MMO Explorer Moves To New URL

Please find me now at mmoexplorer.com.

 

Team based PVP or Free For All?

I play Vanguard on the free for all (FFA) player versus player server.  On EQ2, I play on the team based PVP server.  I really can’t tell you which PVP style I like best.  I love how in Vanguard I can always find a fight.  However, I like the role playing aspects of team based PVP.  What do you like best?

 

Tip for Increasing Focus in EQ2

I discovered a great technique today to raise your focus skill in EQ2. Seek some mobs that are at least green to you, attack them and cast call to qeynos. The mobs will keep interupting you while you try to cast it. Through this process your focus skill will rise.

 

On SOE EQ2 Town Crier

I just found out that MMO Explorer was mentioned on SOE’s Town Crier.  I am psyched to have been mentioned and hope that this is the first of many times to be listed in the Town Crier.

Thanks for noticing SOE.

 

Who Wants More Meaningful PVP?

Player versus player combat is a prerequisite for me now in any MMO that I am going to invest a lot of time into. As I mentioned before, PVP provides so much to the MMO experience. No longer are players just playing next to each other in their journey through the game, with PVP players are competing with each other for everything. This adds so much to the gameplay.

My initial experience with PVP was in Everquest. After Everquest, I played World War II Online, Lineage II, and World of Warcraft. Now I am playing Everquest II on a PVP server (Nagafen).

Each of these games did many things right with PVP.

• With World War II Online PVP outcomes have macro level consequences. If the Axis is winning, they have access to more supplies and weapons and the frontline of the conflict shifts closer to the Atlantic Ocean.
• World of Warcraft’s use of instancing ensures that players can always find a fight.
• Everquest II’s use of titles, status, PVP gear adds consequences and purpose to PVP fighting.

Having said that, the PVP systems in these MMOs are still lacking. All MMOs today lack a truly meaningful purpose for PVP. Character development, consequences, goals, and community are the reason I play MMORPGs and not first person shooter games. In first person shooter games you get dropped into totally meaningless action. Your actions have no real significance to the world around you. Tomorrow when you start playing these games again, you are at the same place your were today. There is no character development or purpose to your PVPing.

Unfortunately, MMORPG player versus player combat suffers from this same lack of meaning. However, this doesn’t have to be the case.

Here are some suggested changes to PVP systems to give them meaning, purpose and consequence.

1. Controllable Territory -MMOs should implement systems where players can control territories. Controllable territory would also increase the community because teammates would have to work together to hold territory.
2. Benefits from Controlling Territory – Players should receive some benefits from controlling territory. This is needed to add purpose to the PVP combat. Maybe if your team controlled a zone, the zone would give you and your teammates a higher percentage chance for rare loot and rare harvest items. This would certainly make controlling territory more meaningful.
3. PVP Experience – Players should receive experience for PVP combat. I like it that Everquest II gives players experience for successful PVP kills. However, I think that more could be done with this. Maybe MMOs could implement separate leveling systems for PVP combat.

These are just a few thoughts. What do you think would give PVP in MMOs more meaning?

 

MMO Insights

Here is an interesting post from Virgin Worlds discussing problems with MMOs.

The Four Core (not molten) Desires of every MMO Gamer
Apr 24, 2007 04:25:01
They come in a variety of packages meant to attract and appeal. They’re busy, but tasteful and within, the prize, the crack, cocaine, and heroin. Others know them as World of Warcraft, Everquest II, Vanguard, Star Wars Galaxies, Lineage II, or Guild Wars. These are our drugs of choice, the dust we’re delighted to spend 15 dollars a month on. And why wouldn’t we be happy? Every time we shoot this drug we are privy to a unique and interesting experience. It’s everything we’ve dreamt of, for a few hours, days, weeks or maybe months, possibly years. The ecstasy last only so long before we’re looking for something bigger, something better, something that will collapse our veins and turn our teeth into chocolate pudding. We’re MMO junkies – game jumpers, title hoppers.

Why do we continue this trend of indecisive sampling and experimentation? Well, the short and simple answer is that as of yet, we junkies haven’t been given a product that satisfies every MMOers basic core desires; community, competition, freedom and individuality.

Community – Every MMO gamer knows that his or her experience in-game is ultimately determined by the community that surrounds them. A game’s community serves many roles such as teacher, councilor, friend, foe and everything in between. Titles with boorish, quiet or unhelpful communities bear a stigma that is hard to overcome. Look at the classic MMOs as examples of poor communities. Everquest has become a playground for the crusty elite, most of whom know each other by name. Starting fresh in that game earns you a sizzling brand on your buttocks that reads, “Noob.” You could be harassed, laughed at, teased, or taunted. Help would come rarely, if at all, and you might as well give up any notions you had about finding a group or guild. Such an encounter would force a quantum leap unlike one Scott Bakula ever experienced.

Competition – Carebears around the world are rubbing their tummies and invoking their powers of cavity inducing love for they know what is about to be discussed – player versus player combat. Nothing inspires more controversy amongst MMO players than PvP. Though devs concentrate on pleasing PvPers through rules tweaks, balancing and an ever present fear of getting ganked, only a few have tackled the real problem with MMO PvP – it’s simply not meaningful. Aside from PvP, other forms of competition need to exist to make a successful MMO, if only to satisfy those loveable Carebears. Gear, for example, provides an easy, flag-football-like way of inspiring envy and awe amongst players. This envy and awe often leads to players setting goals which involve besting someone else, or possibly an entire server – classic competition!

Freedom – Possibly the most infrequently implemented of the core desires, freedom is the reason why any game, not just MMOs, gains popularity. So far MMOs have only accomplished isolated pockets of this basic human need in their worlds. Many titles, for example, allow players the freedom of travel… until they encounter a mountain that can’t be climbed, a hill too steep for their apparently lame character to scale or a mysterious boundary that forces a puzzling load screen. Freedom in every aspect is obviously technologically impossible but MMO developers could take cues from single player RPGs where characters age, progress in skill sets rather than pre- determined class levels, and can affect the world more than leaving a temporary footstep in sand or snow. Freedom implies the ability to do what you want, not to pick from a list of pre-determined actions. Titles such as Vanguard whose marketing scheme relies on freedom are a long way off from actually delivering.

Individuality – “Look over there, it’s Ragnor, the most infamous guy in the game – oh wait, he’s not Ragnor, he just has exactly the same face, gear and proportions.” Who doesn’t like seeing a line of pixilated dolls all wearing nearly the same clothes and features? Me, and I would guess, nearly every other MMO gamer! So why haven’t more devs gone the way of City of Heroes, in their customizable costume creation? Who knows! It seems to me that this would be the easiest of the four core desires to implement into an MMO but often times, it seems to be (besides freedom) the one that garners the least amount of attention. The key here is providing players with ways of making their characters noticeably unique (stress the word noticeably). Facial features are fun to tweak, but does anyone really look?

It is lack of all four of these desires being satisfied that keeps us moving from drug to drug. Each new release promises the world. We buy the games with our fingers crossed only to have our chests gored again. Our hearts heal only with rumors of the next high, the next big thing that could deliver. The fun now is not playing the game, but looking forward to the next one. Maybe someday soon this will change, but until then, my name is Bryan Bouren, and I am an MMO junkie.

-Bryan Bouren

 

What makes MMOs fun?

The first question for us to discuss is, “What makes MMOs fun?”

1. Character Development – For me, the most enjoyable part of playing an MMO is character development. Who doesn’t get a rush from achieving that next level? As you continue to read this list of elements that make MMOs fun and different from other genres of computer games, character development is the common thread weaved throughout.

2. Community – Unlike traditional role playing games, MMOs are persistent, social worlds. I love being surrounded by other players who are experiencing the game with me. MMOs allow me to group with other players, meet people from around the world, compete with others, and share in-game and real life experiences. I tried to play Oblivion last year, but after playing MMOs, I quickly realized that I can no longer play traditional role playing games.

3. Competition – Competition with other players is an important aspect of MMOs. Competition comes in many forms, including gaining levels, achievements, and new abilities, acquiring new and better loot, being the first of your friends to accomplish something in-game, killing a named mob that others haven’t, and player versus player combat.

4. Abilities – There is nothing better than receiving a new ability for my toon. The anticipation motivates me to keep playing to gain the experience necessary to obtain these new abilities. I love seeing how these new abilities change my character’s play style and effectiveness.

5. Loot and Money – Loot and money are also keys to having fun. In Everquest II, I love when a chest drops and I get to see what’s inside. Being able to sell the loot or wear it provides a great mini-game within the larger game. Who doesn’t get excited when they get some awesome item?

6. Mini-games – As stated with money and loot, the mini-games within MMOs are limitless. In Everquest II, I love collecting the “shinies,” little collectibles found on the ground throughout the zones. Some people enjoy doing all of the quests, others like to tradeskill. These games within the game provide endless variations in play styles. Sometimes I will just sit in chat and marvel what some people enjoy doing in the games.

7. Player versus Player Combat – Player versus player combat is a must for me in any MMO. Now that I played on a PVP server, I can never go back to just a PVE game. However, my reasons for saying this might surprise you. I don’t really enjoy the actual PVP combat. However, I think that it increases the competition in every aspect of the game. No longer is the game just about getting to the end level. Instead, people want to be uber at every level so that they can compete in PVP combat. I think that this creates a healthier economy within the game.

8. Named Mobs – I always get excited about the chance to kill a “named mob.” There is a rush to get to kill a mob that is tougher than the rest. Additionally, the chance at special loot is great.

There are certainly many other characteristics in MMOs that make them fun. I will start you off with this list. Please post your comments as to what makes MMOs fun for you.

 

Welcome to MMO Explorer

I have created this blog to create a community where people can discuss why we like MMOs, what elements make an MMO enjoyable, what MMOs we like and dislike (and why), what elements need to be incorporated or discontinued, and any other topics related to MMO game-play and community.

I would like this website to be a place for us to share our ideas.  I will ask a question and then provide my answer to it.  I encourage you to share your answers by posting comments to my posts.  Please also feel free to suggest topics that you would like to discuss with the community.  I will incorporate your suggestions into future posts that we can discuss.

Let me tell you a little about myself.  I would consider myself a casual MMO player who would become addicted if I did not have a wonderful wife and two great kids.  While family life and work keep me from being uber, they give me an uber “real life.”  Despite being a casual MMO gamer, I love the genre and get great satisfaction from playing.

My love of gaming started with my family’s purchase of an Apple II Plus.  Boy did I love that Autobahn game that played off of an audio cassette. My next love was Atari’s Pitfall.  From there I played Civilization I, II (maybe the best non-MMO game of all time), III and eventually IV.  I have also always loved the Madden series and get excited every August for that year’s new release.

However, my love of gaming all changed once I started playing Everquest I.  I was late being introduced to the MMO genre, but once I did, nothing else compared.  After Everquest I, I have played Everquest II, World of Warcraft, Lineage II, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, and Lord of the Rings Online.

Each of these games was great in its own way.  For the longest time Everquest I could not be beat.  It was my first foray into MMOs and neither Everquest II, World or Warcraft or Lineage II could replicate the joy that I felt in my first MMO experience.  I am sure you all still love your first played MMO.

Currently my favorite MMO is Everquest II (the second time around).  I played Everquest II at its launch for about 6 months.  At that time, I loved the graphics, but thought that the game play was boring.  As you might recall, at launch EQ2 had a system where each character started as one of four archetypes, fighter, scout, healer or mage.  Then at level 10 and level 20 you picked a sub-classes.  I hated this system and it eventually ruined my first experience with EQ2.  I will discuss this further in future posts I am sure.  However, I started playing EQ2 again with the launch of its Echoes of Faydwer expansion, and my love for the game could not be stronger.

I share with you my gaming experience not to bash any other games.  I am sure that I would like some of the games you played or are playing, but I only have a limited amount of time.  I assure that I am interested in your experiences and hope that this community will allow for us to share these experiences with each other.

I look forward to meeting you all.

-Fred