Guild Wars 2

Unlike gw1 i really dont like the story so i just prefer to run around and do my own thing for fun. though it seems most of this game is focused around achievements and AP points. Will the new expansion be mostly living story stuff as well?

Welcome to 2015.
Where MMORPGs are less and less about role play what it once used to be.
Sure some people still force the role play but the game itself does not encourage it.
Most MMOs today are quasi-single player games with a set story and course of events.
Once you are through with this there is instanced PvP and grinding score points of some sort.

There is no more focus on making your own story/journey. Exploration is meaningless, everything is being spoonfed to you. Games full of micro rewards as a cheap excuse to cut short on actual meanigful content. No punishment for anything. Its boring.

But still, Gw2 is the most enjoyable among all of those bad games today. Atleast I thinkg that way.

It all quite sad if you think about it, because Less is more.
Developers would not even need to grind their butts off and create personal stories and what not. Its irreleveant.
We need to go back to a more sandbox approach in MMOs where the players and world build themselves a story.

The only thing it really needs a little bit of background information you put into a wiki and then off we go.

I remember the time where clans made up their own stories and view of the world. Times where relationships expand beyond the border of the game, where you are a personality within the gameworld and you fullfill one certain role… and not play XY alt-characters by the side.. urgh.

I could continue on but who cares…

I dislike the Living Story because it moves on if I don’t bother to check it out, and for that reason I have now missed a large part of it, and will not be able to see what happened at the end of season 1, and season 2 is locked behind a pay wall.

I know many people crap on RuneScape for it being a sucky game (and it is), but at least it’ll let me play through its quests whenever I want to, even if I haven’t logged in for the last 10 years.

I just want to experience the Living Story at my own pace. If I stop playing GW2 for whatever reason I want to be able to get back into the story when I return to it.

Milennin.4825:

I just want to experience the Living Story at my own pace. If I stop playing GW2 for whatever reason I want to be able to get back into the story when I return to it.

True, it botheres me having to keep the game installed and to casually log in to unlock my story. I am back ingame now. But I was on a 3-4 months break on which I had to login to get the updates from time to time.
Its not really THAT bad… Still, it really must not be like this.
Its just another way to generate money sadly. Then again, the game has no subscription…
Meh

Watch YouTube run throughs, the only reason to buy is for the rewards, and if you don’t want Mawdrey or the ascended stats trinkets you got as rewards it is kind of silly to buy anything.

I don’t follow the story, either. Not because I don’t want to but… I’m new to GW2 and never played GW1. I’m glad living story is there for people but I don’t get this “living” bit where the story will advance before my new player self has ever seen it. I don’t want to be rushed I have a day job.

I am pro independent role play options. That would include a social zone with obtainable furniture and decor and animations to interact with said objects.

Drow.2081:

I don’t follow the story, either. Not because I don’t want to but… I’m new to GW2 and never played GW1. I’m glad living story is there for people but I don’t get this “living” bit where the story will advance before my new player self has ever seen it. I don’t want to be rushed I have a day job.

I am pro independent role play options. That would include a social zone with obtainable furniture and decor and animations to interact with said objects.

It’s changed now and you no longer have to rush. Season 2 is repeatable and can be done at your own pace.

Season 1 was very much rushed however and not repeatable. So essentially it would be like starting a new TV series from the second season.

Well, if you watch Season 1 of a TV show, then not bother to watch Season 2, 3 and 4 but return in Season 5 how do you manage to pick up the story without buying (or renting) the missed story (illegal sources do not count!)? Season 2 was free, all you had to do was logging in once in 2 weeks. This was announced. If you did not bother then and now do, you have to pay something for it. And not even real money, since you can exchange your gold for gems. If you don’t have enough gold, go get some.
Or read in Wiki what happened instead of enjoying the game itself. It’s your choice.

And btw… the living story is just a little background story for opening new map content. Map content, everyone can enjoy now for free, no matter if ls was played or not.

Schumi.4285:

Well, if you watch Season 1 of a TV show, then not bother to watch Season 2, 3 and 4 but return in Season 5 how do you manage to pick up the story without buying (or renting) the missed story (illegal sources do not count!)? Season 2 was free, all you had to do was logging in once in 2 weeks. This was announced. If you did not bother then and now do, you have to pay something for it. And not even real money, since you can exchange your gold for gems. If you don’t have enough gold, go get some.
Or read in Wiki what happened instead of enjoying the game itself. It’s your choice.

And btw… the living story is just a little background story for opening new map content. Map content, everyone can enjoy now for free, no matter if ls was played or not.

And if you only care about story and not rewards or achievements, you can do it for free with someone who’s already unlocked it.

I hate to say it, but I stopped caring about the story after level 60 or so when we were sidelined and Trahearne took center stage. The personal story was really nice at first and I enjoyed it a lot. Until plant man stumbled into the scene and was crowned lord savior of our realm.

I missed living story one as well, so I can never catch up. So the story will essentially never mean anything to me since I don’t know the characters anymore or what actually happened.

Ralanost.8913:

I hate to say it, but I stopped caring about the story after level 60 or so when we were sidelined and Trahearne took center stage. The personal story was really nice at first and I enjoyed it a lot. Until plant man stumbled into the scene and was crowned lord savior of our realm.

I missed living story one as well, so I can never catch up. So the story will essentially never mean anything to me since I don’t know the characters anymore or what actually happened.

If you really care about what happened and don’t want to be tortured by playing in the shadow of “Mr.Tree is always right”, read what happened in Wiki or watch the story in youtube. I am sure you will find a summary there.
In case this will bring your interest back, find a friend having ls season 2 and ask him to play everything with you. If that person is a good friend, that person will help!
And there you are, back in the game, up to date and understanding what’s happening in the expansion.

If you don’t care about anything, have fun doing all the events and stuff all over the map where no knowledge of any living story is necessary at all!

Or did anyone ever need to know how southsun cove was introduced in ls season 1 to kill the karka queen now?

BTW: Yep, Trahearne killed the story, 100% ack! That’s why he has to die @ ANet! Pls! And make US slaughter HIM! With the fiery axe of tree shredding eternal pain! (Man, how I’d love to see that weapon in the game!)

oh and @ OP:
the expansion will continue where ls season 2 ended. But it’s not just a story expansion. It will add content, areas, character development, new legendary weapons and a lot of more stuff to the game.

my issue with the LS is that im reduced to an observer in basically my own story. Npcs do stuff… i stand there and observe…and eventually save the day cause they are useless in battle (what is perfectly fine). I feel more like the senile old man group mascot that everybody just tells he is the boss cause it makes him feel good.

-old man voice- “I remember back in my days getting that darn chutulu wannabe dragon from the skys, joining an order i want and having a choice in what i wanna do and how i wanna do it….those where the days. Now these darn kids with their angst and their magics try to save the day and if kitten hits the fan ol granpa basalt still gotta bust out the old rifle himself.”

Sometimes i really feel like shouldnt even be there…what is…weird. Why does an iron legion charr engineer pact commander care about human party politics rather then…lets say inspecting\testing an experimental pact weapon or airship to use against the mordrem just to have a small example? As much as i hate traherne…he atleast gave me a choice in how i wanna advance. Sure it eventually led to the same outcome…but i still had a choice in HOW i go to the outcome. Im by all means not a roleplayer in the traditional sence.. but i do like to roleplay in my head as i play…if that makes sence. The LS really doesnt give me that whatsoever. Sure.. there is nostalgia, really detailed and with lots of love made locations (glints lair and library to name my favourites) and obviosly somebody gives a darn about the story…even if its atm really not my meal…but meh.. it still doesnt take that wrong feeling away..no matter how hard i try.

The problem with the living story is essentially the same than the problem with all story in GW2 (dungons, PS). You’re basically a nameless guy doing all this annoying fighting business so that you get to spectate how the story of the real heroes advances.

Just as I said. Its essentially a singleplayer walk through.
When I first heard about “living world” I thought its going to be some major open world events that have huge impacts and I was super hyped. Turned out it is an instanced single player story.

There was a story in GW1 as the skip counter was pressuring me not to inconvenience anyone.

On a serious note after Season 1 the story got better. I would say it is now close to on par with GW1 story(What I have seen of it at least).

Drow.2081:

I don’t follow the story, either. Not because I don’t want to but… I’m new to GW2 and never played GW1. I’m glad living story is there for people but I don’t get this “living” bit where the story will advance before my new player self has ever seen it. I don’t want to be rushed I have a day job.

I am pro independent role play options. That would include a social zone with obtainable furniture and decor and animations to interact with said objects.

A lot of people made this point while season 1 was active. The result season 2 you can purchase the entire season for 800 gems(About $10) Or 106 Gold 64 Silver(At it’s current trade rate).

The reason why they put it behind a paywall is they want people to continually log in and not take a break. This keeps the population high. That increases the chance of a gems tore purchase. It also makes the game feel more alive.

They are working to bring season 1 to a similar style like Season 2. This will take time however.

Flitzie.6082:

Welcome to 2015.
Where MMORPGs are less and less about role play what it once used to be.
Sure some people still force the role play but the game itself does not encourage it.
Most MMOs today are quasi-single player games with a set story and course of events.
Once you are through with this there is instanced PvP and grinding score points of some sort.

There is no more focus on making your own story/journey. Exploration is meaningless, everything is being spoonfed to you. Games full of micro rewards as a cheap excuse to cut short on actual meanigful content. No punishment for anything. Its boring.

But still, Gw2 is the most enjoyable among all of those bad games today. Atleast I thinkg that way.

It all quite sad if you think about it, because Less is more.
Developers would not even need to grind their butts off and create personal stories and what not. Its irreleveant.
We need to go back to a more sandbox approach in MMOs where the players and world build themselves a story.

The only thing it really needs a little bit of background information you put into a wiki and then off we go.

I remember the time where clans made up their own stories and view of the world. Times where relationships expand beyond the border of the game, where you are a personality within the gameworld and you fullfill one certain role… and not play XY alt-characters by the side.. urgh.

I could continue on but who cares…

I care.

You’re starting to make me reminisce on the real old school days of Runescape (not the terrible old school servers that were released in 2013).

I too miss the old sandbox-type of MMOs, but sadly these days those just… wouldn’t flourish among the type of gamers these days. There are tons of reasons why MMO makers target the more casual crowd.

Once, I used to be fully into the LS. But the more that Anet stepped away from what was being needed in the game (ie. the things people were asking for more and more and being ignored), and putting their own thing in instead, with lashings of gem store items, the more disinterested I became and separated myself from it.

The only thing I do with LS now is just follow it through and wait for the next chapter. I could not care less about the achievements they throw in with them, just to keep me playing the game, or the extra armour skins and achieves associated with them, again, just to keep me playing the game, and the new areas which fast become tedious farms which are evil necessities to progress through on certain achievements, once again, to keep me playing the game.

It’s because they want to keep people (long-timers especially) playing the game and refusal to add anything more significant into the game until the expansion comes out, that I rebel against their mode of thinking. It’s a waste of time for me being in there (Dry Top / Silverwastes) after getting the initial content achieves (find the llamas, gold coin hunt, etc.) and keeping in just for the sake of farming what they want us to farm which is incredibly boring and tedious.

This is the reason why I stay away from more involved LS stuff and do what I want to do in the game, not what they would have us do to get more of it complete. It’s all about choice and I choose not to succumb to their mode of play and sacrifice a few AP instead.

I’ve played three chapters, and i find it boring… the stealth level was nice, other than it didn’t interest me, and I don’t really care what happened before / what will happen after
(once i knew that scarlet was the one building the steam creatures i thought it’d maybe read up on what’s going on, but i didn’t)
and I won’t be doing the achievements since I don’t want to play the same thing twice

KGS.9842:

I’ve played three chapters, and i find it boring… the stealth level was nice, other than it didn’t interest me, and I don’t really care what happened before / what will happen after
(once i knew that scarlet was the one building the steam creatures i thought it’d maybe read up on what’s going on, but i didn’t)
and I won’t be doing the achievements since I don’t want to play the same thing twice

So you’ve only done each dynamic event once and never run a dungeon twice?

Vayne.8563:

KGS.9842:

I’ve played three chapters, and i find it boring… the stealth level was nice, other than it didn’t interest me, and I don’t really care what happened before / what will happen after
(once i knew that scarlet was the one building the steam creatures i thought it’d maybe read up on what’s going on, but i didn’t)
and I won’t be doing the achievements since I don’t want to play the same thing twice

So you’ve only done each dynamic event once and never run a dungeon twice?

It’s different with dungeons because you get a gold reward from them. Take away their incentive and their popularity would vanish pretty quickly.

The LS achievement rewards aren’t the same.

Purple Miku.7032:

Vayne.8563:

KGS.9842:

I’ve played three chapters, and i find it boring… the stealth level was nice, other than it didn’t interest me, and I don’t really care what happened before / what will happen after
(once i knew that scarlet was the one building the steam creatures i thought it’d maybe read up on what’s going on, but i didn’t)
and I won’t be doing the achievements since I don’t want to play the same thing twice

So you’ve only done each dynamic event once and never run a dungeon twice?

It’s different with dungeons because you get a gold reward from them. Take away their incentive and their popularity would vanish pretty quickly.

The LS achievement rewards aren’t the same.

Everyone one of them offers rewards. Some of the rewards are pretty good. What you’re really saying is there’s no incentive for you to repeat something because you personally don’t like the rewards. So if you’re gold focused they’re no good and if you’re achievement point focused they are.

Some people play to increase their gold and some to increase their achievement points. Some to increase both. But let’s not pretend there’s no reward for doing the achievements.

> anyone else not into living story stuff?
yes

The story never impressed me.

I will not buy the expansion and sometime leave this game behind me because I dont care anymore. But that is okay.

btw I loved GW1

I don’t like living story either

1. bad execution – tiny releases which are usually worth less than 1 hour of game play. The entire season which takes almost a year to be finished has about the same story as single longer chain quest in other games

2. bad writing – GW2 universe has very rich lore and I don’t know why writers chose not to draw inspiration from endless pool of potential racial, political and religious conflicts or why haven’t they made us deal with interesting vilains similar to Palawa Joko. Instead they made cheap rip-off of Power Rangers with Rita Repulsa Scarlet and Boring Stegalkin son of Xena Eir Stegalkin, Rox a.k.a Disney female stereotype and 2 lesbians one of which is kind of cool but the other one is so forgetable I don’t even remeber her name (the blonde one). I haven’t been around during most of the Season 2 but since it had too much of The Avengers ehm Destiny’s Edge at the end, I am sceptical it was better than season 1.

3. it was the main focus of developers for over 2,5 years which made the game stale and almost frozen in time. No new dungeons, no new pvp modes no new anything but few maps that had something to do with LS.

Luckily they realized it was bad and started to focus on expansion instead of this nonsense.

Basaltface.2786:

-old man voice- “I remember back in my days getting that darn chutulu wannabe dragon from the skys, joining an order i want and having a choice in what i wanna do and how i wanna do it….those where the days. Now these darn kids with their angst and their magics try to save the day and if kitten hits the fan ol granpa basalt still gotta bust out the old rifle himself.”

this is gold

I like the LS but I’ve gradually come to prefer the way Season 1 was done over Season 2.

Whenever I go to LA or the particular spot in Lornars, or go through my screenshots, or listen to the Breachmaker music I can feel the nostalgia. I can remember the feel of desperation to rescue as many people as I can or defeating the giant Sky Puppet with a whole bunch of other people. Racing against time was fun. And sure it was all about time limited events but I really got into it.

The Season 2 chapters are nice things to do occasionally.

While its possible that they have different teams working on different things, I dislike the transient nature of GW2’s content because well… it has no long lasting changes. GW2 came out a little over two years ago. In that time span, most games become completely alien.

GW2 is largely the same, possibly worse due to NPE. Its not 100% identical, but if you quit a month after launch it would still seem mostly familiar.

Servanin.5021:

While its possible that they have different teams working on different things, I dislike the transient nature of GW2’s content because well… it has no long lasting changes. GW2 came out a little over two years ago. In that time span, most games become completely alien.

GW2 is largely the same, possibly worse due to NPE. Its not 100% identical, but if you quit a month after launch it would still seem mostly familiar.

I have to throw in a word here.
If a game is well made and long lasting I WISH not for it be alienated. Sadly this happened to every MMO I ever played.
Updates usually end up unfitting with the rest of the game and the quality gets worse with every patch.

Its actually quite refreshing that GW2 does NOT do that, quite honeslty I love that.
If just the core structure of the game would be more… appealing?!

yeah i tend to agree with what others have commented in here already, game has lost it’s original vision of a truly unique MMO where it is all about “Your Story”.

but you can’t fault them either, it’s a business they need to stay afloat. they make decisions that are critical to the continued lifetime of the product while maximizing profits.

not forgetting forum posts always only represent a minority of the community, albeit they’re the ones that care most about the product.

and also like many other comments already said, gw is still a better game over the other available competition, but how “well above” , definitely not much and sure feels like its plataueing against other games now.

supernomnom.6594:

yeah i tend to agree with what others have commented in here already, game has lost it’s original vision of a truly unique MMO where it is all about “Your Story”.

but you can’t fault them either, it’s a business they need to stay afloat. they make decisions that are critical to the continued lifetime of the product while maximizing profits.

not forgetting forum posts always only represent a minority of the community, albeit they’re the ones that care most about the product.

and also like many other comments already said, gw is still a better game over the other available competition, but how “well above” , definitely not much and sure feels like its plataueing against other games now.

Whether or not it’s plataueing against other games depends on why you’re here in the first place. There still aren’t many games (any) that really focus on the open world instead of raids. The kind of content I like is here and a lot of it can’t be found in other games.

And I can’t abide the static quest system at all anymore, which leaves most other games out.

Vayne.8563:

There aren’t many games (anymore) that really focus on the open world instead of raids.

fixed that for ya

Flitzie.6082:

Vayne.8563:

There aren’t many games (anymore) that really focus on the open world instead of raids.

fixed that for ya

Well, since I’m playing games now (as opposed to the past) what I said still stands. I agree. I think WoW and the WoW model did incalculable damage to MMOs.

Vayne.8563:

Flitzie.6082:

Vayne.8563:

There aren’t many games (anymore) that really focus on the open world instead of raids.

fixed that for ya

Well, since I’m playing games now (as opposed to the past) what I said still stands. I agree. I think WoW and the WoW model did incalculable damage to MMOs.

WoW created the open world model. Previous MMOs as recent as the mid-2000s had a design of “Raid or GTFO. We do not support a non-raiding playstyle”. A lot of recent MMOs have given an alternative to that.

Servanin.5021:

Vayne.8563:

Flitzie.6082:

Vayne.8563:

There aren’t many games (anymore) that really focus on the open world instead of raids.

fixed that for ya

Well, since I’m playing games now (as opposed to the past) what I said still stands. I agree. I think WoW and the WoW model did incalculable damage to MMOs.

WoW created the open world model. Previous MMOs as recent as the mid-2000s had a design of “Raid or GTFO. We do not support a non-raiding playstyle”. A lot of recent MMOs have given an alternative to that.

Guess UO didn’t exist. Get real. WoW created very little.

Lol, there were many Open world MMOs prior to WoW.
Infact even WoW is not fully open world as it has instanced areas aswell.

In games like Lineage and LineageII even the dungeons were part of the open world where you could casually walk into like walking into a cave. Those are probably the prime example of true open world.

And there are many more examples out there where raiding was part of the game but not the non plus ultra or raiding just simply did not exists in the way we know it today.
Not to forget Ultima online indeed.

We really need to go back to those times.
Some game are already going back at it it seems. Archage is fully open world, no? (Havent played it) and Black Desert online(?) seems to have it, aswell. Not sure.
Now make them more hardcore again like it used to be and count me in.

Edit: <- Topic derail master. :<

Flitzie.6082:

Lol, there were many Open world MMOs prior to WoW.
Infact even WoW is not fully open world as it has instanced areas aswell.

In games like Lineage and LineageII even the dungeons were part of the open world where you could casually walk into like walking into a cave. Those are probably the prime example of true open world.

And there are many more examples out there where raiding was part of the game but not the non plus ultra or raiding just simply did not exists in the way we know it today.
Not to forget Ultima online indeed.

We really need to go back to those times.
Some game are already going back at it it seems. Archage is fully open world, no? (Havent played it) and Black Desert online(?) seems to have it, aswell. Not sure.
Now make them more hardcore again like it used to be and count me in.

Archeage was a complete disaster. It went from being really popular to fairly deserted in a short period of time. A lot of people got refunds on it completely. People think this game is mismanaged, they should be forced to play Archeage for eternity.

It’ll be interesting to see Black Desert though.

Flitzie.6082:

Lol, there were many Open world MMOs prior to WoW.
Infact even WoW is not fully open world as it has instanced areas aswell.

In games like Lineage and LineageII even the dungeons were part of the open world where you could casually walk into like walking into a cave. Those are probably the prime example of true open world.

And there are many more examples out there where raiding was part of the game but not the non plus ultra or raiding just simply did not exists in the way we know it today.
Not to forget Ultima online indeed.

We really need to go back to those times.
Some game are already going back at it it seems. Archage is fully open world, no? (Havent played it) and Black Desert online(?) seems to have it, aswell. Not sure.
Now make them more hardcore again like it used to be and count me in.

Edit: <- Topic derail master. :<

Not open world in the sense that dungeons are non-instanced. Open world in that there is something to do other than raid. Like in EQ or DAOC, you could not raid, but there was really nowhere else to go. You could hang out and socialize, PvP, and… thats about it.

How about “Popularized” then?

Having played in the Korean OBT for Black Desert, and as someone who was incredsibly hyped for it, it did not live up to expectations at all. It’s visually stunning, like unbelievably so, but there are so many flaws that stop it from being the great game that i hoped it would be. Hopefully PA listen to the Western playerbase like they say they will for the upcoming release for the West, otherwise i can’t see it lasting too long once the “ooooh shiny!” effect wears off. It’s such a pity, because it gets so much right, but the crippling flaws just ruin the whole thing for me.

And on GW2 LS: They’re kittene. I don’t care about the boring story, Trehearne is one of the single worst characters i’ve seen in any medium ever, the achievements are annoying and i’m tired of watching NPC’s have boring chats about being amazing, then failing hard and i have to finally save the day. They’re just terribly written.

Servanin.5021:

How about “Popularized” then?

Mainstreamed?

Flitzie.6082:

It all quite sad if you think about it, because Less is more.
Developers would not even need to grind their butts off and create personal stories and what not. Its irreleveant.
We need to go back to a more sandbox approach in MMOs where the players and world build themselves a story.

The only thing it really needs a little bit of background information you put into a wiki and then off we go.

I remember the time where clans made up their own stories and view of the world. Times where relationships expand beyond the border of the game, where you are a personality within the gameworld and you fullfill one certain role… and not play XY alt-characters by the side.. urgh.

I could continue on but who cares…

Wow! this so much! it’s just why i keep coming to mmos and end up dissapointed. This is why i quit WoW!

and probably the reason i am going to quit this game sooner or later.

even worse, mmos make for really crappy single player games. I remember playing assasin’s creed after quitting wow and thinking: omfg! this is so much better… and as a single player experience, it was.

Ticare.3948:

The problem with the living story is essentially the same than the problem with all story in GW2 (dungons, PS). You’re basically a nameless guy doing all this annoying fighting business so that you get to spectate how the story of the real heroes advances.

what? no. In season 2 you are the BOSS, and everybody keeps telling you how great you are till the point it gets really embarrasing.

Still, no choices to take. Well, whatever.

Redxon.6832:

Will the new expansion be mostly living story stuff as well?

Sure will. The expansion continues where the Living Story Season 2 stopped with its cliffhanger. Yes, there will be non-Living Story elements. But the expansion will attempt to combine both from what we’ve been told.

It’s the reason there hasn’t, and won’t be, any Living Story updates until the expansion. Time, as far as story, has stopped until Heart of Thorns is released.

And, despite all the negativity you’re hearing here, a lot of people are eager to play it. Including those complaining.

Don’t let them fool you.

Flitzie.6082:

Welcome to 2015.
Where MMORPGs are less and less about role play what it once used to be.
Sure some people still force the role play but the game itself does not encourage it.
Most MMOs today are quasi-single player games with a set story and course of events.
Once you are through with this there is instanced PvP and grinding score points of some sort.

(snip)

I’ve been MMOing since UO beta, and RPers have ALWAYS been a tiny, tiny minority. What is this golden era you speak of?

If you want to properly RP it isn’t going to happen in a video game anyway. Find a DM near you and start collecting dice.

brokenrabbit.6538:

Flitzie.6082:

Welcome to 2015.
Where MMORPGs are less and less about role play what it once used to be.
Sure some people still force the role play but the game itself does not encourage it.
Most MMOs today are quasi-single player games with a set story and course of events.
Once you are through with this there is instanced PvP and grinding score points of some sort.

(snip)

I’ve been MMOing since UO beta, and RPers have ALWAYS been a tiny, tiny minority. What is this golden era you speak of?

If you want to properly RP it isn’t going to happen in a video game anyway. Find a DM near you and start collecting dice.

I don’t think he’s talking about actual RPing. RPGs exist without people RPing in them. He’s talking about immersion. There was a time when the ultimate goal of games wasn’t chasing loot around in circles. I know because I was there.

Repeating the same raid over and over again to get specific gear wasn’t what RPGs were about and RPGs didn’t always mean RPing.

Vayne.8563:

brokenrabbit.6538:

Flitzie.6082:

Welcome to 2015.
Where MMORPGs are less and less about role play what it once used to be.
Sure some people still force the role play but the game itself does not encourage it.
Most MMOs today are quasi-single player games with a set story and course of events.
Once you are through with this there is instanced PvP and grinding score points of some sort.

(snip)

I’ve been MMOing since UO beta, and RPers have ALWAYS been a tiny, tiny minority. What is this golden era you speak of?

If you want to properly RP it isn’t going to happen in a video game anyway. Find a DM near you and start collecting dice.

I don’t think he’s talking about actual RPing. RPGs exist without people RPing in them. He’s talking about immersion. There was a time when the ultimate goal of games wasn’t chasing loot around in circles. I know because I was there.

Repeating the same raid over and over again to get specific gear wasn’t what RPGs were about and RPGs didn’t always mean RPing.

The only things that come close to what you are describing in my experience are MOOs (kinda like MUDs but more focused on RPing and world building). Even in UO everyone was min/maxing.

EQ, DAoC, AC, AO…they were all about chasing the new carrot. In fact I’d say the only truly unique MMO community is Eve Online considering how heavy intra-game politics factor into actual gameplay and your relationships with people.

Give me a fantasy MMO where politics are as important as they are in Eve Online and I don’t care if there’s a sub, I’m there.

brokenrabbit.6538:

Give me a fantasy MMO where politics are as important as they are in Eve Online and I don’t care if there’s a sub, I’m there.

Shadowbane (closed in 2009)

brokenrabbit.6538:

Vayne.8563:

brokenrabbit.6538:

Flitzie.6082:

Welcome to 2015.
Where MMORPGs are less and less about role play what it once used to be.
Sure some people still force the role play but the game itself does not encourage it.
Most MMOs today are quasi-single player games with a set story and course of events.
Once you are through with this there is instanced PvP and grinding score points of some sort.

(snip)

I’ve been MMOing since UO beta, and RPers have ALWAYS been a tiny, tiny minority. What is this golden era you speak of?

If you want to properly RP it isn’t going to happen in a video game anyway. Find a DM near you and start collecting dice.

I don’t think he’s talking about actual RPing. RPGs exist without people RPing in them. He’s talking about immersion. There was a time when the ultimate goal of games wasn’t chasing loot around in circles. I know because I was there.

Repeating the same raid over and over again to get specific gear wasn’t what RPGs were about and RPGs didn’t always mean RPing.

The only things that come close to what you are describing in my experience are MOOs (kinda like MUDs but more focused on RPing and world building). Even in UO everyone was min/maxing.

EQ, DAoC, AC, AO…they were all about chasing the new carrot. In fact I’d say the only truly unique MMO community is Eve Online considering how heavy intra-game politics factor into actual gameplay and your relationships with people.

Give me a fantasy MMO where politics are as important as they are in Eve Online and I don’t care if there’s a sub, I’m there.

Not really my point though. My point was the success of WoW made that model the most prevalent. If WoW hadn’t been as popular as it was, other types of games might still be around…and yes Eve is the exception to the rule.

Vayne.8563:

Not really my point though. My point was the success of WoW made that model the most prevalent. If WoW hadn’t been as popular as it was, other types of games might still be around…and yes Eve is the exception to the rule.

WoW was just a more polished EQ. WoW may be more popular than EQ ever was but back in the day EQ drew in some (for then) impressive numbers.

It’s the EverQuest model everyone uses now. Too bad the sandbox types like UO didn’t have a lasting influence, because a level-less, skills-based system like UO has so much untapped potential.

brokenrabbit.6538:

Vayne.8563:

Not really my point though. My point was the success of WoW made that model the most prevalent. If WoW hadn’t been as popular as it was, other types of games might still be around…and yes Eve is the exception to the rule.

WoW was just a more polished EQ. WoW may be more popular than EQ ever was but back in the day EQ drew in some (for then) impressive numbers.

It’s the EverQuest model everyone uses now. Too bad the sandbox types like UO didn’t have a lasting influence, because a level-less, skills-based system like UO has so much untapped potential.

Businesses adopted the WoW business model for the money it made. That’s all. EQ, from a business perspective, was largely irrelevant, even though I agree it was the forerunner of the format. It was also a niche game. Far more niche than WoW was. It was WoW’s success that drove other companies to emulate it, and so it’s WoW I blame.

Vayne.8563:

brokenrabbit.6538:

Vayne.8563:

Not really my point though. My point was the success of WoW made that model the most prevalent. If WoW hadn’t been as popular as it was, other types of games might still be around…and yes Eve is the exception to the rule.

WoW was just a more polished EQ. WoW may be more popular than EQ ever was but back in the day EQ drew in some (for then) impressive numbers.

It’s the EverQuest model everyone uses now. Too bad the sandbox types like UO didn’t have a lasting influence, because a level-less, skills-based system like UO has so much untapped potential.

Businesses adopted the WoW business model for the money it made. That’s all. EQ, from a business perspective, was largely irrelevant, even though I agree it was the forerunner of the format. It was also a niche game. Far more niche than WoW was. It was WoW’s success that drove other companies to emulate it, and so it’s WoW I blame.

Why would you blame WoW? The marked asked for a product with specific set of parameters and WoW managed to deliver what market wanted. This is how it works, if ppl stop buying cheap 3rd world products and start buying local products, stores will sell local products.

Brahmincorle.1264:

Vayne.8563:

brokenrabbit.6538:

Vayne.8563:

Not really my point though. My point was the success of WoW made that model the most prevalent. If WoW hadn’t been as popular as it was, other types of games might still be around…and yes Eve is the exception to the rule.

WoW was just a more polished EQ. WoW may be more popular than EQ ever was but back in the day EQ drew in some (for then) impressive numbers.

It’s the EverQuest model everyone uses now. Too bad the sandbox types like UO didn’t have a lasting influence, because a level-less, skills-based system like UO has so much untapped potential.

Businesses adopted the WoW business model for the money it made. That’s all. EQ, from a business perspective, was largely irrelevant, even though I agree it was the forerunner of the format. It was also a niche game. Far more niche than WoW was. It was WoW’s success that drove other companies to emulate it, and so it’s WoW I blame.

Why would you blame WoW? The marked asked for a product with specific set of parameters and WoW managed to deliver what market wanted. This is how it works, if ppl stop buying cheap 3rd world products and start buying local products, stores will sell local products.

I don’t have to like McDonalds to acknowledge they’re succesful. And I can blame McDonalds and fast food in general for the obesity epidemic.

Vayne.8563:

Brahmincorle.1264:

Vayne.8563:

brokenrabbit.6538:

Vayne.8563:

Not really my point though. My point was the success of WoW made that model the most prevalent. If WoW hadn’t been as popular as it was, other types of games might still be around…and yes Eve is the exception to the rule.

WoW was just a more polished EQ. WoW may be more popular than EQ ever was but back in the day EQ drew in some (for then) impressive numbers.

It’s the EverQuest model everyone uses now. Too bad the sandbox types like UO didn’t have a lasting influence, because a level-less, skills-based system like UO has so much untapped potential.

Businesses adopted the WoW business model for the money it made. That’s all. EQ, from a business perspective, was largely irrelevant, even though I agree it was the forerunner of the format. It was also a niche game. Far more niche than WoW was. It was WoW’s success that drove other companies to emulate it, and so it’s WoW I blame.

Why would you blame WoW? The marked asked for a product with specific set of parameters and WoW managed to deliver what market wanted. This is how it works, if ppl stop buying cheap 3rd world products and start buying local products, stores will sell local products.

I don’t have to like McDonalds to acknowledge they’re succesful. And I can blame McDonalds and fast food in general for the obesity epidemic.

Well I blame obese ppl for overeating (ok just to be clear, Im not talking about ppl with some sort of medical condition with obesity as a result of their illness). That would be the main difference between us I gues