I just want more freedom in MMOs today. Give me a game with UOs freedom, include DaoCs RvR system with SWG crafting and I think you've got a decent MMO.
Yeah the blanket answer is "fun". The catch being that each of the things the OP and others have listed so far in this thread are fun to those players, and therefore have a place in games.
Activities in a game should be enjoyable on their own merits. Many MMOs fail on that account.
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
My answer was other because the only true answer is fun trying to focus on all those other factors as primary is where I think alot of devs get games wrong as it is.
but yeah, to call this game Fantastic is like calling Twilight the Godfather of vampire movies....
I voted "other"... I think ALL of those are the primary motivators, and they all need to be there.
I also think you missed a few. Allow me to note that boobs are a dominant feature on almost every piece of MMORPG advertising out there. There's a reason for that.
Ken Fisher - Semi retired old fart Network Administrator, now working in Network Security. I don't Forum PVP. If you feel I've attacked you, it was probably by accident. When I don't understand, I ask. Such is not intended as criticism.
I would choose all, but I didn't see other at first so...lol.
Anyway, I chose Story. I don't care how the story is made, and it doesn't have to be too deep, but if I don't feel like thinking about the story, or have any desire to change it, whether in game or in my head, then it is 100% useless to me. If I wanted to play a game with zero or just bad story, I'd just play pacman, tetris, asteroid and all those other goofy old games.
Originally posted by UOvet I just want more freedom in MMOs today. Give me a game with UOs freedom, include DaoCs RvR system with SWG crafting and I think you've got a decent MMO.
For me it's Curiosity: wanting to know what's around that corner, in that cave, behind those hills. Gimme a rich world full of unexpected things to discover!
You want to know what drives people....its the sense of accomplishment.
When they level, gain treasure....whatever.....thats what drives them....while some people feel more of sense of accomplishement doing some things others do not.
That should be the primary motivator....as a game company person said on a forum different then this one.....
"every risk should have a reward...the bigger the risk or time spent the bigger the reward"
....of course many companies dont follow that ideal and some have kind of fogotten about that somewhere along the way.
By the way the person who said that was a developer for city of heroes before nc soft took it over....so they might still work on city of heroes....or might be working on champions online or on star trek online.
I voted "other," because....I don't think anyone can SAY what "should" be the primary motivating factor. I think all of those possibilities (and more) need to exist as potential paths in the game world, and then players THEMSELVES are the ones to determine THEIR OWN primary motivating factor. It's not my place to determine what "should" be primary for everyone ELSE.....
Creating a character that finds his niche in a virtual world has always appealed to me. And to all you lamers that said "for fun"... i think thats why everyone plays. Pretty sure the op was asking whats fun for you in an mmorpg in a roundabout way.
Yes, I agree about the "fun" thing. I will admit, I wrote this post in haste because I had to leave work in like 5 minutes. I wound up leaving out a lot of things from the poll that should have been in there. This is evidenced by the exteremly large amount of people who chose "other. So it definitely is not perfect.
Regardless though saying that "fun" is your motivator for playing an MMORPG is not an adequate answer. As Foomerang says, everyone plays an MMORPG for fun, the question is WHY is it fun for you.
The social interaction matters most is that my gear score is higher than yours. I am a better player than you. My gear is l33t and pwn yours. I can deliver higher dps than you because i optimize my gear & rotation.
Showing off is a primary emotional needs and you can't do it without other people. MMORPGs are the perfect environment to do so. Ask youself why progression is such a standard, powerful motivation? It is not because a player would really care about a spell power of 3564 vs 3560 .. it is because his spell power of 3564 is greater than yours.
That is also why GearScore is so popular.
No one can get away from this powerful emotional need to be "better than others" .. even if it is an illusion.
Heh....For some folks I guess the motivation is if you make enough in game cash, you get cyborz or perhaps even RL sex. For the socially inept, it probably is motivation.
They was supposed to of been a case of a woman trading a night of woopie for a guy buying her a horse in WoW.
Unsure if true....but I wouldnt doubt it. KNowing there are some women that will give it up for a happy meal, at least that woman got the kiddie toy. In more ways than one no less
Asking Devs to make AAA sandbox titles is like trying to get fine dining on a McDonalds dollar menu budget.
Comments
I just want more freedom in MMOs today. Give me a game with UOs freedom, include DaoCs RvR system with SWG crafting and I think you've got a decent MMO.
Yeah the blanket answer is "fun". The catch being that each of the things the OP and others have listed so far in this thread are fun to those players, and therefore have a place in games.
Activities in a game should be enjoyable on their own merits. Many MMOs fail on that account.
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
My answer was other because the only true answer is fun trying to focus on all those other factors as primary is where I think alot of devs get games wrong as it is.
but yeah, to call this game Fantastic is like calling Twilight the Godfather of vampire movies....
I voted "other"... I think ALL of those are the primary motivators, and they all need to be there.
I also think you missed a few. Allow me to note that boobs are a dominant feature on almost every piece of MMORPG advertising out there. There's a reason for that.
I would choose all, but I didn't see other at first so...lol.
Anyway, I chose Story. I don't care how the story is made, and it doesn't have to be too deep, but if I don't feel like thinking about the story, or have any desire to change it, whether in game or in my head, then it is 100% useless to me. If I wanted to play a game with zero or just bad story, I'd just play pacman, tetris, asteroid and all those other goofy old games.
-I want a Platformer MMO
I putr charcter advancement, but what i would have put is telling your characters story through advancement, if i could.
F2P/P2P excellent thread.
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/282517/F2P-An-Engineers-perspective.html
Freedom and pvp.
"Come and have a look at what you could have won."
I don't know.
I play Eve, Its the universe I live in when i need an escape from the wife and kids.
The relaxation i could use after a long day at work or after a grueling show or practice.
My motivating factor is what? The fun? the universe? its community? my characters growth? shinies? domination? wealth? I guess my answer is yes.
Playing: Rift, LotRO
Waiting on: GW2, BP
I voted "Other".
For me it's Curiosity: wanting to know what's around that corner, in that cave, behind those hills. Gimme a rich world full of unexpected things to discover!
Always read the small print.
The theoretical ideal MMO should NOT focus on a single motivation.
Vanguard, for example, had:
- adventuring advancement (level)
- ability advancement (skill training, quest items, etc)
- gear advancement (quests, raids etc)
- extra gear advancement (housing, mounts, ships)
- crafting advancement (crafter level, crafted items)
- ressource advancement (harvest)
- story and lore (quests, diplomacy level)
- social interaction (tell, channels, guilds)
- newbie helping (xp debuff, temporary delevel)
- exploration (huge gameworld)
- player vs player combat (arena)
Ok, PvP could have been improved in extreme amounts. The rest however offered everybody a lot of options what you could do.
P.s.: Forgot character customization and roleplaying. And probably more.
Anyway, the more different ways you have to play the game, the better.
the motivating factor?
SImple answer in it self....
You want to know what drives people....its the sense of accomplishment.
When they level, gain treasure....whatever.....thats what drives them....while some people feel more of sense of accomplishement doing some things others do not.
That should be the primary motivator....as a game company person said on a forum different then this one.....
"every risk should have a reward...the bigger the risk or time spent the bigger the reward"
....of course many companies dont follow that ideal and some have kind of fogotten about that somewhere along the way.
By the way the person who said that was a developer for city of heroes before nc soft took it over....so they might still work on city of heroes....or might be working on champions online or on star trek online.
A good MMO should offer all of those motivations and let the player choose.
I voted "other," because....I don't think anyone can SAY what "should" be the primary motivating factor. I think all of those possibilities (and more) need to exist as potential paths in the game world, and then players THEMSELVES are the ones to determine THEIR OWN primary motivating factor. It's not my place to determine what "should" be primary for everyone ELSE.....
President of The Marvelously Meowhead Fan Club
Yes, I agree about the "fun" thing. I will admit, I wrote this post in haste because I had to leave work in like 5 minutes. I wound up leaving out a lot of things from the poll that should have been in there. This is evidenced by the exteremly large amount of people who chose "other. So it definitely is not perfect.
Regardless though saying that "fun" is your motivator for playing an MMORPG is not an adequate answer. As Foomerang says, everyone plays an MMORPG for fun, the question is WHY is it fun for you.
Are you team Azeroth, team Tyria, or team Jacob?
Being able to have fun. To be able to log on, and focus more on the idea of "I want to do this" rather than "I need to do this because..."
It really doesn't get much more complex than that.
I am the Warrior.
In order to kill, I must close with my enemy. I see their eyes. I smell their breath. I taste their fear.
Status.
The social interaction matters most is that my gear score is higher than yours. I am a better player than you. My gear is l33t and pwn yours. I can deliver higher dps than you because i optimize my gear & rotation.
Showing off is a primary emotional needs and you can't do it without other people. MMORPGs are the perfect environment to do so. Ask youself why progression is such a standard, powerful motivation? It is not because a player would really care about a spell power of 3564 vs 3560 .. it is because his spell power of 3564 is greater than yours.
That is also why GearScore is so popular.
No one can get away from this powerful emotional need to be "better than others" .. even if it is an illusion.
Heh....For some folks I guess the motivation is if you make enough in game cash, you get cyborz or perhaps even RL sex. For the socially inept, it probably is motivation.
They was supposed to of been a case of a woman trading a night of woopie for a guy buying her a horse in WoW.
Unsure if true....but I wouldnt doubt it. KNowing there are some women that will give it up for a happy meal, at least that woman got the kiddie toy. In more ways than one no less
Asking Devs to make AAA sandbox titles is like trying to get fine dining on a McDonalds dollar menu budget.