Originally posted by Hyanmen

Originally posted by Ilvaldyr

I find that talking generally works. Better than a group invite in the face, even.

Humour is good too.

 

Talking is generally ineffective way to find out how skilled the "friend" is in a group, unfortunately. Sooner or later I'll have lots of friends that make my grouping a painful experience, yay.

So, you aren't looking to socialize, but you are looking to complete a quest. The only way you can complete the quest is with others.  Not just ANY other player but with a specific combination of ones that meet specific criteria.

Sounds like a poorly designed quest.

Originally posted by cukimunga

"In the same game it would never work because people like me would bitch about getting the same rewards as a soloer."

"Unless people are forced to group up chances are they won't group up."

At this point, you guys aren't even listenign to yourselves. :)

Originally posted by Krn_Assassin

Originally posted by LynxJSA

Originally posted by Krn_Assassin

 Korean games in particular are very successful in America...

 

I think that's the first time I've ever seen someone say that. Can you name some of the games?

Do you read the post before you respond? Any company continuing to mass produce their f2p games in America have been successful. Really, a lot of them have made huge profits. American companies have tried but failed to adopt this practice however.

I did not say you were wrong or that they didn't exist. I simply stated that I had never seen someone say that before and asked what games you were referring to. In your fit and fury to type out a snarky reply, you seemed to overlook answering that question.

Originally posted by Ilvaldyr

Originally posted by Palebane

What happens when (hypothetically) there are 1,000 players on the server and 999 of them would rather solo? Where are the options to group for that one poor player? The thing the solo-advocates refuse to recognize is that the pool of players is only so big. Sure, the option to group is there, but if everyone's soloing, then that options pretty much taken away. One of the complaints that come up constantly is that solo players don't like to LFG for hours at a time. Is it any wonder that you have to LFG so long when everyone is out soloing away?

Interesting; there are 1000 players on the server and only 1 of them likes to group, (0.1%)

Your opinion is that the 0.1% of the playerbase should dictate the playstyle of the other 99.9%?

Thank you.

Originally posted by remyburke

My wife and I hit lvl 27 as a Temp/Cleric combo, and will not be resubbing. Killing mobs for no other reason than a tiny bit of xp and a chance for loot drops is so 1999...and that's a party I don't want to attend anymore.

I got a kick out of that comment, as my Wife said something similar a week ago. :) 

Originally posted by Hyanmen

Originally posted by Ilvaldyr

Originally posted by Ihmotepp

Originally posted by Ilvaldyr

To each his own, I guess.

Exactly!

In the end, if I say making the game solo friendly destroys my grouping experience, then it does.

Erm, no. That's a complete leap into logical freakyland.

30 mins LFG, 2 hours group grinding in a game with no solo content.
30 mins LFG, 2 hours group grinding in a game with solo content.

No difference in your game experience whatsoever.

The game hasn't been made solo friendly. The group content is still the same as it was.

Solo friendly options have simply been added to it.

 

It makes sense. The incentive to group had been taken away when solo friendly options were added. Why group when soloing is much more viable option? There's no reason to. There must be some kind of an advantage for grouping up as opposed to soloing. If there isn't any, the grouping aspect is ruined. If there is one, the soloing aspect is ruined (for those who primarily want to progress in the game alone). There is no middle road.

Basically, what you are saying is that the only reason to group with others is if there is an XP benefit for you. You are also saying that socializing is not a concern at all, as you clearly stated you see no reason to play with others if you can advance at an equal rate alone. As a result, you are in favor of a design that forces others to play with you.

Why?  If socializing and interaction isn't your goal, why do you want a game designed to force others to need you in their group?

Also, your logic that a benfit to grouping ruins solo play is false. People who advocate the option of solo play (I say option because they repeatedly state that they want the option there and not exclusive solo play), have continuously said that they do not have a problem with group incentives as long as there is some reasonable path to accomplish or gain the same goals/items solo.

This statement is a first for me, as I normally really enjoy PVP:

If there was a PvE server, I'd move to it. I'm currently level 28 and my enjoyment of the game has dropped significantly enough that I don't see myself still playing next month.

Originally posted by Krn_Assassin

 Korean games in particular are very successful in America...

I think that's the first time I've ever seen someone say that. Can you name some of the games?

Originally posted by svann

No meaningful number of people ever said what you claim. 

That has never stopped him before.  \o/

Originally posted by tro44_1

EXP is what defines the RPG video game genre.

Its whats sperates RPG games from Other games like Adventure games and Action games.

Note iam talking about the VIDEO GAME genre (NOT REAL LIFE ROLE PLAYING AND TABLE TOP[Even though TT also uses EXP])

If you dont want EXP play a FPS or something. RPG games are all about character development,

MMORPG are nothing more then RPG concept with massive Mutiplayer and online.

You can still have progression and achievement without experience points.

Originally posted by jiveturkey12

I was just thinking, all the names we see now adays for MMO Developers, always ring with hatred, and villainy.  

On forums, places where the majority of posts are hate-filled rants and negative criticism of everything, that would be correct.

That's nothing new. It's always been that way.

Originally posted by Amarok44

But it's not an MMO. It's an RTS with a few persistent RPG elements.

Did the devs ever call it an MMO?

Originally posted by miked9022

 congratulations on the position and best of luck. do us proud.

^---Ditto. :) 

I enjoy Aion and LOTRO. Would I like Mytheon? How is it the same or different from those?

Originally posted by VowOfSilence

Because sandbox games are not supposed to put unnececary or artifical restrictions on players.
You don't pick any classes or professions. What makes you a ranger is shooting a bow, wearing armor makes you a knight, and blacksmithing makes you a blacksmith. Nothing is set in stone.

I like that answer. :)

No skill points in Puzzle Pirates. Rank advancement is achieved through improving actual player skill at each task - grinding won't really get you anywhere.

Actually, Puzzle Pirates leads me to believe that mechanics in an MMO only seems 'hardcore' or 'harsh' when they are presented as such. If presented as standard gameplay, it becomes more acceptable. I say that because the features of Puzzle Pirates would make the average MMO gamer cry in a corner if they read through them:

- PVP includes looting

- territory control and the ability to overthrow another armada(guild)'s island

- item decay... including your clothing

- you can be reduced to nothing but a stick to defend yourself

- player skill determines advancement. Not grinding, not character stats, not time invested.

- in major battles, you can lose your ship

- gambling (and with it, the ability to gamble away everything you own :)  ) 

- in certain battles, defeat could leave your character mained - a physical change to the look of your character

If BadAss Online was announced today, one would read that list and react the same way they do to MO and DF - be that reaction positive or negative. However, the game appeals to the same exact crowd that would normally run screaming off the planet at the mere sight of that feature list.

I think an XP-less MMO could work as long as the devs just do it and don't make a big thing about it. Once a dev pitches something radical or out of the ordinary as a feature, as history has shown, they immediately create a massive divide based onboth the dev presnetation and the player perception.

Originally posted by Cecropia

Originally posted by SignusM

Originally posted by DiSpLiFF

WoW is also 5 years old, they implemented stuff like this so new players/rerolls can catch up to the general population. 

Tell tale sign of a bad game is one that pushes you THROUGH leveling up to get to the "real game" and just goes to show that people are so brainwashed into thinking they have to get to end game that they feel if exp doesn't go by instantly it needs to be sped up.
 

 

I never understood the logic of paying for a game and the monthly fees, only to rush rush rush through what you paid for to quickly get into end game. For me, this is a complete waste of money.

For some, the part of the game they enjoy most is the fortresses and PvP. In their case, the faster they get to that point, the better as that is what they are paying to play.

*hands dar a tissue*

Originally posted by theJexster

They will play til they get a set. Give a player a house and he will play for a year.

Speaking for myself. It would seem that in MMOs where I was able to get cool gear I got it and said ok what now, I felt like I had beat the game. In MMOs where I had other things, a house, and items to decorate it with I wound up playing much longer. Am I alone? I have never though about returning to a game due to a cool weapon, but when I see some cool painting I think, man I gotta have it. I have always loved the idea of having a trophy place for all of my accomplishments. Where others could view them. Even console games are beginning to add this in, so why are MMOs neglecting it now more than ever?

If that cool weapon was unique or customized then it would have the same effect as housing. It's all in how personal the ingame items are. UO and SWG did some great things with housing, and Vanguard looked like it was headed in the right direction with it as well. I don't know WTF went through Turbine's collective heads when they created the LOTRO housing.

Originally posted by Chealar

Too bad Ankama is French, but I know that they have more than once "elevated" very creative and/or active members of the community to full-time, payed employed of the Studio.

That's very common in the industry. Active and knowledgeable members of the community have joined the dev team in many MMOs.