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MMORPGs need a new name
RevMrBlack
Member Posts: 51
I'm an RPer, both in game and in RL. I play tabletop games once and a while (schedules permitting), and I've done a lot of online RPing over the years I've spent playing MMOs.
But with the influx of players that WoW has brought, and the conflicting definitions people have for "roleplaying", I think the genre needs to be renamed. They should really consider dropping the RP part from MMORPGs, and regular SP RPG games, as for the most part, the RP aspect of these games is severely lacking. Most are nothing more than stats, levels and items. There's no real portrayal of a character. Most quests/missions have one choice: do them or don't. You can't pick an evil/neutral/good way to do them.
Some games like NWN and KOTOR are the exception though. But that's cause they were developed by Bioware, and almost all of their staff have experience with traditional tabletop RPGs. I think some of the job positions on their website actually /require/ previous experience with tabletop gaming.
Anyway, I think MMORPGs should change to something else, just so we can get a clear separation between roleplaying and what most of these games have become: "Roll playing". Perhaps "MMOGs", or MMOARPGs" (A for "Action"), or something like that.
Or perhaps we roleplayers should change what we call ourselves. There's so much confusion over the true meaning of the word "roleplaying" that perhaps we should pick a term that won't be misinterpreted. Like the one Dev/GM from CCP (EVE developers) who said we should start calling ourselves "immersioneers".
What do the rest of you think?
The Rev.
PS. What the $%^# is with all the completely off topic posts in this section. None of them have to do with roleplaying, they are all "Looking for new MMO" threads.
__________________________________
Playing - Waiting on GW2
Formerly played - Aion, CO, CoX, EVE, GW1, LotRO, RIFT, Ryzom, SWG, SWTOR, WAR, WoW
Trialed - AA, DDO, EQ2, L2, MxO, RYL, TERA, VSoH
Beta'd - HGL, GW2, PotBS, SWTOR, TCoS, TR
Anticipating - GW2, PS2
Comments
Well, a RPG basically IS a Developing Character which you play. Wether he develops in terms of his characteristics, his fears, his faults, or if he becomes stronger "engine-wise"...
You still play a Role, the role of your Character. Just most people don't use according speech and so on. Nevetheless, it's still their character saying: "WTS Short Sword with +3 Strengh, +2 Con and 2% Stun Chance"...
I think as long as MMORPGs have special RP Servers is sufficient, no need to rename anything... there's simply the difference between "I'm a Roleplayer" and "I play Roleplaying Games".
The term 'RPG' in the context of comuter games is used to describe a game focusing on a character progression (level or skill-wise) that uses statistics' calculations to determine the outcome of an action or event. Such games started by trying to mimic the table top RPG experience noto computer game, but due to programing limitations this can never be completly done. The term has been used for more than 15 years now since the first Diablo and Might & Magic games and I guess people got used to it. So I don't think they'll stop using it anytime soon. Untill a totaly revolutionary game comes up and brakes our view on the computer-based RPG, I would keep on checking the features pages to see what RPG elemets are actuly implemented in each game.
As for the MMOs we are already seeing large diversity of them in terms of MMOFPSs, MMORTSs, MMOFlightSimulators and MMOWhatNots... But expect that the new MMORPGs will generaly fit the desctription of their predecessors.
Ico
From Wikipedia: (link)
I never said "developing a character", I said there's no "portrayal" of a character. I have no problem with people who just want to level up, gain abilities/items, and chat with their friends. I have RL friends who do this. I do this quite often as the number of RPers seems to be dwindling compared to the non-RPers.
I just think the term "roleplaying" has been twisted into something it's not. It's not about stats, levels, and the like. It's about acting as your character would, following their motivations and goals, not your own. And keeping RL out of the equation.
__________________________________
Playing - Waiting on GW2
Formerly played - Aion, CO, CoX, EVE, GW1, LotRO, RIFT, Ryzom, SWG, SWTOR, WAR, WoW
Trialed - AA, DDO, EQ2, L2, MxO, RYL, TERA, VSoH
Beta'd - HGL, GW2, PotBS, SWTOR, TCoS, TR
Anticipating - GW2, PS2
I agree here, the people who have posted here have just shown what he was talking about, the problem I feel is that developers have changed what Roleplaying actually means, roleplaying is storytelling and playing as your character would in the actual game world. It is NOT a term used for character progression or developing your character in terms of level or strength, that is wrong, it's all about the story you are building for your character.
Like I and others have just said, developers have changed this meaning just so they can advertise it better, It saddens me sometimes when I see people on Roleplaying Servers arguing about how their level actually has meaning in storytelling just because they don't want their characters to get hurt and their ego's bruised... Note how I have highlighted storytelling here.... That's what roleplaying is, it's not making your character an ub3r l33t with a 2 handed sword of slashing, your telling the story of your character from their point of view, giving them a history and a personality, not just saying "look at me! I'm level 50 and I can pwn u with em0tes lawl!" which I've seen many people do, it's not just some random avatar your creating when you rolepay, it's an actual character which is where the term "In Character" comes from I suppose you could say.
Quoting people doesn't make you clever, in fact, it makes you all the more stupid for not bothering to read the quotes you post in the first place.
The best explenation of RP ever o.O