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MMORPG's released in 1997 and 2003 far more advanced than anything afterwards?
xKopogerox
Member Posts: 68
Doesn't make any sense to me, but that's the reality. When I got my PC in 2001 I was fortunate to buy Ultima Online and in 2003 Star Wars Galaxies and when comparing to anything else that came afterward, nothing comes close.
I'll just add the valid reasons why the statement above is pure truth.
Ultima Online:
#1 Open world allowing fully customizable houses and buy/p2p ensured anyone could own only 1 property. And I could build anything from a simple, small marble shop or a huge castle or keep.
#2 Realistic economy. I had to trade with others at the bank or sell my items at my house through my vendors.
#3 More professions, skills and freedom in character building than anything else I can think of. I could be things like a treasure hunter, tamer, thief in additional to all the crafting and combat abilities.
#4 I could pick paths how I played my character, both evil or good with an actual reputation and my actions impacted the community.
#5 Combat was so well done where both gear and skills were equally important. If I saw multiple players together I could still avoid being gank killed if I was skilled enough on my mount or even kill multiple players 1 by 1 by separating them from each other.
#6 Immersion was top notch. The music and theme, days turning into nights was just simply amazing. The 2d graphics were detailed, which were far more pleasant than many 3d MMO's that came afterward with ugly 3rd pixels.
#7 Faction system. Giving players the opportunity to be elected and voted to run for sheriff, faction leader and more. How cool it would be to command your own faction, being the only one who can send a message to everyone in it when they are needed?
#8 Freedom to steal and kill almost anywhere with full loot and even cut players heads that show their name and even decorate my house with em, lol. There was a trade off, which made PvP actually fun and worthy to do with risks and rewards.
#9 Items decay with deep and advanced crafting ensured that being a blacksmith or armorsmith or potion maker or w/e was as valuable and worthy to do than just PvP or PvE.
#10 Talkin about PvE, there were open world dungeons filled with anything from lich lords to dragons with rare and legendary loot as well as items that could make you gain more powerful skills.
I'm sure there is more, but this is just example of a MMORPG that I was playing 12 years ago that just demonstrates what I said above is just pure truth. There were tons of items, artifacts, very few bugs and dont remember about exploits, hacking, botting or any other cheating. Only reason I stop playing it over the long run is because developers kept changing and changing it far more than it should've been. If it ain't broken don't fix it and 3rd party programs came afterwards that allowed macros and simplified combat that completely changed the way PvP was meant to be.
I'll continue about Star Wars Galaxies later on, but yea. It's just sad for all those post WOW era players, never having the opportunity to actually experience a truly enjoyable MMORPG's.
What doesn't make sense is how the most advanced MMORPG's happened decades ago...
Starcraft oldschool aka wise/04. SWG/UO aka Wise HeRo, Light Jedi Knight pre-cu (Bria)
Comments
I agree. Good post. The social realm of Star Wars Galaxies is what hooked me.
I play as a combat player. However, walking through town and seeing real players and all the hustle 'n bustle created a much more realistic world as opposed to just a bunch of NPCs standing around and giving out the same quests.
I agree with the OP, I might say instead of advanced they were distilled into their pure form. They didn't try to make everyone happy, they had a concept and stuck to it.
Asdar
When people talk about EverQuest, Ultima Online, DAoC, SWG, we mainly hear good things.
When people talk about AoC, WAR, STO, CO, SWTOR etc... it's 95% negative.
"Pure truth" based on your opinion...
That Guild Wars 2 login screen knocked up my wife. Must be the second coming!
I think a simple way to look at the evolution of MMO's is that they went from platforms that promoted creativity and community to systems that reward players based on consumption of content.
When people talk about AoC, WAR, STO, CO, SWTOR etc... it's 95% negative."
I just realized how right you are, I have to go call all the game developers and let them know that they should stop development... Well, 'cause the best have already been made and there really is no point going on ... shucks
That's why 50% of features were removed, social aspect was killed, crafting is non-existant, exploration gone its all a maze now, the economy went from thriving player based to loot based, end game is more important than the journey now, story is more important than player creativity, 90% of new mmo's are failures, in order to get players they have to pump out f2p games that dont even equal half the quality of older games, new games are all about the eye candy and fluff than straight up features-mechanics, games have become soft to catter to the konsole kiddies that want it easy, and new games dont make you earn anything- its given to you free with very little effort.
MMORPG's are deevolving back into console style rpg's, something mmorpg's broke away from long ago.
True. And thanks for the great post, O.P. I played a little UO but mainly played EQ. You made UO sound awesome and I wish I'd gotten a piece of that. BTW, EQ did the same thing; evolved at a pace that alienated 99% of its players. Even EQ's viral growth couldn't keep up with that.
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
No .. mmo reflects players and because players are evolving and they all want more simple mmorpgs and more simple fun than 10 years ago, thats what mmorpgs we are getting. Simple ones.
Just capitalize the "T" in truth.
Millions of t-shirts, all with very different truths on the front, but that honking big TRUTH on the back.Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
If looking at the social aspects I would agree with the OP but I think the fault there lies mostly with the players not the developers.Going mainstream has ironincally hurt and retarded the social aspects of MMOs IMO.
In technical aspects the answer is no.
Game mechanic wise it's personal preference and subjective,if the genre has gone in a direction you don't liek thne of course your gonna think liek the OP otherwise...
In technical aspects the answer is no.
Game mechanic wise it's personal preference and subjective,if the genre has gone in a direction you don't liek thne of course your gonna think liek the OP otherwise..."
^this
Back then, all MMOs were "niche games".
PC gamers then were different to PC gamers now.
Now, since WoW's unprecedented and likely never-to-be-repeated, all the suits want to own a WoW.
WoW is a theme park, therefore the suits want their game to be a theme park, as they are proven to be popular.
WoW has cartoony graphics, therefore the suits don't want photo-realism.
WoW appeals to the masses, the suits want their game to appeal to the masses, therefore their game must be 'accessible', have 'easy entry' and a 'guided experience'.
The only games that are likely to break this pattern are smaller, indie or kickstarter funded games where "the suits" don't have any say in the matter.
Remove corporate wankers (shareholders demanding dividends) and I suspect we will start to get deeper, more complex gaming worlds to inhabit.
Just my 2c though
LFD/LFR were around before, they just changed the name to make it sound like a new feature. And in all honesty a game with a good social aspect there is no need to beg to join a group or wait in a lobby to join a group. Raids and dungeons they turned into end game content is horrible. There should never be an end game in a mmorpg.
Phasing destroyed social aspect and interaction with players.... oh yeah thats a good one. Sorry but ill never touch a game with phasing.
Your add-on supports i do believe you are talking about dlc's that charge you an arm and a leg for a little bit extra? Older games had that also, they were called expansions and offered far more content and value.
Many more modern features? Nothing important, they stripped away the important ones that made a mmorpg a mmorpg.
Mini-map is a huge feature for you, seriously?
You didnt counter any of that but by your pure opinion. Most the features you mentioned are not new and the other half harms the mmorpg social aspect. Yeah thats why the OP was correct
You keep telling everyone their opinion is wrong and moot, yet we should listen to yours and think your lobby style games are the future when they do nothing but destroy the foundation of mmorpg's?
Phasing can be done in a non disruptive manner
when EQ2 launched in 2004 -- it had phasing
EQ2s version of phasing:
players were able to see NPCs and objects that other players could not (depending on quest progression) but EQ2 players could always see other players
EQ2 fan sites
The releases have slowed while, in an attempt to bring something different, less linear games are on the horizon. It's the natural order of a consumer limited market.
Thank goodness I don't play any of those 3rd mmo's with them ugly 3rd pixels.
The games from that day are old and pathetic. People scrambling for those nostalgic memories of their first glimpse at online gaming just need to put on their rose colored glasses and look back at the wonder of it all. If they are so great, why are you still playing them instead of complaining about the new games?
All of my posts are either intelligent, thought provoking, funny, satirical, sarcastic or intentionally disrespectful. Take your pick.
I get banned in the forums for games I love, so lets see if I do better in the forums for games I hate.
I enjoy the serenity of not caring what your opinion is.
I don't hate much, but I hate Apple© with a passion. If Steve Jobs was alive, I would punch him in the face.
RPGs nowadays at lest has more advance about graphics.
But
People need to stop call those game "MMORPG" , it not MMO anymore.
Please let "MMO" term die in peace.
What called MMORPG now are online RPG , RPG play online , not MMOs anymore.
If things need to be simple to attract , then why they don't just cut off "MM" and leave only "ORPG" ?
There are no Massively multiplayer element in them , why call it "Massively multiplayer" online RPG.
Cut it down , only ORPG are enough.
I start to feel comparing old MMORPGs to nowadays RPGs are pointless.
They not even same gender
Welcome to 'The Era of Retardation', I heard earlier that...
...but that would be assuming that the only thing dumbed down was social aspects. Lets think about that for a second... in earlier games; were you able to run in on equally leveled masses and just PBAOE them down? Was kiting just a term for PVP? Were you able to go into dungeons without the proper abilities and leave with all the loot? Let's face it... going 'mainstream' made every aspect of the entire genre retarded and guess what? There's no turning back. The new 'majority' have no idea what losing a level is like... what being looted of all your gear is like... what it's like to die to three enemies of your own level because you're not some overpowered super hero... what it's like to assign your own attributes, traits, and customization instead of going on forums and looking up 'cookie-cutter builds'...
The days where death was something you nerd raged over is done. Today? You just run into a herd of 10 or more enemies and PBAOE them down without losing even fifty percent of your health. Yet even though there is still no penalty to dying, you've basically become immortal when going solo.
Welcome to 'The Era of Retardation'... get comfortable; majority rules and we're an endangered species.