Same Old, Same Old: TERA Shallow Revolution Proves That MMO's Need to Change, And Now

[News Portal]

James Pinnell has been to the lands of [app=8815]TERA[/app] for a preview, fought in their 'revolutionary combat', and returned to tell the tale - but the tale is one of sadness at just how stagnant MMO's have become.

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Read full article by James Pinnell

[Cyrinno]

I would also say with MMO's there's a particular problem with Hype. Each new MMO is hyped up so much that when someone gets to it, their dissapointed. It seems to always run like this for people.

RIFT is coming out it's going to be awesome and going to blow everything away.

People play RIFT and are dissapointed but there's always SWTOR coming out thats going to be the next big thing.

Then they play SWTOR and are dissapointed but don't worry TERA is going to be sooo goood.

Then they play TERA and are dissapointed but don't worry GW2 is going to change the game etc...

I wish the community would grow up a bit, it seems every new MMO that comes out just gets bashed after being hyped and build up pre release.

[Vencha88]

The MMO community doesn't want change (even GW2 isn't that different, it's just good marketing). They want the exact same game. If they really wanted change the countless different and unique MMOs out there right now would have active and profitable player bases. All they want to do is complain on forums about nothing innovating.

[silkillion]

While the quests are resetting as discussed in the article, there is a wealth of player control in MUDs to a level where graphical MMOs can’t even aspire to reach.

Take the Iron Realms games for example – players have an almost complete control over themselves that covers everything from a description of their character, to the clothes they wear, the game economies, guild/city/order structure and area design.

In these MUDs, every player has the ability to make a permanent impact on the entire game and be known for it.

But, if graphics are more your thing, you can always wait for The Secret World. Heh

[NukeJockey]

The MMO community doesn't want change (even GW2 isn't that different, it's just good marketing). They want the exact same game. If they really wanted change the countless different and unique MMOs out there right now would have active and profitable player bases. All they want to do is complain on forums about nothing innovating.

If that were even the slightest bit true, then all the WoW clones would have huge player bases and wouldn't have had to resort to going F2P to make them profitable.

People put these MMOs down because they are the same, the exact same thing the article was getting at, its the biggest issue in gaming at the moment, lack of Originality, over the last 6-7 years Publishers and Developers alike have seen just how profitable games can be, no one wants to risk spending 100 million to make a new game in case it bombs, its the same with MMOs, the companies go with a tried and true formula, because its proven to pull in players, but I don't think that's correct any more and the publishers need to look into changing with the market.

[James Pinnell]

The MMO community doesn't want change (even GW2 isn't that different, it's just good marketing). They want the exact same game. If they really wanted change the countless different and unique MMOs out there right now would have active and profitable player bases. All they want to do is complain on forums about nothing innovating.

But there aren't that many MMO's out there that are truly innovating. I've played a *ridiculous* amount of them, almost every single major one and a ton of F2P ones for my column. All of them share the same string of features:

- Static quest lines
- Battleground PVP, some open world PVP/GvG/WvW
- Hotkey or Mouse Click Combat
- Lack of player control over influence over the environment
- Lack of player control over the economy
- Lack of player control over governance (taxation, law and punishment, housing)

Like silkillion mentioned above, MUDs are worlds away in terms of providing the appropriate tools for gamers to shape the world they inhabit. Any MMO that was designed well and allowed for this freedom would be incredibly successful.

[Marcus Dunn]

I think the most interesting development in the MMO sphere since WoW’s release is that millions of people have not only come into the genre, but have become dependent on it. Many people (myself included at various points) have felt the need to have an active subscription to *something*. When a game such as WoW becomes tired, they’re seeking something else to fill in this immense hole in their free time that WoW filled. They try out the next game, but it’s either not similar enough with the same familiar features, or its too similar and they feel they’re retreading the same ground.

I think players almost universally agree that fetch quests are old news – yet almost every MMO (SW:TOR included) is still based almost solely around them. Then there’s the oodles of content – what is it for exactly? Why bother creating the 1 to X level experience when players just EAT THIS UP as fast as humanly possible to get to the endgame, which is where a large portion of MMO players tell you the game ‘truly begins’.

I don’t know – I might be the last of a dying breed but when I jump into a new MMO, I try to enjoy the journey and then reassess when I get to the end. I have never understood the race mentality my fellow guildies used to go through to gobble up a WoW expansions content in a single weekend. I mean, they’ve been waiting for new content for 1-2 years, dying to try new things, and it comes out and its gloves off, levelling group formed and road runner to the max through it!

We *have* to be getting near the end of this MMO phase, I mean, how much longer do companies think players are actually going to stomach the same old format? I bet many former junkies have actually kicked their habit within the past 12 months or so yet their underlying need to subscribe still lays dormant (which is why these come back deals work so well).

[bundyraider]

Most MMOs just make me feel like a sheep. Don't excite me now.

The writer hit the nail on the head about the need for some type of lasting impact on the world from your actions. ...for me.

[Marius]

(even GW2 isn't that different, it's just good marketing)

The thing with the GW hype is that it's not company generated. It's people with actual experience experiencing the game and claiming it is new. Our own Tim Colwill has played in the beta, has played every other MMO, and says GW2 is something new and is innovating.

Obviously people will have different opinions, as like in this article, but that's to be expected and encouraged.

As for the article end point here, I'm not really convinced that player impacts on players is the way to go. That always leads to griefing, and is not a game I'd ever want to play. It's a an argument that PvPers have been making since the prehistoric era, but it always comes back to many players don't like their experience impacted by others. That's a key reason it's not done, rather than a lack of creativity on the designers' part.

[revengous]

- Lack of player control over the economy
- Lack of player control over governance (taxation, law and punishment, housing)

evvvvvveeeeeeeeeeee!

[Tas]

About time some gaming reviewers spoke up what some of us have been saying for years. Wow destroyed MMO's. Now they just keep dragging out the same dribble constantly. I had Tera preordered an even did 4 of the 5 beta events,a n I canceled my pre order because it really is just....more of same.

GW2 is indeed blowing the hype engine out of the water, I think that just shows how sick to hell an gone people are of what has become of the genra.
The Only thing I would point out is that CCP sadly are "slowly" listening to the newer players. They are making EVE "easier" every patch just in little bits at a time.
But it is slowly removing what makes EVE, EVE....
Many newer/younger players dont like the whole "Run tutorials, get given a few ships an some cash, then get told "go do something"...
They want to be shown what to do an for some reason CCP is gradually listening to them.

[Disco LT]

While the quests are resetting as discussed in the article, there is a wealth of player control in MUDs to a level where graphical MMOs can’t even aspire to reach.

Take the Iron Realms games for example – players have an almost complete control over themselves that covers everything from a description of their character, to the clothes they wear, the game economies, guild/city/order structure and area design.

In these MUDs, every player has the ability to make a permanent impact on the entire game and be known for it.

But, if graphics are more your thing, you can always wait for The Secret World. Heh

I cut my teeth on MUDs and spent thousands of hours playing Materia Magicka >.< I'm still amazed that the detail that went into that world..

[Vencha88]

Hidden: show

The MMO community doesn't want change (even GW2 isn't that different, it's just good marketing). They want the exact same game. If they really wanted change the countless different and unique MMOs out there right now would have active and profitable player bases. All they want to do is complain on forums about nothing innovating.

But there aren't that many MMO's out there that are truly innovating. I've played a *ridiculous* amount of them, almost every single major one and a ton of F2P ones for my column. All of them share the same string of features:

- Static quest lines
- Battleground PVP, some open world PVP/GvG/WvW
- Hotkey or Mouse Click Combat
- Lack of player control over influence over the environment
- Lack of player control over the economy
- Lack of player control over governance (taxation, law and punishment, housing)

Like silkillion mentioned above, MUDs are worlds away in terms of providing the appropriate tools for gamers to shape the world they inhabit. Any MMO that was designed well and allowed for this freedom would be incredibly successful.

But there ARE that many MMOs out there. From the top of my head, there is Pirates of the Buring Sea, Wolfquest, Glitch, Love, A Tale In The Desert, A Valley Without Wind (beta).

There might be loads out there copying but none of those games get any support simply because once people realise that innovation takes time and you'll have to deal with something slightly clunky or different they give up. In the end, those games don't get any support, the games that are either WOW or very similar do.

Hell Even Rusty Hearts was different to whats out there, it's not great but that's kinda of my point. All these games that are different, trying to let you play in a different way get cast aside as bad, failures or some other nonsense even though they're doing the exact same thing people are apparently screaming for.

It seems like what the MMO should be saying is "We want innovation and completely new ideas, but have someone test them for 7 years so they're completely polished and we don't ever have to deal with any hiccups (or we'll go back to WoW)"

Hidden: show

(even GW2 isn't that different, it's just good marketing)

The thing with the GW hype is that it's not company generated. It's people with actual experience experiencing the game and claiming it is new.

Our own Tim Colwill has played in the beta, has played every other MMO, and says GW2 is something new and is innovating. Is that not good enough?

As for the article, I'm not really convinced that player impacts on players is the way to go. That always leads to griefing, and is not a game I'd ever want to play. It's a an argument that PvPers have been making since the prehistoric era, but it always comes back to many players don't like their experience impacted by others. That's a key reason it's not done, rather than a lack of creativity on the designers' part.

GW2 is just giving you quests in a different way, you'll still repeat content, you're not getting this new organic and completely different experience they're happily implying/allowing the fanbase to imply.

Their action based combat system is certainly different to the majority but hardly new.

As I've said previously (lots I think, >_>) the setting and art is very boring to me, but you can't blame them for continuing their IP.


EDIT For Ranty-Clarity: I agree the genre is in dire need of help, but I think, among other things, gamers themselves push companies into situations where they can't take any real risks.

[Tas]

(even GW2 isn't that different, it's just good marketing)

The thing with the GW hype is that it's not company generated. It's people with actual experience experiencing the game and claiming it is new. Our own Tim Colwill has played in the beta, has played every other MMO, and says GW2 is something new and is innovating.

Obviously people will have different opinions, as like in this article, but that's to be expected and encouraged.

As for the article end point here, I'm not really convinced that player impacts on players is the way to go. That always leads to griefing, and is not a game I'd ever want to play. It's a an argument that PvPers have been making since the prehistoric era, but it always comes back to many players don't like their experience impacted by others. That's a key reason it's not done, rather than a lack of creativity on the designers' part.

Speaking for EVE, there really is no griefing in EVE mate. You "volenterily" join in an take part of the EVE universe. You have no complaints to make in the game because every tool is there to help you protect yourself 24/7. The complaints generally come when people want to just "auto play" not paying attention to what they are doing.
Scamming
cheating
thieving
Murder
ganking
lieing
spying
brutality
hunting
Deliberately hunting down the same person is not griefing in EVE, it's called payback an fully encouraged. Now I understand some people dont like that style of play, I get that honestly..... But it is what makes EVE a level above the bog standard dribble on the market today.

edit Another thing that is attractive about GW2, is the fact they are going back to Asherons Call 1 and DAOC. Two of the greatest pvp MMO's ever made. DAOC is still talked about as the pinnacle of pvp gaming excellence in MMO's 10 years after it's inception.

[Marius]

The thing is, I don't log in to an MMO to play in a second universe. I don't want to have to play 50 hours a day just to compete.

That's the hallmark of EVE and other player-impact-player games. Where you have consequences determined by players, it's not the average, every day players who play to let off a bit of steam after working who will enforce them, it's the players who treat the MMO as their second/only job.

One of GW's main innovations is it completely removes this. You can compete just as well on a gear level in PvP and PvE from level 1 as any other player. Never mind the quest system - I don't really care. I want to play a game without feeling a slave to the grind.

@Vencha: I kinda agree with you on the art style. I dislike in GW2 how every character looks like they're 15. But, I still think it's a real step forward, and I'm also looking forward to The Secret World for my art/lore fix.