Until they start focusing on player created content, MMORPGs will always lag behind for me. Right now Darkfall is promising the closest PnP experience, but even thats very limited tbh. Oh well
99% of amateur created content is crap. I would much rather play professionally created content.
I would like to return to Pen and Paper RPGS. But I want to do it in an online enviornment. I think online is the future for these games. I want to be able to set up some sort of chat room and communicate via chat or VOIP, invite players, and have all the online tools needed to play, i.e. random number generators, customizable character sheets, customizable tables and charts, customizable maps, customizable DM tools, and I would also like to see rules customization so you can run 'homebrew' games. I want these tool to be easily accessable to everyone. Online play to me would just have so many benefits. No spending money on gas or trying to coordinate 5 people to meet all at the same location, you can just do it online from anywhere.
Never Winter nights 2 has this type of aspect... im thinking about picking it up myself.
So does Dungeons and Dragons Online
Never winter nights is a cool game. They have some sort of sponsorship deal with my school's video game design course, and the game is on all my school's computers.
I cant say what disappointed others in MMOs, but for me it was not the imagination, but the details, the rules, and mindframes to design games, and I just dont accept that the current design of MMOs is all that is possible, for that would be the consclusion of what you say, that the way MMOs are now is all there can ever be. I just think they are lightyears behind their possiblities, even granted that Pen and Paper games are based on endless imagination, they are still confined within rules. There are classes, skills and many things existing in MMORPGs just as well. Not even in a Pen and Paper game you have ALL possibilities. You have some. There is only a given set of locations and the ruleset limits your options. I dont expect MMOs to be totaly open and free, but lets be honest here: most of the time playing a MMO you will follow variations of "kill x amount of z", and I just deny to assume thats the best and only way an Online Game can ever be. But it would demand innovative thinking and daring, and such qualities are rare in the gaming industry. One example: in SWG one seperate sphere of gaming was Entertainers. It had zero to do with killing, and I know many people who just danced and made music. Just that. The idea was so creative and cool, but for a mysterious reason the concept was never copied. There would be so many other things a MMO could make people do besides kill statistics, they just dont do it.
Well you are getting a bit abstract on me, of course you need to work within some sort of foundation but with P&P, if you don't like something you change it. You can make your own classes, make you own anything if you need. The rules are essentually only providing the playfield so to speak.
I agree that MMO game design is working way under its potential. The first games where more complex and immersive then todays games.
Unfortunately the focus of design is likely to be the business model in the next couple of years as everyone is going to be trying to figure out how to maximize profits in a very poor economic time.
Kill task are not even worth talking about. They are idiot chores for people with no imagination and number crunchers.
As you point out, one major issue with MMO's is they are combat centric. Again that is mainly because the design is working way under its potential. (the issue with old SWG was, yes it had a lot of alternate activities but it was not fun or engaging back in the day, it was a horrendous grind, entertainers botted and thats not what RPGs are about....number crunching)
Pen and paper are far superior in one way. That is the characters can actually change the world around them permanently without having to cater for thousands of players trying to do the same mission. I used to love going to a mates house and having a drink, getting the junk food out and having a good session on whatever paper based game you play. The only thing I do miss in a paper based game is the down time you get in a good MMO. What I am trying to say is that in an MMO you can build a house or try and craft that amazing item, which means harvesting rare resources. This doesn't work in a paper based game.
I think MMO's will mature like anything else. I went from hating instances to loving big dungeon instances. You still get the feeling that you are alone with the group and have to rely on each other without the chance of a 24 person raid rushing and killing you all from behind!
Comments
99% of amateur created content is crap. I would much rather play professionally created content.
Never Winter nights 2 has this type of aspect... im thinking about picking it up myself.
So does Dungeons and Dragons Online
Never winter nights is a cool game. They have some sort of sponsorship deal with my school's video game design course, and the game is on all my school's computers.
Well you are getting a bit abstract on me, of course you need to work within some sort of foundation but with P&P, if you don't like something you change it. You can make your own classes, make you own anything if you need. The rules are essentually only providing the playfield so to speak.
I agree that MMO game design is working way under its potential. The first games where more complex and immersive then todays games.
Unfortunately the focus of design is likely to be the business model in the next couple of years as everyone is going to be trying to figure out how to maximize profits in a very poor economic time.
Kill task are not even worth talking about. They are idiot chores for people with no imagination and number crunchers.
As you point out, one major issue with MMO's is they are combat centric. Again that is mainly because the design is working way under its potential. (the issue with old SWG was, yes it had a lot of alternate activities but it was not fun or engaging back in the day, it was a horrendous grind, entertainers botted and thats not what RPGs are about....number crunching)
Heh, oddly enough i found my first edition Shadowrun rulebook with my character sheet shoved inside it like three days ago.
Must be a sign.
Pen and paper are far superior in one way. That is the characters can actually change the world around them permanently without having to cater for thousands of players trying to do the same mission. I used to love going to a mates house and having a drink, getting the junk food out and having a good session on whatever paper based game you play. The only thing I do miss in a paper based game is the down time you get in a good MMO. What I am trying to say is that in an MMO you can build a house or try and craft that amazing item, which means harvesting rare resources. This doesn't work in a paper based game.
I think MMO's will mature like anything else. I went from hating instances to loving big dungeon instances. You still get the feeling that you are alone with the group and have to rely on each other without the chance of a 24 person raid rushing and killing you all from behind!