POLL: Most Important Aspect of an MMO

GPrestige

Out of curiosity, I am making this poll. I'd like to know what people find to be the most important aspect in an MMO. I know that people may like many different parts of a game equally, but what is always the #1 thing that stands out in your mind that could either make/break an MMO. If you want, post and explain why.

 

Choose an answer however you like, whether it makes the game if done well or breaks the game if done poorly.

While I feel a majority are self explanatory, let me explain each option:

I DIDN'T INCLUDE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE DEVS CANT CONTROL THAT

 

1. Music/Sound/Voices - Does a good musical score make you think the game is amazing? Does a bad music score ruin it for you or do you just turn the music off? Do bad voices or NO voices ruin it for you?

2. Graphics - Pretty obvious. Do you need pretty graphics? If the graphics are crappy, do you dislike the game? If the graphics are amazing do you love the game? Pretty shallow, but to some very important.

3. Combat Mechanics - Responsiveness, fun, or any other aspect of combat.

4. PVE/Story - either one or both.

5. PVP - Do you only enjoy a game if the PVP is good? If there is no PVP, will it ruin it for you? 

6. Accessibility/Difficulty - Is the travel in the game really frustrating or time consuming? Is the game a complete grind? Must you group for everything? If so, do you LOVE that or HATE that? Are certain bosses too hard and no one can beat them?

7. Endgame - If there is an amazing endgame, does that make you love the game even more? If the endgame (in terms of PVE) is the only thing to do, do you hate it? Etc...

8. World - The size of the world, the look of it, the artstyle, the lore, etc. If the world is too big/small, does it ruin the experience or enhance the experience?

9. Customer Service - If there is amazing customer service, does that greatly enhance the game for you? If there is bad customer service, does it ruin the game for you?

10. Crafting/Economy - Do you like to take part in the server's economy? Do you play the Auction House? Do you craft, and only craft? Do you monopolize certain markets? Etc.

 

 

As I said, this is just out of curiosity, but I'd really like to see what people find the most important part of an MMO to them is. While many different selections work well together, there is normally one that will completely drive you away or cause you to stay.

Unknown

I couldn't just pick one aspect of a mmo that's important.  It's how the pieces are together that ultimately matters to me.  For example, combat is very important, and in that aspect wow does wonderfully.  However, I don't like raiding every night or otherwise always out fighting mobs, I need variety.  Therefore, crafting, economy, and other social aspects are just as vital to a good mmo.  That's where wow (and its clones) ultimately fails for me.

Caleveira

Is someone tring to do some R&D on this forums? Games are not a formula, it is usually only on hindsight that you realize what worked and what failed.

Cephus404

I had to pick accessibility, although lots of elements are important.  If the game isn't fun, why bother playing it at all?

GPrestige

Originally posted by zaxxon23


I couldn't just pick one aspect of a mmo that's important.  It's how the pieces are together that ultimately matters to me.  For example, combat is very important, and in that aspect wow does wonderfully.  However, I don't like raiding every night or otherwise always out fighting mobs, I need variety.  Therefore, crafting, economy, and other social aspects are just as vital to a good mmo.  That's where wow (and its clones) ultimately fails for me.

 

I understand this, however there normally is one aspect that stands out in your mind, as I said in the OP. It is this specific aspect that I want you to pick.

Unknown

Originally posted by gtwhalley

Originally posted by zaxxon23


I couldn't just pick one aspect of a mmo that's important.  It's how the pieces are together that ultimately matters to me.  For example, combat is very important, and in that aspect wow does wonderfully.  However, I don't like raiding every night or otherwise always out fighting mobs, I need variety.  Therefore, crafting, economy, and other social aspects are just as vital to a good mmo.  That's where wow (and its clones) ultimately fails for me.

 

I understand this, however there normally is one aspect that stands out in your mind, as I said in the OP. It is this specific aspect that I want you to pick.

 

Well, darn it then, there's just too many choices!!!   

Palebane

I'm not surprised Community is not on the list. It is probably the most important aspect of an MMORPG, but also recieves the least love from both the developers and the players.

Unknown

Originally posted by Palebane


I'm not surprised Community is not on the list. It is probably the most important aspect of an MMORPG, but also recieves the least love from both the developers and the players.

 

Good point.  However, explain what you mean by community.  Do you mean the variety of ways in which people can mingle?  Or do you base community on how many leet kiddies you have to put up with?  The most common complaint I see about community is the latter, yet it is something that can never be controlled.

Axehilt

Community could be jerks and the world could be a hollow soulless shell, but if it had amazing, deep, fun combat I'm going to play it.

(And you could replace combat with any type of gameplay; doesn't necessarily have to be fighting.)

Palebane

Originally posted by zaxxon23

Originally posted by Palebane


I'm not surprised Community is not on the list. It is probably the most important aspect of an MMORPG, but also recieves the least love from both the developers and the players.

 

Good point.  However, explain what you mean by community.  Do you mean the variety of ways in which people can mingle?  Or do you base community on how many leet kiddies you have to put up with?  The most common complaint I see about community is the latter, yet it is something that can never be controlled.

 

Game mechanics that bring players together, rather than dividing them. The developers need to get involved as well. Give players a reason to care about one another and make it so everyone benefits when goals are accomplished. There's so much competiton among players, even on the same faction. It should be the opposite, especially in a faction-based game, where your faction defines who you are in the game. Faction and Clan/Guild loyalties are frivolous in today's MMOs for the most part in my experience. I know there are exceptions for real life friends or long time guildmates, but most players don't really give a crap beyond that small clique. It doesn't have to be that way. Not saying you have to like everyone on your side, but you should at least be able to apprecaite their contributions and be happy when they succeed.

nariusseldon

You missed quest content, which is the most important part in this survey.

http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/001630.php

 

Illius

Since it's an MMO, I say the community.  If the other people are tards then I don't care what the game looks like or plays like, I won't pay for it or stick around.

Interesting

The most important aspect is the developer quality work hours. The more developers, the more quality hours they work, the best.

 

RIght now games are being made with so little time and effort spent.

If they want to deliver a good MMORPG they have to assembly a team that concomitantly achieve 10.000 hours of work on the game.

GPrestige

Originally posted by Illius


Since it's an MMO, I say the community.  If the other people are tards then I don't care what the game looks like or plays like, I won't pay for it or stick around.

 

The thing is, this isn't something the developers can control. I guess I should have mentioned that this poll is based on what a developer would be able to determine.

svann

In the long run the combat is the heart of all mmo's.  It needs to be complex enough that you dont feel like you can figure out the optimum pattern and just hit it over and over and over 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, ..................

 

BloodDuality

I put combat mechanics, because to me if the game doesn't control and play well then it ruins the whole experience. The combat and controls are what you use to act out your character, and through that help link you to the world. So even with the most amazing game world if I do not enjoy control and playing the game I won't do it. To me this is still why even WoW has as many players as it does, because it controls and feels right. Didn't stop me from canceling my sub for the second time though.

Quirhid

This hardly comes as a surprise but gamers do seem to value gameplay the most. These games revolve around killing and that killing needs to be exciting.

Chealar

I choose ecomomy and craft...

While I enjoy a fight from time to time, I'm more interested in creating.

garrett

FUN

sassoonss

i choose combat

I feel LOTRO is one of the best MMO out there but its combat system sucks big time

 

For me that was one of ther easons

 

someforumguy

Originally posted by gtwhalley



6. Accessibility/Difficulty - Is the travel in the game really frustrating or time consuming? Is the game a complete grind? Must you group for everything? If so, do you LOVE that or HATE that? Are certain bosses too hard and no one can beat them?
 

 

I didnt vote because I cant really chose just 1 aspect. Usually I like the MMO's that offer a lot of features, instead of just PVP/PVE combat.

I do find it interesting though, that you put timeconsuming things (travel, repetitive gameplay) under the same point as skillfull challenges. I cant stand the timeconsuming mindnumbing stuff, while i love learning curves in games. This shouldnt even be the same point.

Sabiancym

PvP easily.

 

It's unlimited end game content and fosters the community well.

maji

1. PvE / Story

2. World

3. Crafting

 

Of course everything is important to some degree. But for me, an MMORPG without good PvE doesn't make any sense. Neither does an MMORPG with a small world or lots of invisible borders where you feel like beeing put on tracks. And crafting finally is great fun to me. That's why I love FE.

PvP is for me personally unimportant. If I want PvP I play TF2, which is fast, balanced and noone whines about ganking or whatever. I mean, I'm sure there are many peopl who play PvP in MMORPGs because they get their ass whooped in FPS, where skills and teamplay decide who wins, and not only who spent more hours grinding for PvP equip.

Horrible music? You can turn that off and switch on winamp instead, though good music adds a lot. Same as voices and sound

Graphics? Sure, horrible graphics and noone plays the game. But great graphics ain't a guarantee for a successful MMORPG either. If my personal mindest standards are set I'm fine.

Accessability/Difficulty... high difficulty is good, which does not mean hours of grindings though. But either that your action ingame has consequences or that you need to provide some knowledge or skills/reactions to succeed.

Endgame is overrated in my opinion. For example, I played now FE for a week and I'm just lvl 15 or 45. What the hell do I care about endgame right now? Endgame becomes only important if I know the rest of the game through and through.

Customer service... is helpful of course but not really important.

 

Sabiancym

Originally posted by maji


 
PvP is for me personally unimportant. If I want PvP I play TF2, which is fast, balanced and noone whines about ganking or whatever. I mean, I'm sure there are many peopl who play PvP in MMORPGs because they get their ass whooped in FPS, where skills and teamplay decide who wins, and not only who spent more hours grinding for PvP equip.
 
 

 

 

This response is moronic and I see it constantly by those who hate pvp.

 

It's a completely different game and setting.  Why should pvpers go play an FPS game?  Why shouldn't crafters PvEers and roleplayers go play any single player RPG game?

I would expect a professional MMO pvper to not be the best in an FPS game, just like I would expect a professional FPS player to be bad at an MMO.  MMO pvp is not all about gear, if you believe that than you are either terrible at it, or have never done it.

 

God I get sick of hearing that idiotic and hypocritical statement.

heremypet

I chose music as a make not a break, because games with good soundtracks I have always wound up enjoying despite any other flaws.

Yohanu

 Crafting and the economy. For a mmo to be complete in my eyes it requires a living market (no silly AH to push prices down and render "luck" useless in terms of trading) where everyone trades directly from other players, preferrably the world should have localized and limited resources to make the economy varied from place to place.

So yeah, if a game does not have a deep and immersive crafting system and a completely player-driven economy it automatically fails for me.