The Premise
Written By: Lemming
[The following is a short excerpt from a recent conversation of mine]
Me: So, if you had just one thing to say about the state of MMORPGs these days, what would it be?
Typical Jaded RPG player: Crap.
He proceeded then to eat two strings of red licorice and kill a Scamp in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
Clearly, and based entirely on the minute and arbitrary scope of this evidence, MMORPGs aren't for everyone. With such colossal entries as World of Warcraft (and to a somewhat lesser extent the Everquest series) the massively multiplayer genre is indeed enjoying more popularity than it ever has before. Somehow, though, some gamers are still being left behind.
Why is that? Maybe some people still have deep reservations when it comes to paying monthly for the right to play a computer game. Surely, to Linux users and open-source junkies, MMORPGs must seem like the devil incarnate. And, given the huge success of the subscription-free Guild Wars, this might seem to be the case.
If that were the only reason, though, one might theorize that Guild Wars would have a player base that would at least rival World of Warcraft's in magnitude. While actual subscription data is difficult to come across (seeing as the primary source of information, mmogchart.com, has not been updated since June 2005), a recent issue of PC Gamer magazine has quoted World of Warcraft's worldwide subscription base to be approximately 5.5 million, while Guild Wars advertises "over a million players". The division between an RPG player and an MMORPG player must then exist for reasons other than subscription fees.
I think that it's more likely that the entire common design held by MMORPGs is simply unappealing to these jaded RPG players. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to devote the time necessary to build a 60th level Paladin. And, whether it's quest grinding, tradeskill grinding, or writ grinding, the majority of MMORPG gameplay still boils down to just that - grinding away at something repetitive in order to achieve something vague and ultimately insubstantial. It doesn't take an int-based caster to understand how some people might not find that appealing.
But how are the developers of MMORPGs supposed to deal with these issues? Can anyone even imagine an MMORPG that isn't based around the holy precepts of loot, levels, and metal bikinis? "Sure!" I hear the masses scream. "But man, I'd hate to be playing that game!"
Then let this be my contribution to the genre. I think that the market has remained relatively static since the release of the original Everquest (or even before then), but that there is still great potential remaining in our genre of choice that is as yet untapped. Over the weeks to follow, I hope to show you exactly why I think so, cover a wide variety of MMORPG design concepts, and leave the floor open for your discussion.
With that simple premise, I think I'm ready to close off for this week. Before I go, however, I feel it necessary to make a few acknowledgements.
www.anyuzer.com - Home of one of my favorite minds in the genre, Anyuzer provides a great deal of insight into the MMOG market. Warning: Some offensive language within.
www.gucomics.com - Parody may be the greatest form of praise, but it's also a great source of news and information with regards to the MMOG community. Woody Hearn's comics are definitely worth your attention.
www.raphkoster.com - Raph Koster was until recently the Chief Creative Officer for Sony Online Entertainment - an impressive pedigree by any measure. The Laws of Online World Design posted on his webpage are required reading.
www.wikipedia.org - Speaks for itself ;)
