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How do you feel about MMO credentials for the people who write for this site?
seeyouspacec0wboy
Member UncommonPosts: 714
As the years go by it's becoming clear that people writing articles for this site started playing MMORPG's post vanilla WoW. Until the next major shift in the genre comes about, vanilla WoW seems to be the best barometer for the old school vs new school, with vanilla being a mix of both.
My first MMORPG was FFXI, then I moved to WoW and I quit that when the first expansion came out, then I moved to Vanguard. Haven't played an MMO in a serious way since then. FFXIV is the closest but I didn't last too long.
I joined this site a round early 2006. At the time you could already tell that the forums were becoming a haven for those just looking for a new home in the genre but unable to find one. In 2020 the forums are almost entirely that. We are mostly all posting from positions of waiting for that next MMO that scratches the itch for us the way they did pre 2004.
In my early days here I appreciated that previews, reviews, op eds etc were clearly done by people who had had similar gaming experiences to the rest of us. Now, it's clear that some people writing here are quite new to the genre. That's great and probably has it's benefits. But it also makes me wonder...with no new MMORPG's coming out that suit my fancy (I'm watching Pantheon but who knows), with the forums being mostly people like myself who just want to complain and talk about the days of yore, with articles about new MMORPGs being written by people who use the past 5 years of the genre as comparisons, and with many of the articles coming out now focusing on other genres, I feel like I only check the site daily because it has become a muscle memory over the last 14-15 years.
That was a little less focused of a post than I wanted to write...but you get the point.
My first MMORPG was FFXI, then I moved to WoW and I quit that when the first expansion came out, then I moved to Vanguard. Haven't played an MMO in a serious way since then. FFXIV is the closest but I didn't last too long.
I joined this site a round early 2006. At the time you could already tell that the forums were becoming a haven for those just looking for a new home in the genre but unable to find one. In 2020 the forums are almost entirely that. We are mostly all posting from positions of waiting for that next MMO that scratches the itch for us the way they did pre 2004.
In my early days here I appreciated that previews, reviews, op eds etc were clearly done by people who had had similar gaming experiences to the rest of us. Now, it's clear that some people writing here are quite new to the genre. That's great and probably has it's benefits. But it also makes me wonder...with no new MMORPG's coming out that suit my fancy (I'm watching Pantheon but who knows), with the forums being mostly people like myself who just want to complain and talk about the days of yore, with articles about new MMORPGs being written by people who use the past 5 years of the genre as comparisons, and with many of the articles coming out now focusing on other genres, I feel like I only check the site daily because it has become a muscle memory over the last 14-15 years.
That was a little less focused of a post than I wanted to write...but you get the point.
Originally posted by Scagweed22
is it the graphics? the repetativenesses? i mean what is the point? you could be so much more productive in real life
Real life brings repetition and pointlessness too. The only thing real life offers is Great graphics. Its kinda expensive too and way to dependent on the cash shop. Totally pay to win as well. No thank you. Ill stick to my games.
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Comments
The computer, the web and computer games (especially CRPG's and MMORPG's) were the domain of nerds back in the day- Most of us came from a tabletop environment and were part of geek culture before it became mainstream and 'cool'.
As the masses started invading , we pretty much were forgotten and everything shifted towards the new and larger mass market that was coming into our domain and replacing us...Everything was effectively 'dumbed down' to the lowest common denominator .
I see people acting as if this site just changed recently when it changed hands- This site had essentially died when they started censoring hardcore back around 2012/2013 or something- MMORPGs were pretty much dead then and the users coming had had thin skins and demanded a safe space- This has trickled across the entire internet now.
You're not mistaken in your assessment but what is there really to talk about ? Us old timers who still know what usenet is have been replaced as gaming has replaced Hollywood as the main money maker. MMORPG's are pretty much dead in the form we played them (and the way we believed they would evolve) and they arent coming back- All we would do is write bitching articles so better to find people who still find enjoyment in the cash shop sewer swamp of what passes for the genre these days.
Sorry for the unfocused rambling as well- Just waking up from a nap - What us old folks do on valentines day lol-
I'll be frank: I'm not necessarily looking for a good, well put together game. I'm sure many MMO's that have come out in the last 15 years could be called that, and I've dabbled in some of them. But I'm looking for a very specific experience. It's possibly not one that I'll ever find again, and that's ok, but I at least liked that I could come here and read reviews of games from people who were also looking for that experience.
Originally posted by Scagweed22
is it the graphics? the repetativenesses? i mean what is the point? you could be so much more productive in real life
Real life brings repetition and pointlessness too. The only thing real life offers is Great graphics. Its kinda expensive too and way to dependent on the cash shop. Totally pay to win as well. No thank you. Ill stick to my games.
It was a nice blast from the past but far too time consuming.
I have not been coming to this site for 15 years. But I feel the same way, I come here daily and I don't even know why. The articles are so out of touch with how the majority of MMO players feel about the current status of the genre. It is what it is though, they literally have nothing to write about these days. I think maybe, I just hope to see some news of something that will interest me. Has not happened in a long time though. Too many pledge to win kickstarter games coming down the pipes. Its literally all they write about these days.
I guess for me, preference in a game comes before era of gaming.
Been playing MMO's, since EQ, and Text Based MUD's before that.
The biggest thing that happens with MMO's, is that they all too often change in bad ways. They build this base game, and players love it, then each time they expand upon the game, they run the risk of making anything from lead balloon to a shooting star.
And this is what happens. A lot of us had a game we loved, played it for years, paid into it, and loved the game, and then the game changed for the worse for it, and it was no longer enjoyable for us to play.
So we look for a new game, and the process goes over again.
I think older players are not angry, bitter or looking to rip down a game (ok, some are, I'll give you that), but it more simply we have seen the same mistakes happen in the past that we can see them coming again, we have seen the same pitfalls enough times, that in some cases we believe we can see them before they happen.
While it gives us that perspective, it is also something new gamers do not address when they talk about games.
If you talked with a new gamer, they are all about what is.
If you talk to an old school gamer they will talk more about What could be.
And this gives a distinct advantage, as even after the game launches, an old school gamer is still thinking about where the game will go from here, what will happen with the expansion, or what have you, because these are things they worry about, it is not enough for us to simply enjoy the game today, if it feels like the game could to turn to shit in 2 years like we have seen happen to other games we loved and enjoyed, we would rather not waste that 2 years to get to that point where we rage quit.
So it's not that anyone is not worth listening to, as we are all gamers, and what holds us together is the love of games, regardless of all other factors.
Just my feels on it.
Actually it is an interesting thought experiment to compare Black Desert Online with Pre-Kunark Everquest.
Black Desert Online doesn't let you trade anything with other players nor gift anything -- it is a 100% managed economy through the store and things can be completely worthless just because of the values the store allows, or completely untradable. Everquest at the time had tons of stores you could sell to and people could even BUY from the stores. You could even give goods to monsters like torches for effect, or a weapon to a skeleton to make a powerhouse.
BDO is solo-centric group possible while EQ1 at the time it really depended upon which class you were. At launch it was a lot less mandatory to group than it was say at the planes of power stage of the game. There weren't even raids yet, even though there were places and monsters where you wanted more than one group -- but you had no way to link those groups -- highest DPS group won.
They both had defined loot tables for monsters as opposed to something more flexible.
They both had very high graphics for the time.
Neither one really had fast travel. You could easily be a half an hour away from someone else in both games, unlike what EQ1 became. If anything there were fewer fast travel options in black desert than the druids and wizards of everquest.
Quests were a very good method of gaining exp in both games.
Both games had serious death penalties compared to most games. EQ1 of course had the now infamous corpse runs, but BDO you take a substantial exp and money hit on death.
EQ1 required you to kill hard monsters usually one at a time if you were solo while BDO is a slaughterfest where tons of monsters fall to your sword. BDO really compares better to Asheron's Call of the time here with EQ1 being its opposite.
A bit like walking into your local Chinese restaurant only to find out no one working there is actually Chinese.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I've sort of shifted from what I used to know and love. The time when things were hard so achieving something actually meant something. But as I've grown older (I'm not an old-timer yet!) my responsibilities have grown accordingly and I just don't have the time to really dedicate to those types of games anymore.
So what I look for in MMORPGs are fun gameplay and friends. If the game doesn't make me fall asleep and I've found a decent core of people to play with then I'm A-Okay.
As my priorities have shifted I suppose the articles here still speak to my like. If the article can tell me it's fun, I'll try it. If they tell me it's fun but the community is toxic, I'll think twice. You see where I'm going with this.
The genre and hobby have passed my by. As games strive to reach the largest audience possible (with exclusives?), they lost the heart and soul of what made them so enjoyable for me.
MMORPG.com has taken the "most viewed" route by keeping up with the genre and industry changes in order to try to stay current. I don't blame them as they are just following the trends
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
I don't expect to ever really enjoy anything as much as I liked Everquest , that is impossible simply because of the new experience everything was to me. I think since then I enjoyed Anarchy Online, City of Heroes, Vanguard and a few others including early WoW. The most recent game I significantly enjoyed was FFXIV.
As the landscape of the MMORPG genre changes so too the writers. It is an inevitable change. I guess we will have to adapt to the change because if we don't we won't have many games to play. I don't want that for myself. I want to play even when these old hands fight my desire and often fail.
I still go back to the old games like on P99 and when Anarchy Online released their new server last year and try to recapture some of the old magic. WoW Classic was the other foray.
If you have eaten 'authentic' Chinese food you will never settle for less. Anyone who says otherwise has no inkling of what authentic Chinese food is like.
A real writer would simply write on a game because he /she enjoys writing about games.A REAL person would also write as if they were talking to a friend and not care one bit about the "professionalism CODE" to follow.Also a true person would not care one bit about "the business side" of getting paid nor often have to ask permission to post their writing on a game.The reason for the latter is because often these writers are invited by the studio to come and see the game beforehand and is under NDA.
So you often get manipulated or writings that are first inspected by the developer.The BUSINESS side of things is ALWAYS going to be a deterrent when comes to good articles and reading.
Point being that if you almost NEVER see the TRUE side of the writers articles then how can you judge or critique their views/opinions?The only things we could comment on is their ethics and morals of operating as a PAID writer.
Their USED to be a standard that ALL editorials and advertising follow a code of non deception.Now a days that code has been long forgotten with MOST businesses purposely trying to deceive people for profits.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Thats why the comments section is where you'll often find the most insight and truth... Plus we get to laugh at Star Citizen.
Well said.
edit- Its always been this way too- I/we just didnt realize it. Looking through old gaming mags from the 90s with new insight and experience is a trip- I'l admit I was far more naive and believed what I read back then.
Same threads that run for days, and the most ‘controversial’ posters pushed out of the frame.
People says MMORPG.com is toxic, but in my opinion is too sterilised, not too different from the official forums of the various games.
The news/articles are mostly irrelevant, and the amount of non MMORPG news is increasing exponentially.
If I wanted a generic gaming site, I would go to IGN or Eurogamer.
It still drives traffic. Enough to justify me spending time here to answer comments, be active in threads, etc.
The moment the above stops being true, I'll be elsewhere.
But I stopped coming here for the quality of the articles years ago. Until the current staff can prove otherwise, it's not an MMORPG news site for me. I only interact with community threads
It's as ignorant as jerkoffs who ask people if they have degree in a subject they are speaking/writing/debating about.
As though that somehow invalidates whatever their position is if they don't.
There is a chinese restaurant around here that is run by people with no chinese ancestry. It serves food of an equal quality with the other such restaurants nearby. What people refer to as chinese food in the USA is americanized chinese food. It would never be served to you if you were at a friend's house who came from China. It is odd to profile a restaurant based on the style of food it serves.
If they are speaking/writing/debating about the best way to fix the axles of my Jeep Wrangler, then yes, credentials are very important, as my life depends on not screwing that up.
If they are speaking/writing/debating on what they think is the best color icing for a spring themed cake, then, while I would take a professional cake makers opnion over someone with no cake making experience, there is no harm done in giving each person their due to express their opnion.
If they are talking/writing/debating about what they think is the best ride at Disney World, then, since it's all a matter of opnion anyway, everyone is free to chime in and talk.
Which brings us back to the OP, if someone wants to talk/write/debate about what they love/hate about an MMO, then buy all means, everyone join in.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Hell, I remember my 7th grade teacher had a huge, decorative paddle.
That thing inspired fear!
It was custom made for him. It was almost as tall as a man, and was reminiscent of William Wallace's huge two handed sword.
It had a two handed handle, routed edges, and polished to a sheen.
But worst of all, it had decorative holes all along the working length of it, cut in a decorative pattern along the length.
These holes were said to have been placed so as to increase pain!
And there it hung, on the front wall, between two long chalk boards like a place of sanctity.
No one broke the rules in that classroom. No one.
Gimps were made into men.
Industries flourished.
Wars were won.
Time passed. That teacher retired, aged, died, and fell into local lore and legend.
But I can attest to the reality of that giant paddle.
I saw it!
But never did I challenge it's retribution!
What happened to that paddle is still a subject of debate.
A quest was mounted, an excursion was funded by local industrial leaders.
But what had happened to it is still left to speculation.
Some say that it is housed in a secret underground storage room at the local historical museum.
Others say that it was absorbed into the military's secret weapons program.
Still others say that it was ascended into Heaven, along with it's owner.
The truth, is hard to say.
(This story is only slightly exaggerated,
Once upon a time....