Equipment based character development. Rigid class roles. Roles: Tank, dps, heal, CC, utility. [edit] non-player driven content/story
When people say EQ clone (or wow clone) this is what I think of. Not the graphics. Not the interface. Just the game mechanics. It can be done in a text based game. It can be done in an isometric view game. It can be done in a first person 3d game. We see this game model pop up time and time again because it works, it is simple, and is percieved to make more sense than other systems to players. Sometimes developers try to be more flexible and sometimes more rigid but this is certainly a popular model.
And it becomes a WOW clone when it takes the above formula and makes the primary means for character advancement via questing, because to me WOW is the game that really brought that model to the masses and was successful.
Some games have tried to stray from this a bit but none have hit the big time sub numbers like WOW did, or even come close to topping 500K steady subs.
Dev's aren't incentived yet to try much that is new, but one day someone will give it a go.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
World of Warcraft, DAoC, Warhammer, Aion, AC, RoM, AoC. All the games lately have strong elements that were created in Everquest. Clone after clone after clone after clone has been released to the gaming community. Currently there are only 3 games on the market, and one in development, that try to break this EQ trend. Ultama Online(13 years old), EVE Online(6 years old) and Darkfall(just released) are the only live games right now that break the EQ trend, one came before EQ. Mortal Online is upcoming. There are dozens and dozens of EQ clones in the works compaired to development teams that are trying to break the EQ trend. When will this madness stop?
Isn't it obvious? When there is no market for it.
The success of AION seems to indicate that that day is not coming anytime soon.
It is definitely past due for something different. According to ffxivcore.com refer to comment and link below about FFXIV.
"Will the class/job system go into more depth and branch out into different combinations. Or is a wider variety of jobs not yet released and still currently in development?
It's not a job system anymore. We call it classes now. It depends on what weapon you use. And again, we're calling it a class system in FFXIV this time, so it's not a job system. This new system will allow for a lot flexibility, and also because you can switch weapons between the battles (not during battles) this is giving you much more variety. Although this is not something super new in the history of MMO's, we've seen it before in games like Ultima Online and Meridian 59 (editors note)."
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The next generation is calling everthing "WoW Clones" when the games are not WoW clones, they are EQ clones just like WoW is.
I see what your saying now. You believe that EQ started the themepark, everything is a EQ clone. I could somewhat agree with that.
And it becomes a WOW clone when it takes the above formula and makes the primary means for character advancement via questing, because to me WOW is the game that really brought that model to the masses and was successful.
Some games have tried to stray from this a bit but none have hit the big time sub numbers like WOW did, or even come close to topping 500K steady subs.
Dev's aren't incentived yet to try much that is new, but one day someone will give it a go.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I couldn't agree more. Earthrise is also going against the now typical mmo core design, but I'm not a post apocalyptic type fan.
Isn't it obvious? When there is no market for it.
The success of AION seems to indicate that that day is not coming anytime soon.
It is definitely past due for something different. According to ffxivcore.com refer to comment and link below about FFXIV.
"Will the class/job system go into more depth and branch out into different combinations. Or is a wider variety of jobs not yet released and still currently in development?
It's not a job system anymore. We call it classes now. It depends on what weapon you use. And again, we're calling it a class system in FFXIV this time, so it's not a job system. This new system will allow for a lot flexibility, and also because you can switch weapons between the battles (not during battles) this is giving you much more variety. Although this is not something super new in the history of MMO's, we've seen it before in games like Ultima Online and Meridian 59 (editors note)."
www.ffxivcore.com/index.php
A lot is still unknown about this game but this statement sounds promising. Whether the statement is accurate or not we will have to see.