GRIMJIM
First Post
I don't think we have a massive amount to worry about.
For one thing we (designers, players and GMs) have transferable skills that could be moved into the MMORPG arena to create a much better game and more immersive gameworld for everyone.
MMORPGs are, still, about 25 years behind tabletop gaming. They're unadventurous and trot out the same formula time and time again. They have problems that have already been mentioned - the peon factor, not being adaptive, everyone doing the same quests.
This is starting to shift though.
Vampire: Redemption started it IMO, that had a good GM mode but the toolset was nigh impenetrable.
NWN took that a step further, but the toolset could - again - be a lot easier to use and more versatile.
The MMORPG Saga of Ryzom will be introducing a player-edited system for creating and hosting scenarios 'off' the main MMO server.
The changes are coming and we can get into them. Honestly. MMORPGs have a lot to learn from us and, contrary to what a previous poster said, RPG designers DO know better than computer game designers what makes up these more interactive worlds and how to make a success of them.
MMORPGs have a little more in kin with large scale LARPS (with no selectivity of players) than TTRPGs but there are common elements to all of them.
I think they're going to fuse.
For one thing we (designers, players and GMs) have transferable skills that could be moved into the MMORPG arena to create a much better game and more immersive gameworld for everyone.
MMORPGs are, still, about 25 years behind tabletop gaming. They're unadventurous and trot out the same formula time and time again. They have problems that have already been mentioned - the peon factor, not being adaptive, everyone doing the same quests.
This is starting to shift though.
Vampire: Redemption started it IMO, that had a good GM mode but the toolset was nigh impenetrable.
NWN took that a step further, but the toolset could - again - be a lot easier to use and more versatile.
The MMORPG Saga of Ryzom will be introducing a player-edited system for creating and hosting scenarios 'off' the main MMO server.
The changes are coming and we can get into them. Honestly. MMORPGs have a lot to learn from us and, contrary to what a previous poster said, RPG designers DO know better than computer game designers what makes up these more interactive worlds and how to make a success of them.
MMORPGs have a little more in kin with large scale LARPS (with no selectivity of players) than TTRPGs but there are common elements to all of them.
I think they're going to fuse.