Post by Morreion on Jun 24, 2010 8:35:07 GMT -5
From Keen and Graev's Gaming Blog:
Old MMO Mechanics I Love and You Probably Hate (Part 1)
Old MMO Mechanics I Love and You Probably Hate (Part 2)
Old MMO Mechanics I Love and You Probably Hate (Part 3)
And a counterpoint from We Fly Spitfires:
Good Riddance To These Game Mechanics Of Yesterday
As you can probably guess
I think Keen has some good points. I really liked the group spot mechanic from the old days, where instead of solo superficial kill-this speak-to deliver-this quest grinding you grouped together with classes that had their special roles and you went on a dungeon crawl or camped a spawn for good chunks of time. This had the delightful side effect of socializing (with that bit of downtime, remember that before everything was frenetic nonstop killing?) and making friends, or at the very least knowing who was competent and knowledgeable and who was to be avoided. That's how classic DAoC was played- there were few quests, and the quests you did have were special- usually related to your class or gaining your epic armor. Sure, there were some disadvantages to this playstyle, but I have many more memories of grouping up and going through a dungeon or camping a dangerous spawn than I do completing dozens of bland soloable quests.
The bottom line? Why do I appreciate these difficult game mechanics? When you overcome adversity in a game, you feel a sense of accomplishment. When you play a game that is easy, soloable and casual-focused, there's no real challenge, and there's no reason to stay. That's why I think games are easy to leave these days- there is little in the way of adversity that you have to band together with others to overcome.
Old MMO Mechanics I Love and You Probably Hate (Part 1)
Item Weight
Darkness
Heaven forbid it actually be dark at night. When it’s dark you can’t see — that’s the point! This more than anything else shows how something so simple can add so much to immersion in a game. Entering a dark forest was really scary. You couldn’t see very far ahead and a monster could jump out at you from anywhere. As a newbie human with poor eyesight it was really unnerving to not be able to see much past the safely lit entrance to the city. Players would stick together and make sure that someone always had a torch out. If we ventured far from the town’s torches we would kill something and quickly run back to the light to rest. The darkness created a sense of danger and unknown while creating an atmosphere of reliance upon others and now lost interaction with the world.
This mechanic was also one that lent itself to character diversity. Humans had poor eyesight but other races, like dwarves, had forms of vision that helped them see better in the dark. The races that lived in caves could naturally see better. This also created a really neat economic benefit. Will-o-wisps dropped these stones that lit up which could be carried to let off light. They were fairly common in parts of the world where races could see better and we used to take them on the long journey to the human lands and sell them for great profit.
Falling off the Boat
Darkness
Heaven forbid it actually be dark at night. When it’s dark you can’t see — that’s the point! This more than anything else shows how something so simple can add so much to immersion in a game. Entering a dark forest was really scary. You couldn’t see very far ahead and a monster could jump out at you from anywhere. As a newbie human with poor eyesight it was really unnerving to not be able to see much past the safely lit entrance to the city. Players would stick together and make sure that someone always had a torch out. If we ventured far from the town’s torches we would kill something and quickly run back to the light to rest. The darkness created a sense of danger and unknown while creating an atmosphere of reliance upon others and now lost interaction with the world.
This mechanic was also one that lent itself to character diversity. Humans had poor eyesight but other races, like dwarves, had forms of vision that helped them see better in the dark. The races that lived in caves could naturally see better. This also created a really neat economic benefit. Will-o-wisps dropped these stones that lit up which could be carried to let off light. They were fairly common in parts of the world where races could see better and we used to take them on the long journey to the human lands and sell them for great profit.
Falling off the Boat
Old MMO Mechanics I Love and You Probably Hate (Part 2)
Stay on the Path or Die!
The worlds were dangerous back in the day! Staying on the path was not just a way to avoid getting lost (no maps) but it was a way to stay alive and a benefit to the game world and immersion. If you didn’t stay on the path when adventuring or traveling then chances are you were either stupid, brave, or in a group and wanting to pick a fight. Monsters were far more dangerous to players than they are now. Even at lower levels, players would stick together in common resting areas where they could protect one another. This type of mechanic was present from the start and could be seen with lowbies crowding together in Greater Faydark (EverQuest) while hunting orcs.
Sometimes the actual path itself was the dangerous part and players would actually benefit from hugging zone walls. In fact, the higher level you got the more dangerous it was to go anywhere but on the outskirts. This created a sense of depth to the zones and created this ‘the deeper you go inside the harder it gets’ concept. You might be able to solo on the outskirts of a zone but if you wanted to go inside it meant finding a group or being very careful.
This sense of danger about the world increased the community’s interaction and fostered a very group-centric mindset. Players benefited from grouping with others and benefited from being a type of player that attracted groups rather than scaring them away. Even though the zones were quite large compared to the ones we play in today, the world was given an artificial sense that it was even bigger and more massive because of what players were unable to see. If all that you could see was a scary forest all around you and you never left the path then you were always wondering what was just a few more feet in ‘that’ direction.
Fast and Dynamic Crowd Control
Kiting
Those Pesky NPC’s that Ruined Your Day
The worlds were dangerous back in the day! Staying on the path was not just a way to avoid getting lost (no maps) but it was a way to stay alive and a benefit to the game world and immersion. If you didn’t stay on the path when adventuring or traveling then chances are you were either stupid, brave, or in a group and wanting to pick a fight. Monsters were far more dangerous to players than they are now. Even at lower levels, players would stick together in common resting areas where they could protect one another. This type of mechanic was present from the start and could be seen with lowbies crowding together in Greater Faydark (EverQuest) while hunting orcs.
Sometimes the actual path itself was the dangerous part and players would actually benefit from hugging zone walls. In fact, the higher level you got the more dangerous it was to go anywhere but on the outskirts. This created a sense of depth to the zones and created this ‘the deeper you go inside the harder it gets’ concept. You might be able to solo on the outskirts of a zone but if you wanted to go inside it meant finding a group or being very careful.
This sense of danger about the world increased the community’s interaction and fostered a very group-centric mindset. Players benefited from grouping with others and benefited from being a type of player that attracted groups rather than scaring them away. Even though the zones were quite large compared to the ones we play in today, the world was given an artificial sense that it was even bigger and more massive because of what players were unable to see. If all that you could see was a scary forest all around you and you never left the path then you were always wondering what was just a few more feet in ‘that’ direction.
Fast and Dynamic Crowd Control
Kiting
Those Pesky NPC’s that Ruined Your Day
Old MMO Mechanics I Love and You Probably Hate (Part 3)
Classes that filled Unique Roles
Anyone remember Bards from EverQuest? There are many examples of classes that were really quite original and have disappeared almost entirely. Certain roles needed to be filled for certain dungeons or adventure groups. Sometimes you would need a Monk to pull and that’s really all the Monk did. The CC of an Enchanter was what that class did and no one could compare. Yeah, some classes were a little worthless and I certainly don’t miss that but I really do miss how unique people felt when in a party compared to the cluster(….) of AoE DPS classes (very apparent in WoW).
Weapons with More Delay than Damage (Itemization)
Pulling and Group Spots
Definitely one of the things that I miss most is the group-centric experience gain from killing mobs. This mechanic existed as early as level 1 in a game like EverQuest or Dark Age of Camelot; even SWG featured the same feel. Groups would go out into the wilderness and find a nice centralized location with lots of mob traffic or a spot near a camp of mobs or anywhere that was just a nice spot to sit and pull to and then they would start pulling. The act of pulling meant that it was one person’s job to go out and find a mob and bring it back to the group. I remember being in North Ro somewhere just north of the platform and pulling tarantulas, madmen, scarabs, mummies, and other neat creatures to my group. This was the absolute best way to EXP back then (in my opinion) and the most fun because it allowed me to socialize with people and form a connection with others playing the game. This was a catalyst for a very, very close-knit community later. The same stories can be told about DAOC and SWG — especially SWG when we would set up a Ranger camp and pull Krayt Dragons.
Rare Spawn bosses in open-world dungeons.
Rare Spawn Camping
Dungeon Crawling
This ties in to rare spawns as well as ‘pulling’ and is a mechanic/feature that is no longer present. Dungeons were open to everyone at the same time. It was not something that you instanced into where just your group was there. Groups would enter a dungeon and attempt to find an uncamped location from which to begin pulling mobs and gaining experience. Most of the time these dungeons had certain locations that were compartmentalized or where a boss would spawn. The bosses were the big prize and groups would often form and camp the boss for dozens of hours at a time. People would come and go from the group if they could not stay but that same group that started could even last for days with a waiting list to get in. Crawling through dungeons and hunkering down was very similar to the group spots and pulling stories that I told above.
And lastly…
CHOO CHOO! Train to Zone!
Anyone remember Bards from EverQuest? There are many examples of classes that were really quite original and have disappeared almost entirely. Certain roles needed to be filled for certain dungeons or adventure groups. Sometimes you would need a Monk to pull and that’s really all the Monk did. The CC of an Enchanter was what that class did and no one could compare. Yeah, some classes were a little worthless and I certainly don’t miss that but I really do miss how unique people felt when in a party compared to the cluster(….) of AoE DPS classes (very apparent in WoW).
Weapons with More Delay than Damage (Itemization)
Pulling and Group Spots
Definitely one of the things that I miss most is the group-centric experience gain from killing mobs. This mechanic existed as early as level 1 in a game like EverQuest or Dark Age of Camelot; even SWG featured the same feel. Groups would go out into the wilderness and find a nice centralized location with lots of mob traffic or a spot near a camp of mobs or anywhere that was just a nice spot to sit and pull to and then they would start pulling. The act of pulling meant that it was one person’s job to go out and find a mob and bring it back to the group. I remember being in North Ro somewhere just north of the platform and pulling tarantulas, madmen, scarabs, mummies, and other neat creatures to my group. This was the absolute best way to EXP back then (in my opinion) and the most fun because it allowed me to socialize with people and form a connection with others playing the game. This was a catalyst for a very, very close-knit community later. The same stories can be told about DAOC and SWG — especially SWG when we would set up a Ranger camp and pull Krayt Dragons.
Rare Spawn bosses in open-world dungeons.
Rare Spawn Camping
Dungeon Crawling
This ties in to rare spawns as well as ‘pulling’ and is a mechanic/feature that is no longer present. Dungeons were open to everyone at the same time. It was not something that you instanced into where just your group was there. Groups would enter a dungeon and attempt to find an uncamped location from which to begin pulling mobs and gaining experience. Most of the time these dungeons had certain locations that were compartmentalized or where a boss would spawn. The bosses were the big prize and groups would often form and camp the boss for dozens of hours at a time. People would come and go from the group if they could not stay but that same group that started could even last for days with a waiting list to get in. Crawling through dungeons and hunkering down was very similar to the group spots and pulling stories that I told above.
And lastly…
CHOO CHOO! Train to Zone!
And a counterpoint from We Fly Spitfires:
Good Riddance To These Game Mechanics Of Yesterday
Let’s face it, most veteran MMORPG old-timers love to sit around virtual fireplaces and reminisce about the good old days and how everything 10 years ago was so much more rewarding, challenging and sensual (OK, maybe I’m the only one who felt that way). Nostaligia is a powerful thing and I’m guilty of giving into its dreamy whims on occasion too but here’s a list of a few MMO game mechanics that I’m definitely glad to see the back off. Not surprisingly most of them are from Everquest.
Sense Heading
Item Weight
Darkness
Hello darkness, my old friend. I’m so glad I can see the world at night now. Having to equip a torch in my second hand slot just so I could see three feet in front of me was a huge pain in the arse. Especially when I died in a cave somewhere and leaving my torch on my body (silly me) and thus had absolutely no hope in hell of ever finding my corpse. Oh well, at least I’ve got an in-game map and a compass to help…. d’oh.
Weapon Skill Levels
Sense Heading
Item Weight
Darkness
Hello darkness, my old friend. I’m so glad I can see the world at night now. Having to equip a torch in my second hand slot just so I could see three feet in front of me was a huge pain in the arse. Especially when I died in a cave somewhere and leaving my torch on my body (silly me) and thus had absolutely no hope in hell of ever finding my corpse. Oh well, at least I’ve got an in-game map and a compass to help…. d’oh.
Weapon Skill Levels
As you can probably guess
I think Keen has some good points. I really liked the group spot mechanic from the old days, where instead of solo superficial kill-this speak-to deliver-this quest grinding you grouped together with classes that had their special roles and you went on a dungeon crawl or camped a spawn for good chunks of time. This had the delightful side effect of socializing (with that bit of downtime, remember that before everything was frenetic nonstop killing?) and making friends, or at the very least knowing who was competent and knowledgeable and who was to be avoided. That's how classic DAoC was played- there were few quests, and the quests you did have were special- usually related to your class or gaining your epic armor. Sure, there were some disadvantages to this playstyle, but I have many more memories of grouping up and going through a dungeon or camping a dangerous spawn than I do completing dozens of bland soloable quests.The bottom line? Why do I appreciate these difficult game mechanics? When you overcome adversity in a game, you feel a sense of accomplishment. When you play a game that is easy, soloable and casual-focused, there's no real challenge, and there's no reason to stay. That's why I think games are easy to leave these days- there is little in the way of adversity that you have to band together with others to overcome.
