What is the first thing you look for in MMORPG's?

Inzra · February 2011

If you look for a new mmorpg to play, what's the first or main thing that has to be there?

Phry · February 2011

1. for me would have to be the community, which means that social interraction, should be comprehensive and well supported. any game that lacks that as a baseline, is for me, unplayable.

2. UI, any user interface that is overly complicated or requires at least 3 hands to operate is a fail, UI's should be simple and straightforward, and, customisable.

3. gameplay, call it the fun factor if you will, if its frustrating then forget it.. too easy.. meh.. highly repetitious.. no chance.. fun = varied and challenging.. not easy though.. but how close a game gets means the more fun it ultimately is.. for me at least.

4. graphics/sound etc.. icing on the cake really.. they make good games great, or not..

MMO's should be about interacting with other people after all, or why bother playing them?

Xasapis · February 2011

Overall feeling ... hard to describe.

Adamantine · February 2011

I dont really understand the question. First thing ? I check the whole thing before I attempt to proceed ?

I check out if the game has any dealbreakers:

- must be subscription based ONLY

- must be third person perspective

- no item decay

Then I check out if the game has anything I dont really like:

- the more distance from classic fantasy, the worse

- skillbased rulesystem, even worse levelless

- gear has no value

- loading screens

- forced soulbound items

- instancing

- no peace zones from PvP

- realm vs realm PvP (ugh. I want to be able to play all races and all classes, thanks !)

You can compensate for that, but I will consider it a disadvantage

Then of course there have to be things that attract me. The closer the game is to my personal idea of a good MMO, the better and the more likely I am to choose playing it.

I am especially attracted by:

- sound rulesystem with complex and dynamic gameplay (no brainless single button mashing, reward players who think which button to press next)

- many races, including my beloved darkelves, many classes

- huge seamless gameworld with many different looking locations and tons of quests

- lowend graphics with low hardware requirements, many people on screen on the same time and realistic viewing distances

- complex and powerful crafting system

- item oveenchanting - you can always improve items, but theres a chance to break them if you do

- massive PvP events (castle sieges)

- housing, mounts, fluff, ...

For example, when I check out RIFT, it went like this:

- Only 6 races, darkelves exist but dont look like darkelves

- Really weird graphics, I dont like it

- Rulesystem is bad in an unacceptable degree. You only have 4 classes, and you are forced to trippeclass subclasses inside those classes.

After I've seen the basic design rulesystem, I already knew that this was no game for me.

When I checked out Age of Conan, it was something like this:

- What only three races ?

- What they have only three races, but still have limits on who can play which class ?

- No roleplaying combat system, instead something shooter style

- Small world

Ok, thats enough, not worth considering

When I checked out Darkfall, it was:

- What, no classes ?

- Items worth nothing ?

- People in their forum only talk about how to max their CON ?

Then I went no, thank you.

And to list some successful ones, when I checked Vanguard, I was:

- Whow ! Massive gameworld !

- Its classic fantasy !

- Wants to make things right instead of weaseling out with tricks like instancing !

- Approach to classes looks very good !

And there was more and more and more, once I started playing. All in all it was the perfect PvE MMO, only lack of players killed it in the end.

When I checked out SWTOR, it was:

- Hmm Star Wars, not really what I like most, but not too awful.

- Bioware ? Ok that means good user interface and good story, but bad graphics and bad rulesystem.

- Bioware seems to play on its strengths, wants to not have grinds in the MMO. Very good !

- Game seems to contain massive content.

- Ok rulesystem doesnt look that awful. It seems highly inspired by the very primitive but still effective KotoR rulesystem.

- OMG only 4 people groups ? Ouch.

Ok, it was no new Vanguard, but

In short, I want a complex, powerful rulesystem, and I like itemization. And I like darkelves and magic, and dislike any mechanics.

pixeldogmeat · February 2011

I look for people like Adamantine with all their crazy needs and wants, and if they're getting them fufilled, I leave.

I look for freedom, not sandbox, not PVP servers, just pure simple freedom. Give me a humanoid paperdoll to turn into whatever I want, human, orc, dog, whatever. Let me run around doing whatever I want, smashing trees, digging holes, punching people in the face, pissing on the lawn.

Give me hunger, thirst, misery.

But whatever you do, make it a virtual world, where the only rules are the rules that govern the physics of that world and that's it.

And please, don't send me on a linear path to save some king I don't give a shit about.

And if you do put NPC's that give out quests, give me the ability to freely kill their standing around in the same spot saying the same shit all the time asses if I don't like what they say or how they look at me.

You know, same rules in the real world, but it's a fantasy world where I don't go to jail for being a bad boy, unless it's in game, and I have the ability to "try" and break out of jail.

Kuvajokeri · February 2011

For me personally, I think the first thing I look up is the theme of the game. I prefer (cliché-ish) high fantasy themes, so the first thing I normally do is check out some screenshots of the game to see if the game world seems "fantasy" enough.

Only after that do I look up the other features of the game. I prefer games with minimal instancing/world loading screens, so that's one of the things I look up, the level of "seamlessness" of the game. There are some exceptions to this for me, such as LOTRO, so I won't get any further into it.

Ihmotepp · February 2011

The VERY first thing is whether or not there's a cash shop. If there's a cash shop, I dismiss it, and don't look further, but that only takes a minute or two. F2P, got a cash shop? Ok, not interested.

Second thing is art style. Not quality of graphics and animations, but the style of the artwork. Is it realistic, representational, anime, etc.

I'm going to look at the game a long time while I play, and the graphic design has to be appealing to me.

For example, I've just never liked the art style in WoW. It's to bright and cartoony for my tastes.

I'm also not a big fan of anime, but it's ok if it's subtle.

nerovipus32 · February 2011

boob size

Telil · February 2011

First thing for me is a vast world where not everything is mentioned on a map.

Kunark was released and many zones were left hidden for months....Crypt of Dalnir with a hidden passageway that you had to go through a fake water pool to get to....classic!

Benedikt · February 2011

for me it is the crafting system

Marcus- · February 2011

Its changed a bit in the last few years, but right now, I'm looking for originality.

The typical, tank/spank, 5 man, high fantasy, battlegrounds games are, in my opinion, getting really old.

Heres hoping some of these "AAA" mmo makers, can start thinking, outside the box.

I enjoy the indie games, but would love to see one with some serious money backing it.

wallet113 · February 2011

1. Craft System

2. World

3. Graphics

4. Non raid content

VirusDancer · February 2011

Character.

It starts with the customization available during the initial character creation. Races. Skin tones. Features. Height. Weight. Whether the Races are stuck playing a certain faction or not (I dislike this kind of system, preferring systems more like what SWG allowed for back in the day).

Is the game about character progression or is it just a gear progression where the character really does not matter? I do not want fluff recognition of doing meaningless tasks either. I want actual character progression. In this regard, end game is a bad thing. If I wanted an end game, I would be playing an offline game or a console game.

The customization should continue. I do not want my character to look like he (or she) went shopping at Wal-Mart with thousands of other people. Gear should be reflective of the character - the ability to customize that is a great thing.

Do not want to be stuck on the same linear path doing the same meaningless quest that other players are doing. How many millions of people need to kill Hogger before there is something else to do? I like the idea of something along the lines of the AO Mission Terminals, but perhaps something a little more human - in the form of an agent. Yes, this is never there - but it does not mean I do not look for it.

A decent motivation for the character to take action. I should not feel like I might as well be playing Bejeweled just to pass the time while waiting to do something else.

Generally speaking, as I started off... the first thing I look for is Character.

Thorqemada · February 2011

If i decide to go into a mmo the first thing of extreme urgency is the avatar.
Am i happy with it, the choice of class/skills, the look, the animation.
If the mmo already fails at this point i am done with it.
Impossible to play a mmo with an avatar i hate!

Larsa · February 2011

Originally posted by Inzra
If you look for a new mmorpg to play, what's the first or main thing that has to be there?

First thing for me would be that the MMORPG has a fantasy or historical setting, I'm not interested at all in sci-fi/arcade/post-apocalyptic/super-hero/shooter titles.

VirusDancer · February 2011

Originally posted by Blutmaul
If i decide to go into a mmo the first thing of extreme urgency is the avatar.

Am i happy with it, the choice of class/skills, the look, the animation.

If the mmo already fails at this point i am done with it.

Impossible to play a mmo with an avatar i hate!

That would be something I left out - animations. You can have great looking avatars with horrible animations. In WoW, some of the combat animations put me off - even in RIFT, some of the animations between the races just look unfinished or as if they did not care.

You will try one race, enjoy those animations - then try another race and be /facepalm. It is kind of amazing.

Rockgod99 · February 2011

The games look/settings has to appeal to me first. Then I have to have a connection with my avatar. If he doesn't look cool, I'm gone.

Professor78 · February 2011

For me its a tie between the Graphics, healthy population and there being a vast amount of ways to build your charactor (not physical appearance - more about not a predetermined way your class should be specced/play/wear)

Loke666 · February 2011

It is a rather hard question. I try to look on the whole picture, but I guess it is usually a screenshot or small vid that makes me interested in a game so I guess graphics would be the answer. It sounds superficial but it is the first thing that usually is shown so a good vid or screenshot gives me the first impression and I lose interest in a few games that way because they are very ugly or have a weird interface.

Thorqemada · February 2011

Originally posted by VirusDancer

Originally posted by Blutmaul

If i decide to go into a mmo the first thing of extreme urgency is the avatar.
Am i happy with it, the choice of class/skills, the look, the animation.
If the mmo already fails at this point i am done with it.
Impossible to play a mmo with an avatar i hate!

That would be something I left out - animations. You can have great looking avatars with horrible animations. In WoW, some of the combat animations put me off - even in RIFT, some of the animations between the races just look unfinished or as if they did not care.
You will try one race, enjoy those animations - then try another race and be /facepalm. It is kind of amazing.

That is the reason why i play a Dwarf in Lotro bcs its the race that is quite ok and why i could not play a male in AoC bcs i found out i hated so very much the way they were running and walking beside the man only fitted the melee role and looked quite ridiculous as arnold schwarzenegger alike casters.

Tardcore · February 2011

Fun and longevity. If the game seems to be lacking in either, I take my ball and go home.

Annecathrine · February 2011

I miss My favo games and i have searching but not find any good mmorpg like pdo no

Dawkinson · February 2011

I look for a dynamic world where pvp is crucial for survival. The key attraction of MMOs is the social aspect, and nothing creates stronger social bonds with clanmates than having to PvP together to protect what you've got!

ThomasN7 · February 2011

I look to see how many quests there are in each area. If I see a ton of fedex quests then I just log out of the game!

maskedweasel · February 2011

1) Fun core mechanics.

Everything else falls into place. If the core of the game is fun, I'll play it. Whether its built around crafting, combat, or community.. maybe a little of each, sometimes little if not any of some.

If I have to maintain a spreadsheet to maintain my abilities I'll just keep walking.

yvesquo · February 2011

1. A precision environment which gives any gamer the ability to set himself apart through conventional skill, gaming ability and decisive personalization. Button mashing is a turnoff for me...or any gaming environment in which character traits feel half-hazard or randomized. Furthermore, skills and abilities must feel definitive and precise; I hate games in which more than half of the character's abilities/skills feel nerfed/pointless for the sake of equalization.

2. The storyline and art-direction I will place under the same heading. The game must assume a serious, and less whimsical, approach towards the gamer's taste. For instance, I get tired of the same old feme-fatale bikini visuals with wiggling butt and sighing voice; I also get bored with blood, guts, barbarity and insistence on the muscle-man physique. I like games that style themselves with graceful attention to detail rather than abrupt gimmicks and the harsh, confrontational aesthetic. The storyline should be in line with this...not just a series of "There is a monster; it is in my way; I am gonna beat its brains in." The game's storyline and art-direction should be well tailored and flawless (and not just a series of unconnected, brutally-violent events); it is really just that simple. The aesthetic feel of the game is very important to me.

3. The community. I don't like playing around people who just wanna wander aimlessly and beat stuff on the head. I like playing with a community of gamers who have more polished/acute tastes in gaming...someone who has been 'around the gamer's block', so to speak.

4. The interface must be flawless; I also like playing games that allow you to personalize the interface for your own gaming style. I really hate point and click games; the controls on them become clumsy and fallible, in my estimation...as I consider myself a more erudite cyborg.

5. The final heading I will call the 'meta-game' (just like the last chapter in one of Aristotle's books...everything that is left over that I have not talked about yet). For me, this is the magical quality of the game that is quite often difficult to put into words. It's not always easy to explain to people specifically why you have come to enjoy a particular gaming environment. That is why I must call it the 'meta-game' since it is that portion of the gaming console that is beyond explanation. The game either has it, or it doesn't. This is where I place graphics, sound and contemporaneity, since they don't always have to be cutting edge for me...they just have to work along with everything else. As a result, if you can't find it in one of these five headings, then it is not very important to me. I like games that feel right...with a sophisticated player community.

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What is the first thing you look for in MMORPG's?

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What is the first thing you look for in MMORPG's?

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