Why I can't seem to stick to any current gen MMO's.

raystantz · April 2010

I've hopped, and hopped, and hopped, and hopped...

and within a week or two.. sometimes a month.. I'm hopping again.

I just paid 46.00 for EQ2 Sentinel's fate, and already bored with it. Why? Because I've already done it before, in 3 or 4 other games. It feels and plays just like every other WoW clone in recent history. You create a toon, you grind quests, and you raid. You solo most of the time, and you don't socialize unless your in a guild, and even then sometimes you don't... why? Because everyone is too busy grinding quests, and raiding. Its just a means to an end now. There is no adventure, there is no epic feeling of exploration, you are not playing a role. Its just a shell of a game, where your trying to get from point A to B with as little delay as possible. That is NOT fun to me. I argued with a friend today, who doesn't like to be challenged. He'd rather be shown where every quest is, be able to insta travel to every location, and be able to eat a sandwich while he quests endlessly. If he had to travel to a location on foot without a speedy mount, he'd cry.

I cannot play anymore of these games. I cannot do another "quest to end cap solo fest". I want to be a part of the world, and socialize with everyone around me as it pertains to the game, not just people I know or who I am in a guild with. I want the game to facilitate me being able to do that as well. Not, just when I need experience points or "gear". I don't want to spend my entire night alone, in a game thats meant to be multiplayer. I don't want to be in a guild of folks who are all "alone" even though they are together in the guild.

So at this point I'm considering that FFXI and possibly FFXIV are my last hope for an MMO that isn't about just questing to end cap and raiding, with little to no interaction other than to chat about who has the best purples. I want to follow an epic "RPG" storyline that unfolds as I level and play.

fyerwall · April 2010

You cant because you are for one probably burned out on the genre.

Go play some other games or go outside. Maybe hit the bookstore and see if anything pops at you.

There are tons of things you can do, just find a replacement hobby for now and maybe a new game that comes out later might grab you again.

Seeing as you are looking at FF14, why not just take a break till then?

shadowfox561 · April 2010

I have been exactly the same way recently i have played more MMO's in the last year then most people have played in a life time... I decided no more I will not touch another MMO till FFXIV comes out... so until then to get my internet gaming fix i have been playing LoL online and have been enjoying the I dont care what my level is...

wildtalent · April 2010

I think you may have just told me what MY problem is. I do the same thing but I never could understand why. Hmm. I will say though that recently I got into LOTRO and left and I regreted leaving almost instantly which is a new sensation for me. I think it's because it does possess and epic RPG storyline. In fact, the main storyline is almost all I play in that game, paying little or no attention to the side quests.

I also find myself often looking to DDO cause the quests aren't kill 10 of those are escort this person from a to b.

Hmmm....interesting poing you've made.

sekrog · April 2010

I was looking at your list of "played MMO's" and I wondered something...

Did you feel the same about UO? EQ1? AO?

You probably alluded to this in your original post already, but do you think it's because the majority of current MMO's have all become very similar? (i.e., your recent foray into EQ2)

I know I risk sounding like a viral marketer, I was in the very same boat as you a few months ago. Thankfully, I found an MMO different enough, that fit my tastes, and I'm having fun again. Although I'd love to give it a strong recommendation, I've found out over the same period that the game seems to have a very narrow appeal. That said, I don't want to build something up when it might not fit your particular tastes at all.

That said, it has a 21-day trial that won't cost you anything but time. If you can afford a bit of that commodity, here's the link to check it out:

http://www.ryzom.com/en/index.html

The worst that can come out of it is that it'll help time go by a little faster until the release of FFXIV

Good luck!

A-L-S-E · April 2010

I'm currently burned out. Taking a break until something good comes out.

I have a decent amount on my plate anyway with graduation coming, but maybe once I'm set in college I'll jump back into a new MMO.

Just take a breather, otherwise every game you play, one after the other, will start to blur into monotony.

Amarao · April 2010

I can give you a short, simple answer..

All current MMO's are shit.

raystantz · April 2010

exactly, and thats why I am looking to an older MMO...

I don't even know that FFXIV is going to break out of that mold.

UO and EQ were both epic games, and never really got old for me. I only left them for "newer" graphics and such.

dar_es_balat · April 2010

Wow. Ive said this myself many times lately.

Im about ready to quit MMO's to be honest. The development teams produce nothing but shit these days. Ive had more fun playing Bandit Kings of Ancient China on my NES Emulator than Ive had playing lots of MMOs lately.

raystantz · April 2010

Last night was the first time in months that I fired up my XBOX 360. WoW.. didn't know we had facebook and twitter now. I've not beaten lost odyssey, silent hill 5 is still in the wrapper from 2 christmas' ago..

but something still pulls me to play an MMO.

dar_es_balat · April 2010

That "something" is the desire to be part of something bigger than yourself.

MMO's once offered something only available in real life --- the chance to be a meaningful part of a community. They were an outlet for folks who may not have been much in real life, or may not have been satisfied with what they were -- be it a business owner, retiree, broke college student, or whatnot. Myself I live in a very urban setting. Im not much for cities, and generally speaking dont like people as a whole, but do like individuals. A city isnt the best place for me, but its where I can find work, so its where I am. In my case MMO's offer a getaway from that.

With the degradation of both the game quality and the community quality MMO's really have no appeal for people who are looking for anything more than ph4t l3wt or cyber strutting. The appeal of modern MMOs is watered down; the AD&D experience folks were hoping for has become nothing short of a cyber high school and mall.

wootin · April 2010

Hence the term "cookie cutter". When my friend and I first started playing EQ1, we were jazzed about the future of games. We had visions of awesome worlds, amazing adventures, being brought together with new friends as we played, etc. We were stoked.

Instead we got "teh grind" across the entire friggin' industry in one way or another. Either the publishers, the developers, or both completely miss the point of playing a game. Or they just can't go with "our game is fun, so they'll keep playing", and have to have the grind in so they can show on a spreadsheet how long you're statistically expected to stay subscribed.

The one game I stayed subbed to the longest had no grind. It had like a skeletal level structure, and it had classes, but you could just change those as you wished. So everyone was pretty equal in gear terms. It didn't have all kindsa phat lewts, quests, or even mobs or NPCs of any kind. But it had a reason for you to log in, and it gave you the chance to win one for the team, or to lose one. I wish I could still play, I'd have been subbed for 6 years now. Because it was fun.

nariusseldon · April 2010

Originally posted by raystantz

I've hopped, and hopped, and hopped, and hopped...

and within a week or two.. sometimes a month.. I'm hopping again.

I just paid 46.00 for EQ2 Sentinel's fate, and already bored with it. Why? Because I've already done it before, in 3 or 4 other games. It feels and plays just like every other WoW clone in recent history. You create a toon, you grind quests, and you raid. You solo most of the time, and you don't socialize unless your in a guild, and even then sometimes you don't... why? Because everyone is too busy grinding quests, and raiding. Its just a means to an end now. There is no adventure, there is no epic feeling of exploration, you are not playing a role. Its just a shell of a game, where your trying to get from point A to B with as little delay as possible. That is NOT fun to me. I argued with a friend today, who doesn't like to be challenged. He'd rather be shown where every quest is, be able to insta travel to every location, and be able to eat a sandwich while he quests endlessly. If he had to travel to a location on foot without a speedy mount, he'd cry.

I cannot play anymore of these games. I cannot do another "quest to end cap solo fest". I want to be a part of the world, and socialize with everyone around me as it pertains to the game, not just people I know or who I am in a guild with. I want the game to facilitate me being able to do that as well. Not, just when I need experience points or "gear". I don't want to spend my entire night alone, in a game thats meant to be multiplayer. I don't want to be in a guild of folks who are all "alone" even though they are together in the guild.

So at this point I'm considering that FFXI and possibly FFXIV are my last hope for an MMO that isn't about just questing to end cap and raiding, with little to no interaction other than to chat about who has the best purples. I want to follow an epic "RPG" storyline that unfolds as I level and play.

What you need is chat on MSN. MMORPGs are games, not chat channels so socialization is NOT the main thing. The main thing is to progress cooperatively (or kill the other guy in pvp).

AlysenMinase · April 2010

IMO, this gen of MMORPG's went back a step. But if you try to play some from the gen before (FFXI, AO, etc) most don't have the feeling of racing to the level cap, they have a sense of community.

Sovrath · April 2010

Originally posted by dar_es_balat

That "something" is the desire to be part of something bigger than yourself.

MMO's once offered something only available in real life --- the chance to be a meaningful part of a community. They were an outlet for folks who may not have been much in real life, or may not have been satisfied with what they were -- be it a business owner, retiree, broke college student, or whatnot. Myself I live in a very urban setting. Im not much for cities, and generally speaking dont like people as a whole, but do like individuals. A city isnt the best place for me, but its where I can find work, so its where I am. In my case MMO's offer a getaway from that.

With the degradation of both the game quality and the community quality MMO's really have no appeal for people who are looking for anything more than ph4t l3wt or cyber strutting. The appeal of modern MMOs is watered down; the AD&D experience folks were hoping for has become nothing short of a cyber high school and mall.

This is probably more to the point why many are feelign disenfranchised.

Not that I personally care because for me, a game is a game and I take each one on its merit. Some offer more social or "being in a world" aspects" and some less. I just play them for what I like in each.

but it is very true that more of the modern games lack this memeber of a community feel.

I recall playing Lord of the Rings but going back to Lineage 2 for a huge siege (at the time I played both games).

After I said "later" to my lord of the rings friends I logged into Lineage 2 and felt a tremendous amount of energy as this was going to be a huge siege where a large amount of the players wanted my alliance out of Aden castle.

As I looked around at all the players doing preparations it hit me that the gaming that I was about to do felt more connected and more earnest than my last few hours in Lord of the Rings.

Though for me I don't say that one is good and the other is bad. As I said, I take each for what they are. It's like saying rock music is bad because it uses predictable key signatures and chord progressions and that milton babbit is far better because of it's over all complexity.

Each one has a purpose and each one serves that purpose in its own way.

But with players who require a world/game that allows more connection than LOTRO or WoW or Warhammer, etc then they are going to feel a bit lost.

In any case, good post and I agree. Sorry you don't like cities. I suppose in that we are in some ways the opposite. I live in a city and love it. If I had to move to the country I'd probably drink myself to death from the serenity of it all.

scythe99 · April 2010

Thats the problem all current gen mmorpgs suck. this all started when WoW came out and everything and its mother that has come out after it all try to mimic its gameplay, and they mostly fail because if the player wanted that gameplay.. they'd be playing wow.

Psythos · April 2010

I've been bouncing around since the day SOE pushed NGE to live servers. Swg was my first mmorpg and from the moment I started the game I felt like I was in a virtual star wars universe. End game wasn't mentioned at the time because there was no real end to the game. You learned to live and make your way through the star wars universe. I miss those day's and haven't been able to replace them.

I think the reason I can't replace it is because there are no virtual world's left. People who have never played a game with player cities for one think mmorpgs shouldn't have player cities. What about needing to visit the cantina for entertainer buff's, annoying as it may have been it brought about a reason to be around other player's. Now it is all about that so called ''endgame'' and apparently endgame means gear somehow.

When I was a kid I loved super mario brother's and the legend of zelda. Mario was an action adventure and zelda was a rpg. I said that to say this, games like wow are more action adventure and the older mmo's are more rpg.

Amathe · April 2010

The first thing I did in my first mmo was talk to an NPC, who asked me to take a note to another nearby NPC. I was happy. I had been an mmo player for 2 minutes and I had accomplished something. That was original EQ.

Ten years later, when asked to take a note to someone, I have to suppress the desire to strangle the life out of someone. That is because I have now delivered more letters than Cliff Clavin.

There comes a point when the same tired old game mechanics that witless developers can't wean themselves from just wear you down. Sure, there are better and worse versions of it, but it becomes a movie you've already seen a million times.

I'm beginning to think there should be a niche game for veteran mmo players. The design philosophy should not be the usual dead horses of casual versus hardcore and all that rubbish. But rather, what would a game look like if we put things in it that someone who has played 8-10 other mmos hasn't already seen before?

Hedeon · April 2010

Originally posted by nariusseldon

Originally posted by raystantz

I've hopped, and hopped, and hopped, and hopped...

and within a week or two.. sometimes a month.. I'm hopping again.

I just paid 46.00 for EQ2 Sentinel's fate, and already bored with it. Why? Because I've already done it before, in 3 or 4 other games. It feels and plays just like every other WoW clone in recent history. You create a toon, you grind quests, and you raid. You solo most of the time, and you don't socialize unless your in a guild, and even then sometimes you don't... why? Because everyone is too busy grinding quests, and raiding. Its just a means to an end now. There is no adventure, there is no epic feeling of exploration, you are not playing a role. Its just a shell of a game, where your trying to get from point A to B with as little delay as possible. That is NOT fun to me. I argued with a friend today, who doesn't like to be challenged. He'd rather be shown where every quest is, be able to insta travel to every location, and be able to eat a sandwich while he quests endlessly. If he had to travel to a location on foot without a speedy mount, he'd cry.

I cannot play anymore of these games. I cannot do another "quest to end cap solo fest". I want to be a part of the world, and socialize with everyone around me as it pertains to the game, not just people I know or who I am in a guild with. I want the game to facilitate me being able to do that as well. Not, just when I need experience points or "gear". I don't want to spend my entire night alone, in a game thats meant to be multiplayer. I don't want to be in a guild of folks who are all "alone" even though they are together in the guild.

So at this point I'm considering that FFXI and possibly FFXIV are my last hope for an MMO that isn't about just questing to end cap and raiding, with little to no interaction other than to chat about who has the best purples. I want to follow an epic "RPG" storyline that unfolds as I level and play.

What you need is chat on MSN. MMORPGs are games, not chat channels so socialization is NOT the main thing. The main thing is to progress cooperatively (or kill the other guy in pvp).

MMOs aint social games....but a game to progress in cooperatively ....eeeerh

and you are wrong in my eyes. am not much of a competition guy, not that I dont love to win, but way more I love the feel of building something up. and is what used to appeal in MMOs ....this killing mobs for phat lewt is silly to me, I still love me guild only reason sticked this long....instance grinding is very fast very boring, and single player games just does it better...imo. since dont have to repeat the same thing for nothing but few bling blings.

hope FFXIV get it right....the mix of making it an adventure social hub, with some action in it......action never should be the main point in a MMO...socializing is the ONLY strong point MMOs got. to me anyways ;

Rockgod99 · April 2010

Dude because most of the current gen mmos are nothing but the same game with a different skin.

This is the only genre that i play in that after about 30 minutes I already felt like i experienced the game before.

This is why I play Eve, while many people dislike the game atleast it offers something new.

raystantz · April 2010

Originally posted by nariusseldon

Originally posted by raystantz

I've hopped, and hopped, and hopped, and hopped...

and within a week or two.. sometimes a month.. I'm hopping again.

I just paid 46.00 for EQ2 Sentinel's fate, and already bored with it. Why? Because I've already done it before, in 3 or 4 other games. It feels and plays just like every other WoW clone in recent history. You create a toon, you grind quests, and you raid. You solo most of the time, and you don't socialize unless your in a guild, and even then sometimes you don't... why? Because everyone is too busy grinding quests, and raiding. Its just a means to an end now. There is no adventure, there is no epic feeling of exploration, you are not playing a role. Its just a shell of a game, where your trying to get from point A to B with as little delay as possible. That is NOT fun to me. I argued with a friend today, who doesn't like to be challenged. He'd rather be shown where every quest is, be able to insta travel to every location, and be able to eat a sandwich while he quests endlessly. If he had to travel to a location on foot without a speedy mount, he'd cry.

I cannot play anymore of these games. I cannot do another "quest to end cap solo fest". I want to be a part of the world, and socialize with everyone around me as it pertains to the game, not just people I know or who I am in a guild with. I want the game to facilitate me being able to do that as well. Not, just when I need experience points or "gear". I don't want to spend my entire night alone, in a game thats meant to be multiplayer. I don't want to be in a guild of folks who are all "alone" even though they are together in the guild.

So at this point I'm considering that FFXI and possibly FFXIV are my last hope for an MMO that isn't about just questing to end cap and raiding, with little to no interaction other than to chat about who has the best purples. I want to follow an epic "RPG" storyline that unfolds as I level and play.

What you need is chat on MSN. MMORPGs are games, not chat channels so socialization is NOT the main thing. The main thing is to progress cooperatively (or kill the other guy in pvp).

no, what I need is to not play games with people like you.

AgtSmith · April 2010

My simple reason, easy, most new MMOs (the last couple years anyways) are just glorified coop RPGs. Not the worst thing ever in and of themselves but not worthy of paying for ongoing monthly replay. Mass Effect and games like that can be fun, lots of fun - but paying $15 a month for more than the first 30 days when all you really get for that $15 is a chat box is not a good value.

RandomCasualty · April 2010

I'm curious .. how old are you and how has your life changed since you started playing mmo's ?

I too hop around and just can't get that "feeling" again that I did with UO and EQ1 and DAoC. I leave everything feeling really dissapointed.

I started playing when I was in my early 30's. Single, employed and had money to burn on just computer equipment. I neglected "real" food and all my friends were in the same boat so we would socialize in the game for hours and hours while living on fast food and little sleep.

Now I'm in my early 40's and somehow managed to find an amazing wife and have two step kids (who also play mmo's) during the time I took a break from hard core gaming.

Of course to go along with that is the responsability of helping my wife raise the kids and run a family in a busy household enviroment. Let's face it .. I'm exhausted at the end of the day and when I do play, not in much of a socializing mood. So I solo.

And miss a huge chunk of what mmo's are about. I guess not getting the whole immersion (meaning hours and hours of uninterrupted playing time) has done it for me. I now accept that I will never be as uber as I used to and that my play times are sporadic. So I hop around ... usually poking my head into the boys rooms glowering with jealousy at how they can spend the hrs I used too

No regrets though, just needed the epiphany to hit me so I could accept it.

Maybe by the time I'm 65 and retire I will be able to plug in my virtual bodysuit and helmet and get back to EQ8 and meet up with those people who also became lost along the way of growing up!

oh, and no disrepect to those who can spend the time playing at any age .. I am green with envy .. at times

raystantz · April 2010

Originally posted by Taranx

I'm curious .. how old are you and how has your life changed since you started playing mmo's ?

I too hop around and just can't get that "feeling" again that I did with UO and EQ1 and DAoC. I leave everything feeling really dissapointed.

I started playing when I was in my early 30's. Single, employed and had money to burn on just computer equipment. I neglected "real" food and all my friends were in the same boat so we would socialize in the game for hours and hours while living on fast food and little sleep.

Now I'm in my early 40's and somehow managed to find an amazing wife and have two step kids (who also play mmo's) during the time I took a break from hard core gaming.

Of course to go along with that is the responsability of helping my wife raise the kids and run a family in a busy household enviroment. Let's face it .. I'm exhausted at the end of the day and when I do play, not in much of a socializing mood. So I solo.

And miss a huge chunk of what mmo's are about. I guess not getting the whole immersion (meaning hours and hours of uninterrupted playing time) has done it for me. I now accept that I will never be as uber as I used to and that my play times are sporadic. So I hop around ... usually poking my head into the boys rooms glowering with jealousy at how they can spend the hrs I used too

No regrets though, just needed the epiphany to hit me so I could accept it.

Maybe by the time I'm 65 and retire I will be able to plug in my virtual bodysuit and helmet and get back to EQ8 and meet up with those people who also became lost along the way of growing up!

oh, and no disrepect to those who can spend the time playing at any age .. I am green with envy .. at times

I'm 28, married with a 2 year old. I've played in several touring bands, perused professional wrestling for 2 years, and currently making movies. Did some extra work in The Blindside and The Crazies, and in the middle of production of my first indie horror film, called EXIT 101. check it out on facebook. I play games to relax.

Neanderthal · April 2010

About the only joy I get from MMOs these days is watching one game after another crash and burn in a pile of flaming wreckage. Is this a terrible thing to admit about myself? Oh well, it's true.

And it is funny you know, because the developers see what happened to the games which came before theirs and yet they still head right down that same road, miss the same turn, go over the same cliff, smash into the same rock, and burst into flames in the same spot as all the others who went before them.

RandomCasualty · April 2010

Originally posted by raystantz

Originally posted by Taranx

I'm curious .. how old are you and how has your life changed since you started playing mmo's ?

I too hop around and just can't get that "feeling" again that I did with UO and EQ1 and DAoC. I leave everything feeling really dissapointed.

I started playing when I was in my early 30's. Single, employed and had money to burn on just computer equipment. I neglected "real" food and all my friends were in the same boat so we would socialize in the game for hours and hours while living on fast food and little sleep.

Now I'm in my early 40's and somehow managed to find an amazing wife and have two step kids (who also play mmo's) during the time I took a break from hard core gaming.

Of course to go along with that is the responsability of helping my wife raise the kids and run a family in a busy household enviroment. Let's face it .. I'm exhausted at the end of the day and when I do play, not in much of a socializing mood. So I solo.

And miss a huge chunk of what mmo's are about. I guess not getting the whole immersion (meaning hours and hours of uninterrupted playing time) has done it for me. I now accept that I will never be as uber as I used to and that my play times are sporadic. So I hop around ... usually poking my head into the boys rooms glowering with jealousy at how they can spend the hrs I used too

No regrets though, just needed the epiphany to hit me so I could accept it.

Maybe by the time I'm 65 and retire I will be able to plug in my virtual bodysuit and helmet and get back to EQ8 and meet up with those people who also became lost along the way of growing up!

oh, and no disrepect to those who can spend the time playing at any age .. I am green with envy .. at times

I'm 28, married with a 2 year old. I've played in several touring bands, perused professional wrestling for 2 years, and currently making movies. Did some extra work in The Blindside and The Crazies, and in the middle of production of my first indie horror film, called EXIT 101. check it out on facebook. I play games to relax.

Sounds like an amazingingly busy life too, so you started playing in your late teens? Did you have more time to play back then and get more into the game? Maybe you are now suffering from the same thing .. think it is called outside obligations!

I know that is what did me in lol! .. but I'll keep searching.

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