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Developer content vs. Player content. What's more important?
heartless
Member UncommonPosts: 4,993
Personaly, I think that developer content is much more important that player content. When I buy a game I want to log on to a living, breathing virtual world that is brimming with things for me to do. I do not want to play a game where I have to come up with things to keep me entertained! All too often, however, I log on to find myself dissapointed. The content in many MMORPGs is stale or non-existant. Some offer none, others offer little. Mostly, all MMORPGs are nothing more than huge leveling threadmills with time sinks.
My recent experience with Lineage II is a prime example. Hearing/reading all the hype about this game, I eagerly logged on to Taiwan beta expecting to be awed... I was quickly dissapointed, however. Almost no custumization, stale quests, killing mindless mob after mindless mob after mindless mob after... You get the point.
The World of Warcraft's assistant Designer Jeff Kaplan said:
"The single most important thing to remember when creating a game is that it must be FUN. When someone sits down to play your MMO, they are doing so to be entertained. An MMO should not feel like a job or obligation. It's very important not to fall into that trap of trying to manipulate your community, as if you're trying to run an ant farm. As a designer, it's your responsibility to create a world that's exciting, challenging, and FUN. It's not your job to play god over someone's play experience."
That is one of the reasons why I'm really looking forward to World of Warcraft.
Anyway, enough of my rambling. What do you guys think? What's more important?
Comments
Does it mean WoW will be a great game, or does it mean Jeff Kaplan is good at saying what people like to hear?
It's hard to tell.
In all honest he's saying what I like, but nothing but words until it's gone gold.
As far as content goes, I like to see player conent, but this trick is how to implement in a way that doesn't deliute the game world. It would be pretty cool as a player to shape the game you enjoy playing... but it's not something everyone is good at. About 99% of all player made content will be horrid, but 1% will be wonderfull.
I think we'll see more player made content sneaking into future games, but it's a idea that still need more time in the oven.
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"The beauty of MMORPGS is the merging of gaming and chatrooms. EQ is really just AOL merged with a fantasy game." - billus8
Bartle: A: 93% E: 55% S:3% K: 50% Test learn what it means here.
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Achievers realise that killers as a concept are necessary in order to make achievement meaningful and worthwhile (there being no way to "lose" the game if any fool can "win" just by plodding slowly unchallenged). -bartle
Bartle: A: 93% E: 55% S:3% K: 50% The Test. Learn what it means here.