BioWare: MMORPGs Have "No Point"

[Hurr Durr Derp]

Here's to hoping this isn't all just marketing talk.

 

[CheckD3]

I'm excited to see how they make an MMORPG and put the story into it, for you are the only one who can stop the evil power, and there are a million only ones.

Unless they make you part of a bigger something, but that's hard when people don't like to converse with other people, myself included. People are untrustworthy and unreliable...so I won't work with them most of the time...

 

[BarbaricGoose]

This is worrying. It sounds like they're going to go down the same stupid route at Aion and AoC by trying to put a single player story where you're the fucking chosen one into a MMO populated by thousands.

An MMORPG is supposed to be different to a regular RPG that happens to have a lot of dudes running around in it. It's not about the story in an MMO, it's about the stories, the creation of an interesting world for players to run around in. I can understand why that might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's the only way to do a characterful MMORPG that embraces the genre's features rather than awkwardly trying to draw the player's attention from them.

Well, the story structure of this game is no different than any other MMO's story. I can't speak for Aion, because it didn't interest me in the least, so perhaps in that you DO play as the chosen one.. In SW:TOR, you don't play the "Chosen One." As the story advances, sure, your character gets more well known and what not, but I think that's as close as it gets to the "Chosen One." Gotta give Bioware some credit here, they wouldn't do that. I can almost guarantee that they knew people - Like you - would complain about it. No offense intended. This just has more of a focus on drawing you into the story, and since you're focused on it, they hope it will eliminate the grind. Or at least make it more fun.

I don't really see what the big fuss is here, does anyone actually enjoy aimlessly grinding monsters for hours on end? Wouldn't the story factor just seem like a great thing to have?

But let me ask you this, you think that being the "Chosen One" along with several million other "Chosen Ones" kills the immersion? Right? It obviously wrecks some part of the game for. Totally understandable, but doesn't the fact that Illidan, Arthas, Onyxia, Kel'Thuzad ETC respawns 50 million times kill the immersion in the same way? Cause it's basically the same thing. You're made out to be the biggest, baddest adventurer there is, only to discover you're doing something 10 million other bigger, badder adventurers did before you.

 

[Fr]anc[is]

There are stories in MMORPG's. Actually quiet a lot of story.
But the great majority of them have no story because korean companies keep pushing out WoW-clones nonstop.

Well, if anyone can do this Bioware can... I look forward to this game.

Stop praising them so much.
There are many who can create a story.
Heck, let me count up three for you!

* FFXI
* Anarchy Online
* World of Warcraft

It's already been done so less praise for Bioware <_<

I'm sorry but WoW does not count as a "Story", it's not fun to sit there and read why McNPC#201 wants me to kill 20 Gnolls because its just flavor text, there's nothing behind the story, no substance, maybe you should research how BioWare is doing things differently before you talk about it (every quest is fully voiced for starters)

Agreed. What WoW was built from was an awesome story, but WoW itself only equates to "random adventurers slaughtered every major character"

 

[Cowabungaa]

I hope they'll succeed with that, but also offer content that'll keep you playing after finishing that single-player-ish portion of the game. I'm thinking huge PvP battles, tasty!

I'm sorry but WoW does not count as a "Story", it's not fun to sit there and read why McNPC#201 wants me to kill 20 Gnolls because its just flavor text, there's nothing behind the story, no substance, maybe you should research how BioWare is doing things differently before you talk about it (every quest is fully voiced for starters)

That's simply not true. While I agree that it wasn't well-executed in vanilla WoW (with some exceptions), but they really integrated storylines into the actual gameplay in Wrath of the Lich King. And that's exactly why I look forward to Cataclysm; hopefully it'll bring the original questing content up to the same quality as Wrath.

 

[Tanzka]

All this talk, I hope TOR can walk the walk as well or the fall will be so much harder.

With that said, I'm gonna buy this game just because it's an MMO and just because it's Bioware.
Hopefully it won't suck.

 

[Zing]

I hope they'll succeed with that, but also offer content that'll keep you playing after finishing that single-player-ish portion of the game. I'm thinking huge PvP battles, tasty!

I'm sorry but WoW does not count as a "Story", it's not fun to sit there and read why McNPC#201 wants me to kill 20 Gnolls because its just flavor text, there's nothing behind the story, no substance, maybe you should research how BioWare is doing things differently before you talk about it (every quest is fully voiced for starters)

That's simply not true. While I agree that it wasn't well-executed in vanilla WoW (with some exceptions), but they really integrated storylines into the actual gameplay in Wrath of the Lich King. And that's exactly why I look forward to Cataclysm; hopefully it'll bring the original questing content up to the same quality as Wrath.

Your opinion =! fact. I find all those quests(in Wrath to be tacked on and rather boring), still try to race through them just as fast to reach end game.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

Basically what he's saying is "We want there to be a reason not to power level, exp leech or grind the most exp-profitable dungeon over and over". So what SW:TOR is doing is basically what Cataclysm has already been stated as doing, namely trying to create a meaningful early and midgame content for a MMO.

See, what I am seeing here is the same kind of scaling story/power level that exists in classical RPGs and most MMOs. Namely that you are forced to slog through the lower levels until you reach the awesome stuff when you are high level. It is nothing new, it is a staple of most RPGs in fact. Trying to make it so that you have exciting stuff to do all along is good, but it seems like someone is looking too much at WoW to me.

Take a look at EVE Online for example. With some semi-dedicated skill progression and ISK-gathering you can be ready to engage in Corp-business in the first two or three weeks. EVE has scaling like everyone else, but it also makes even the low tiers viable in different roles in the "late game" content. To be a decent miner you only need about two days worth of skill training, to be a good one you need to pour between one and three weeks into skills depending on how much time you have. A more free-form progression in the game helps people find something meaningful to do all throughout the game.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Your opinion =! fact. I find all those quests(in Wrath to be tacked on and rather boring), still try to race through them just as fast to reach end game.

It's your own fault that you do that. I never did that, especially not in WotLK. While my guildmates raced to 80 in less than a month, I took over 2 months fully appreciating all the storylines expressed in the leveling content; the history of the vrykul, rise of the Iron Dwarves, awakening of the Lich King, plights of the various Dragonflights, pretty much every major story event that happens is fully explained through questing content.

That ain't opinion, that is fact. Whether you like it or not is something else, that is opinion, but they do integrate the storylines in WotLK in the questing content.

The difference is already obvious between WotLK and TBC. In you never get to see what you're working towards; Illidan. There does indeed seem to be no point in reaching the endgame content, it's completely separated from the leveling content. This is not the case in WotLK, that's a fact, they tied those together. Whether you pay attention to it is something else.

But anyway, if you say that's not the case, fine, lets hear it; do explain why exactly the leveling content in WotLK is so disconnected with the endgame.

 

[Jeronus]

I wasn't looking forward to this game even though Bioware was making the game. I thought it would just be an game with MMO concepts mixed in with Star Wars. I hope they can do something different. After raising two level 80s in WoW, I hope they can do something new that will restore my faith in MMOs.

 

[Zing]

Your opinion =! fact. I find all those quests(in Wrath to be tacked on and rather boring), still try to race through them just as fast to reach end game.

It's your own fault that you do that. I never did that, especially not in WotLK. While my guildmates raced to 80 in less than a month, I took over 2 months fully appreciating all the storylines expressed in the leveling content; the history of the vrykul, rise of the Iron Dwarves, awakening of the Lich King, plights of the various Dragonflights, pretty much every major story event that happens is fully explained through questing content.

That ain't opinion, that is fact. Whether you like it or not is something else, that is opinion, but they do integrate the storylines in WotLK in the questing content.

The difference is already obvious between WotLK and TBC. In you never get to see what you're working towards; Illidan. There does indeed seem to be no point in reaching the endgame content, it's completely separated from the leveling content. This is not the case in WotLK, that's a fact, they tied those together. Whether you pay attention to it is something else.

That's your right to like it, however I'm pretty sure it's a fact(as you've just said in your own post), that most people don't find this fun, and just raced through it to 80.

 

[katsabas]

i hate bioware

COUGH COUGH 'Attention whore' COUGH COUGH COUGH.


I really like how they summarize the whole Online Massive Multiplayer scene. From what I have seen, they have managed to create something with KOTOR, both offline and online. Here's hoping we get another breakthrough.

God, I soooo wanna play Mass Effect 2.

 

[jords]

I don't have any interest in doing a whole lot of boring quests to level up a character, so haven't played a mmo for a long time. But this one could be interesting, certainly take a look at what Bioware makes since i love their single-player RPGs.

 

[theamazingbean]

I started to ask myself why Bioware seem to acting like such dicks recently, then I remembered the legions of slavering fanboys.

 

[crypt-creature]

The thing about story is that in game development the plot or story is meant to be a starting motivation for the player and that is true in most mmo's.

WoW encouraged players to fight and help rebuild their position after the damage of Archimonde and Arthas. Tabla rasa was the fight to prevent the human race from going extinct by being part of their army. City of heroes wanted players to be heroes solving crime in the city.

The problem is always with end game, while there is story there the one thing they always lack is resolution. Sure you kill the big guy but he will be back next week thereby nullifying your achievement or at the very least putting your story at the end making the story at that point have no point.

If anything story is always just one of many hooks to try and catch the players interest if the gameplay doesn't work or if their friends are all playing.

This. This right here, speaks the truth about the entire situation.

Why will there never be a perfect MMO? A story has to end eventually, and then what is the point of your MMO?...
.... Quick, more levels and a new boss to continue the story!

 

[dmase]

some rpgers like grinding like a stripper does some like story, but the ones that like story wouldn't touch a western rpg. I like both I've played obsidian and square enix games out the nose but western rpg have got me for now... dragon age.

 

[Cowabungaa]

That's your right to like it, however I'm pretty sure it's a fact(as you've just said in your own post), that most people don't find this fun, and just raced through it to 80.

But what the OP was about is that most MMO's don't offer a point, that the leveling content is disconnected with the storylines and endgame. But that ain't true in WotLK, it's rather obvious that they do, that they do tie-in the leveling quests with the storylines and endgame. And if people don't find that fun, I doubt SW:TOR will change that.

But what makes you think that the quests in WotLK are tacked on then?

 

[crypt-creature]

That's your right to like it, however I'm pretty sure it's a fact(as you've just said in your own post), that most people don't find this fun, and just raced through it to 80.

Most people who have alts or are being pestered about getting to end content as quick as possible, yes.
Those that are interested in the story?

No.

I found the story fun and interesting, TBC content was a little dull, but it picked up again with WoTLK.
Now that I'm working on alts, I don't care so much about the story.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

along with the expected thousands of Sith Lords kicking the crap out of innocent droids.

That, unfortunately, is one of the two reasons I won't be playing it.
The second is their design choice to base it of the NGE.

 

[Delusibeta]

I think Bioware is talking about a lack of RPG in an MMORPG. Although, I would imagine they're really talking about meaningful early to mid-game content.

Spoiler: The Irrelevent Off Topic Section

It's such a pity CVG's admins has grown so incompetant that they leave blatant spam in the comments thread.