Post by Morreion on Feb 10, 2010 8:10:06 GMT -5
The Digital Continuum: Can story supplant grind? (Massively)
Interesting viewpoint. IF story can supplant grind, SWTOR will probably have the best chance at doing that. This view is opposite of Keen's view that SWTOR will not be an MMO but a hybrid single-player instanced game. It will be interesting to see what will happen with this title- this may be a fresh approach that the industry needs, or it may be just another step away from what MMOs should be about (community).
For me, an MMO isn't about any one feature. It's not about end-game or how in-depth the PvP experience goes. It's kind of like a car in that those pieces can -- and usually are -- immensely important, but ultimately it's about how enjoyable the ride feels. You can tell me a car's really pretty to look at but ultimately that doesn't make or break it for me. Story is more than looks, though. If I were to say what element of this metaphorical car story represents in MMOs, it'd have to be the ever-sought after fuel replacement.
In this genre, a game with actual worthwhile and meaningful story is going to kill. When I think on my myriad of past MMO experiences I always like to consider where the journey was at its best and where it began to fall apart. Generally, a journey begins strong and tapers off somewhere. It'll usually go one of two ways for me -- I muscle through the unsavory levels and get to the good stuff or I give up.
Sadly, when I think back to every MMO experience in my past I cannot think of a single game where I never felt like I was "Sticking in there!" at least once in a while. That just seems to be part and parcel of the whole deal, right? Well, maybe not.
Let's get back to the journey in SWTOR. If you like the Star Wars universe (and let's be honest, a lot of us love it) then you're probably going to be smitten with the game well past the tutorial and far into the end-game zones. That's only normal for the most hardcore of fans but countless other people require more, even if they consider themselves a fan. That's where the interactive story is really going to assist the game. Plus, it's all voiced, so hopefully people won't be tempted to skip everything. It's also got choice, so you'll at least want to know what's happening. Really, as long as there's plenty of quality story in SWTOR, the game could nullify the sense of grind and pull far more players through the entirety of its level than is typically seen in the industry. I really hope they share metrics on that, but I doubt it.
In this genre, a game with actual worthwhile and meaningful story is going to kill. When I think on my myriad of past MMO experiences I always like to consider where the journey was at its best and where it began to fall apart. Generally, a journey begins strong and tapers off somewhere. It'll usually go one of two ways for me -- I muscle through the unsavory levels and get to the good stuff or I give up.
Sadly, when I think back to every MMO experience in my past I cannot think of a single game where I never felt like I was "Sticking in there!" at least once in a while. That just seems to be part and parcel of the whole deal, right? Well, maybe not.
Let's get back to the journey in SWTOR. If you like the Star Wars universe (and let's be honest, a lot of us love it) then you're probably going to be smitten with the game well past the tutorial and far into the end-game zones. That's only normal for the most hardcore of fans but countless other people require more, even if they consider themselves a fan. That's where the interactive story is really going to assist the game. Plus, it's all voiced, so hopefully people won't be tempted to skip everything. It's also got choice, so you'll at least want to know what's happening. Really, as long as there's plenty of quality story in SWTOR, the game could nullify the sense of grind and pull far more players through the entirety of its level than is typically seen in the industry. I really hope they share metrics on that, but I doubt it.
Interesting viewpoint. IF story can supplant grind, SWTOR will probably have the best chance at doing that. This view is opposite of Keen's view that SWTOR will not be an MMO but a hybrid single-player instanced game. It will be interesting to see what will happen with this title- this may be a fresh approach that the industry needs, or it may be just another step away from what MMOs should be about (community).
