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Joey Nipps
Orcan High Command
Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 849
Location: Outer Space |
| Camping/Pulling Trend in MMORPGs? |
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This post is NOT about any particular MMORPG (even though I am using an example from the upcoming WOW game). I have been looking forward to WOW with some hope that Blizzard might break from the EQ mold and do a game right (for me at least) and was terribly disappointed when I read the following (excerpted from their Beta info site) describing techniques to be used in WOW. However, most (if not all) current mainstream MMORPGs utilize this technique to some (if not primary) degree in their game.
"The concept of "pulling" has been perfected in other games and carries on to World of Warcraft. The idea is a player in a party, known as "the puller", brings a monster or monsters back to a party that is camped at a safe location. The party fights and kills those monsters and then the process repeats. This is a much safer method than the whole party wandering around together in dangerous locations where they could wake up too many monsters."
Personally I feel that pulling and camping is one of the major failures (as a design technique) of MMORPGs. I find doing it tedious and boring and terribly unrealistic. With that said (note it is my personal feeling), what I am wondering (and hoping some of you enlightened souls might help with) is why designers continue to promote this type of play in their games? For instance, do "most" gamers really enjoy (or even prefer) this type of play so designers just give them what they want? Or do designers do this because it is the "easy" way to do a game? Or what? Any ideas?
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When everything else in life seems to fail you - buy a vowel. |
Wed Mar 17, 2004 4:28 pm |
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Darke
Village Dweller
Joined: 04 May 2002
Posts: 8
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I think because it has become such a standard practice in MMOG's that designers have to included citing it as good design. I think that since most MMOG's focus on level advancement , those players seeking somewhat 'safe' level advancement, they're obliged to have such methods in the game.
Dying repeatedly in a MMOG is a pain and I can see how a groups fun can be runined quickly by being overwhelmed in almost every combat in their quest for XP.
I agree with you though. Its a formula that wrecks game immersion and 'realism' (if the word can be used) in MMOG's. From what I've read in WOW, they were focusing on the playing experience through the many quests they planned to have available.
Maybe if they designed with more thought to providing a good playing experience than to keeping customers/players interested with the leveling carrot we wouldn't see such designs.
D
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Te Memento Esse Mortalum
Remember you are mortal. |
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Wed Mar 17, 2004 5:30 pm |
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Hexy
High Emperor
Joined: 28 Jun 2002
Posts: 621
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quote:
Personally I feel that pulling and camping is one of the major failures (as a design technique) of MMORPGs. I find doing it tedious and boring and terribly unrealistic. With that said (note it is my personal feeling), what I am wondering (and hoping some of you enlightened souls might help with) is why designers continue to promote this type of play in their games? For instance, do "most" gamers really enjoy (or even prefer) this type of play so designers just give them what they want? Or do designers do this because it is the "easy" way to do a game? Or what? Any ideas?
First off, I recall Blizzard saying that monsters won't be so predictable, and will have various ways of fighting.
Anyway, the pulling concept is easy and user-friendly, even though it quickly becomes a monotonous task. Furthermore, a more advanced AI could perhaps pose programming difficulties?
_________________
Like some bold seer in a trance;
Seeing all his own mischance |
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Wed Mar 17, 2004 8:21 pm |
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xSamhainx
Paws of Doom
Joined: 11 Sep 2002
Posts: 2192
Location: San Diego |
Noone forces you to play that way, you can play any way you want. If you want to pigeonhole yourself into camping out and auto-leveling by pulling in grossly outgunned foes, just so's you can get strong enough to go do it in a new spot with bigger foes, then that's all youll get. To me, thats a waste of money and time.
In DAoC, me and my friends would pick certain landmarks, like Stonehenge, to travel to. Then, we would fight our way thru whatever was in our way to the landmark. Im not saying blindly bolt out into the middle of a dangerous area, maybe pull a few here a few there. Even in a basic game like Diablo, you best pace yourself lest you end up biting off more than you can chew. But keep moving on, and covering more ground, thats the way I prefer to play. Keeps things somewhat adventurous
_________________
“Then away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about something that's on its mind and can't make itself understood, and so can't rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night grieving.”-Mark Twain |
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Thu Mar 18, 2004 1:50 am |
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Ammon777
Warrior for Heaven
Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 2011
Location: United States |
Generally, people do the easiest thing, and the easiest thing is to be a Campy Champy. |
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Thu Mar 18, 2004 5:34 am |
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