I could not agree more. This could (and maybe rightfully should) be its own topic unto itself, but I've felt this for quite some time. There's a reason that games like Star Wars Galaxies and...
Right now there's just not enough pressure in the MMO genre for innovation.
I could not agree more. This could (and maybe rightfully should) be its own topic unto itself, but I've felt this for quite some time. There's a reason that games like Star Wars Galaxies and Everquest have very dedicated private server communities, and it's because the gameplay loop in those games is arguably far more entertaining than the base gameplay loop in WoW.
I feel like one of the main drivers behind this is the urge towards "idle gameplay," which even WoW has started to fall victim to. I don't know which game did it first, but I saw it first in Star Trek Online, with the "follower" missions. Duplicated almost exactly in Neverwinter. (Produced by the same company, so no surprise) WoW started doing it in WoD, which was an already unpopular expansion, but they carried the mechanic forward through Legion and BfA for some reason.
I know games frame it as "here's an assortment of heroes to help you with idle things while your hero is off doing the big stuff" but it always feels more to me like "here's a bunch of children who need to be checked on every day to ensure they're being productive." Some of the WoW: Legion content tied the "follower" actions directly into "main hero" quests, but to me at least, it still felt kind of lacking in substance.
I'm curious what could be done in a new game (assuming you could even get enough marketing exposure to get a profitable playerbase at launch and keep your servers on and devs paid) to bring back the "good old days" of MMOs. I know one piece of crucial gameplay that is found in older games like SWG and EQ, and even to a lesser degree in WoW Classic, is the inter-dependence of classes and professions, making it difficult if not impossible to do everything yourself. However, there's a fine line to tread there, between "friend-gating" content and requiring cooperation. WoW's solution to this is raids, bosses with such high HP pools that it requires 10 people to chew through. But I think there's a better way, that can provide a better sense of reward than topping a DPS chart.
Here’s my hypothesis on why that’s not going to happen: players are too old for a truly cooperative and rewarding experience. MMOs nowadays cater to adult, mostly solo players. People with jobs,...
I'm curious what could be done in a new game (assuming you could even get enough marketing exposure to get a profitable playerbase at launch and keep your servers on and devs paid) to bring back the "good old days" of MMOs
Here’s my hypothesis on why that’s not going to happen: players are too old for a truly cooperative and rewarding experience. MMOs nowadays cater to adult, mostly solo players. People with jobs, kids, etc. In that scenario, MMOs just cannot provide the amazing social experience they once had.
I could not agree more. This could (and maybe rightfully should) be its own topic unto itself, but I've felt this for quite some time. There's a reason that games like Star Wars Galaxies and Everquest have very dedicated private server communities, and it's because the gameplay loop in those games is arguably far more entertaining than the base gameplay loop in WoW.
I feel like one of the main drivers behind this is the urge towards "idle gameplay," which even WoW has started to fall victim to. I don't know which game did it first, but I saw it first in Star Trek Online, with the "follower" missions. Duplicated almost exactly in Neverwinter. (Produced by the same company, so no surprise) WoW started doing it in WoD, which was an already unpopular expansion, but they carried the mechanic forward through Legion and BfA for some reason.
I know games frame it as "here's an assortment of heroes to help you with idle things while your hero is off doing the big stuff" but it always feels more to me like "here's a bunch of children who need to be checked on every day to ensure they're being productive." Some of the WoW: Legion content tied the "follower" actions directly into "main hero" quests, but to me at least, it still felt kind of lacking in substance.
I'm curious what could be done in a new game (assuming you could even get enough marketing exposure to get a profitable playerbase at launch and keep your servers on and devs paid) to bring back the "good old days" of MMOs. I know one piece of crucial gameplay that is found in older games like SWG and EQ, and even to a lesser degree in WoW Classic, is the inter-dependence of classes and professions, making it difficult if not impossible to do everything yourself. However, there's a fine line to tread there, between "friend-gating" content and requiring cooperation. WoW's solution to this is raids, bosses with such high HP pools that it requires 10 people to chew through. But I think there's a better way, that can provide a better sense of reward than topping a DPS chart.
Here’s my hypothesis on why that’s not going to happen: players are too old for a truly cooperative and rewarding experience. MMOs nowadays cater to adult, mostly solo players. People with jobs, kids, etc. In that scenario, MMOs just cannot provide the amazing social experience they once had.