.

 I don't want a game that has a balance. No thank you. I want the true sandbox games, with no storyline but rather a player formed world, like EVE. Then I want games like LOTRO that give a good storyline, with a clear and finish although being constatnly expanded and putting you in the universe.

The two just don't mix. at all.

Originally posted by WizGamer

If there isn't a deep storyline to follow until the end and give you a purpose, then what is the point of playing? To me, it sounds like many sandbox players really want a second life where they can live in a fantasy world, but that's not really a game. I personally want a balance with an intriguing storyline and plenty of quests to give me a direction, a goal. Idk it seems like I'm very old-school, but that's the difference between games like UO and games like The 4th Coming. I would play The 4th Coming any day over UO because as one player said, "It's basically like a glorified chat room." There is no purpose or end to your actions except gaining new things. There is no epic story. Nothing you do changes the way the world reacts to you. FFXI definitely had the best storyline of any game but is also very theme-parkish and OMG the grind. So could anyone enlighten me as to what makes Ryzom hold appeal? I can try the game for a few weeks, but there isn't anything to keep people playing.

 

btw I was in the very early batch of beta testers for Ryzom. I remembered the mailed me the disk from Europe. So, I do have a background on the game, but I never got very far (mostly tested various builds).

Do you really want to kill X monsters....collect X items...kill more monsters....deliver this..deliver that....kill more monsters....collect more shit...really? thats what ruins mmorpgs.

I enjoy ryzom because i get to do what I want to do. I dont like doing quests. Thats what i've been doing for the last 3 years, and nearly every mmo I have played has exactly 100% the same quests ( go kill that, collect that, protect that ).

The game is just an open world where the player gets to do what he wants to do. It gives me the impression that it's not some pre planned ride, where the developers have planned the path of the players.

I'm not a diehard fan. I started playing two weeks ago and i'm having fun. That's all that counts imo. I cant say anything about the game in the long term.

It definitely has an ongoing and very deep storyline.

Delivered in a unique way.

Done in World-Events and small Roleplay-Events, of at least 3 a month. Admittedly, this system is only for those patient enough to wait for things to happen around them and find the reward in participating and hearing and truly "living" an exciting story. Not for those who rush through quests to get to the reward.

The only, but big difference is, that the story progresses slower than in any other game. More at its own pace.

More "lifelike" so to say. Memorable events in Ryzom don´t define themselves in Raids or in finished Questlines, they´re defined by the participation of the players and the way they do react to the guidelines given by the Developers and the official Event-Teams. Events are mostly announced a few days before they occur and most of the time hold surprises for those who participate.

For example, a simple "botanic educational excursion" in Matis, led to a storyline of poisoned plants, theft, deceit and the kidnapping of a royal family member. Which in turn left clues that point to future events, like a possible barbarian invasion.

Pre-scripted Quests are fun, for a time. But you can only do them once. Twice at most if you bother to do them with a twink, until they get boring and repetitive.

Admittedly "most" players do like it that way, and I dare say most don´t know better and thus are surprised to find a game in which the "goal" isn´t to lead a live of constant adventure and do the same things billions of other "heroes" have done before you, but to lead a "normal" life in a unique world, which on occasion is broken by unusual happenings and circumstance.

I myself only got Involved in a Storyline by accident, because I was in the right place, at the right time. If I hadn´t been at that particular spot on that day, I wouldn´t have met the E-Team controlled NPC-Bandits, that attacked me and a few others and thus kicked of a storyline that eventually lead to a big fight with genetically enhanced monsters and mind controlled people.

But, if it hadn´t been me, it would probably have been someone else. And I would´ve only heard rumors about these strange bandits. Word of mouth InGame carries and thus involves more and more people who are curious to see whats happening.

True, this way not not really everyone may participate in every event that´s ever done, but like in real life, nobody can be everywhere at every time. So, mostly no-one is put off by this.

And most players I know are fair enough to make a post about strange happenings on the boards, so everyone reading these may know that "something" is up. Even if an official Event-Team Post comes only one or two days later. After word has already gotten around a bit.

Thats one of the points that make Ryzom unique and so enjoyable to me.

I can truly forge own destiny and decide for myself if a participate or not. And I´m not led by the nose along a set path to some Item that sooner or later everyone gets and that becomes obsolete with the next "expansion".

It´s not everyones game, but it´s something different.

If you like it, great.

If you don´t, OK too.

There´s a game for everyone out there.

CU

SaM

Well I guess that I'd have to disagree with you here. On a general level MMO's have a terrible story, and the stories are totally unresponsive. So I figure if I just wanted a good story, I'd play through Mass Effect again. Personally I have never played Ryzom, but I am a big fan of Sandbox style games. It seems to me like I'm a fan of sandbox games for the exact same reasons that you don't like them. Theme park MMO's seem to... channeled, it's like you can't do anything outside of things that the game has carefully planned out for you. In a traditional game you are given a role, which you really don't have any choice as to how you play it. You make a warrior, then you're the tank. You make a mage, then you're the DPS. You make a priest, then you're the healer. You don't even get a chance to decide what to do as far as quests go. Let's say that you're given a quest to go kill a bunch of pigs, you have absolutely no reason too except that some NPC wants you to, but if you want the xp then you have to do it. This is also, I think, why roleplayers in MMO's have started to disappear. You cannot play a role in WoW, you get the quest, and you do it. It doesn't matter if you want to roleplay someone who's against it, because it's so much of a theme park. A game should be about you BEING the hero of the story, and making all of the decisions, whereas in a theme park it's more like you're just reading a crappy, incoherent book.

If you ask me, the best story is the one that flows naturally from the player's actions.

Originally posted by Sevensodd

Do you really want to kill X monsters....collect X items...kill more monsters....deliver this..deliver that....kill more monsters....collect more shit...really? thats what ruins mmorpgs.

In sandbox games like Ryzom you have to kill more mobs and collect just about as much items (harvest) as in any theme park mmorpg. So what is your point? Besides, the question was what makes Ryzom fun. Give the guy an answer. Personally, I don't have an answer.

It seems you did not read my post. Or did you?

I think the answer is there, at least my personal view of it.

Anyway, the "MOBs to kill quota" is the same in every Game. Or almost at least.

If you want to level, kill things.

Pretty normal, I guess. Apart from XP maybe gained by Quests, there´s no difference in that and many do enjoy the so called "grind", we can see it every day in each and every game out there. Delivery-Missions are plenty in Ryzom, so that´s covered too.

But please note that harvested Items are a lot different from those gained through Quests.

These things you need to build Items of use. Like swords and armor and such.

Items that are droped by MOBs and/or delivered by the Quest-Giver at the end are things that are used up and/or outgrown over time. Of course, so are the things you build for your charakter, or have build by others, but nevertheless, if I for example gain a "sword of (enter legend name here)" from some quest, I´ll use it as long as I gain another from a new quest.

If I build my own sword, or had it build for me, I´ll use it as long as I can and as it lasts, because I know I´ll not have another one droped at my feet by some animal, or Boss in a few hours time.

And again, for my personal answer to the question, please revere to my above post.

CU
SaM

1. you make your own story (much better in my opinion

2. there is a story it's just not as in your face as other games (there is a war going on btw, there are nations with their own history and ambitions)

3. Quest grind vs sandbox grind:  quest grind forces you to do delivery/kill/collect quests whereas the sandbox grind allows you to freely move between all 3 (or even just focus on one).  To me that is much better.

Also as far as motivation goes there is a really awesome community waiting for you to skill up enough to help out with crafting/Kitin hunting and killing.

Latest patches include more missions ( aka quests :p )

I don't really need missions, but it is nice to have options.

Originally posted by CyberWiz

Latest patches include more missions ( aka quests :p )

I don't really need missions, but it is nice to have options.

 

Missions are great for building fame either with a civilization or faction, or for gaining information for the encyclopedia.

Civilization fame was handy for the last event where you could gain twice as many honor points if you were a citizen of a region.  Other than that you have a nice title :P

Faction fame:

When you get 30, you can declare for a faction.

When you get over 33, you can receive the higher lvl TP's (teleportation packs).

when you get over 60, will enable you to receive prime roots TP's with means you don't have to do the leisurely stroll down the portals to the digging / hunting site of your choice.

Encyclopedia

 This is a repository of knowledge that players uncover by doing civilization missions.

I suppose the fun, like most MMOs depends on the community.

Like a standard game, people persistently need better gear. So people go out and gather the required stuff to get the new gear. People make their own quests in a sense.

I personally like it because I could choose what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it. The community was great and helped me travel about (Trekking) and find some useful materials for crafting.

My favorite part was how the world actual felt alive. Herds migrated, resources moved based on seasons and time of day, etc.

I left because it went from being what do I want to do, to what do I have to do...but I leave all MMOs at that point

In my opinion hand holding in the early lvls of the game to make them themeparkish is great, people get to learn the world around them through mechanics there similar with in other games and they show the way around, different types of things to do and just introduced to the environment to people rather than just put you into a virtual universe with you having no idea whats going on. Quests, i hate being forced to do them until end game when real stuff kicks in. I like doing quests when i want to get immersed in the gameplay and usually when i have a longer playing time, this is the main reason im unable to enjoy wow, i love everything about it but i just get sick of doing quests sometimes. In my opinion sandbox games should have a huge variety of mobs for a player range, lets say for the first 10 lvls most mobs do the same damage and lvl ones could be hunting same mobs as a lvl 10 player. This gives a person alot of options to what he feels like and isnt tied to places that provide best exp and stuff, whereas in themeparks you kill a mob for a quest and pretty much never kill it again. Just my 2 cents

If you need a deep storyline to follow this game isnt for you.

Ryzoms lore changes through Live events the mission in game are for Dapper and Fame.