Non-MMO Fans! What would get you to play one?

[PedroSteckecilo]

I'm not an MMO fan, and I'm sure many other people on these boards aren't either but I would like to pose the question... what WOULD it take to get you to play one?

For me I would like...
A Very Immersive World
Less of a focus on PVP and more focus on Cooperative Questing/Puzzle Solving
Less Grind, I hated those moments in WOW where the quests were too hard and everything else yielded too little XP, so all that was left was boredom.
No More Fetch/Collect Quests!

 

[number2301]

No pay monthly. I know that isn't really possible but I refuse to pay £100s for one single game.

Also a real purpose to fight/whatever. Have wars which really make a difference, not the standard stalemate situations and static gameworld you always get.

Actual proper combat, not maths, not click on an enemy and select attack. REAL combat, the kind where a really skilled newbie could potentially beat a high level character with the coordination of a chimp.

Got to be Sci Fi setting as well, I've never liked the fantasy setting. Chat rooms and universal communication make much more sense in a sci fi setting as well.

 

[MJ12 Commando]

Nothing. I'd take more pleasure in being forced to staple my own face shut.

This.

 

[Zemalac]

It would have to be the best example of the genre ever seen, and also not have a subscription fee. I hate monthly fees.

 

[zacaron]

Nothing. I'd take more pleasure in being forced to staple my own face shut.

This.

so you would play if he stapled his face shut?

 

[Conqueror Kenny]

Well:

No subscription
More Co-Op(this is the only reson i played coX for a few months)
More varied things to do (less grind)
If I had a better graphics card

 

[portuga-man]

Thing is, grinding and fetch quests are what keep players playing. P2P games like WoW don't care if you're having fun. They care if you're wasting time, and the longer you play, the more you pay.


As for me, I'll always and forever be faithful to good old uo. It has everything you mentioned (and focus on pvp). Though, guildwars might interest you. It has no subscription fees and it's all about pvp, but the game's main story line has loads of party-only missions. You can only level up to 20, so there rly aren't many fetch quests/grind (except in the beginning, when you're supposed to learn the game mechanics). I actually leveled up to 20 doing the main quest's missions (+ one or two side-quests).
But then there's a problem. What else do you do when you completed the (very good) rp side of the game and have lvl20 chars? You pvp. And sure, guildwars pvp is awesome, but it gets boring after a while. So you see, this is the perfect example of what happens to an mmo with few to no grinding. In time, you find out you have nothing else to achieve and you barely play it.

Still, i recommend it.

 

[Usige Beatha]

No blasted levels. I hate the level system with a bloody flaming passion!

 

[Leorex]

i played wow, untill it became all about 50-60-70-expack->expack->expack->expack

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

I still found Guild Wars boring unfortunately, it just wasn't fun, also there were too many stupid names being used. On the fun aspect, I don't think your correct, in the videogame biz you seem to be able to both Love Your Craft AND make money, unless you work for EA. I know that with a Monthly Fee they want you to sink in time, but there are other ways to do that.

 

[Saskwach]

1. A good broadband connection. *sigh*
2. A reasonable fee, at least.
3. Ways to change the dynamics and structure of the game world, ala EVE Online.

So really I'm tempted by EVE and not much else. Warhammer also has an appeal simply because I'm a reformed GW addict- but I've still got the taste.

 

[portuga-man]

I still found Guild Wars boring unfortunately, it just wasn't fun, also there were too many stupid names being used. On the fun aspect, I don't think your correct, in the videogame biz you seem to be able to both Love Your Craft AND make money, unless you work for EA. I know that with a Monthly Fee they want you to sink in time, but there are other ways to do that.

Well, my apologies for recommending an mmo you hated :S
but by your list, i thought it was pretty fitting.

Anyway, I do agree with you on the fun part. Some people may love their craft and make money in the process, but sometimes, by technical limitations or just due to laziness, one goes the easy way. I'm not saying the WoW staff is a bunch of greedy bastards, but i know they could've done a far better job if they wanted to.

(oww i can already feel the WoW fans sharpening their swords :\)

 

[Leorex]

the problem is grind is an easer way of keeping players paying then a compelling story, or game play.

if you think about it xbox live gold is a great model for a mmo, multiple games, one low monthly cost. and many of them keep you there not by grind, but by game play, such as cod4, or halo.

 

[JakubK666]

I'd have a lot more fun stapling HalfShadow's face.

Now seriously:

1.No Pay Monthly.
2.A lot less grind.
3.Skill > Level Approach.
4.Small Community.

 

[Anarchemitis]

Being paid.

 

[Stammer]

For me I would like...
A Very Immersive World
Less of a focus on PVP and more focus on Cooperative Questing/Puzzle Solving
Less Grind, I hated those moments in WOW where the quests were too hard and everything else yielded too little XP, so all that was left was boredom.
No More Fetch/Collect Quests!

A lot of what you and everyone else is saying here sounds like Final Fantasy XI, the MMO that I play. Now, like every other MMO, it's grind-tastic, there are levels, and it does in fact have a monthly fee. Sorry, guys.

What the game does offer, though, is a very immersive world. You can lose yourself in the enormous areas, fine details, and amazing storyline. Some of the areas can be quite frightening, and others can be breathtaking.

Final Fantasy XI has probably the worst PVP system out of every MMO I've ever heard of, but that doesn't bother me. If I want to PVP, I'll play Team Fortress 2. Almost everything in the game encourages teamwork. Starting at Lv.10, it's preferable to party right away, and everything later on in the game is almost mandatory to have allies.

Less grind. Though the game does have a lot of grinding, we have alternatives to that now. Our quests don't give any experience points (some missions do, no quests), so a lot of it is either partying or a new element called Campaign. Campaign was implemented in the newest expansion that is basically a series of skirmishes in the war. It can be played solo just as easily as if in a party, and the experience points rewards are almost on par.

Final Fantasy XI also steers away from fetch/collect quests a lot of the time. Many of the earlier quests involve doing things like that, but many involve notorious monster (boss) fights, or traveling the immense areas of the game.

Though still stat-based, the game is incredibly balanced, and it takes a while to learn how to play. It has a lot of elements and mechanics that can teach you how to become better. The game supports beginners just as well as it supports veterans. The more you play, the better you become. Race and equipment make little difference- it involves a lot more skill and timing than other MMO's.

 

[ksn0va]

No monthly fee
gameplay that is actually fun
and actual gameplay

 

[Calobi]

A world in which I actually matter. WoW did that for a while when An'Quaraj (spelled that wrong, don't care) opened up and people contributed to opening it. I want that, only more so. A world in which all areas can be conquered and then defended, where players can build things like homes or towers, where a group can alter the landscape. Conquered areas wouldn't be changed immediately, either. They would have to be rebuilt by the conquering side, both NPCs and players.

It should be able to be played alone or in groups, none of this "You must at some point group with people" that forces you to wait around until enough strangers decide that they need to do that too and help you.

Also, great gameplay and graphics, with a small (less than $10 a month) fee, if any.

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

There's about ten times as much grind in FFXI than any other MMO I've played. No offense Stammer, but really... there is. It also has the most frustrating crafting system, and the most broken economy.

I've finally managed to settle on Lord of the Rings Online, which I've found to be a lot more versatile than most MMO's, however I'm starting to get a little bored of it, and if Mines of Moria doesn't get me out of my funk, I'll just call it quits and give up on the genre entirely.

What I want to see is an MMO where I can have fun for 20 minutes even in the highest levels, instead of having to devote 5 hour time spans to get anything good. (Also, it'd be nice if it didn't take 20 minutes to get past log-in and loading screens)