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Pre-WoW themeparks vs Post WoW themeparks (poll)
metalhead980
Member Posts: 2,658
EQ, AO, DAoC,FFXI, EQ2 vs Lotro, VG, AoC, WAR, Aion
I decided to start this thread because I strongly believe since Blizzard released WoW every other themepark developer suddenly became retarded and released shitty games compared to what we had pre-wow.
The games I listed above are the more popular games pre and post wow.
Would you pick post or pre? and why?
I picked Pre since the communities in the older games were stronger and the older games didn't promote solo play like the newer games do. I have mor ereasons but I would rather hear from you guys.
PLaying: EvE, Ryzom
Waiting For: Earthrise, Perpetuum
Comments
Don't wanna play any of them anymore so they all suck.
I'm pretty sure WoW invented the themepark. I know for damn sure DAoC wasn't a themepark, because I played it from 2002-2005. You were free to go where you wanted when you wanted. You weren't held by the hand and fed content the way themepark MMO's do.
Errr what? What keeps you from going in any zone of WoW? Oh and WoW promotes grouping very well, it's an endgame-based game for raiding and arena, not a leveling game made especially for the journey to 80. Yes, grouping may seem small-scale compared to older MMOs, but you won't achieve anything in WoW if you don't group at 80.
What is so interesting about MMORPGs, unlike most other computer games, is that there are so many different permutations. Some we've seen, some we've discussed in theory but haven't seen yet.
I think the post-WoW games are always going to appeal to the majority. The new kids just getting into online gaming are going to gravitate towards a WoW sort of game, casual, fast leveling to the cap, grouping is just an option on the way to the level cap and not required or encouraged.
I also think that the extremely hard core game like EQ doesn't stand a chance in the modern environment. Back in the day it was so exciting to be in an online world and there were so few options that you could find people that would pay a subscription fee to sit on a boat to cross an ocean for 45 real life minutes, or stare at a spell screen while waiting on mana for 10 real life minutes.
Those days are gone. Nobody is doing that with a bazillion MMORPGs to choose from, and many of them free (if you want to fart around, cash shop if you want to stick around and actually play the game and drop a thousand bucks).
However, I think there's a happy medium design that we have yet to see. A fine balance between bringing back the community of the older games without to much drudgery or tedium, and without making it a solo fest to the level cap.
A nice split the difference between the old EQ with it's huge downtimes and massive leveling curve and seriously forced grouping, and the easy peasy WoW with no downtimes, no leveling curve, and seriously forced solo rush to the level cap.
Yea, it would be tricky, but a good dev could do it.
Errr what? What keeps you from going in any zone of WoW? Oh and WoW promotes grouping very well, it's an endgame-based game for raiding and arena, not a leveling game made especially for the journey to 80. Yes, grouping may seem small-scale compared to older MMOs, but you won't achieve anything in WoW if you don't group at 80.
Please distinguish between "grouping" and "raiding".
Grouping is done while you are leveling, raiding is done at the end game. They are different game mechanics.
Errr what? What keeps you from going in any zone of WoW? Oh and WoW promotes grouping very well, it's an endgame-based game for raiding and arena, not a leveling game made especially for the journey to 80. Yes, grouping may seem small-scale compared to older MMOs, but you won't achieve anything in WoW if you don't group at 80.
Please distinguish between "grouping" and "raiding".
Grouping is done while you are leveling, raiding is done at the end game. They are different game mechanics.
Raiding is basically larger grouping. They might be slightly different,but different game mechanics? Nah, it's basically adding 10 more members to your party. You still group with some people, but the number is larger. And that's not even the point.
My point was that WoW follows a different path compared to games who get patches and updates for lower/middle level content. In WoW, leveling is short but it's the endgame content that's supposed to be hard, requiring people to complete. Leveling was always easy, even in vanilla.
And i wasn't talking about raids only, I was talking about arena, battlegrounds, daily group quests, etc.
Errr what? What keeps you from going in any zone of WoW? Oh and WoW promotes grouping very well, it's an endgame-based game for raiding and arena, not a leveling game made especially for the journey to 80. Yes, grouping may seem small-scale compared to older MMOs, but you won't achieve anything in WoW if you don't group at 80.
Please distinguish between "grouping" and "raiding".
Grouping is done while you are leveling, raiding is done at the end game. They are different game mechanics.
Raiding is basically larger grouping. They might be slightly different,but different game mechanics? Nah, it's basically adding 10 more members to your party. You still group with some people, but the number is larger. And that's not even the point.
My point was that WoW follows a different path compared to games who get patches and updates for lower/middle level content. In WoW, leveling is short but it's the endgame content that's supposed to be hard, requiring people to complete. Leveling was always easy, even in vanilla.
But the dungeons weren't easy, ASSUMING you were level appropriate and went in blind. Going into a lvl 30ish dungeon with a few lvl 60s and a an FAQ does NOT mean it was easy=) But thats what many did then complained about the lack of challenge.
Errr what? What keeps you from going in any zone of WoW? Oh and WoW promotes grouping very well, it's an endgame-based game for raiding and arena, not a leveling game made especially for the journey to 80. Yes, grouping may seem small-scale compared to older MMOs, but you won't achieve anything in WoW if you don't group at 80.
Please distinguish between "grouping" and "raiding".
Grouping is done while you are leveling, raiding is done at the end game. They are different game mechanics.
Raiding is basically larger grouping. They might be slightly different,but different game mechanics? Nah, it's basically adding 10 more members to your party. You still group with some people, but the number is larger. And that's not even the point.
My point was that WoW follows a different path compared to games who get patches and updates for lower/middle level content. In WoW, leveling is short but it's the endgame content that's supposed to be hard, requiring people to complete. Leveling was always easy, even in vanilla.
And i wasn't talking about raids only, I was talking about arena, battlegrounds, daily group quests, etc.
I disagree.
In most games there is little if any "raiding" before the level cap.
Raiding is generally a game mechanic used after the level cap.
Grouping, means more than one player.
Two players is a "group", but hardly a "raid".
They are VERY DIFFERENT game mechanics.
When you say a game has great grouping mechanics, you are talking about during the leveling part of the game.
When you say a game has great "raiding" mechanics, you are talking about end game, and entirely different design.
If you say, this game is great for grouping! I will think you mean it encourages people to get together in a group, which is two or more players.
I will not think you are talking about leveling all the wya to the cap, and then getting in groups larger than 10.