Post by Morreion on Sept 13, 2010 10:26:16 GMT -5
Player Perspectives: Riddle Me This, Riddle Me FAQ
In the latest installment of her weekly Player Perspectives column, MMORPG.com's Jaime Skelton tackles the age of information in MMOs. By this, Jaime discusses exploration vs in-game quest guides, for example. Is there such a thing as too much available information for players in today's MMOs? Read Jaime's article and let us know what you think!
I think that the bulk of this issue comes from the 'thousand quests' nature of MMOs these days. I doubt most people read quests to begin with, they just click through them and go to a wiki or in-game guide to find out what they need to get the brass ring. Quest-based games have been overdone, and, like I've said before, I think they reduce community by focusing on efficient solo play. Hence, the typical scene in a starting zone with 20 players mobbing one quest-giver impatiently trying to solo their way around those pesky other players. All doing the same thing.
Part of this also is probably inherent in the fact that once you've played a few MMOs you've 'figured out' the system and are trying to maximize the efficiency of your playtime. While there is nothing wrong with that, it tends to take out of the picture such things as exploration and finding things out on your own, which was a lot of what made MMOs fun in the beginning. Perhaps wanting to know everything about a game is merely a recognition of the fact that we are going through the motions now?
In the latest installment of her weekly Player Perspectives column, MMORPG.com's Jaime Skelton tackles the age of information in MMOs. By this, Jaime discusses exploration vs in-game quest guides, for example. Is there such a thing as too much available information for players in today's MMOs? Read Jaime's article and let us know what you think!
...The database mindset begins with the community that takes a helpful collection of information and transforms it into the holy text of the game, all in a drive to make leveling up easier. What some have seen as the 'dumbing down' of MMOs is simply a two-part cycle repeating itself: the community demands easier leveling, and developers comply.
Likewise, it devalues what the company has done in order to create an immersive world. Precious few actually pay attention to quest text anymore. With the information available on various websites, games can simply become a race to go from point A to point B to earn experience and wealth in the fastest, most efficient way possible. Lost are the stories the NPCs tell. Gone are the twining storylines that tell us why the evil evilness of evil is suddenly invading our territories. Some people believe it easier to have the developers skip the story altogether, and go straight to telling the player what to do.
Likewise, it devalues what the company has done in order to create an immersive world. Precious few actually pay attention to quest text anymore. With the information available on various websites, games can simply become a race to go from point A to point B to earn experience and wealth in the fastest, most efficient way possible. Lost are the stories the NPCs tell. Gone are the twining storylines that tell us why the evil evilness of evil is suddenly invading our territories. Some people believe it easier to have the developers skip the story altogether, and go straight to telling the player what to do.
I think that the bulk of this issue comes from the 'thousand quests' nature of MMOs these days. I doubt most people read quests to begin with, they just click through them and go to a wiki or in-game guide to find out what they need to get the brass ring. Quest-based games have been overdone, and, like I've said before, I think they reduce community by focusing on efficient solo play. Hence, the typical scene in a starting zone with 20 players mobbing one quest-giver impatiently trying to solo their way around those pesky other players. All doing the same thing.
Part of this also is probably inherent in the fact that once you've played a few MMOs you've 'figured out' the system and are trying to maximize the efficiency of your playtime. While there is nothing wrong with that, it tends to take out of the picture such things as exploration and finding things out on your own, which was a lot of what made MMOs fun in the beginning. Perhaps wanting to know everything about a game is merely a recognition of the fact that we are going through the motions now?
