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Hyrrix
Fourty-two
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Posts: 282
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| MMORPGDot Feature: Ekim's Gamer View: The Year in Review |
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<P>In this editition of Ekim's Gamer View, you'll find Ekim's whole personal review of the year. Here's a snip:</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><I>Although SWG has its charm, and I still like it, it unfortunately reflects the poor state of the genre in which Grinding seems to have become King. I expect to come back to SWG once in a while, but it remains to be seen whether it’ll be able to hold me for longer stretches than 3 months at a time in the future. This one has a good chance of ending up on both the best mmorpg and worst mmorpg disappointment of the year awards for many people.<BR></I></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>Find the article <A href="http://www.mmorpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=827">here</A>!</P> |
Sat Dec 20, 2003 7:17 am |
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Ammon777
Warrior for Heaven
Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 2011
Location: United States |
I must agree with you Ekim that this was a not-so-great year for the MMOer.
Im not being mean or anything, so if what i say that follows offends you, please dont take offense because this is all in good fun and discussion.
Shadowbane was a big disappointment.
Followed by Star Wars Galaxies which in my view was exceedingly disappointing.
However, you must be insane to say that things look cloudy.
Dude, Ekim, listen up!
Get over the "grinding" issue. Every RPG that has EVER existed involves levelling up a character. Same thing with pen and paper. Dude, there is no escape unless you want to totally re-invent the RPG. Its like the most excellent movies (which i saw just now) by Tolkien, the JOURNEY is supposed to be the adventure. That is the basis of all RPG geekiness. Do away with that element, and you have a hollow action game. Advance your character. Thats the prime ingredient of any RPG system. Why does everyone say that "oh we need something better" when that is the very basis and element of the RPG?
Not to be bitchy at you though, i am just thinking out loud.
Anyway, things for MMOers in 2004 look MOST EXCELLENT !!!
First, we have games that advance the graphics barrier of realism: Everquest2 and Dragon Empires. Middle Earth Online has nice graphics too.
Second, the PVPer is going to have a freaking HAYDAY in 2004 with the releases of Dragon Empires, Darkfall Online, and possibly Trials of Ascension. In case you havent noticed, everybody and their silly PvP monkey is looking at Darkfall. It possibly could be the next best MMO game, and perhaps the last stand of all online PvP.
Third, while UltimaXO was at first sight struck me as NOT being UO2, i re-assessed the game and found it is indeed something to be talked about.
And then Sigil Games Online still has got to announce what they have in store, a supposedly third generation (!!!) MMO. Woah, im looking forward to that press release.
And did i mention Everquest2 ?
Okey those are the games on my list, but there are many more that have a fair chance at raging success, like Wish, Realms of Torment, Dark and Light, among others.
Yes, i do see your point, that certain elements present in current MMORPGs will remain. However, what do you want to have them make differently? Seriously, you need to re-assess things and realize what an CRPG really is based upon. Developers know for sure, but whilest i am somewhat shocked that the players are expecting something revolutionary from an evolutionary genre. Good hoping that way, its not going to happen. If you want something totally different, then by all means play that new Baseball Online game, heh.
Or get Half-Life2, hehe. Or better yet, get Norton Anti-Virus and play with the virus scanner, its awesome! heh.
Anyway, i agree with most of what you were saying, except the part where you seemed to say that the future looks a bit grim. I dont think so. But then, i am different by looking at things more positive.
except SWG, that game sucks. heh. 
I hope you enjoyed the movie as much as i did. It was freaking goooood stuff. |
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Sat Dec 20, 2003 7:57 am |
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Ekim
Eagle's Shadow
Joined: 27 May 2002
Posts: 2365
Location: Montreal, Canada |
I didn't take offense at all Ammon  But...
quote:
Originally posted by Ammon777
Get over the "grinding" issue. Every RPG that has EVER existed involves levelling up a character. Same thing with pen and paper. Dude, there is no escape unless you want to totally re-invent the RPG.
Re-invent? No, nothing so drastic as re-inventing rpgs (or mmorpgs) is needed at this point. People just need to go back to the roots of rpgs for a refresher course, I think.
"Every RPG that has EVER existed involves levelling up a character."
Even if that was true, the point isn't so much about leveling a character. The point is that the goals of most games out there seems to be about leveling the character instead of it being a seemless advancement system. If you go back to Ultima 7, you'll find that although there actually are levels for characters in that game, you never seem to be checking it, or grinding to try to get the next one to go further in the game at any point in the story. The story and the characters are the focus points in a game like that,
Why is it now that we accept that the goal of an mmorpg should be about getting one level after another? Doesn't that sound a little repetitive to you? Pen and paper games have levels, true enough. But if a DM prepares a campaign that is all about getting levels, wouldn't you stop in the middle and tell him that it's boring? Pen and paper usually is about the interaction between players, and solving problems that are thrown their way by using what abilities they have at that point. It's not about getting the next level...
Oh, and Return of the King was very good! An adequate ending to a wonderful series of film!
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=Member of The Nonflamers' Guild=
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Sat Dec 20, 2003 4:23 pm |
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Lord_Brownie
High Emperor
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
Posts: 575
Location: Unfashionable arm of the spiral galaxy |
I like levels as a means of advancement, but that is all we seem to get in MMRPGs. Maybe its just the easiest thing to code. All things are changing, when D&D first came out, it was THE game, they only thing like it. But it didn't take long for other RPGs to come out that where completely different, some didn’t have levels at all. Some games where made by the same folks who made D&D.
In the MMRPG market, everyone has fixed their eyes at EQ's character advancement model (and the money it is making) and they are doing the same thing with one or two twists. DAoC had RvR, Horizons promises play as a dragon, but all seem to be relatively close to the same model of EQ: grind out levels. There is so much more to RP experience than this.
As a DM of many years, I could never run or play in a game that was centered on leveling. I want to develop a character, learn histories, make history, swap stories, explore the world, and yes, get powerful enough to slay a dragon or put down the great daemon that threatens the world. There is a huge list of things that are possible in MMRPGs, but not done, that would make the games much closer to wa a P&P experence.
I want ways to do things that are build into the game, not RP'ed on the message board while camping a spot 12 hours, or 'pretend' that this or that happened. I would like to see the huge libraries portrayed in fantasy novels, and have stuff to read in them, lots of stuff, tons of stuff. How about a NPC you can hire that will deliver a message for you, or writing a book in game. Instead of these things, level tread mills are anouced, sometimes with some PvP twist (which is getting old too).
UO had many of the things I would like, but not everything, so I hope for a better game. Why not hope for more? Because it won’t happen? I share my dreams because others may want the same things as myself, or maybe they have better ideas than mine. It keeps those dreams alive and develops them. If no game is made that meets my ideal experience, I’m not going to stop dreaming, if a game meets all my dreams, I will dream more. Leveling, and to a lesser extent PvP ‘solutions’, have become what the majority of MMRPGs focus on, leaving behind a long list of things that the games' ambiguous discriptions of "RPG" need.
I liked the movie, too.
LB |
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Sat Dec 20, 2003 7:34 pm |
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Ammon777
Warrior for Heaven
Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 2011
Location: United States |
quote:
Originally posted by Ekim
Why is it now that we accept that the goal of an mmorpg should be about getting one level after another? Doesn't that sound a little repetitive to you? Pen and paper games have levels, true enough. But if a DM prepares a campaign that is all about getting levels, wouldn't you stop in the middle and tell him that it's boring? Pen and paper usually is about the interaction between players, and solving problems that are thrown their way by using what abilities they have at that point. It's not about getting the next level...
Ur right! One of the reasons i like Darkfall and Trials of Ascension (and formerly SWG) is bcuz they have abandoned levels for skill-based system like Ultima Online. But still, even UO could be considered a grindstone. But you guys are right -- the next great MMO will probably be the one that makes you forget that you are advancing a character. I guess then all it comes down to is content, interactivity, and immersion. They need to work on AI and fuzzy logic. PvP-based games that focus on clan wars will be like that somewhat. In general i think the genre is heading in a good direction. There are of course the failures, but there will also be the winners, and those are the games i am looking forward to. |
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Sun Dec 21, 2003 2:51 am |
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Ochmak
Guest
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Final Fantasy XI goes #2 in CompUSA sales as of now. People just vote by their buck. Your job as a rewiever at this site is to find out WHY. Not to give labels "good", "bad", "4 stars"... Your personal opinion might be interesing but opinion of hundred of thousands of people certanly deserves an analysis. FF XI is notthing special, right... But it has something, the people like. WHAT IS THIS??? |
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Mon Dec 22, 2003 2:53 am |
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Roqua
High Emperor
Joined: 02 Sep 2003
Posts: 897
Location: rump |
A job is something you get paid to do. And opinions are what editorials are about, just like essays.
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Vegitarian is the Indian word for lousey hunter. |
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Mon Dec 22, 2003 7:35 am |
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Hyrrix
Fourty-two
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Posts: 282
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quote:
Originally posted by Ochmak
Final Fantasy XI goes #2 in CompUSA sales as of now. People just vote by their buck. Your job as a rewiever at this site is to find out WHY. Not to give labels "good", "bad", "4 stars"... Your personal opinion might be interesing but opinion of hundred of thousands of people certanly deserves an analysis. FF XI is notthing special, right... But it has something, the people like. WHAT IS THIS???
Ekim is here to write editorials, aka: to give his opinion on things. If you're looking for a review of FFXI, look here: http://www.mmorpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=824
After all, you don't have to agree with Ekim... that's what these comment threads are for; but there's no need for yelling.
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Mon Dec 22, 2003 8:46 am |
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Ekim
Eagle's Shadow
Joined: 27 May 2002
Posts: 2365
Location: Montreal, Canada |
quote:
Originally posted by Ochmak
Final Fantasy XI goes #2 in CompUSA sales as of now. People just vote by their buck. Your job as a rewiever at this site is to find out WHY. Not to give labels "good", "bad", "4 stars"... Your personal opinion might be interesing but opinion of hundred of thousands of people certanly deserves an analysis. FF XI is notthing special, right... But it has something, the people like. WHAT IS THIS???
I must say thanks for the reminder on "what is a review". And I say that without any hint of sarcasm because I do think that we all need a good reminder sometimes.
Although I'm not too sure what you're implying when you talk about CompUSA's sales numbers, I'm aware that my "job" as a reviewer is to give a clear idea about why certain game features are good or bad. But I must say that this was not a review at all, and I even made particlarly careful to talk about FFXI only after we had published a review. This was an editorial piece, where my personal opinion is the actual central theme. 
quote:
Originally posted by Lord_Brownie
If no game is made that meets my ideal experience, I’m not going to stop dreaming, if a game meets all my dreams, I will dream more.
I get what you're saying, and I agree. I just hope you don't think that I have no hope because of what I said. I do have hope, lots of it! And dreams too! I just think that it's a little "cloudy" right now because I don't see many games that really seem to want to break the mold yet. There are some that have a lot of potential but it remains to be seen whether they'll really stick to their guns.
_________________
=Proud Father of a new gamer GIRL!=
=Member of The Nonflamers' Guild=
=Worshiper of the Written Word= |
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Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:12 pm |
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