Originally Posted by Crynth
Demanding more or different kinds of content is a common thing in MMOs, but I believe this is not what they are lacking. I think most people don't realize what it is they like about MMOs or what makes them fun, but it has to do with a lot more than just content.
But what do I mean by this, for what is a game but its content?
Consider Runescape. Jagex has been packing in more and more content over the years, and yet players have been leaving the game in droves. It is a common opinion among those who grew up with Runescape that the game has largely gone to ****. The problem here was never a lack of content, or a lack of some new magical type of content. A similar case can be made for most modern MMOs. Whatever is added just feels like "more of the same", players quickly grow bored and restless, and nothing seems to stick.
And while this problem might have to do with gaming trends, sociology, or other subjects unrelated to this subreddit, I believe there is a lot to be said within the scope of MMOs.
These are what I believe to be the two largest factors:
1) Inconsistent Rules In some sense a game world exists as a large set of rules: you can only walk on land, if you die you drop loot, killing a monster gives you experience, etc. Maintaining consistency within the core rules and ideas behind them is imperative to maintaining an interesting world. Add too many arbitrary elements and it stops making sense. The same goes for books and movies; if random unexplained things keep happening all the time a story loses tension and meaningfulness. As in games, it's not fun to play or live in a game world where the features do not make sense in that world.
Why is this area a safe zone and that area not? Why is there a party size limit of 6? How come I can go through this door but not be in the same place as other people who when through the same door? If you told me this gear is so rare and hard to find, why does every player have it? Why would I not be able to wear a type of armor I just made?
It is important to understand I am not simply talking about game elements being out of character or "non-roleplay". What I am getting at is that MMOs today are internally inconsistent. What happens and why things happen does not follow from the rules of the game. A good and consistent feature should be obvious and easily derived from the other rules.
If you played a game which in every facet demonstrated the way to improve at combat is to fight monsters, yet after playing for some time found out about "experience orbs" which can be used once a day and grant free XP - you might be frustrated. Why should such an object exist in this world? It's completely arbitrary. Tuesdays should be no-pvp day. And why not add a cool new area where players magically all scale to the same level so everyone can have fun and all are equal! What's that? You thought you lost all your items when you died? Well of course you do! Unless you have the magic ring that protects items, are inside a duelling area, talking to an NPC, inside a clan building, have turned off combat, or are having a bad day!
To anyone that has read this far: I submit to you that today's MMO makes no sense. There is no clear vision, no standard, and no core rules. Some describe this as a themepark, but it goes much deeper. A game must have the integrity to stand behind its rules.
2) Players are the content Players are vastly more interesting than quests, creatures, or anything else commonly shoved into MMOs. The personal and human experiences I have had in games are my favourite and most memorable gaming experiences - a clan guarding a bridge and demanding money to pass, a poisoned explorer about to die begging me for a potion, coming to the aid of low levels and clearing out PKers, watching a close friend die in a clan fight, a trader buying out all of a supply and creating a monopoly, the list goes on....
The point is that it is people who make a game interesting; and yet developers seem to be ignoring this in every way. An MMO needs to be set up in such a way to facilitate player interaction and emergent behaviour. Clearing a boss with some friends in exactly the same way as 4 million others have done does not count. Provide more ways for traders to trade, leaders to lead, and followers to follow. Let natural politics emerge, player reputation, whatever... but at least do something. Hell, Habbo Hotel is a pixel game which takes place in ****ing hotel rooms, and yet it surpasses most modern MMOs in terms of player interaction. The mere fact that players can move furniture and give this privilege to others has caused the emergence of clans, roleplay police, army, casinos, trade centres, and more - all by the players own volition. Stop cramming content down our throat. Let us make the world our own. Let us make a mark, or at least try.
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