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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rushlight" data-source="post: 928930" data-attributes="member: 3801">As a former fan of MMORPGs, I've been waiting for something new to recapture my attention.  I've done beta for several games, most of which never really went anywhere (like MS's Allegiance, and InterAdventure's Hostile Space) and one that did well, Origin's Ultima Online.  I've also played several of the second generation games, like EQ and AC.  I've also seen some of the free ones, like 4th Age.  Anyway, I've yet to experience a game as cool, interesting, exciting, and fun as UO in the first year and a half.  All MMORPGs now (including UO which I still dabble with) fail miserably in my opinion.  The first reason I can see is that the "new" has worn off, and there's not much left to try.  That reason pales in comparison to the main reason why I don't like any of the new MMORPGs: they are designed for the largest market segment: the Lowest Common Denominator.Of course, this is in the Company's best interest, since that's who has most of the money.  Unfortunatly, these are also the people who have wildly divergent ideas on what is "fun", and cry wildly if their concept isn't implemented.  Like any large, decision-making body, the loudest almost always get their way, as opposed to those with perhaps better ideas.  Once Origins sold out to EA, things went drastically downhill.  By that time, EQ was doing well, sucking up most of the LCD availiable with superb graphics, mediocre gameplay, and deplorable everything else.  So EA figured that abandoning everything that got them where they are and copying what EQ was doing seemed like a better idea.  Now there's little difference between the two.  Just for those who weren't around then, here's some of the things that made UO (in the beginning) great:1) Dynamic Environment.  The monsters (and even wildlife) didn't just spawn at a spot and stand there waiting for you to come by and kill it.  Each creature had a preferred environment, and foodsource.  They would actively seek both.  If "humans" was on the food list, watch out!  Wolves would seek and kill sheep and deer.  Monsters would do the same.  2) Dynamic Resources.  Only specific amounts of resources would be available in a region.  (There were many regions.)  When the amount of resources exceeded the limit, no more would spawn.  You would need to seek out those hidden resources in order to find them, and those areas could be very profitable if you could protect their location.  The above two were designed in order to simulate an very basic economy.  It worked reasonably well.3) Secure areas, and dangerous areas.  You could play the game all day and never leave town.  Or, if you were "adventerous" you could venture out of the safety of town and risk danger for profits!  Or, you could forsake the pleasures and conveniences of town for the life-or-death path of the Outlaw.  Basically surviving by banditry and murder.  Of course, you'd likely draw the ire of those good folk, and get hunted down.  Risk was always present when large rewards were possible.4) You didn't have to be a fighter.  You could play the game (and do well) as a craftsman.  Smithy, mining, carpentry, fishing, and many other tradeskills were available, and usually desired.  These skills could be done in the town, or in your private residence.  All could be profitable over time, as well as relatively safe.  Of course, you'd need to have some guys around sometimes for protection, but that's what all your money is for...The first three were changed to make the game less difficult, and to reduce the "risk" involved in the game.  The LCD folks don't like to lose, and since they can't go download a trainer or enter in a few "godmode" passwords, they start to complain.  Loudly.  They don't want any danger in their game.  They want everything available NOW, without any effort or learning on their part.  They don't understand that the effort put into the game grants magnified rewards once you succeed.  They whine that they worked all day for whatever, and some PK came by and killed them and took their stuff.  They fail to understand that it was the DANGER of the PK that made their gold valuable in the first place.  once gold is available just by clicking around a few times, it loses it's intrinsic value.  Its just more meaningless data on a server.  You didn't "Barely escape the clutches of evil bandits just after taking down a dragon deep in the Dungeon!"  You just "camped another spawn."  Yawn.  No danger = no excitement.  EQ presents no real danger to a player, and UO doesn't either anymore.  Nor does AC or DaOC.  Unfortunatly, the success of those projects creates an easy path for new projects to follow, since these are guided by managers, not gamers by the most part.  They see what is profitable, what minor details can be changed to differentiate themselves, and how soon the marketing can begin.  Everything else is just minor details.  I've followed the MMORPG community for quite a while, and this is a sad commentary.  What I'm waiting for is a game that puts the danger, and thus the excitement, back into a game.  Many have tried just creating a combat environment, but that doesn't cut it.  (But thankfully, Shadowbane took most of the thugs and punks out of the market.  It comes as no suprise to me that they got hacked.  That's the segment they went looking for.)  A pointless combat zone in DaOC doesn't really equate to danger.  I've got no personal investment, so if I die I really don't care.  It's like playing an FPS game, only really slow, and really laggy.  Horizons had some good ideas, and I really will take a good look at that if it ever comes to be, but other than that, I see no hope in the current or future crop of MMORPGs.  They are all designed to be EQ knock-offs, in hopes of being a hit.  What these game producers fail to understand is that there are ALREADY games out there designed for the LCD.  There are many more people who want an intellegent, risky, rewarding, fun game, and are willing to pay for it.  We've got enough pellet despensing, spawn camping, robotic games already.  Where are the games for smart people??</blockquote>

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