I think WS is doing just fine. The game's addictive. I honestly didn't want anything to do with the game up until last week when my roomate showed me what he was doing with his housing plot, and then offered a guest pass. You can call it outdated all you want, or even clamor for more sandbox mmo's if you'd like to, it won't make a well made themepark mmorpg any less enjoyable to people.
Sincerely,
- Former Butthurt SWG vet
Slot machines are addictive too, but that doesn't mean we should enjoy wasting our time with them.
Originally posted by Keatlorien Originally posted by Shoko_LiedOriginally posted by KeatlorienThemepark with quest hubs = outdated and boring Sorry Wildstar.
I think WS is doing just fine. The game's addictive. I honestly didn't want anything to do with the game up until last week when my roomate showed me what he was doing with his housing plot, and then offered a guest pass. You can call it outdated all you want, or even clamor for more sandbox mmo's if you'd like to, it won't make a well made themepark mmorpg any less enjoyable to people.Sincerely,- Former Butthurt SWG vet
Slot machines are addictive too, but that doesn't mean we should enjoy wasting our time with them.
Maybe don't worry about how people choose to waste their free time and money on personal entertainment. Unless you're one of those people who blame society for your unhappiness.
I think WS is doing just fine. The game's addictive. I honestly didn't want anything to do with the game up until last week when my roomate showed me what he was doing with his housing plot, and then offered a guest pass. You can call it outdated all you want, or even clamor for more sandbox mmo's if you'd like to, it won't make a well made themepark mmorpg any less enjoyable to people.
Sincerely,
- Former Butthurt SWG vet
Slot machines are addictive too, but that doesn't mean we should enjoy wasting our time with them.
I hate slot machines with fervor
MMORPG's are all about sitting in a chair clicking buttons, moving a mouse, and killing things. That's what were here to discuss. (And yes I understand what a skinner box is and how both casino's and mmo's use this principle)
If you're concerned over wasting time, there's a plethora of outdoor activities to look into. There's plenty of conditioning in nature, too.
You know the difference between a curmudgeon and one who is easily entertained ? One of them is happier. I rather be the latter so colour me impressed I am loving the humour in the quests the little things that you come across in the world that make you stop and think and laugh. I am addicted too.
Originally posted by KeatlorienThemepark with quest hubs = outdated and boring Sorry Wildstar.
I think WS is doing just fine. The game's addictive. I honestly didn't want anything to do with the game up until last week when my roomate showed me what he was doing with his housing plot, and then offered a guest pass. You can call it outdated all you want, or even clamor for more sandbox mmo's if you'd like to, it won't make a well made themepark mmorpg any less enjoyable to people.Sincerely,- Former Butthurt SWG vet
Slot machines are addictive too, but that doesn't mean we should enjoy wasting our time with them.
Maybe don't worry about how people choose to waste their free time and money on personal entertainment. Unless you're one of those people who blame society for your unhappiness.
Playing a well designed game which fosters open world community isn't a waste of time, but playing a generic mmo which utilizes ten year old game design IS a waste of time.
As a fan of massively multiplayer rpgs, I have a legitimate interest in criticizing those who support the stagnation of the genre.
Originally posted by Keatlorien Originally posted by FoomerangOriginally posted by KeatlorienOriginally posted by Shoko_LiedOriginally posted by KeatlorienThemepark with quest hubs = outdated and boring Sorry Wildstar.
I think WS is doing just fine. The game's addictive. I honestly didn't want anything to do with the game up until last week when my roomate showed me what he was doing with his housing plot, and then offered a guest pass. You can call it outdated all you want, or even clamor for more sandbox mmo's if you'd like to, it won't make a well made themepark mmorpg any less enjoyable to people.Sincerely,- Former Butthurt SWG vetSlot machines are addictive too, but that doesn't mean we should enjoy wasting our time with them. Maybe don't worry about how people choose to waste their free time and money on personal entertainment. Unless you're one of those people who blame society for your unhappiness.
Playing a well designed game which fosters open world community isn't a waste of time, but playing a generic mmo which utilizes ten year old game design IS a waste of time.
As a fan of massively multiplayer rpgs, I have a legitimate interest in criticizing those who support the stagnation of the genre.
Originally posted by Rzep So what you are saying is you don't like mmo games. Why are you on a site called mmorpg.com then?
Once you've finished all the quests in f.i. a lvl 10-15 zone, it's totally pointless to return at f.i. lvl 30 or 50 - guess that's what the OP is complaining about. GW2 made a good step in the right direction to make all content meaningful also at max level, all though it's not perfect. However, should be possible to continue on that track, and make such a design even better.
Also; games that make questing the only viable way to progress - I just don't understand why they limit the options so much. They should balance questing, pvp'ing and flat out mob grinding equally, since there are people that like different play styles or like to do different things. Personally, I prefer questing - probably why I like ESO so much
and...GW2 is a mmo, isn't it?
Dont worry, they just want to spin weakest link of WS to "If you dont like WS quit MMOs" which is retarded, to be mild.
Quests are only way of delivering lore? Really? Really really?
And they forget the fact that things can be done good and done badly, and in WS whole open world and questing (which makes vast majority of it) is just not good. They manage to devolve something 10 years old.
And a fact that open world in WS is pointless, once youre out of the zone thats it, and endgame is composed of instances (lobby game with open world as waiting room, and mind you, since trinity is involved youll spend lot of time in that waiting room)
No WS is not what "MMOs are" its a clone of specific type within MMO genre (and thats a stretch due to lobby game nature of that type of MMOs)
The sad reality of a game on rails.
But the me and the majorrity of casual gamers just love this kind of games.... Nothing wrong with it.
you guys are a very small minority..
and i dont see any AAA games heading your way, because even EQN itselves will be all about this kind of gameplay, no real sandboxes comming up.
Exactly, and I don't want to hear Archage because I can tell you from personal experience that it's no different it's still the same on the rails questing hub to hub.........
Oh wait but there is open PVP, yeah if you consider level 50's ganking level 30's pvp then you will have a ball.....
Originally posted by KeatlorienThemepark with quest hubs = outdated and boring Sorry Wildstar.
I think WS is doing just fine. The game's addictive. I honestly didn't want anything to do with the game up until last week when my roomate showed me what he was doing with his housing plot, and then offered a guest pass. You can call it outdated all you want, or even clamor for more sandbox mmo's if you'd like to, it won't make a well made themepark mmorpg any less enjoyable to people.Sincerely,- Former Butthurt SWG vet
Slot machines are addictive too, but that doesn't mean we should enjoy wasting our time with them.
Maybe don't worry about how people choose to waste their free time and money on personal entertainment. Unless you're one of those people who blame society for your unhappiness.
Playing a well designed game which fosters open world community isn't a waste of time, but playing a generic mmo which utilizes ten year old game design IS a waste of time.
As a fan of massively multiplayer rpgs, I have a legitimate interest in criticizing those who support the stagnation of the genre.
That's a common argument to be made. However many claim WoW is being copied and rant about it while drooling over the idea of a spiritual successor to UO and it's sandbox features.
MMO's are entertainment as are many other formats to 'entertain'. There's no rule or taboo about revisiting and improving upon long standing ideas/designs or to take inspiration for new features. Just about every industry in the world does this, and it IS indeed a form of innovation, as innovation has never required an entirely new invention.
I take it you want the new proverbial wheel (or trolling). While many of the players enjoying WS are enjoying a similar brand with many added features and sleek design that was intended to perform better. I think I understand your argument and standpoint fairly well, as I've been there myself. Trust me there's no way you're going to convince anyone on here to change their minds about this game because their outlook is coming from a different position than yours entirely. There's no chance for meaningful friction in terms of persuasive arguments. And frankly, you're not even making persuasive arguments which forces me to consider the possibility of you being a troll.
Well, to be honest, I just can't bring myself to run from quest hub to quest hub doing the exact same thing I did ten years ago in World of Warcraft. How the heck can anyone keep doing this? How can any amount of time spent quest grinding be useful?
When WoW came out, quest grinding was an innovative solution to many of the problems found in EQ, but what was once innovative has become unbearably repetitive. Even worse, open world community has been destroyed by the way quest hubs encourage solo play.
What does Wildstar offer that would make getting through the quest grinding worthwhile? Does the game ever create immersive, open world environments which encourage player interaction and community?
You know I think people play a game far too much. That is why the questing gets to you. Don't play it beyond a couple of hours and you will enjoy the game far,far more. I have never found Wildstar tedious I like it a lot and enjoy reading the quests and I take my time to read the lore and listen to the cubes and quest NPCs and I get upset if I miss what they say . Sometimes they say things that are not what the bubble says and I miss that and I get upset because I want to savour it.
In a way I feel badly for players who have simply forgotten the simple pleasure of discovery and enjoying a new game.
Well, to be honest, I just can't bring myself to run from quest hub to quest hub doing the exact same thing I did ten years ago in World of Warcraft. How the heck can anyone keep doing this? How can any amount of time spent quest grinding be useful?
When WoW came out, quest grinding was an innovative solution to many of the problems found in EQ, but what was once innovative has become unbearably repetitive. Even worse, open world community has been destroyed by the way quest hubs encourage solo play.
What does Wildstar offer that would make getting through the quest grinding worthwhile? Does the game ever create immersive, open world environments which encourage player interaction and community?
You usually have the option of 3 or more different quest hubs at any given time to take quests from, and the quests from all of them span a good sized chunk of a zone, so you can approach any quest you want in just about any order, and traverse to one to the other from any place. It's quite a bit more freeform than WoWs (crossroads questing) which is a good example of a WoW questhub.
And you're right. It is useless if you don't/wont enjoy it. For me, I don't play MMO's very often anymore, so getting back in the game is very fresh to me since I'm FAR from what you'd call burnt out from the genre. Don't get confused though, WS is not WoW. They are of the same genre, but there are many differences that make them two very separate games, and separate experiences. If you want to find out what the differences are, I'd suggest picking up a guest pass or something. The gameplay speaks for itself, that's why the game is out.
Originally posted by Keatlorien What does Wildstar offer that would make getting through the quest grinding worthwhile? Does the game ever create immersive, open world environments which encourage player interaction and community?
Every hub has at least one group quest objective. All path systems interchange and players can open up content for each other via their path abilities. Every area has its own mini chain which gives context to the mobs and whats happening there. As a settler, survivalist, miner, I cant walk 5 feet without some object in the open world that I can collect, change, interact with or build. All of which has a benefit to other players either immediately or in the open market.
The way characters interact with their abilities makes it always good to see someone and there is no kill stealing.
What about player interaction and dependency. Do players need to group up in the open world to complete these quests? Are there zones with both high level monsters and low level monsters mixed together, or is the world completely segregated by level range?
What about player interaction and dependency. Do players need to group up in the open world to complete these quests? Are there zones with both high level monsters and low level monsters mixed together, or is the world completely segregated by level range?
The group quests mentioned in the post above yours are on bounty boards. From what I've seen they range from 2+ to 3+ players and the loot is generally quite a bit better than the individual quests. And almost every area in every zone has much tougher named elites that require more than one player of the area's level range to beat and they will typically provide better loot in the times that they do provide loot. There are also zone bosses that require groups to conquer.
In my case I have a few options to defeat much stronger enemies because I am on a guest pass. My much higher level friend can come spank the enemy down real quick to help me, or he can help clear dozens of mobs quickly to help me get a higher tier completions for timed challenges. The last would be that he can scale his level to mine so that were close to equal in strength and can both enjoy the same content at the regular pace.
To me that's a decent amount of player freedom and that's just with having one friend come to help. There's also opportunities to meet people and quest with them if you're at least a little bit social.
Anyways that's from my limited experience as I'm currently level 19 on my guest pass. (20 max for pass). I'm still considering whether to renew or not, but no doubt I'm having a fun time playing and that's what matters to me.
You quest to get xp and gear. You do dungeons/raids for xp and gear. I mean that is the game.
MMORPGs like this are just a variation on Diablo 2 basically. I mean there is really almost no RPG to them. Its the nature of the beast. They are purely RPG mathematical build power gaming system and all other portions of RPG gaming is essentially ignored.
Many people who have only played WoW are actually to the point where they think this is what defines an RPG. And then I guess story comes in sometimes. But classic RPGs like Ultima 4 had so much more to them.
In old RPGs the system was a means to an end. After WoW, but really beginning in the EQ raid game (because WoW was simply the next iteration of the EQ raid scene), the system became the end in and of itself.
This is not something new. From the days of table top gaming there have always been a set of people for whom the system itself was the main draw. Diablo and its successors were an important maker in this trend. But just like warcraft was a copy of an game with just barely non-quite stolen IP, Diablo is based on rogue-likes and we can easily see the trend in some rogue-likes. I have power gamed in MOST RPGs I played. I like to do it. But I don't disregard the rest of RPGs. And without the rest of the RPG, power gaming becomes boring and hollow.
The problem with the current state of the MMORPG genre is that the rest of what an CRPG game is and was is barely even known anymore at least within the genre itself. And we are left with shallow one dimensional casinos.
All you have to do is compare the total body of Skyrim and its mods to any MMORPG.
That thing is over 1 gig to install and it was made for free and is downloaded by tons of people. So many people a ridiculous amount of work into it for free. Look at what it adds and why. Almost none of it has something to do with epic lootz. What CRPGs really are has not been lost at all, its quite strong, it is only in the genre of MMORPGs we see significant people who are clueless about this stuff.
Well said, i would put it like that if i wanted to spend more time writing.
Levels and numbers do not RPG make, in fact you dont need and it certainly isnt required to have levels and numbers in RPG at all, in fact too many numbers just get in the way.
MMOs are not RPGs for a long tie now, SWTOR had some glimpse and at least illusion of choice, GW2 lets you go out anywhere in the world to make your own (very) limited stories. Problem with SWTOR is that story is finite and with GW2 that its still to rigid world, but, still miles ahead of your standard themepark lobby/loot game (because there really isnt anything else to do).
Originally posted by Keatlorien What about player interaction and dependency. Do players need to group up in the open world to complete these quests? Are there zones with both high level monsters and low level monsters mixed together, or is the world completely segregated by level range?
Yes you need to group up for certain quests. There are normal, elite, and another tier higher that usually require another person to complete. Besides dungeons and raids, there are also ship-hand quests and adventures which are mostly done with groups and reward loot appropriate to your current level. Zone bosses that are raid sized as well as various player made content via paths that can be triggered in the open world which can be done with multiple people (soldiers can trigger small events, explorers can unlock hidden caves, scientists and settlers can world together to build machines for taking down the big elites, etc.)
MMORPGs like this are just a variation on Diablo 2 basically. I mean there is really almost no RPG to them. Its the nature of the beast. They are purely RPG mathematical build power gaming system and all other portions of RPG gaming is essentially ignored.
Many people who have only played WoW are actually to the point where they think this is what defines an RPG. And then I guess story comes in sometimes. But classic RPGs like Ultima 4 had so much more to them.
In old RPGs the system was a means to an end. After WoW, but really beginning in the EQ raid game (because WoW was simply the next iteration of the EQ raid scene), the system became the end in and of itself.
This is not something new. From the days of table top gaming there have always been a set of people for whom the system itself was the main draw. Diablo and its successors were an important maker in this trend. But just like warcraft was a copy of an game with just barely non-quite stolen IP, Diablo is based on rogue-likes and we can easily see the trend in some rogue-likes. I have power gamed in MOST RPGs I played. I like to do it. But I don't disregard the rest of RPGs. And without the rest of the RPG, power gaming becomes boring and hollow.
The RPG isn't that hard to find.. There's a TON of lore to the game scattered about the world beyond just the story progression, all supported by the world design. Also you're free to choose how you make your character look with different constumes, etc, and if you join a RP guild or RP server, or just know some players who would like to hang out and chat, you can invite them over to your decked out plot and socialize over at the treefort/bar you spent 5 hours creating to impress them.
I'm creating a duel arena in front of my house with a podium and spectator area to allow an entire guild to spectate duel matches. The completed arena will have several layers, each with a different approach. The first level with be a standard area to duel in, the second layer up will have variable heights of footing area and spaces between places to stand with the possibility to fall off and be disqualified. The upper most layer will be water based and players will duel in water and on rocky terrain around water. Of course, in RP fashion, I've hired my friend for a low low friendship rate of 2 silver/hr to help me construct the arena.
As you might think, a good portion of my allotted item placement is going towards this arena. And I'm making it on the RP server, so while the duels will be standard, deciding brackets, seeds, initiating the duels, and socializing will all have more of a roleplay nature to them.
MMORPGs like this are just a variation on Diablo 2 basically. I mean there is really almost no RPG to them. Its the nature of the beast. They are purely RPG mathematical build power gaming system and all other portions of RPG gaming is essentially ignored.
Many people who have only played WoW are actually to the point where they think this is what defines an RPG. And then I guess story comes in sometimes. But classic RPGs like Ultima 4 had so much more to them.
In old RPGs the system was a means to an end. After WoW, but really beginning in the EQ raid game (because WoW was simply the next iteration of the EQ raid scene), the system became the end in and of itself.
This is not something new. From the days of table top gaming there have always been a set of people for whom the system itself was the main draw. Diablo and its successors were an important maker in this trend. But just like warcraft was a copy of an game with just barely non-quite stolen IP, Diablo is based on rogue-likes and we can easily see the trend in some rogue-likes. I have power gamed in MOST RPGs I played. I like to do it. But I don't disregard the rest of RPGs. And without the rest of the RPG, power gaming becomes boring and hollow.
The RPG isn't that hard to find.. There's a TON of lore to the game scattered about the world beyond just the story progression, all supported by the world design. Also you're free to choose how you make your character look with different constumes, etc, and if you join a RP guild or RP server, or just know some players who would like to hang out and chat, you can invite them over to your decked out plot and socialize over at the treefort/bar you spent 5 hours creating to impress them.
I'm creating a duel arena in front of my house with a podium and spectator area to allow an entire guild to spectate duel matches. The completed arena will have several layers, each with a different approach. The first level with be a standard area to duel in, the second layer up with have variable heights of footing area with the possibility to fall off and be disqualified. The upper most layer will be water based and players will duel in and on rocky terrain around water. Of course, in RP fashion, I've hired my friend for a low low friendship rate of 2 silver/hr to help me construct the arena.
As you might think, a good portion of my allotted item placement is going towards this arena. And I'm making it on the RP server, so while the duels will be standard, deciding brackets, seeds, initiating the duels, and socializing will all have more of a roleplay nature to them.
That is marvelous Shoko what imagination. Well the developers gave us the tools and it is up to us to create the RPG. No that is too hard they want the game to hand the RPG on a platter that is what is wrong with the players today... no imagination.
In City of Heroes/Villains there was so much roleplaying all from players taking the time and effort to do it. Even the events in LotRO were run by players. Well if you grouse and moan about the lack of RPG may be the problem is with you and not the game.
MMORPGs like this are just a variation on Diablo 2 basically. I mean there is really almost no RPG to them. Its the nature of the beast. They are purely RPG mathematical build power gaming system and all other portions of RPG gaming is essentially ignored.
Many people who have only played WoW are actually to the point where they think this is what defines an RPG. And then I guess story comes in sometimes. But classic RPGs like Ultima 4 had so much more to them.
In old RPGs the system was a means to an end. After WoW, but really beginning in the EQ raid game (because WoW was simply the next iteration of the EQ raid scene), the system became the end in and of itself.
This is not something new. From the days of table top gaming there have always been a set of people for whom the system itself was the main draw. Diablo and its successors were an important maker in this trend. But just like warcraft was a copy of an game with just barely non-quite stolen IP, Diablo is based on rogue-likes and we can easily see the trend in some rogue-likes. I have power gamed in MOST RPGs I played. I like to do it. But I don't disregard the rest of RPGs. And without the rest of the RPG, power gaming becomes boring and hollow.
The RPG isn't that hard to find.. There's a TON of lore to the game scattered about the world beyond just the story progression, all supported by the world design. Also you're free to choose how you make your character look with different constumes, etc, and if you join a RP guild or RP server, or just know some players who would like to hang out and chat, you can invite them over to your decked out plot and socialize over at the treefort/bar you spent 5 hours creating to impress them.
I'm creating a duel arena in front of my house with a podium and spectator area to allow an entire guild to spectate duel matches. The completed arena will have several layers, each with a different approach. The first level with be a standard area to duel in, the second layer up with have variable heights of footing area with the possibility to fall off and be disqualified. The upper most layer will be water based and players will duel in and on rocky terrain around water. Of course, in RP fashion, I've hired my friend for a low low friendship rate of 2 silver/hr to help me construct the arena.
As you might think, a good portion of my allotted item placement is going towards this arena. And I'm making it on the RP server, so while the duels will be standard, deciding brackets, seeds, initiating the duels, and socializing will all have more of a roleplay nature to them.
That is marvelous Shoko what imagination. Well the developers gave us the tools and it is up to us to create the RPG. No that is too hard they want the game to hand the RPG on a platter that is what is wrong with the players today... no imagination.
In City of Heroes/Villains there was so much roleplaying all from players taking the time and effort to do it. Even the events in LotRO were run by players. Well if you grouse and moan about the lack of RPG may be the problem is with you and not the game.
Thanks! Oh and I have an example of my roleplay for the community here. At home I roleplay an impoverished Aurin stalker, who has a sophisticated rodent infestation
Priceless I am deciding on a theme right now but been looking about for the props. The rodent infestation looks nasty. You poor thing have you tried getting a Draken pet ?
Originally posted by kitarad Priceless I am deciding on a theme right now but been looking about for the props. The rodent infestation looks nasty. You poor thing have you tried getting a Draken pet ?
I didn't really plan on this theme, I just ended up developing my home in this direction after placing affordable purchases quickly to learn the system in place. But I think it will end up with its own charm once I get everything together.
As for a Draken pet, I looked on the vender and didn't see anything quite like that. Is it some sort of reward I can find?
Comments
Slot machines are addictive too, but that doesn't mean we should enjoy wasting our time with them.
Slot machines are addictive too, but that doesn't mean we should enjoy wasting our time with them.
Maybe don't worry about how people choose to waste their free time and money on personal entertainment. Unless you're one of those people who blame society for your unhappiness.
I hate slot machines with fervor
MMORPG's are all about sitting in a chair clicking buttons, moving a mouse, and killing things. That's what were here to discuss. (And yes I understand what a skinner box is and how both casino's and mmo's use this principle)
If you're concerned over wasting time, there's a plethora of outdoor activities to look into. There's plenty of conditioning in nature, too.
Playing a well designed game which fosters open world community isn't a waste of time, but playing a generic mmo which utilizes ten year old game design IS a waste of time.
As a fan of massively multiplayer rpgs, I have a legitimate interest in criticizing those who support the stagnation of the genre.
Slot machines are addictive too, but that doesn't mean we should enjoy wasting our time with them.
Maybe don't worry about how people choose to waste their free time and money on personal entertainment. Unless you're one of those people who blame society for your unhappiness.
Playing a well designed game which fosters open world community isn't a waste of time, but playing a generic mmo which utilizes ten year old game design IS a waste of time.
As a fan of massively multiplayer rpgs, I have a legitimate interest in criticizing those who support the stagnation of the genre.
oooooook
/backs away slowly
Exactly, and I don't want to hear Archage because I can tell you from personal experience that it's no different it's still the same on the rails questing hub to hub.........
Oh wait but there is open PVP, yeah if you consider level 50's ganking level 30's pvp then you will have a ball.....
That's a common argument to be made. However many claim WoW is being copied and rant about it while drooling over the idea of a spiritual successor to UO and it's sandbox features.
MMO's are entertainment as are many other formats to 'entertain'. There's no rule or taboo about revisiting and improving upon long standing ideas/designs or to take inspiration for new features. Just about every industry in the world does this, and it IS indeed a form of innovation, as innovation has never required an entirely new invention.
I take it you want the new proverbial wheel (or trolling). While many of the players enjoying WS are enjoying a similar brand with many added features and sleek design that was intended to perform better. I think I understand your argument and standpoint fairly well, as I've been there myself. Trust me there's no way you're going to convince anyone on here to change their minds about this game because their outlook is coming from a different position than yours entirely. There's no chance for meaningful friction in terms of persuasive arguments. And frankly, you're not even making persuasive arguments which forces me to consider the possibility of you being a troll.
I guess what he is saying is he does not like themeparks.
but carry on
The "world" is pointless in all ThemePark MMOs. So if that is what you are after I suggest you stay clear of ThemePark MMOs.
ArcheAge I heard has a nice balance of linear quest content and open world exploring.
My gaming blog
Well, to be honest, I just can't bring myself to run from quest hub to quest hub doing the exact same thing I did ten years ago in World of Warcraft. How the heck can anyone keep doing this? How can any amount of time spent quest grinding be useful?
When WoW came out, quest grinding was an innovative solution to many of the problems found in EQ, but what was once innovative has become unbearably repetitive. Even worse, open world community has been destroyed by the way quest hubs encourage solo play.
What does Wildstar offer that would make getting through the quest grinding worthwhile? Does the game ever create immersive, open world environments which encourage player interaction and community?
You know I think people play a game far too much. That is why the questing gets to you. Don't play it beyond a couple of hours and you will enjoy the game far,far more. I have never found Wildstar tedious I like it a lot and enjoy reading the quests and I take my time to read the lore and listen to the cubes and quest NPCs and I get upset if I miss what they say . Sometimes they say things that are not what the bubble says and I miss that and I get upset because I want to savour it.
In a way I feel badly for players who have simply forgotten the simple pleasure of discovery and enjoying a new game.
You usually have the option of 3 or more different quest hubs at any given time to take quests from, and the quests from all of them span a good sized chunk of a zone, so you can approach any quest you want in just about any order, and traverse to one to the other from any place. It's quite a bit more freeform than WoWs (crossroads questing) which is a good example of a WoW questhub.
And you're right. It is useless if you don't/wont enjoy it. For me, I don't play MMO's very often anymore, so getting back in the game is very fresh to me since I'm FAR from what you'd call burnt out from the genre. Don't get confused though, WS is not WoW. They are of the same genre, but there are many differences that make them two very separate games, and separate experiences. If you want to find out what the differences are, I'd suggest picking up a guest pass or something. The gameplay speaks for itself, that's why the game is out.
Every hub has at least one group quest objective. All path systems interchange and players can open up content for each other via their path abilities. Every area has its own mini chain which gives context to the mobs and whats happening there. As a settler, survivalist, miner, I cant walk 5 feet without some object in the open world that I can collect, change, interact with or build. All of which has a benefit to other players either immediately or in the open market.
The way characters interact with their abilities makes it always good to see someone and there is no kill stealing.
Community has been a pleasure in my experience.
What about player interaction and dependency. Do players need to group up in the open world to complete these quests? Are there zones with both high level monsters and low level monsters mixed together, or is the world completely segregated by level range?
The group quests mentioned in the post above yours are on bounty boards. From what I've seen they range from 2+ to 3+ players and the loot is generally quite a bit better than the individual quests. And almost every area in every zone has much tougher named elites that require more than one player of the area's level range to beat and they will typically provide better loot in the times that they do provide loot. There are also zone bosses that require groups to conquer.
In my case I have a few options to defeat much stronger enemies because I am on a guest pass. My much higher level friend can come spank the enemy down real quick to help me, or he can help clear dozens of mobs quickly to help me get a higher tier completions for timed challenges. The last would be that he can scale his level to mine so that were close to equal in strength and can both enjoy the same content at the regular pace.
To me that's a decent amount of player freedom and that's just with having one friend come to help. There's also opportunities to meet people and quest with them if you're at least a little bit social.
Anyways that's from my limited experience as I'm currently level 19 on my guest pass. (20 max for pass). I'm still considering whether to renew or not, but no doubt I'm having a fun time playing and that's what matters to me.
Well said, i would put it like that if i wanted to spend more time writing.
Levels and numbers do not RPG make, in fact you dont need and it certainly isnt required to have levels and numbers in RPG at all, in fact too many numbers just get in the way.
MMOs are not RPGs for a long tie now, SWTOR had some glimpse and at least illusion of choice, GW2 lets you go out anywhere in the world to make your own (very) limited stories. Problem with SWTOR is that story is finite and with GW2 that its still to rigid world, but, still miles ahead of your standard themepark lobby/loot game (because there really isnt anything else to do).
Yes you need to group up for certain quests. There are normal, elite, and another tier higher that usually require another person to complete. Besides dungeons and raids, there are also ship-hand quests and adventures which are mostly done with groups and reward loot appropriate to your current level. Zone bosses that are raid sized as well as various player made content via paths that can be triggered in the open world which can be done with multiple people (soldiers can trigger small events, explorers can unlock hidden caves, scientists and settlers can world together to build machines for taking down the big elites, etc.)
The RPG isn't that hard to find.. There's a TON of lore to the game scattered about the world beyond just the story progression, all supported by the world design. Also you're free to choose how you make your character look with different constumes, etc, and if you join a RP guild or RP server, or just know some players who would like to hang out and chat, you can invite them over to your decked out plot and socialize over at the treefort/bar you spent 5 hours creating to impress them.
I'm creating a duel arena in front of my house with a podium and spectator area to allow an entire guild to spectate duel matches. The completed arena will have several layers, each with a different approach. The first level with be a standard area to duel in, the second layer up will have variable heights of footing area and spaces between places to stand with the possibility to fall off and be disqualified. The upper most layer will be water based and players will duel in water and on rocky terrain around water. Of course, in RP fashion, I've hired my friend for a low low friendship rate of 2 silver/hr to help me construct the arena.
As you might think, a good portion of my allotted item placement is going towards this arena. And I'm making it on the RP server, so while the duels will be standard, deciding brackets, seeds, initiating the duels, and socializing will all have more of a roleplay nature to them.
That is marvelous Shoko what imagination. Well the developers gave us the tools and it is up to us to create the RPG. No that is too hard they want the game to hand the RPG on a platter that is what is wrong with the players today... no imagination.
In City of Heroes/Villains there was so much roleplaying all from players taking the time and effort to do it. Even the events in LotRO were run by players. Well if you grouse and moan about the lack of RPG may be the problem is with you and not the game.
Thanks! Oh and I have an example of my roleplay for the community here. At home I roleplay an impoverished Aurin stalker, who has a sophisticated rodent infestation
I didn't really plan on this theme, I just ended up developing my home in this direction after placing affordable purchases quickly to learn the system in place. But I think it will end up with its own charm once I get everything together.
As for a Draken pet, I looked on the vender and didn't see anything quite like that. Is it some sort of reward I can find?