History of MMORPGs

rip73

Just got done reading an article about the history of mmorpgs, http://www.gamergod.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=172 and it got me to wondering just what a 3rd generation MMORPG will consist of. What more can developers give us to do in a game besides crafting/combat? Player-made worlds? How can developers handle thousands of players creating on one world? 10 years from now, what will be different other than fancier graphics? Will it be virtual reality type worlds?

aeric67

How about a game where there are no more stats. You only know how good you are at something subjectively, just like real-life. Go out there and find out what you are good at.

"You don't know how good you are until you play the best"
- Unknown

To be fair, however, since it IS still a game, perhaps some basic knowledge of your skills is displayed. After all, even in real life, you have some knowledge of how good you are at things, however biased it may be...

Znith

Well.. you forgot Sierra's The Realm...

aeric67

Are you saying The Realm had no stats? Never played it, so wasn't sure what you were getting at. Just food for thought anyway. Not even sure having no stats is a good idea, but revolutionary ideas rarely sound good before they revolutionize...

Znith

The Realm was more adventure than rpg. I don't believe it had stats.. it's been so long since I played it I can't remember. The game is still in action, as another company bought it long ago. http://www.realmserver.com/

bwl2

Your woundering where game developers can go from the current breed of MMORPGs? Who realy knows? They could continue along the line they are curently going where most are magic casting sword swingers... or someone might come up with something compleatly new and so origonal that it sets the stage for a whole new breed of game.

  I personaly always woundered if there was something beyond swords, arrows, magic and guns.

Eraserhead

The 'next gen' should be a change in gameplay rather than mostly graphics engine improvements which seems to be what we've had before.  mmorpgs need to move away from grind being the number 1 way of levelling up and quests being a second thought.  Warcraft has given me a glimpse of how it could be if developed further, for example, the newbie quests where you have to kill the captain in the tower.  They are actually a challenge and fun (unless you do them late).  Add more depth to these kind of quests and make them longer, with multiple stages with each stage giving exp.  I'm sure there could also be other ways other than the standard questing we've seen so far.  I haven't tried all the new games so maybe this is already being developed now to an extent.

To pull in the ever more experienced mmorpg player, grind will prove less and less effective or atractive and active content must be developed to a greater depth.  For me at least with each new game I try, levelling up by repeatedly killing mobs is becoming less fun.

________________________
MMORPG Player.

Anofalye

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Originally posted by aeric67

How about a game where there are no more stats. You only know how good you are at something subjectively, just like real-life. Go out there and find out what you are good at.
"You don't know how good you are until you play the best"
- Unknown
To be fair, however, since it IS still a game, perhaps some basic knowledge of your skills is displayed. After all, even in real life, you have some knowledge of how good you are at things, however biased it may be...

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Those games with no stats get closer to FPS and are far less appealing to folks with little reflexs or coordination.

 

I already miss Game based turn, I will never make a full jump that far, I am already in the wide open, I want to think rather then to react.

- "Solo is, will always be, the main market. A MMORPG that succeed with little or no solo appeal is doing great considering they are ignoring the main player base.''