From 2000 to today, I've been waiting for a game as good as early EQ1. And no, I'm not talking of the one-time nostalgia experience, but talking about a reasonably polished working game with "fear of death", "discovery of the unknown", and "reasons to group". A game with challenges. Not seeing that in recent releases. I see easier games, with very linear quest paths, and solo quest grinding replacing group experience grinding. Heck, with "group experience grinding" at least you had social interaction and shared in the dangers and excitement of the game. In newer games, I see no fear of dying and therefore no sense of accomplishment. But more than anything, I see games I used to bash being still much better (in almost all but graphics) than the newer games coming out. I wonder if the place to look for a better game to play lies in the past, rather than in the future. EQ1, EQ2, DAOC... they're still around for a reason. Other than picking out an old game from the bargain bin, were I to request a new particular design from a production team, I'd ask for possibly these elements:
WOW interface EQ1 harsh death penalty EQ1 experience grinding EQ1 (early) world layout (or something similar) Vanguard or EQ2 graphics DAOC quest system (for keeping track of, but I'd have very few, very difficult quests)
Bottom line: Games need to get folks off the solo quest grind and back onto group survival. MMORPG's are meant to be social, scary, and fun.
I don't mean to sound hostile, I mean this in a conversational tone.
Don't we have enough of that already? Sounds like you just miss playing EQ, why not give it another go? MMO's don't need any more of these generic fantasy level grinders. Its old already. Vanguard just burned that bridge hopefully.
Many of the older games have "reinvented" themselves, why not explore some of the older titles? Play Lineage 2, that meets about 4 out the 6 things you listed. Its group / social centric / hard grind / harsh death penalty. Pick anything from the left hand side, its all the same, EQ style grinders. DAoC is suppost to be vastly different from when I quit 3 or 4 years ago, take a look at that.
MMO are not getting worse, they are exactly the same after all these years just easier. Even with Vanguards release here in 2007 things are still the same, launching buggy, unfinished games that hardly work...same as back in 1999. People need to stop asking for remakes of the same old junk, the devs can NOT live up to the expectation. Time to move on to something new.
MMORPG Developers haven't learnt to have guts yet, quite a few I have noticed are nothing more than spineless and are afraid to try new things, that's why I find that offline games are much more fun to play, though I must admit, I sometimes get the feeling looking through posts and articles that the pre-cu fiasco with SWG heightened that resolve which I'm kind of sad about personally, I reckon in a year or so though, Developers might finally think out of the box and we'll get some new folks who really know what they're doing.
Quoting people doesn't make you clever, in fact, it makes you all the more stupid for not bothering to read the quotes you post in the first place.
Actually, it's a very good thing. The next team who truly breaks the mold will be hailed as a saviour and pioneer. Breaking the mold of course doesn't mean skinning high fantasy with Chinese mythology and et cetera, but by bringing out a different gaming experience. There's so much ideas on the Developers' Corner, for one...
This is a major problem... and a chance for someone to provide a major solution!
Comments
I don't mean to sound hostile, I mean this in a conversational tone.
Don't we have enough of that already? Sounds like you just miss playing EQ, why not give it another go? MMO's don't need any more of these generic fantasy level grinders. Its old already. Vanguard just burned that bridge hopefully.
Many of the older games have "reinvented" themselves, why not explore some of the older titles? Play Lineage 2, that meets about 4 out the 6 things you listed. Its group / social centric / hard grind / harsh death penalty. Pick anything from the left hand side, its all the same, EQ style grinders. DAoC is suppost to be vastly different from when I quit 3 or 4 years ago, take a look at that.
MMO are not getting worse, they are exactly the same after all these years just easier. Even with Vanguards release here in 2007 things are still the same, launching buggy, unfinished games that hardly work...same as back in 1999.
People need to stop asking for remakes of the same old junk, the devs can NOT live up to the expectation. Time to move on to something new.
Quoting people doesn't make you clever, in fact, it makes you all the more stupid for not bothering to read the quotes you post in the first place.
Futilez[Do You Have What It Takes ?]
This is a major problem... and a chance for someone to provide a major solution!