2D or 3D MMORPG/MMO?

MiNaAu

Some people hate 2D MMORPGs because all they want from a game is a lot of good graphics, but good graphics doesn't mean a good game, I found that 2D games have actually been more fun to play than 3D, I don't know why. 3D games are not bad but the developers tend to spend more time on the graphics than actually making the game good and fun to play. What do you think? 2D or 3D?

Apocalyptica

Gameplay is fo me the most important, but have yet to find a fun 3D mmorpg for me. But this has, in my opinion not so much to do with the 2D / 3D aspect, it is just because I do not find the "newer" mmorpgs any fun at all tbh. To much instancing, and general lameness of gamplay that I do not like (like throwing dice for loot, c'mon, how lame is that, or pvp for honor points and stuff like that. Not for me at all)

Dulain

I don't think that I've played many 2d games. I have played Maplestory and the original NWN. I have also played The Realm. I really liked Ultima Online when I played it years ago, but I think that is considered 3d Isometric view.

Most of the games that I enjoy playing nowadays are definitely 3d. I like the immersion that you can achieve by seeing through your characters eyes in first person and walking around the area.

Caetris

 

 A very good question to ask that made me think for a few moments to compare pros and cons. I've done a lot of work with designing 2D games as well as recently 3D games and from a developer prospective, in the commercial world glamour and glits sells titles. It is an age old fact that people judge books by their covers and that same methodology applies to games, most people do judge games by their covers.

 2D Games - From the drawing boards to pixel editors, static art can lead to sumptious dynamic gameplay.

 2D Games gives a perspective that 3D games usually stray from, a top down view. This top down view can allow for some impressive pixel art as well as a uniform interface which is very intuitive. It is also apparent that 2D games have been developed for more than twenty years which gives developers more experience in developing gameplay for them. 2D games usually require a lot less skill and coordination which may leave some PvP players a bit depressed. However some 2D games excel in creating skillful combat for players. The best type of 2D Games are usually role-play games where a story can flourish. Who can forget Mario Bros.? A seemingly stupid plot turned into a marvelous adventure, who would imagine that a story about plumbers saving a princess and a king made of fungus from the bondage of tyranical evolved dinosaurs would be such a hit!

 3D Games - The cash crop of entertainment bringing more money in each year than the film industry.

 3D Games are a percise science of verticies, texturing, and animation. It is very expensive to develop 3D Games and with the pressures of brilliant life like graphics setting the par for this industry more mindless gameplay ideas are flooding the market leaving players unimpressed and wanting. Sucessful 3D games utilize great dynamic story content that keep a player on their toes not knowing what will happen next in their digitial existance. Online games are now more than ever being dominated by this type of art leaving smaller 2D games with unique play styles with small patronage; however die-hard 2D MMO players are not complaining. 3D games will advance much like 2D games have and eventually they will become less expensive to develop, making way for homebrew developers to enter a corner of the market with interesting new ideas and marvelous dynamic gameplay.

Synyster777

Gameplay is more important but I sure as hell love my graphics. It adds to the gameplay, the feel and the experiance of the game. This is why I am looking forward to Aion, it has both.

MiNaAu

Yeah, a game where the developers have concentrated on both graphics and gameplay would be great. I'm also waiting for Aion and right now my best game with decent graphics and gameplay is Flyff.