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MMORPGs in 2015; hope all is well.
Spector88
Member UncommonPosts: 112
I was thinking to myself today, wow I haven't been to MMORPG.com in so long!
It's a shame but I think I finally stopped identifying myself as a avid, or fan of 'MMORPGs' the last year or two.
I started playing The Realm Online in the mid 90's when I was only 8 or 9 years old. My dad worked in IT and I had access to computers very early, by age 12 or 13 I could type about 60-70 WPM and had the reading and english level of a sophomore. Playing ORPG's really helped a lot with some of that. They also made me want to learn to do websites, HTML, photoshop etc. to recruit and play with guilds. I got to play DAoC, EQ, Asheron's Call, etc. etc. etc. & was always amazed at the new things coming out.. Then World of Walmart came around to destroy the industry and conquer it.
I know we have these posts all the time about sandbox vs. this or that or old school vs. new school but seriously, what the heck happened to MMORPGs?
There was a period of time where there was a lot of mystery with MMORPGs, and truly unique and interesting variety, but now they all really disappoint a lot of people. You can find a diehard or two for almost ANY MMORPG on the market, a lot of them I feel haven't had the privilage to play older MMORPG's or maybe haven't played a large variety but MMORPG's have really gone down the crapper.
After the last few huge flops, Elder Scrolls, GW2, Star Wars the Old Republic, etc. I really think I have finally stopped being proud to be a 'MMORPG' fan. For years I was proud of that, excited about it, recommended them. Now, I really dont feel that way.
Hope everyone is doing well, and maybe someday a studio with some backing will make a complete and unique MMORPG that most can enjoy.
Right now I play mostly Smite, its a cool take on a MOBA. I also enjoy CS:GO and Path of Exile even though its a grind fest.
Comments
.............
When in doubt, troll.
8 years and counting addicted to
Avalon: The Legend Lives - the longest running online RPG in history
While you guys are looking back at what was, I am have been having fun in ESO and lately the story-only of SWTOR. Been playing MMOs since '03 when I first stepped into SWG.
"I don't give a sh*t what other people say. I play what I like and I'll pay to do it too!" - SerialMMOist
It seems to be a good year for quite a few people. The vocal minority (Including myself), are the only ones who aren't happy. I'm starting to feel that I don't like MMORPG's anymore. The taste of this gaming format has left a stale taste in my mouth and since no developer has deviated from said format, my alternative has been transitioning back into FPS games.
I'm starting to understand that gaming (In general), is starting to transition into an era that I simply have no business being a part of. MOBA's, F2P everything, Cheap thrills, Rehashing old ideas has become industry standards. If it wasn't for Splatoon's release, I honestly would have said there wasn't one innovative new idea to hit the gaming market this year.
^Same here.
Have fun lamenting the "sorry state of the genre" and what not!
My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)
https://www.ashesofcreation.com/ref/Callaron/
Nothing much has came out that hasn't already been out but there are a few games to actually find interest in if you look around.
After many hours of looking at virtual worlds I came to the conclusion that there really isn't enough interest in such a thing. The current trend in to make them more instanced and solo because that IS what the majority want and when your out to make money at this business, you will go where the money is. Future games will adjust their goals to compete so the end product will be the same thing just different pixels.
Sitting there and complaining about it will not make it change so deal with it or find a SP to play.
If you are interested in making a MMO maybe visit my page to get a free open source engine.
MMORPGs in 2015?...
I finally recently caved and have gone back to EQ (the original EQ mind you)... after over a decade since having left it...
Aside from the combat being a little slower than what I would think it should be starting out in an MMORPG (particularly when you consider combat and downtime), everything else about it seems better than anything else I have seen besides Vanguard (and that got shut down?). I just refuse to use mercenaries.
THAT is how well MMORPG-land is doing!
And actually, to add to the slow part via combat time and downtime...
There are most certainly reasons behind that or ways they have appeared to have used them in order to create more challenge. Admittedly, beginning MMORPG PvE combat should be over in about 8-12 solid hits, and should not have so much *miss miss miss miss miss* involved (though it definitely should be involved). It was one of those things that D&D also had at low levels. However, given lengthy combat with wandering mobs, you need to still pay attention to what is going on around you, as adds will make short work of you. Hell, even in the tutorial I see player corpses EVERYWHERE, and I ain't died yet
.
As far as the downtime goes, you need to figure out what mob or mobs to kill in order to park it where they were for some amount of time (and before they respawn), or get attacked by wandering mobs while trying to recoup. Unless you happen to find nice offset spots to park it for that downtime. So downtime is important with certain challenge aspects involved, but this is also where I think a page from TERA (and likely other mmo-mmorpgs) comes into play. There should be ways to maintain and-or recoup mana during combat, but it should also take a skilled player to be able to really accomplish this. Without that skill, you should be sitting downtime in meditation.
I also got involved with computers early in life,i had a good paying job early on,took lessons to program in C language and bought one of the earliest computers.
I got to witness the entire gaming industry unfold and move forward,there definitely was a LOT more to look forward to back then than there is now.
Back in the old days i was anticipating every new game,something new to see in every purchase.Now i feel like i know exactly what each game is going to do and i have little faith and lots of disbelief.
I learned VERY early on how to work with game engines,i almost became obsessed as well as learning html and making all kinds of stuff on the computer.
IMO Wolfenstein was the first real popular fps leading into Doom,Quake Heretic and Hexxen to Unreal..,then rpg games like Wizardry and Might N Magic and Ultima.
That was a LOT of ground breaking games hitting the market in a very short time and each installment was noticeably better.
Now a days you can almost bet that 99% of the newest games are WORSE like far worse,cheaper budgets lame gimmicks bringing nothing new to the genres.
I don't buy into cost either because some games like FFVII were spending what would equal around 150 million now a days,yet we see what looks like 1-5 million dollar budgets and yes even from the big developers.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Elder Scrolls, GW2, and Star Wars the Old Republic aren't flops. I can understand if you don't like them, but unless we're saying the goal is to beat WoW then they're all pretty healthy games. They must be making enough money to be profitable and that's with continued development costs on major expansions and in TESO's case expanding to multiple platforms.
I get that these games are nothing like the games we used to play but they're successful and three pretty different games. No one has really taken the next leap in MMOs but it will happen. I remember when FPS games plateaued, RTS games, and every other genre has hit a point where nothing really mindblowing came out for a period of time. I think eventually someone will come out with something new and engaging. We're just going through the growing pains.
Take the development time of an MMO into mind as well, these games take a lot more planning than a single player game. They're so much more involved, so it's probably about now that some company is coming up with ideas for something great. It'll likely be at least 5 years before we see it.
It'll happen eventually that we'll get another great MMO - regardless of what your favourites were.
It really depends on what you call a "flop". Many of the large studios have considered these MMORPG's "flops" because they didn't generate WoW subscription or player numbers, but in the grand scheme of things they are all financially successful and performing quite well.
Too well, in fact. I honestly wish that SWTOR would shrivel up and die so that maybe it could be replaced with a newer version of SWG which I feel was a far superior experience. However, SWTOR is probably the second highest grossing MMORPG out right now. It's sad that people find such a linear, simple and hand-holding game to be good enough to keep feeding money, but that's the world we live in.