I would prefer a game have no PVP. But if it does have PVP, unless it's optional, I won't even consider playing it myself. I've tried PVP in a few games and it just isn't interesting at all to me. It's like playing or watching football. It doesn't appeal to me at all, but it doesn't stop someone else from watching / playing it.
I think there have been too many games that mess up their PVE portion of the game trying to balance out the PVP portion of it. I say pick one aspect and focus on that. Stop trying to make everyone happy because then nobody wins.
Do you believe that PVP is something that is absolutely needed in an MMO? Do you play games without PVP?
I never played Lotro past the trial because of the no real pvp, for me PvP is the only reason i play games online, if there was no pvp I'll stick to PS3 single player games.
I wont play a game that doesnt have PVP. Perferbally it would have OPEN PVP zones. Of course I don't like things being taken away from freedom of movement in MMOS in general either. If i can't jump? pisses me off. If my avatar has to walk over obviously deep water because he cant swim? pisses me off (to a much lesser extent of the no jump idea)... Nothing worse than being chased by an ADD and getting stuck by a root at lv 50... god forbid you could JUMP over or STEP over said root lol. PVP I think is a needed add to the game and by having it there you could VERY easily add a whole new level to the game itself. IF you need to as a dev to avoid the public outcry from people that dont want PVP then make it instanced (BG DAOC or WoW style then have a OPEN area (RVR) that has free range pvp.
Personally I'd rather MMORPGs figure out what their focus is and pursue it with passion.
Part of WAR's flaws came about because their team was randomized trying to do this PVE stuff (which is totally lackluster) in a PVP-focused game. You need PVE to be your tutorial in that sort of game, but you should fast-track players to get to what makes you unique: RVR. This was Guild Wars' approach (and yet they still managed to have pretty solid PVE too; kudos to them.)
I want to see the reverse of that: a PVE-focused game with no PVP whatsoever (and, ahem, preferably not shackled with an extremely limiting IP license. /coughLOTRO.)
And the third type of game is the generalist which offers everything, and that's not bad in theory. But in practice WOW exists, which means you're directly competiting with the giant. Good luck to you if that's your goal, and eventually the quality bar will rise high enough to overcome WOW's stranglehold. Each new game comes out at a time later in WOW's lifespan (when more players are looking to jump ship) and so each game is siphoning off at least some WOW players. It's been that way a while really (it's just been hard to notice, since WOW's rate of new customers has historically surpassed its bleed; often by quite a lot.)
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
Depending on your definition of PvP, no I dont think it's required. That's like asking if sports can be non-contact. For my own part, the whole point of playing multiplayer games is to be able to interact with other players. And against them.
Tennis. Golf. Cricket.
@ OP
It's certainly an added benefit to a game as long as it's an opt in mechanic. People pay for what makes them happy and if you force them into something they won't pay. I say this assuming you mean needed as in trying to make a game to make the most money you can. If money isn't your worry (hah, yeah, find a developer today who isn't focused on that...I can count 1) and your vision is, then it depends on your vision.
I don't think pvp is NEEDED to make a good game. The prime example of this would be FFXI, you may have 1% of the population who do ballista etc.
Having said that, I have nothing personal against consentual pvp, the only acceptable form of pvp for pve games. I would add one caveat to that which is that a pve mmo must NEVER EVER be balanced for consentual pvp. If you decide to pvp you will get owned by your 'nemesis' class/classes no matter if you are a pvp god versus a 5 yr old.
This is the only way to avoid what I refer to as 'wowism' where almost all classes can do equally well at anything their class has the ability for. I know you're probably going 'oh man, not that class based crap again' but a truly pve focused game has to have narrowly defined 'class' abilities. MMO gamers have been conditioned that this is bad by games like WoW where your avatar can only be one class. Instead take another leaf from FFXI and allow class changes, problem solved. Anyway I think I got a little off topic and basically I answered the OP with my first sentence hehe.
Comments
I would prefer a game have no PVP. But if it does have PVP, unless it's optional, I won't even consider playing it myself. I've tried PVP in a few games and it just isn't interesting at all to me. It's like playing or watching football. It doesn't appeal to me at all, but it doesn't stop someone else from watching / playing it.
I think there have been too many games that mess up their PVE portion of the game trying to balance out the PVP portion of it. I say pick one aspect and focus on that. Stop trying to make everyone happy because then nobody wins.
I never played Lotro past the trial because of the no real pvp, for me PvP is the only reason i play games online, if there was no pvp I'll stick to PS3 single player games.
Put it like this
If a game has no PvP, then i am not going to play it.
Im not a hardcore PvP type person, but PvP in necessary in my opinion.
The only game ill purchase that isnt pvp, for the computer, is Assassins Creed II
I wont play a game that doesnt have PVP. Perferbally it would have OPEN PVP zones. Of course I don't like things being taken away from freedom of movement in MMOS in general either. If i can't jump? pisses me off. If my avatar has to walk over obviously deep water because he cant swim? pisses me off (to a much lesser extent of the no jump idea)... Nothing worse than being chased by an ADD and getting stuck by a root at lv 50... god forbid you could JUMP over or STEP over said root lol. PVP I think is a needed add to the game and by having it there you could VERY easily add a whole new level to the game itself. IF you need to as a dev to avoid the public outcry from people that dont want PVP then make it instanced (BG DAOC or WoW style then have a OPEN area (RVR) that has free range pvp.
Sharess Dragonstar - Midgard
Grievance is recruiting.
Personally I'd rather MMORPGs figure out what their focus is and pursue it with passion.
Part of WAR's flaws came about because their team was randomized trying to do this PVE stuff (which is totally lackluster) in a PVP-focused game. You need PVE to be your tutorial in that sort of game, but you should fast-track players to get to what makes you unique: RVR. This was Guild Wars' approach (and yet they still managed to have pretty solid PVE too; kudos to them.)
I want to see the reverse of that: a PVE-focused game with no PVP whatsoever (and, ahem, preferably not shackled with an extremely limiting IP license. /coughLOTRO.)
And the third type of game is the generalist which offers everything, and that's not bad in theory. But in practice WOW exists, which means you're directly competiting with the giant. Good luck to you if that's your goal, and eventually the quality bar will rise high enough to overcome WOW's stranglehold. Each new game comes out at a time later in WOW's lifespan (when more players are looking to jump ship) and so each game is siphoning off at least some WOW players. It's been that way a while really (it's just been hard to notice, since WOW's rate of new customers has historically surpassed its bleed; often by quite a lot.)
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
Tennis. Golf. Cricket.
@ OP
It's certainly an added benefit to a game as long as it's an opt in mechanic. People pay for what makes them happy and if you force them into something they won't pay. I say this assuming you mean needed as in trying to make a game to make the most money you can. If money isn't your worry (hah, yeah, find a developer today who isn't focused on that...I can count 1) and your vision is, then it depends on your vision.
Tennis golf and cricket are all PVP games.
-facepam-
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I do not think it is needed and as many have stated trying to do both usually makes a lackluster game.
I think seperate ruleset servers would be the way to go ala EQ and WOW at launch.
It seems when developers are trying to please to many people at once they please no one and the game bleeds subscribers.
I don't think pvp is NEEDED to make a good game. The prime example of this would be FFXI, you may have 1% of the population who do ballista etc.
Having said that, I have nothing personal against consentual pvp, the only acceptable form of pvp for pve games. I would add one caveat to that which is that a pve mmo must NEVER EVER be balanced for consentual pvp. If you decide to pvp you will get owned by your 'nemesis' class/classes no matter if you are a pvp god versus a 5 yr old.
This is the only way to avoid what I refer to as 'wowism' where almost all classes can do equally well at anything their class has the ability for. I know you're probably going 'oh man, not that class based crap again' but a truly pve focused game has to have narrowly defined 'class' abilities. MMO gamers have been conditioned that this is bad by games like WoW where your avatar can only be one class. Instead take another leaf from FFXI and allow class changes, problem solved. Anyway I think I got a little off topic and basically I answered the OP with my first sentence hehe.