Are all MMORPG's like this?

#1 - Jan. 12, 2012, 3:41 p.m.

So as well as playing WoW I have recently been playing a few other MMO’s with some friends. I have started to notice this trend with a lot of MMO’s and I think that may be one of the reasons I’m losing interest in the genre.

When I was new to WoW, it was amazing because I had no idea what was going on, this actually kept the game interesting for me. A friend of mine though had said something that has stuck with me all these years,

“The real game doesn’t start until you’re max level”.

I’ve been thinking about that a lot recently as I have been casually leveling in SWTOR, I see a lot of my friends racing ahead as quickly as possible to get to max level to start doing Operations, the SWTOR version of raids. Like in a lot of MMO’s, I’m seeing this same pattern form in SWTOR that has been present in WoW for years, the focus on max level gameplay. I like the idea of MMO’s, I love playing online with other players, but this style of get to max level, gear up to do raids, just to gear up for the next level of raids, just to gear up for the next level….etc is getting boring. Having to go out and farm the same raid for 8 months while we wait for the next one is tedious. I cleared normal mode first week it was out, now were slowly plugging away at the occasional heroic, but is harder versions of fights I have already done really the answer to adding content?

Now I’m not saying WoW is bad, or that it’s dying. I’m not saying I hate the game and I am going to quit, but is there any MMORPG’s out there that have a different setup then this max level gear grind that anyone knows about, or is this pretty much the standard of the industry now?

I'm sorry if this doesn't belong in General Discussion, was unsure what category to put it in.

Edit: With the constant nerfs to the leveling xp in BC, Wrath and Cata zones is that blizzard agreeing that the endgame is more important then leveling now? If Endgame is more important is there any systems WoW can bring in to advance a characters story beyond daily quest hubs and raids?

And will Blizzard ever bring in a feature that allows you to take and do quests that are specific to your own character instead of forcing everyone down the same quuest path. A good example of this is you can't unlock certain quests in borean Tundra unless you do the one where you torture a captive if I remember correctly, thats not what I think my pally would do.

Daxxarri

Community Manager

#53 - Jan. 12, 2012, 8:30 p.m.

01/12/2012 07:41 AMPosted by Judge
“The real game doesn’t start until you’re max level”.

Before I begin, I should clarify that the following post is composed entirely of my own, personal opinions.

I think that games in the MMO genre tend to transform at the level cap, mostly because leveling has ended, which heralds a slight change in basic gameplay.

In World of Warcraft, many of the same experiences that are available when leveling up remain available at the level cap (questing, exploring new areas), and you also gain access to new experiences and challenges. The motivations and goals tend to be a bit different and less single minded. Rather than pursuing a new level, and the new abilities and talents that can come with it, instead you might be seeking a powerful item, trying to defeat a more powerful enemy in PvE, or achieving a milestone in the PvP game, among many other goals including completing achievements, finishing collections, capping professions, etc. Gameplay broadens, from the relatively simple road of questing and leveling, into a broad plain of possibilities.

The leveling experience awaits once again with a new character though, and playing a game with a new character class can offer an entirely new gameplay experience, especially if you select a different class role than the one you're already used to. Of course, expansions also offer the opportunity to experience leveling again for end-game characters. Some would say that there's an unfortunate tendency for players to plow through expansions as quickly as possible to pursue end-game again, because they have a pre-conception that "it's the only thing that matters".

Honestly, that is what tabletop gaming is for. Players and their game masters (GMs) spend hours creating characters that are unique to the player. And then the GM creates a story that the players follow. But while a (good) GM might have an overall plan for his/her players the path they take is determined by the players not the GM.

I absolutely adore table top gaming, and it's a popular pass time here at Blizzard.

I believe that a good game master, with the help of a group of players who are willing to invest themselves in the story and their characters, together can create an experience that is truly thrilling, engaging, cathartic and satisfying. Even a not so serious game can be outright hilarious, and I don't think I've ever spent as much time laughing as I have around the gaming table.

Daxxarri

Community Manager

#160 - Jan. 13, 2012, 10:49 p.m.

I agree. Unfortunately Blizz decided that endgame was king when they made the leveling process take no time at all.

That wasn't arbitrary decision, nor did we arrive at it lightly. There are more than a few factors which played into it, but I'll cover one of the really big ones:

People often play MMOs to play alongside their friends and share adventures. That social experience is important, and it can feel a bit lonely when your friends and most of the rest of the playing population is cavorting around at the level cap while you're just starting out.

It's true that some players will create new characters to level up alongside their pals (or invite a new player using the Recruit A Friend service), but all too often a new player will end up on a realm and be expected to level up with relatively little assistance before they can join their friends on their 'end game' adventures. There are now also three expansions worth of new leveling content to experience in addition to the classic quest line which takes players from 1-60. We wanted to make it easier for players to come into the game and enjoy the leveling process, but also join their friends who are already playing on a more reasonable time frame. Another reason that questing seems faster is that we've learned a lot of lessons about quest and zone design flow since the old days - you might notice this when transitioning from Azeroth to Outland now, for example.

The leveling experience is important to us, which is part of the reason we revamped Azeroth for Cataclysm. It can be fun, rich and engaging without taking as much time as it used to. Still, at the end of the day, end game gets so much attention because that's where players spend the majority of their time. We do understand that not everyone enjoys the same types of game play, and we're always looking for ways to expand and improve the end-game experience to make it more engaging for different players.

Daxxarri

Community Manager

#184 - Jan. 14, 2012, 12:30 a.m.

There is almost no reason what so ever to venture out into the world.

That was an error we made with the design of Cataclysm, but getting players invested in the world again is something we're interested in addressing with Mists.