Any game, Western or Eastern, that makes you grind for hours upon hours to get to the "main" part of the game aren't worth the time at all. There is zero fun involved killing mobs over and over, getting some new gear, and then killing mobs over and over again. If the point of the game is to siege castles, then focus on that and don't try to add longevity to the game by creating a levelling treadmill. Every Korean game that's ever been ported over here has been like that. After dealing with a shoddy translation, bots, a terrible community, lag, and lack of customization the last thing I want to do is grind for 6 months just to get to the proverbial meat and potatoes.
I will concede one point though, most Western games are the exact same way. It's just that usually there's much, much more polish, metagames and the grind is masked by quests. 99% of all the quests in every western MMO are "Howdy, Adventurer! How would you like to kill 20 pigs and bring me their hooves? I'll pay you!"
I don't suppose that everyone like horseradish on their prime rib? If you don't like the Korean style games then simply don't buy them. Nobody is forcing you to play them, buy them, visit their website, buy their t-shirts or drink their soda.
Like it has been mentioned before, games like Lineage 2 are not meant to be played solo. It is designed so you hunt with your guildmates, PvP with your guildmates and raid with your guildmates. Get into a good guild in a game like that and you don't even notice that you are killing your millionth three-fanged-toad. Although, I will have to admit, their drop rates could have been a tad better -- thus lessening the appeal for bots and online item/money sales. But they are learning, it is now much easier as a new player in Lineage 2 than it was when the game first came out -- they are in a sense becoming more "western".
Western games haven't created much since AC, EQ and DAoC... they have all pretty much been a variation of a common theme. WoW has millions of subscribers but the game wasn't for me, Dungeon & Dragons Online wasn't even close to my cup-o-tea. Lineage 2 was a blast but I moved to a place without real broadband (yes, there are some places left in this country) and PvP games on a crappy connection makes me unhappy. But the "western" games have been poo lately too, and from the looks of things it won't change much any time soon.
I would say that from what I have played of the PORTED Korean MMOs is that I personally do not enjoy them. Its not that they are bad, its just that they are a different style. I would agree that Korean MMOs do have something that a lot of western MMOs miss out on and that is GIGANTIC battles.
It really is sad when people put down games before they try them, many of the people that are complaining about EVERY Korean game would probably find something he likes out of Korea if he was willing to look around for it.
As for the accusation that all western MMOs are the same, well thats not really true. Although western MMOs do tend to fall into 2 basic categories, sci-fi, and fantasy, we do have a lot of totally different and diverse games to choose from.
To show a few that are a little different.
Planetside
Auto Assault
Eve Online
Korean MMOs are pretty much in the same loop, they too focus on two basic categories, sci-fi, and fantasy, but they also have some game that break the mold.
RF Online (tis both sci-fi and fantasy)
Space Cowboy
Maple Story
I'm not saying I necessarily like these games, I just trying to prove that for the most part we both suffer from the same problems, but sometimes do something that breaks the mold.
Comments
Any game, Western or Eastern, that makes you grind for hours upon hours to get to the "main" part of the game aren't worth the time at all. There is zero fun involved killing mobs over and over, getting some new gear, and then killing mobs over and over again. If the point of the game is to siege castles, then focus on that and don't try to add longevity to the game by creating a levelling treadmill. Every Korean game that's ever been ported over here has been like that. After dealing with a shoddy translation, bots, a terrible community, lag, and lack of customization the last thing I want to do is grind for 6 months just to get to the proverbial meat and potatoes.
I will concede one point though, most Western games are the exact same way. It's just that usually there's much, much more polish, metagames and the grind is masked by quests. 99% of all the quests in every western MMO are "Howdy, Adventurer! How would you like to kill 20 pigs and bring me their hooves? I'll pay you!"
I don't suppose that everyone like horseradish on their prime rib? If you don't like the Korean style games then simply don't buy them. Nobody is forcing you to play them, buy them, visit their website, buy their t-shirts or drink their soda.
Like it has been mentioned before, games like Lineage 2 are not meant to be played solo. It is designed so you hunt with your guildmates, PvP with your guildmates and raid with your guildmates. Get into a good guild in a game like that and you don't even notice that you are killing your millionth three-fanged-toad. Although, I will have to admit, their drop rates could have been a tad better -- thus lessening the appeal for bots and online item/money sales. But they are learning, it is now much easier as a new player in Lineage 2 than it was when the game first came out -- they are in a sense becoming more "western".
Western games haven't created much since AC, EQ and DAoC... they have all pretty much been a variation of a common theme. WoW has millions of subscribers but the game wasn't for me, Dungeon & Dragons Online wasn't even close to my cup-o-tea. Lineage 2 was a blast but I moved to a place without real broadband (yes, there are some places left in this country) and PvP games on a crappy connection makes me unhappy. But the "western" games have been poo lately too, and from the looks of things it won't change much any time soon.
I would say that from what I have played of the PORTED Korean MMOs is that I personally do not enjoy them. Its not that they are bad, its just that they are a different style. I would agree that Korean MMOs do have something that a lot of western MMOs miss out on and that is GIGANTIC battles.
It really is sad when people put down games before they try them, many of the people that are complaining about EVERY Korean game would probably find something he likes out of Korea if he was willing to look around for it.
As for the accusation that all western MMOs are the same, well thats not really true. Although western MMOs do tend to fall into 2 basic categories, sci-fi, and fantasy, we do have a lot of totally different and diverse games to choose from.
To show a few that are a little different.
Planetside
Auto Assault
Eve Online
Korean MMOs are pretty much in the same loop, they too focus on two basic categories, sci-fi, and fantasy, but they also have some game that break the mold.
RF Online (tis both sci-fi and fantasy)
Space Cowboy
Maple Story
I'm not saying I necessarily like these games, I just trying to prove that for the most part we both suffer from the same problems, but sometimes do something that breaks the mold.
-vamp