Official Forums aren't necessary. Except for support issues. VNboards always worked just fine for DAOC. I'd rather the companies take the money they need for official forums and put the funds into the game itself.
Well I don't always agree that having more delays is always a good thing. Look at how many times AOC and WAR delayed and look at the quality at release. In some ways, having more delays is a red flag or even having an extremely long developement process as well is a bad sign.
Trying to do a little bit of everything just so you can say you do it, rather than focusing on what makes your game unique (and fun).
I've seen far too many titles tack on "PVP" or "Crafting" or any number of buzzword/bullet list features to their games, only for the sake of being able to list it as a game feature. They are often watered down, ill thought, and detract (if not outright break) the game.
Yes, it's important to have a lot of variety in your game, but each new feature you add costs development and support resources, and it ties back to developers overextending. Determining what is within your budget (both monetary and manpower-wise) is important, and it's important to impress upon the publisher/investors who may be clamoring for "We need it because WoW/XXX has it" that no, you don't need it - you need to focus on what you do best, and make sure you perform those core features best in class.
You stated you do not work in the field. It means your opinion only comes from playing a game and with no real experience or education on the matter, it comes across blindly.
Its like a citizen speaking about how "law enforcement" should be a approached with his greatest education on the matter watching reruns of 'Law and Order' and "C.S.I" It is not only sad, but highly misleading.
The "MMORPG" formula "works" for Korean, Japanese and Chinese gamers. They agree upon it and micro-improve upon things. As one gets older, one moves away from games and enters a similar environment in the real world, grinding away for promotions.
Any industry which desires to undergo change requires a fresh idea which means actually risking. The industry does not risk and there is no real "Competition." Though many companies exist who make MMORPGs, in the very end of the day two major forms exist. Eastern and Western mentality and for every Western Company with a Title in popularity, there are at least five to ten Eastern titles holding a larger combined base in population than the majority of westerners who play MMORPGs.
If you want a "Fresh" new MMO, then enough companies have to develop long-term projects. Of course no one wants to fail at an idea, but no one wants to try to think out of the box either, hence the market saturation.
...and yes, before you reply with the word "hypocrit", I have worked before in game development and I have the education and experience to back it up.
A game does not need a strong hook, this is a fallacy. Do something well and the punters roll in, it does not have to be new. I agree with the rest of the list.
“I also get that as a player I help perpetuate this problem by buying games that suffer from this conundrum.”
How many times does a videogames player have to have his hand burnt before he does not preorder? Until his face has melted from the flames it would seem.
I always wanted to see a website bring up a developer in an article to sincerily take that question: why new releases repeat the same mistakes who were loudly and universally voiced by the mmo community in previous games of the genre?
The way studios releases, its like the games are the only one that being created, trying to build a new genre themselves, which its not true.
Its totally frustating when you log into a new game just to see that stupid flaw that you saw in so many games before, just sitting there, which you know will never be addressed or will be addressed in a so late patch/expansion that the game will be dead in population.
Learn from the industry previous mistakes, and dont repeat them! Thats the key!
Triyng to balance PVE abilities for PVP stuff is a big mistake to me.
The idea you have to add PVP to every game to get maximum Customer base. (its ok as long as the game doesnt get balance just for pvp purposes and if there are non pvp servers,... or of course if its just a pvp gankfest game)
To just have a End Game that works only with Gear upgrades. ie no AA system is another big one.
To let ppls lvl too fast so they dont learn/build reputation/feel a worth for what they have built with theyre characters.
Stupid quest themeparks with 50million meaningless quests like go kill 50 of this get 1000 xps go get 3 of that get 2000xps and a copper hat. i rather have the just kill stuff and get xps/+named loot from some rare type. Im actually tired finding thoose idiotic quests guys to get more quests. + it most times isnt helpful for grouping since hard to find ppls that like to do the same quest you do.
Heavy or just too much instancing is bad.
Everything aviable for soloers is a bad thing as well. Hell its a Mmorpgame. Soloing should take longer then grouping so playing with others gives an advantage. Wich makes ppls usefull.
The biggest mistake is starting out with unsuficient budget to fund all your ideas... Which in general leads to a rushed underperforming release of the game.
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
Biggest mistakes...well there is a few and i think most of the games released as of late all have made huge mistakes.
From AOC to Aion to STO..they all on paper look and sound amazing but once you have shed out money for the game and subs they all seem to fall apart after the first 30days.
I know we hear it all the time that an MMO needs time to grow, which i do agree on but time after time i hear that "content" is coming to fix this yet it never appears.
AOC, aion, war, they all failed during the first 30 days and they will end up on f2p like potbs Champs online to name a few.
STO has some really nice parts like the space combat but groups of 5 max really does not make it feel like an mmo, no open pvp only instanced battle ground pvp..i remember in the beta a lot of these concerns were talked about yet nothing was ever done about it. even the end of beta event was a open pvp battle with all factions..yet they never built on this when the game went live.
It seems MMO's these days are reducing the group sizes, even in swtor i think the max group size is 5 or 6 and to me this is not my idea of a MMO game, if i want to make a bigger group with my guild i should be able to.
I have lost my faith in the MMO gene being able to provide me with a good solid game that allows me to group with my friends and experience a game with end game goals that can be built on.
Like all works of art and hard work, video game developers want nothing more than to please their fans (and to roll in the cash that comes from doing so).
False, It has been my experience that only ONE developer reflects this statement. For ALL others the statement should read; "video game developers want nothing more than to swindle their fans (and to roll in the cash that comes from doing so). "
1.) Thinking Your Game Can Make the Same Mistakes
Business is run by business-men, and by deffinition they don't know Jack about making money at business. When EVER a game fails, we have to realize that a business-man is at fault. They do beleive that they can make the same mistakes, to them that's what business is. They went to school and learned to do it that way. They enter the business world and are told, that's how business works.
3.) Not Having a Malleable UI
This should have read, Trying to port a console game to PC As Is. Consoles are cash cows for console manufactures, they charge Developers a fee to make games for their consoles. Plus the consoles make it hard to pirate games until the console gets hacked, and it will get hacked. The industry putting it faith in consoles is like not beleiving in global warming or believing in an un-ending oil supply.
Pardon any spelling errors
Konfess your cyns and some maybe forgiven Boy: Why can't I talk to Him? Mom: We don't talk to Priests. As if it could exist, without being payed for. F2P means you get what you paid for. Pay nothing, get nothing. Even telemarketers wouldn't think that. It costs money to play. Therefore P2W.
The industry will never listen. They're too busy selling now and fixing later to want to change.
parrotpholk-Because we all know the miracle patch fairy shows up the night before release and sprinkles magic dust on the server to make it allllll better.
The most grievous mistake is looking at already successful games and copying what they do.
Pretty much every MMO with a few very notable exceptions is a copy of WoW, which is a copy of EQ.
Sure extra bells and whistles are the same, but the core of the game is almost exactly the same. People seem to be too afraid to actually try something different, and it leads to gameplay which gets stale very, very quickly as it's all been seen before.
I'd say the biggest and most obvious mistake MMORPG developers make happens before they ever go into production. The decision to make "an MMORPG" is a mistake. That is, deciding you want to make an MMORPG and then designing a game within the bounds of what you inderstand an MMORPG to be.
The correct method is to first conceive an awesome game with interesting gameplay first, and then decide whether or not its feasable for it to be massively multiplayer. If you just want to make an MMORPG, but don't first have the gameplay realized, you are not in the zone and shouldn't be designing games.
Funny (but not surprising) that Wm. Murphy started this thread. I was just emailing a friend about the inevitable death of Warhammer: Age Of Reckoning (WAR). There have been some great posts here. (Ozmodan, Vargur, Dragonbrand, to name a few. I thought I'd paste most of the email here and let you tear me apart.
Game Concept: Developers are always pushed by their companies to "get the product out" so that the games, inevitably, launch before they are really ready. What's new? Even with Beta testing and player feedback, there are always a bunch of things left unfixed at release. Minor ones, true gamers can deal with. But major ones that very much impact either the game play or the ability to install, operate or get the game running without serious problems is unacceptable. This automatically puts a bad taste in players' mouths from the start. However, if these problems are corrected in a reasonable period of time then most players will forgive and forget fairly quickly. If they linger then that's a big problem.
Game Changes: There are always a bunch of major changes to the game following the release. Ones that are critically bad are those that change: a) the way the game is played (some of the basic goals and objectives of the game) or b) the way certain classes/professions are played. This goes hand-in-hand with my first point. I recall when DAoC made the first changes to the way the various classes functioned. Bryan quit overnight because all the training he had done and the reason he picked the class he played changed significantly. So, it is very important for the designers, especially those in charge of the concepts and direction of the game and those in charge of designing the classes have a firm and solid idea of what they want and have it implemented upon release. In Bryan's case, not even a few tweaks to the classes was acceptable. There are surely exceptions but when you start making major overhauls to all the classes that tells me you don't know what you're doing. That's a tough one when dealing with RVR like in WAR but still. Stick to your original plan. If a class/profession needs help then add something in the game to provide it rather than having to re roll your toon every release. Bottom line is, the developers should have a clear, sound vision of what they want to create and how the game is to be played before release. They should also have a good idea of how they want it to evolve. Making major game changes in subsequent releases often costs you in the long run. They shouldn't be swayed by player feedback after release into creating a new or even a different game. There will always be players who are looking for something else, other than what the game was intended to be; some may be an elixir for failure.
Releases: Releases should include debugs; of course. I have zero problem with that. Other than fixing problems, new releases should add "enhancements" not major game changes. Releases should be something gamers look forward to, not dread. If you expand the game rather than take away from what already is there you run less risk of losing players. If a feature (part of the game like a quest or a PVE area) eventually becomes obviously something NO ONE is playing then either delete it or change it. Adding new classes/professions is always fun and a "hook" for a game. Add a "REALLY" new area to explore with "REALLY" new critters and "REALLY" new gear/drops. I understand that with WAR it was a tricky thing trying to maintain a balance between two factions and a dozen class types for Realm vs. Realm purposes but so many of the drops were the same old, same old that it got, well, old... Speaking of critters, I HATE games that have the same exact critters in every area but just with a different name and a different color. (You have a boar in six different areas in all four tiers of a game. They are the same damn critter, with the same damn type of drops and, basically, the same damn attack mode. They just hit harder and have a different color. Having 24 different boars in a game doesn't mean you have 24 different monsters!) Another tangent on critters, why do areas always have three dozen of the same critter in them all the time? Can't they mix up the monster types just a bit now and then? Or, at least, send in a random "special" monster with special drops once in a while? That's one change to WAR I liked and it's an "enhancement", not a game change. They added a Gutter Runner to Tier 3 Empire zone. It's one that no one can take on solo. You need at least a group of 5 or more (depends) to take it down and it was in the RVR area so you took a chance chasing it. You don't get any good drops, however, you do get a bunch of influence, renown and XP for finally killing it, almost as much as for taking a keep! Great "enhancement" by Mythic. I think most players like a game to evolve. Without enhancements, MMORPGs often become tiresome so true enhancements are always welcome; changes to the basics of the game concept and goals or major changes to how your character now functions are not.
Grinding: I loathe grinding. By "definition", it's spending time doing a repetitive task endlessly just to level your toon. To me, grinding is about the most boring part of MMORPGs. I would, easily, prefer spending a week in Realm vs. Realm play to gain a new rank than spending a few hours in PVE clicking a mouse over and over again. Also, if you simply must have some grinding in a game then make it, at least, occasionally worth it by making better drops. When you KNOW that you'll spend hours in an area grinding and getting the same crap over and over again it's hardly what I'd call "fun". Also, refer to my critter reference above.
Character Development: Which brings me here. To me, one of the most important elements of an RPG is character development. There's satisfaction in knowing your character is progressing whether it is in skills, crafts, spells, or whatever the guage. You like to see "progress". Leveling in WAR is totalling boring to me. You gain a new rank and you go get another skill or spell that, 3 out of 4 times, is nothing worth bothering with. So, you gain yet another spell that does elemental damage or a new thrust that does X amount of damage but only in a certain stance of if your behind your enemy (or it's a rainy Tuesday the third day of the month). In fact, I rarely ever "ran" to the trainer in WAR because it was another skill I, normally, wouldn't be using rather than the basic few I started with. (There are exceptions, of course, like resurrection or group heals but most are yawners.) I never understood why so many players stop in the middle of a keep take to fly to the trainer for a fairly meaningless skill.
Crafting: Crafting can be a very boring part of a MMORPG and it normally is in most games, right behind grinding, but it doesn't have to be. One thing I loved about Gem Stone, the old text based game, was that you gained XP from crafting, an alternative to grinding. As a Rogue, I could spend an afternoon picking boxes, making tons of coin, gaining lots of XP, increasing my crafting level and making friends carrying on quality conversations. I can't think of any other game I've played where I actually loved crafting as much as Gem Stone. Crafters gained a "rep" and folks got to know your name if you were good at your craft. If crafting is an integral (not essential) part of the game then it can be a lot of fun and it SHOULD BE! Why else would you include it?
PVP and RVR: Overall, I love the RVR in WAR. I'm not a big PVP gamer and I really dislike PKers in some games, especially ones with full looting (I really do not like full looting and won't play a game that has it - too much of a hastle rather than fun). With RVR, having others around that "have your back" is far more fun to me than solo PVP. I enjoy helping others on "my side". I don't mind getting ganked when a group outnumbering us or better than us takes us down now and then. Karma's a bitch so we'll have our turn too. Until a new MMORPG comes along that has good RVR (after WAR RIP) I'm not sure how interested I'll be. If you find one, let me know!
Role Playing: I enjoy role playing and it was fun in Gem Stone. Since Gem Stone, I've not found any other game where players really participate in Role Playing. Some folks in GS took it quite seriously and scolded you if you spoke OOC (Out of Character). That's a bit extreme but I do get a kick out of players witty enough to pull off role playing well and I really appreciate those folks. I've also run across the other extreme - players who respond "Dude, this ain't an RP server!" if you use the term "Aye."
Emotes: I love emotes. The one thing I really like about WAR is that you have an emote feature that is "free style". Anything you enter after e is displayed on screen as an emote. Very, very simple yet a very, very flexible emote syntax. Having a list of pre-defined emotes is handy. Some pre-defined ones stand the test of time but most, once everyone sees "you fart at Kargan and blame it on him" ad nauseum, become a bit tired. Creativity is the key and the free style emote affords that.
Quests: The only thing I have to say about quests it that once you've learned how to do one the fun is over. Designers should make a subtle change to quests each time they are completed/reset even if it's just one of three options. Even moving the spot a little where you find something would be better. Maybe make a random change to the reward for a quest, maybe because there's an extra step thrown in or the critter to kill is a bit more difficult this time around. Otherwise, it's just another form of grinding.
Scenarios: This is a feature I hadn't experienced before WAR. I really enjoy the scenarios. They are a great alternative to the RVR area and grinding. They offer a fairly balanced form of faction based PVP. Scenarios and the RVR are the best parts of WAR, hands down, and the main reason I've stayed with the game so long.
Storyline: I'm not a big storyline person but I understand there are those who really enjoy it and feel it adds substance to the game. I would say a good storyline is a plus but not something I need in a game. My better judgement tells me I'm probably missing out here.
Music/Sound Effects: Great music isn't a must for me but it does add greatly to the experience for me personally. Crappy music, on the other hand, is really annoying. If you're going to bother to have it make it at least acceptable or else be sure to have a "Sound Off" option for the music only. Sound effects, like graphics, do not make or break a game but they sure do help and add to the experience. A crappy sound system on your PC make them both moot points but those who appreciate these features probably have better systems than those who don't.
Graphics: I started on-line gaming with Gem Stone, a text-based game, and loved it inspite of kicking and screaming at my friends who suggested it, that I would NEVER because it had no graphics. The gameplay and socializing were so contagious I couldn't stop playing. I suppose when you're 10 years old it's easy to do but I was absorbed into Gem Stone to the point that it became more my life than my own was. That said, I don't know how well a MMORPG would do without some degree of quality graphics these days. It's just expected now. Hopefully, with new advances like the Hero Engine and more games on a more even playing field, graphics won't be the "be all, end all", it has been to some in the past. And, better yet, it won't be such a marketing tool just to get you to buy the "package".
UI and game movement: This, to me, can be very important. I really like the UI and movement within WAR. They are easy to understand and easy to use. The only thing I don't like, and this is far more a design issue, is that there are numerous little objects, like a little stick or rock, one gets hung up on or things you fall into and get trapped. This is VERY irritating. If you're "stuck" you have to exit and relog. The subtle "hangups" are just annoying and can get you killed. I really have no idea why they purposely added these into the game. The UI should be as easy and helpful as possible. Games where the UI is difficult to use or understand or are just a pain in the arse to deal with, don't stay long on my PC.
Character Customization & Garb: The one thing I saw I didn't care too much for in the screen shots of Hero's Journey was the costuming. Trust me, I know games should be all about game play and fun and not graphics and eye candy but I've become very particular about toon customizing and costuming (probably a girl thing). Even though the toon customizing in WAR pretty much sux (I don't want an ugly sorc with scars and an eye patch. Hey, I know it's fantasy, but in this case I want it to be more like me IRL. HA!), I love most of the costumes. As you know, I like the sexy look of most of the female toons in WAR. What I've seen so far of the costumes in Hero's Journey are pretty conservative unless I've missed a bunch. There are a few that are very sexy but others are like a DoK's clothing in WAR - all covered up. I took a look at a few of the things Simutronics will be offering in Hero's Journey for character customization. It's really incredible. Every part of your toon's face can be adjusted any way you like. Example: the mouth has several options - overbite, under bite, normal, pooffy lips, thin lips, up-turned, down-turned. And, there is a bar you slide to make each of these options as subtle or exaggerated as you like. (No, Ben, you can't adjust my chest size. Make your own toon!) I mean, this is what I always expected when I first heard that DAoC was coming out with a "fully" customizable character tool. So, you can pretty much make your toon's face look any way you want it to. Amazing (we'll see). Now, if I could scan a photo of myself and upload it... HA! Furthermore, I don't want "cartoon" characters. I won't play anima characters either. Even though I'm a die-hard medieval-mythology-fantasy fan I want characters that look realistic and move realistically. WAR did a very good job of this.
Gear: One thing I hate about WAR is the lack of gear options. Since I began my game playing with Gem Stone, I was use to having tons of all sorts of weapons and gear. The very limited gear options in WAR (I know, due to balancing the RVR playing field, I understand) was a huge let down. I love finding a new (especially unique) piece of gear (even if it's just a shiny new cerulean earring with +3 sexiness.) I would have gladly have had them sacrifice a bit of RVR balance for a greater diversity of gear. So, you die unfairly a few times. Most RVR is mob driven anyways and player numbers, player levels and their play skill are what usually dictate survivability (or not).
Support: I can't recall a worse support system and one I needed it more than WAR. The in-game CSRs (GMs) were flooded at release (so many bugs and lack of documentation) and often, after releases, it took days or weeks to hear back from one. The CSRs, normally, tried to be friendly, helpful and genuinely wanted to resolve your problem. But, for whatever reasons, there always seemed to be some insurmountable problem why they couldn't retrieve your lost shield or replace XP that you failed to get, etc. The case had to be "escalated" to someone higher who may or may not ever get back to you. The CSR's, for what they WERE able to handle were not a problem and very good. The biggest problem I had was getting someone on the phone. (Tackling Diablo in Hell mode at level 1 would have been an easier feat!) It took me almost 3 months before I was able to actually talk to a human being on the phone. I don't want to spend an hour pushing 1 for this or 3 for that to a phone recording and then, ultimately, hearing at the end "sorry, we can't resolve your problem". I even took a survey several times leaving my phone number hoping some one would see my scathing responses and reply but that, too, failed.
In the end, I suppose it's like most things where creativity butts heads with Corporate America: 1) When the bottom line dictates your course of action your product often suffers. 2) When business "men" call all the shots and don't leave the people hired to do the jobs they were hired to do it's often a recipe for disaster. Just ask owner/GM Jerry Jones how the Cowboys have been faring since he's been meddling with the team over the past 22 years. How many head coaches has he had? (7) How many were there before him? (1). And it's never a good sign when prime members of the development and design teams start either leaving or being "let go". I guess the WAR sandbox wasn't big enough for Mythic and EA.
Your game isn't gonna be the one that puts World of Warcraft out of business. Your game isn't going to have a million+ subs. Plan accordingly. I don't want to hear about how much like WoW your game is going to be, unless you're talking about accessibility, or that I could run it on my kid's V-Tech. I've played WoW off, and on, since beta. I'm burnt the hell out on the game. I want something new, or your game better have one hell of a hook.
Stop hyping your damn game 5 years before you even have something to show anyone.
Funcom, I'm looking at you. The ARG marketing stuff for The Secret World got a lot of people interested, myself included. Then nothing. Unless your marketing team is comprised of drooling meat sticks in cheap suits, you don't need more than a years lead time to reach critical mass on the hype for your game. Get the game ready for beta, first, and foremost. Start the marketing stuff about 3 months before E3, or whatever, drop the trailer, and the beta announcement. Six to nine months of beta, and release. But no, it's five years of random screen shots, developer blogs, and chats with sweaty man-children asking about whether or not they will be able to roleplay as transgender furry. 3 weeks of closed beta, 1 week open, and release another turd that sells a million boxes, and 30 days later has 75k subs, and ends up at EA, the elephant graveyard of MMOs. Trion, for example, seems to understand this. I don't recall hearing much of anything about Rifts until just a month or two before the beta events started. The game was done, basically, when they started the beta events. They've used the beta for what it should be used for. To see what breaks when they unleash the masses on the game, and fix it. Now, the game may still tank, but it won't be because they released a bug laden pile unfinished drek.
I really think not fixing bugs is a big mistake. I really loved the look of Warhammer online but even turning settings down did not improve how choppy it got sometimes. FAIL.
I am pretty amazed that you did not bring up the single most important aspect of any game development, but particulary for MMOs, and that is: To listen to your community/customers.
Yeah, this should be #1. Launching too early and making clones instead of something fresh are far 2d and 3d
You hit the nail on the head without actually saying it...
Bill Murphy: "If you know that the aforementioned problems are potential problems, or parts of your Risk Management plan from the start, then why do we see the same mistakes happening year after year? We want these games to succeed as much as you, so please stop making us suffer the same headaches."
Poor execution of project management or more specifically poor risk management. Risk managment is the most difficult to complete and to justify to investors because it takes time and costs money often for intagible or unrecognized rewards. i.e. if you avoid a risk how do you know it would have happened in the first place?
Risks should be regularly reviewed and if the project managers running the development of the game were using assets like other failed games as historical data and lessons-learned, we wouldn't see these issues nearly as often.
If they are using them, then why are we still seeing the same risks come to fruition over and over?
Because: Risk identification is subjective. People tend to think that just because they are skilled at something they know best. It's better to solicit multiple opinions from multiple experts and stakeholders, cycle through risk identification and response planning multiple times before finalizing the risk management plan. Finally, auditing the mitigation plan and continually assessing the probability and impact of the risks verifying if you need to shift your priorites or go with contingency or fallback planning.
This all speaks to a fundamental problem though: How many development companies do you know truly solicit their stakeholders,aka their customers for their requirements before the game development or scope of the features list even begins?
The first time most of us get to see the game is when it's near completion (beta testing) when the costs to changing design are MUCH higher than early in the planning / execution. So by the time we the customers get to make suggestions on what we the customers would buy, it's to late and to costly to change significantly.
A successful game addresses it's intended market very well and does exhaustive research within that specific segment before the development work even begins. The problem is this is no easy task as we all know gamers are not the easiest to please, nor do we have any sort of consensus on what makes an amazing game for all of us.
All we can ask for : Learn from the failures of others or be destined to fail on your own.
I am pretty amazed that you did not bring up the single most important aspect of any game development, but particulary for MMOs, and that is: To listen to your community/customers.
It is partly touched on for point 4 but having an official forum and actually listening to your community is not the same thing.
Again Im shocked it is not part of the list, it should be the number 1 prio. I work in SW development and know this is very, VERY important.
1) Stop thinking that making MMO in the "just a game" format is the only way to make MMOs.
Go back to the original philosophy of making deep worlds where the object was to get the kind of player who wants to live in that world and not the player that wants to go in, play the content, "win" and then move on to the next MMO.
Disposable MMOs are causing a continuously rising sentiment of apathy about this genre. There is a reason that all of the first generation MMOs are still alive and kicking: Those designers created worlds to live in, not games to be completed in a few months. Emphasis was to keep players "for the duration".
Flaws and all, those first generation games possessed a scope (that extended beyond combat, combat, loot, combat) that vested players. Capture that, with a new coat of paint, and this genre will continue to grow and offer variety. Stay the current course that caters to the short attention spanned and quality and interest will continue to spiral.
I am pretty amazed that you did not bring up the single most important aspect of any game development, but particulary for MMOs, and that is: To listen to your community/customers.
It is partly touched on for point 4 but having an official forum and actually listening to your community is not the same thing.
Again Im shocked it is not part of the list, it should be the number 1 prio. I work in SW development and know this is very, VERY important.
I agree that developers should listend to there community.
But these days alot have chance, so many themepark players these days wanne try out other mmo's and come with tsunami of waves on forums from comeplete different games there normally use playing, you dont have to be a rocket scientist this eventually won't work for this style of game and they demand featers and chances that is similar to what there use to in there former game, that also dont work or at least for those games that are completely different from mainstream they normally play.
Worse scenario is that game reviewers from themepark websites or magazines review your game and give it a low rating becouse its not what they want and hate game while its something they would never play in first place.
In this list should also be DONT REVIEW A GAME IF ITS NOT YOUR STYLE AND YOU CANT BE OBJECTIVE ABOUT IT AND DONT HAVE A OPEN MIND, you destroy this game and it will almost not recover:(
I play a game that have so many people comming from totally different games to forum over years and keep asking to chance game to there needs and likes while game and there hardcore fans live in horror seeing there game chanced or constantly questions and whines how this game is not what there use to.
This game struggels becouse whole mmo scene have chanced so much over last 6 years that small independed game developers have hardtime to survive.
Sandbox indie developers suffer the most becouse of this.
Games played:AC1-Darktide'99-2000-AC2-Darktide/dawnsong2003-2005,Lineage2-2005-2006 and now Darkfall-2009..... In between WoW few months AoC few months and some f2p also all very short few weeks.
In this list should also be DONT REVIEW A GAME IF ITS NOT YOUR STYLE AND YOU CANT BE OBJECTIVE ABOUT IT AND DONT HAVE A OPEN MIND, you destroy this game and it will almost not recover:(
Sounds great in theory but it isn't easy practically.
First of all no gamer are really objective.
As for style, the risk of that is that no games would get a bed score ever even if it suck since all reviewers would just think it isn't their style.
It is clear that a reviewer that only like Wow isn't the right person to review Eve but the editor should not have selected him for it in the first place.
The sad fact is that few magazines or websites have more than one guy (or gal) who reviews MMOs and therefor some get a lot lower scores than they deserve. But we have to understand that most magazines and sites have limited resources.
So read you reviews at MMO sites, they have enough resources so they can focus on sub genres as well. For a magazine like PC gamers it just isn't possible.
Comments
Official Forums aren't necessary. Except for support issues. VNboards always worked just fine for DAOC. I'd rather the companies take the money they need for official forums and put the funds into the game itself.
Well I don't always agree that having more delays is always a good thing. Look at how many times AOC and WAR delayed and look at the quality at release. In some ways, having more delays is a red flag or even having an extremely long developement process as well is a bad sign.
If you want a successful MMO, just do the opposite of everything SOE does.
Heh, FF XIV did 4 of those 5. XIV had a few hooks, but they failed miserably on the rest of the points.
One of the big ones for me:
Trying to do a little bit of everything just so you can say you do it, rather than focusing on what makes your game unique (and fun).
I've seen far too many titles tack on "PVP" or "Crafting" or any number of buzzword/bullet list features to their games, only for the sake of being able to list it as a game feature. They are often watered down, ill thought, and detract (if not outright break) the game.
Yes, it's important to have a lot of variety in your game, but each new feature you add costs development and support resources, and it ties back to developers overextending. Determining what is within your budget (both monetary and manpower-wise) is important, and it's important to impress upon the publisher/investors who may be clamoring for "We need it because WoW/XXX has it" that no, you don't need it - you need to focus on what you do best, and make sure you perform those core features best in class.
You stated you do not work in the field. It means your opinion only comes from playing a game and with no real experience or education on the matter, it comes across blindly.
Its like a citizen speaking about how "law enforcement" should be a approached with his greatest education on the matter watching reruns of 'Law and Order' and "C.S.I" It is not only sad, but highly misleading.
The "MMORPG" formula "works" for Korean, Japanese and Chinese gamers. They agree upon it and micro-improve upon things. As one gets older, one moves away from games and enters a similar environment in the real world, grinding away for promotions.
Any industry which desires to undergo change requires a fresh idea which means actually risking. The industry does not risk and there is no real "Competition." Though many companies exist who make MMORPGs, in the very end of the day two major forms exist. Eastern and Western mentality and for every Western Company with a Title in popularity, there are at least five to ten Eastern titles holding a larger combined base in population than the majority of westerners who play MMORPGs.
If you want a "Fresh" new MMO, then enough companies have to develop long-term projects. Of course no one wants to fail at an idea, but no one wants to try to think out of the box either, hence the market saturation.
...and yes, before you reply with the word "hypocrit", I have worked before in game development and I have the education and experience to back it up.
A game does not need a strong hook, this is a fallacy. Do something well and the punters roll in, it does not have to be new. I agree with the rest of the list.
“I also get that as a player I help perpetuate this problem by buying games that suffer from this conundrum.”
How many times does a videogames player have to have his hand burnt before he does not preorder? Until his face has melted from the flames it would seem.
I always wanted to see a website bring up a developer in an article to sincerily take that question: why new releases repeat the same mistakes who were loudly and universally voiced by the mmo community in previous games of the genre?
The way studios releases, its like the games are the only one that being created, trying to build a new genre themselves, which its not true.
Its totally frustating when you log into a new game just to see that stupid flaw that you saw in so many games before, just sitting there, which you know will never be addressed or will be addressed in a so late patch/expansion that the game will be dead in population.
Learn from the industry previous mistakes, and dont repeat them! Thats the key!
Triyng to balance PVE abilities for PVP stuff is a big mistake to me.
The idea you have to add PVP to every game to get maximum Customer base. (its ok as long as the game doesnt get balance just for pvp purposes and if there are non pvp servers,... or of course if its just a pvp gankfest game)
To just have a End Game that works only with Gear upgrades. ie no AA system is another big one.
To let ppls lvl too fast so they dont learn/build reputation/feel a worth for what they have built with theyre characters.
Stupid quest themeparks with 50million meaningless quests like go kill 50 of this get 1000 xps go get 3 of that get 2000xps and a copper hat. i rather have the just kill stuff and get xps/+named loot from some rare type. Im actually tired finding thoose idiotic quests guys to get more quests. + it most times isnt helpful for grouping since hard to find ppls that like to do the same quest you do.
Heavy or just too much instancing is bad.
Everything aviable for soloers is a bad thing as well. Hell its a Mmorpgame. Soloing should take longer then grouping so playing with others gives an advantage. Wich makes ppls usefull.
Shouldn't #1 be "can't" rather than "can" -- or am I totally misreading it?
The biggest mistake is starting out with unsuficient budget to fund all your ideas... Which in general leads to a rushed underperforming release of the game.
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
Biggest mistakes...well there is a few and i think most of the games released as of late all have made huge mistakes.
From AOC to Aion to STO..they all on paper look and sound amazing but once you have shed out money for the game and subs they all seem to fall apart after the first 30days.
I know we hear it all the time that an MMO needs time to grow, which i do agree on but time after time i hear that "content" is coming to fix this yet it never appears.
AOC, aion, war, they all failed during the first 30 days and they will end up on f2p like potbs Champs online to name a few.
STO has some really nice parts like the space combat but groups of 5 max really does not make it feel like an mmo, no open pvp only instanced battle ground pvp..i remember in the beta a lot of these concerns were talked about yet nothing was ever done about it. even the end of beta event was a open pvp battle with all factions..yet they never built on this when the game went live.
It seems MMO's these days are reducing the group sizes, even in swtor i think the max group size is 5 or 6 and to me this is not my idea of a MMO game, if i want to make a bigger group with my guild i should be able to.
I have lost my faith in the MMO gene being able to provide me with a good solid game that allows me to group with my friends and experience a game with end game goals that can be built on.
False, It has been my experience that only ONE developer reflects this statement. For ALL others the statement should read; "video game developers want nothing more than to swindle their fans (and to roll in the cash that comes from doing so). "
1.) Thinking Your Game Can Make the Same Mistakes
Business is run by business-men, and by deffinition they don't know Jack about making money at business. When EVER a game fails, we have to realize that a business-man is at fault. They do beleive that they can make the same mistakes, to them that's what business is. They went to school and learned to do it that way. They enter the business world and are told, that's how business works.
3.) Not Having a Malleable UI
This should have read, Trying to port a console game to PC As Is. Consoles are cash cows for console manufactures, they charge Developers a fee to make games for their consoles. Plus the consoles make it hard to pirate games until the console gets hacked, and it will get hacked. The industry putting it faith in consoles is like not beleiving in global warming or believing in an un-ending oil supply.
Boy: Why can't I talk to Him?
Mom: We don't talk to Priests.
As if it could exist, without being payed for.
F2P means you get what you paid for. Pay nothing, get nothing.
Even telemarketers wouldn't think that.
It costs money to play. Therefore P2W.
The industry will never listen. They're too busy selling now and fixing later to want to change.
parrotpholk-Because we all know the miracle patch fairy shows up the night before release and sprinkles magic dust on the server to make it allllll better.
The most grievous mistake is looking at already successful games and copying what they do.
Pretty much every MMO with a few very notable exceptions is a copy of WoW, which is a copy of EQ.
Sure extra bells and whistles are the same, but the core of the game is almost exactly the same. People seem to be too afraid to actually try something different, and it leads to gameplay which gets stale very, very quickly as it's all been seen before.
I'd say the biggest and most obvious mistake MMORPG developers make happens before they ever go into production. The decision to make "an MMORPG" is a mistake. That is, deciding you want to make an MMORPG and then designing a game within the bounds of what you inderstand an MMORPG to be.
The correct method is to first conceive an awesome game with interesting gameplay first, and then decide whether or not its feasable for it to be massively multiplayer. If you just want to make an MMORPG, but don't first have the gameplay realized, you are not in the zone and shouldn't be designing games.
Funny (but not surprising) that Wm. Murphy started this thread. I was just emailing a friend about the inevitable death of Warhammer: Age Of Reckoning (WAR). There have been some great posts here. (Ozmodan, Vargur, Dragonbrand, to name a few. I thought I'd paste most of the email here and let you tear me apart.
Game Concept: Developers are always pushed by their companies to "get the product out" so that the games, inevitably, launch before they are really ready. What's new? Even with Beta testing and player feedback, there are always a bunch of things left unfixed at release. Minor ones, true gamers can deal with. But major ones that very much impact either the game play or the ability to install, operate or get the game running without serious problems is unacceptable. This automatically puts a bad taste in players' mouths from the start. However, if these problems are corrected in a reasonable period of time then most players will forgive and forget fairly quickly. If they linger then that's a big problem.
Game Changes: There are always a bunch of major changes to the game following the release. Ones that are critically bad are those that change: a) the way the game is played (some of the basic goals and objectives of the game) or b) the way certain classes/professions are played. This goes hand-in-hand with my first point. I recall when DAoC made the first changes to the way the various classes functioned. Bryan quit overnight because all the training he had done and the reason he picked the class he played changed significantly. So, it is very important for the designers, especially those in charge of the concepts and direction of the game and those in charge of designing the classes have a firm and solid idea of what they want and have it implemented upon release. In Bryan's case, not even a few tweaks to the classes was acceptable. There are surely exceptions but when you start making major overhauls to all the classes that tells me you don't know what you're doing. That's a tough one when dealing with RVR like in WAR but still. Stick to your original plan. If a class/profession needs help then add something in the game to provide it rather than having to re roll your toon every release. Bottom line is, the developers should have a clear, sound vision of what they want to create and how the game is to be played before release. They should also have a good idea of how they want it to evolve. Making major game changes in subsequent releases often costs you in the long run. They shouldn't be swayed by player feedback after release into creating a new or even a different game. There will always be players who are looking for something else, other than what the game was intended to be; some may be an elixir for failure.
Releases: Releases should include debugs; of course. I have zero problem with that. Other than fixing problems, new releases should add "enhancements" not major game changes. Releases should be something gamers look forward to, not dread. If you expand the game rather than take away from what already is there you run less risk of losing players. If a feature (part of the game like a quest or a PVE area) eventually becomes obviously something NO ONE is playing then either delete it or change it. Adding new classes/professions is always fun and a "hook" for a game. Add a "REALLY" new area to explore with "REALLY" new critters and "REALLY" new gear/drops. I understand that with WAR it was a tricky thing trying to maintain a balance between two factions and a dozen class types for Realm vs. Realm purposes but so many of the drops were the same old, same old that it got, well, old... Speaking of critters, I HATE games that have the same exact critters in every area but just with a different name and a different color. (You have a boar in six different areas in all four tiers of a game. They are the same damn critter, with the same damn type of drops and, basically, the same damn attack mode. They just hit harder and have a different color. Having 24 different boars in a game doesn't mean you have 24 different monsters!) Another tangent on critters, why do areas always have three dozen of the same critter in them all the time? Can't they mix up the monster types just a bit now and then? Or, at least, send in a random "special" monster with special drops once in a while? That's one change to WAR I liked and it's an "enhancement", not a game change. They added a Gutter Runner to Tier 3 Empire zone. It's one that no one can take on solo. You need at least a group of 5 or more (depends) to take it down and it was in the RVR area so you took a chance chasing it. You don't get any good drops, however, you do get a bunch of influence, renown and XP for finally killing it, almost as much as for taking a keep! Great "enhancement" by Mythic. I think most players like a game to evolve. Without enhancements, MMORPGs often become tiresome so true enhancements are always welcome; changes to the basics of the game concept and goals or major changes to how your character now functions are not.
Grinding: I loathe grinding. By "definition", it's spending time doing a repetitive task endlessly just to level your toon. To me, grinding is about the most boring part of MMORPGs. I would, easily, prefer spending a week in Realm vs. Realm play to gain a new rank than spending a few hours in PVE clicking a mouse over and over again. Also, if you simply must have some grinding in a game then make it, at least, occasionally worth it by making better drops. When you KNOW that you'll spend hours in an area grinding and getting the same crap over and over again it's hardly what I'd call "fun". Also, refer to my critter reference above.
Character Development: Which brings me here. To me, one of the most important elements of an RPG is character development. There's satisfaction in knowing your character is progressing whether it is in skills, crafts, spells, or whatever the guage. You like to see "progress". Leveling in WAR is totalling boring to me. You gain a new rank and you go get another skill or spell that, 3 out of 4 times, is nothing worth bothering with. So, you gain yet another spell that does elemental damage or a new thrust that does X amount of damage but only in a certain stance of if your behind your enemy (or it's a rainy Tuesday the third day of the month). In fact, I rarely ever "ran" to the trainer in WAR because it was another skill I, normally, wouldn't be using rather than the basic few I started with. (There are exceptions, of course, like resurrection or group heals but most are yawners.) I never understood why so many players stop in the middle of a keep take to fly to the trainer for a fairly meaningless skill.
Crafting: Crafting can be a very boring part of a MMORPG and it normally is in most games, right behind grinding, but it doesn't have to be. One thing I loved about Gem Stone, the old text based game, was that you gained XP from crafting, an alternative to grinding. As a Rogue, I could spend an afternoon picking boxes, making tons of coin, gaining lots of XP, increasing my crafting level and making friends carrying on quality conversations. I can't think of any other game I've played where I actually loved crafting as much as Gem Stone. Crafters gained a "rep" and folks got to know your name if you were good at your craft. If crafting is an integral (not essential) part of the game then it can be a lot of fun and it SHOULD BE! Why else would you include it?
PVP and RVR: Overall, I love the RVR in WAR. I'm not a big PVP gamer and I really dislike PKers in some games, especially ones with full looting (I really do not like full looting and won't play a game that has it - too much of a hastle rather than fun). With RVR, having others around that "have your back" is far more fun to me than solo PVP. I enjoy helping others on "my side". I don't mind getting ganked when a group outnumbering us or better than us takes us down now and then. Karma's a bitch so we'll have our turn too. Until a new MMORPG comes along that has good RVR (after WAR RIP) I'm not sure how interested I'll be. If you find one, let me know!
Role Playing: I enjoy role playing and it was fun in Gem Stone. Since Gem Stone, I've not found any other game where players really participate in Role Playing. Some folks in GS took it quite seriously and scolded you if you spoke OOC (Out of Character). That's a bit extreme but I do get a kick out of players witty enough to pull off role playing well and I really appreciate those folks. I've also run across the other extreme - players who respond "Dude, this ain't an RP server!" if you use the term "Aye."
Emotes: I love emotes. The one thing I really like about WAR is that you have an emote feature that is "free style". Anything you enter after e is displayed on screen as an emote. Very, very simple yet a very, very flexible emote syntax. Having a list of pre-defined emotes is handy. Some pre-defined ones stand the test of time but most, once everyone sees "you fart at Kargan and blame it on him" ad nauseum, become a bit tired. Creativity is the key and the free style emote affords that.
Quests: The only thing I have to say about quests it that once you've learned how to do one the fun is over. Designers should make a subtle change to quests each time they are completed/reset even if it's just one of three options. Even moving the spot a little where you find something would be better. Maybe make a random change to the reward for a quest, maybe because there's an extra step thrown in or the critter to kill is a bit more difficult this time around. Otherwise, it's just another form of grinding.
Scenarios: This is a feature I hadn't experienced before WAR. I really enjoy the scenarios. They are a great alternative to the RVR area and grinding. They offer a fairly balanced form of faction based PVP. Scenarios and the RVR are the best parts of WAR, hands down, and the main reason I've stayed with the game so long.
Storyline: I'm not a big storyline person but I understand there are those who really enjoy it and feel it adds substance to the game. I would say a good storyline is a plus but not something I need in a game. My better judgement tells me I'm probably missing out here.
Music/Sound Effects: Great music isn't a must for me but it does add greatly to the experience for me personally. Crappy music, on the other hand, is really annoying. If you're going to bother to have it make it at least acceptable or else be sure to have a "Sound Off" option for the music only. Sound effects, like graphics, do not make or break a game but they sure do help and add to the experience. A crappy sound system on your PC make them both moot points but those who appreciate these features probably have better systems than those who don't.
Graphics: I started on-line gaming with Gem Stone, a text-based game, and loved it inspite of kicking and screaming at my friends who suggested it, that I would NEVER because it had no graphics. The gameplay and socializing were so contagious I couldn't stop playing. I suppose when you're 10 years old it's easy to do but I was absorbed into Gem Stone to the point that it became more my life than my own was. That said, I don't know how well a MMORPG would do without some degree of quality graphics these days. It's just expected now. Hopefully, with new advances like the Hero Engine and more games on a more even playing field, graphics won't be the "be all, end all", it has been to some in the past. And, better yet, it won't be such a marketing tool just to get you to buy the "package".
UI and game movement: This, to me, can be very important. I really like the UI and movement within WAR. They are easy to understand and easy to use. The only thing I don't like, and this is far more a design issue, is that there are numerous little objects, like a little stick or rock, one gets hung up on or things you fall into and get trapped. This is VERY irritating. If you're "stuck" you have to exit and relog. The subtle "hangups" are just annoying and can get you killed. I really have no idea why they purposely added these into the game. The UI should be as easy and helpful as possible. Games where the UI is difficult to use or understand or are just a pain in the arse to deal with, don't stay long on my PC.
Character Customization & Garb: The one thing I saw I didn't care too much for in the screen shots of Hero's Journey was the costuming. Trust me, I know games should be all about game play and fun and not graphics and eye candy but I've become very particular about toon customizing and costuming (probably a girl thing). Even though the toon customizing in WAR pretty much sux (I don't want an ugly sorc with scars and an eye patch. Hey, I know it's fantasy, but in this case I want it to be more like me IRL. HA!), I love most of the costumes. As you know, I like the sexy look of most of the female toons in WAR. What I've seen so far of the costumes in Hero's Journey are pretty conservative unless I've missed a bunch. There are a few that are very sexy but others are like a DoK's clothing in WAR - all covered up. I took a look at a few of the things Simutronics will be offering in Hero's Journey for character customization. It's really incredible. Every part of your toon's face can be adjusted any way you like. Example: the mouth has several options - overbite, under bite, normal, pooffy lips, thin lips, up-turned, down-turned. And, there is a bar you slide to make each of these options as subtle or exaggerated as you like. (No, Ben, you can't adjust my chest size. Make your own toon!) I mean, this is what I always expected when I first heard that DAoC was coming out with a "fully" customizable character tool. So, you can pretty much make your toon's face look any way you want it to. Amazing (we'll see). Now, if I could scan a photo of myself and upload it... HA! Furthermore, I don't want "cartoon" characters. I won't play anima characters either. Even though I'm a die-hard medieval-mythology-fantasy fan I want characters that look realistic and move realistically. WAR did a very good job of this.
Gear: One thing I hate about WAR is the lack of gear options. Since I began my game playing with Gem Stone, I was use to having tons of all sorts of weapons and gear. The very limited gear options in WAR (I know, due to balancing the RVR playing field, I understand) was a huge let down. I love finding a new (especially unique) piece of gear (even if it's just a shiny new cerulean earring with +3 sexiness.) I would have gladly have had them sacrifice a bit of RVR balance for a greater diversity of gear. So, you die unfairly a few times. Most RVR is mob driven anyways and player numbers, player levels and their play skill are what usually dictate survivability (or not).
Support: I can't recall a worse support system and one I needed it more than WAR. The in-game CSRs (GMs) were flooded at release (so many bugs and lack of documentation) and often, after releases, it took days or weeks to hear back from one. The CSRs, normally, tried to be friendly, helpful and genuinely wanted to resolve your problem. But, for whatever reasons, there always seemed to be some insurmountable problem why they couldn't retrieve your lost shield or replace XP that you failed to get, etc. The case had to be "escalated" to someone higher who may or may not ever get back to you. The CSR's, for what they WERE able to handle were not a problem and very good. The biggest problem I had was getting someone on the phone. (Tackling Diablo in Hell mode at level 1 would have been an easier feat!) It took me almost 3 months before I was able to actually talk to a human being on the phone. I don't want to spend an hour pushing 1 for this or 3 for that to a phone recording and then, ultimately, hearing at the end "sorry, we can't resolve your problem". I even took a survey several times leaving my phone number hoping some one would see my scathing responses and reply but that, too, failed.
In the end, I suppose it's like most things where creativity butts heads with Corporate America: 1) When the bottom line dictates your course of action your product often suffers. 2) When business "men" call all the shots and don't leave the people hired to do the jobs they were hired to do it's often a recipe for disaster. Just ask owner/GM Jerry Jones how the Cowboys have been faring since he's been meddling with the team over the past 22 years. How many head coaches has he had? (7) How many were there before him? (1). And it's never a good sign when prime members of the development and design teams start either leaving or being "let go". I guess the WAR sandbox wasn't big enough for Mythic and EA.
Other mistakes many MMO developers make:
You can't out-WoW WoW.
Your game isn't gonna be the one that puts World of Warcraft out of business. Your game isn't going to have a million+ subs. Plan accordingly. I don't want to hear about how much like WoW your game is going to be, unless you're talking about accessibility, or that I could run it on my kid's V-Tech. I've played WoW off, and on, since beta. I'm burnt the hell out on the game. I want something new, or your game better have one hell of a hook.
Stop hyping your damn game 5 years before you even have something to show anyone.
Funcom, I'm looking at you. The ARG marketing stuff for The Secret World got a lot of people interested, myself included. Then nothing. Unless your marketing team is comprised of drooling meat sticks in cheap suits, you don't need more than a years lead time to reach critical mass on the hype for your game. Get the game ready for beta, first, and foremost. Start the marketing stuff about 3 months before E3, or whatever, drop the trailer, and the beta announcement. Six to nine months of beta, and release. But no, it's five years of random screen shots, developer blogs, and chats with sweaty man-children asking about whether or not they will be able to roleplay as transgender furry. 3 weeks of closed beta, 1 week open, and release another turd that sells a million boxes, and 30 days later has 75k subs, and ends up at EA, the elephant graveyard of MMOs. Trion, for example, seems to understand this. I don't recall hearing much of anything about Rifts until just a month or two before the beta events started. The game was done, basically, when they started the beta events. They've used the beta for what it should be used for. To see what breaks when they unleash the masses on the game, and fix it. Now, the game may still tank, but it won't be because they released a bug laden pile unfinished drek.
And the biggest mistake?
Letting Serek Dmart "fix" your game.
I really think not fixing bugs is a big mistake. I really loved the look of Warhammer online but even turning settings down did not improve how choppy it got sometimes. FAIL.
Originally posted by Yamota
I am pretty amazed that you did not bring up the single most important aspect of any game development, but particulary for MMOs, and that is: To listen to your community/customers.
Yeah, this should be #1. Launching too early and making clones instead of something fresh are far 2d and 3d
You hit the nail on the head without actually saying it...
Bill Murphy: "If you know that the aforementioned problems are potential problems, or parts of your Risk Management plan from the start, then why do we see the same mistakes happening year after year? We want these games to succeed as much as you, so please stop making us suffer the same headaches."
Poor execution of project management or more specifically poor risk management. Risk managment is the most difficult to complete and to justify to investors because it takes time and costs money often for intagible or unrecognized rewards. i.e. if you avoid a risk how do you know it would have happened in the first place?
Risks should be regularly reviewed and if the project managers running the development of the game were using assets like other failed games as historical data and lessons-learned, we wouldn't see these issues nearly as often.
If they are using them, then why are we still seeing the same risks come to fruition over and over?
Because: Risk identification is subjective. People tend to think that just because they are skilled at something they know best. It's better to solicit multiple opinions from multiple experts and stakeholders, cycle through risk identification and response planning multiple times before finalizing the risk management plan. Finally, auditing the mitigation plan and continually assessing the probability and impact of the risks verifying if you need to shift your priorites or go with contingency or fallback planning.
This all speaks to a fundamental problem though: How many development companies do you know truly solicit their stakeholders,aka their customers for their requirements before the game development or scope of the features list even begins?
The first time most of us get to see the game is when it's near completion (beta testing) when the costs to changing design are MUCH higher than early in the planning / execution. So by the time we the customers get to make suggestions on what we the customers would buy, it's to late and to costly to change significantly.
A successful game addresses it's intended market very well and does exhaustive research within that specific segment before the development work even begins. The problem is this is no easy task as we all know gamers are not the easiest to please, nor do we have any sort of consensus on what makes an amazing game for all of us.
All we can ask for : Learn from the failures of others or be destined to fail on your own.
V~
QFT
This should have been number 1!
This.
I agree that developers should listend to there community.
But these days alot have chance, so many themepark players these days wanne try out other mmo's and come with tsunami of waves on forums from comeplete different games there normally use playing, you dont have to be a rocket scientist this eventually won't work for this style of game and they demand featers and chances that is similar to what there use to in there former game, that also dont work or at least for those games that are completely different from mainstream they normally play.
Worse scenario is that game reviewers from themepark websites or magazines review your game and give it a low rating becouse its not what they want and hate game while its something they would never play in first place.
In this list should also be DONT REVIEW A GAME IF ITS NOT YOUR STYLE AND YOU CANT BE OBJECTIVE ABOUT IT AND DONT HAVE A OPEN MIND, you destroy this game and it will almost not recover:(
I play a game that have so many people comming from totally different games to forum over years and keep asking to chance game to there needs and likes while game and there hardcore fans live in horror seeing there game chanced or constantly questions and whines how this game is not what there use to.
This game struggels becouse whole mmo scene have chanced so much over last 6 years that small independed game developers have hardtime to survive.
Sandbox indie developers suffer the most becouse of this.
Games played:AC1-Darktide'99-2000-AC2-Darktide/dawnsong2003-2005,Lineage2-2005-2006 and now Darkfall-2009.....
In between WoW few months AoC few months and some f2p also all very short few weeks.
Sounds great in theory but it isn't easy practically.
First of all no gamer are really objective.
As for style, the risk of that is that no games would get a bed score ever even if it suck since all reviewers would just think it isn't their style.
It is clear that a reviewer that only like Wow isn't the right person to review Eve but the editor should not have selected him for it in the first place.
The sad fact is that few magazines or websites have more than one guy (or gal) who reviews MMOs and therefor some get a lot lower scores than they deserve. But we have to understand that most magazines and sites have limited resources.
So read you reviews at MMO sites, they have enough resources so they can focus on sub genres as well. For a magazine like PC gamers it just isn't possible.