Curse

zwei2stein · May 20, 2007, 04:41 PM // 16:41

Quality series MMOG (think of Firefly). It runs short, but its worth it, its intense, interesting, fresh, short. By time you would be bored with it, you run out of content. Here is greatest flaw: Player expects it to become soap opera at that time, he wants artificially prolong lifespan of game for him (noone can blame him for that, he wants more fun), but its not possible. Why? Because adding grind would not prolong enjoyment, it would only prolong players time in game. What player has to realize is that he is supposed to put game down, find another one, and have fun there.

Soap opera MMOG. It's just majority of such games as of now. Its name kinda explains it, if males playing them became housewives, Soap operas would fill blank in then just like grinder mmog fill blank in them now. These games run fast out of interesting content and get stale, you still have tons of stuff to do, but its no longer interesting, challenging or intriguing enough to really satisfy you, instead they give you idea that you want bigger number somewhere ... just like soap opera runs out of interesting stuff to watch after few episodes and then it is based on repetition and giving viewers (players) more of same, sometimes with cliffhanger (only one hour grinding till my rank in something increases, episode ending with "it was my evil twin, Rodrigues all the time!"). You have little room for creativity - you are getting content to be consumed, not to be enjoyed, and you are getting it without vitamins so that you have to mindlessly consume lots of it.

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yeah, guildwars is "quality series", i just cant see how making it soap opera is gonna improve it (yes, this is incirect reaction to "utopia" thread)

kimahri · May 20, 2007, 04:53 PM // 16:53

Yeah, ehh ok... if you say so!

TwinRaven · May 20, 2007, 05:24 PM // 17:24

Soap Operas and MMOGs have a few things in common, so true....but what it boils down to is that both create a psycological need and well as fullfilling one. The need they create is the prolonged story that keeps the gamer/[player wanting more without giving enough to feel like you are "done" (think sex-no happy ending). The fullfillment, however are those small victories and goals met that cannot be met in real life. Pstchologically speaking, they are both addictive in that it presents the viewer/player with an idealisation of life through which their need for success can be fullfilled through proxy. In addition, both the television and computer monitor cycle at an fps that causes a state of semi-hypnosis, making the gamer/viewer highly susseptable to suggestion while engaged....this state of alpha wave activity in the brain is pysiologically pleasurable and therefore addictive. There are several articles on videogame addiction as well as TV addiction...they pose interesting similarities and are often mention in tantom....I suggest reading "The Plug-in Drug" (can't remember the author atm). The book also ties in the media's role in America's obesity issues...anyway, your random thought....not so random, but it is good to know that you made the connection. Knowing that there is a monster in the closet - you at least have the choice now of wether or not to open the door. By the way...Guiding Light from 1987-1990...I was in college and had 2 hour for lunch...getting a job was the best thing EVER for breaking that ugly habit.

Bryant Again · May 20, 2007, 06:35 PM // 18:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by zwei2stein

Why? Because adding grind would not prolong enjoyment, it would only prolong players time in game.

...then, don't add grind and add something more interesting?

Quote:

Originally Posted by zwei2stein

yes, this is incirect reaction to "utopia" thread

Aren't you not supposed to create threads like this? Why not just post this in the Utopia thread, then?

zwei2stein · May 21, 2007, 11:34 AM // 11:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryant Again

...then, don't add grind and add something more interesting?

Even if you add something more interesting, you will basically add more of same, because thats what people will want, kinda dimnishing existing quality. We already got that with likes of DoA or Hard Mode, neither actually widely succesfull and quickly turned to grinder paradise - you hear a lot more about farming HM spots than vanquishing, you hear a lot more about gem farming than completing doa quests.

Adding actuall quality stuff is a LOT harder and resource consuming than adding some grind - thats why we didnt get decent free update since sorrows furnance. Take "new tombs" for example - reused maps, one original monster model, rather dull experience, whole driving point were green drops, but not fun of getting to them.

That's why i think that stuff like Sunspear/Faction speedbump exists. It's kinda foolish attempt to make people consume content regardless of whether they actually like it (As if developers feared that people would not like to do quests in Echovalt/Jade sea/Istan).

majoho · May 21, 2007, 02:21 PM // 14:21

It's the MMO dilemma that NO game has been able to beat, personally I find that GW deals with it in a better way than the classic style MMO's (like WoW).