Comments on: MMOs are changing — but maybe some players need to go back to their roots

By: How to find a good guild « Welcome to Spinksville!

How to find a good guild « Welcome to Spinksville! — Mon, 31 May 2010 08:59:56 +0000

[...] by whether or not you can find a suitable guild easily by doing just this. We were discussing the newbie experience in EVE Online in comments last week, and the guy who was recruited instantly into a friendly newbie guild had a [...]

By: nugget

nugget — Sun, 30 May 2010 15:57:05 +0000

I think DBlade hit the nail on the head, at least when it comes to a nugget’s personal preferences.

For that kind of travel to work, I want to be able to *do things*.

Epic flight form was sooo great for me because, YAY I’m A BIRDIE! A SUPERFAST BIRDIE! Ahem.

But other than that, I could swoop down and shapeshift and skin something, or mine something. I could, after certain changes were made, change into a bear in midair and feral charge at a target on the ground, hitting them, and taking no damage in the process. (This took practice, which was also really fun.) And I could plan my routes, take shortcuts, take the scenic view if I liked!

Hence – immersion via travel? I think, for me, only if I am truly controlling the travel.

Here, sit, and watch, and be unable to do anything… that’s just time to do something else. YMMV, of course. =)

By: Dblade

Dblade — Sun, 30 May 2010 06:35:02 +0000

No, we AFKed on the airships too in FFXI. We didn’t on the ferries only because you could fish there, and the Sea Horror or pirates could come and eated us.

After awhile immersion matters much less. For that kind of travel to work you need to make it interactive enough to keep interest.

By: Dblade

Dblade — Sun, 30 May 2010 06:32:06 +0000

EvE University never approached me in 6 months of play. They never once advertised in where us newbies looked, the recruitment channel, and neither did RvB. I only joined RvB because I constantly heard of them outside of the game in Massively comments.

By: nugget

nugget — Sat, 29 May 2010 08:05:54 +0000

Oh. after my first 6 months in wow, I always, immediately, without fail, went afk upon getting on a gryphon.

Kinda failed to see the point of watching something I totally couldn’t control or have any effect on in any way.

I think if travel is something people want to bring up for immersiveness, something like the epic flying mounts would be a better example, maybe.

Because I still remember the first time I got epic flight form. Now THAT was immersive. =)

By: spinks

spinks — Sat, 29 May 2010 05:04:18 +0000

You don’t think it feels more as if you’re really travelling when you see yourself moving through the zones and areas? Especially when you’re flying over an area that you’ve just been questing in or running through.

Just because some people can afk through flights, does that mean everyone must? Because that’s what teleports everywhere means. Maybe it’s just not important to a lot of players.

By: nugget

nugget — Sat, 29 May 2010 04:56:26 +0000

I really don’t mean to be snarky, but I fail to see how hopping on a gryphon and then immediately going afk or oow is more immersive than an instant teleport.

I’ve pondered/asked this question in various places as well, but no one has ever answered me.

Waidat?

By: spinks

spinks — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:18:09 +0000

I think my requirement isn’t quite the same, but I need to feel as though I am a part of the world and not some special ‘player’ who got parachuted into the theme park. I want the NPCs to feel more important – if they have to exist at all.

I want to feel as though I am part of a virtual society, even if I’m not top of the food chain.

By: Wiqd

Wiqd — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:05:34 +0000

EDIT to add:

If you want me to be immersed in a game, make me feel like I have a stake in the future of the world. Make me believe that my actions will mold your world into something. It won’t happen overnight, but at least give me the ability to shoot for that goal.

By: Wiqd

Wiqd — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:03:03 +0000

Personally I think the next generation of MMOs needs to incorporate all aspects of gaming into it, in order to be considered truly next-gen. You need to appease the people who like crafting, the people who like farmville, the people who like combat, the people who like PVP, the people who like raiding, the people who like exploring … all those people need to have something to do in one game.

What’s that mean? That means you need to have a completely player run world. You leave the politics, economy … everything, up to the actions of the players.

“But they’ll ruin the world!” Maybe … but there are always people will to do the right thing just as much as there are people to do the wrong thing. You’ll have people wanting to form bandit groups and whatnot, but you’ll also have people wanting to hunt those bandits down. Allow players to build cities, raise crops, hunt bounties, defeat creatures, raid large fortresses and dungeons, explore ruins and do research of days gone by, practice combat formations … all of that.

It’ll require a complete overhaul, but that’s what next-gen is, right? We need a game to be … everything. Too big? Maybe … but someone should still try.