Profile: Nineven
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| Username | Nineven  |
| Real Name | |
| Rank | Novice Member |
| Joined | August 11, 2006 |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 27 |
| Location | Peoria, AZ, United States |
| Last Visit | June 24, 2008 |
| Post Count | 38 |
| Biography | |
| Quote |
Latest Blog Entry - Exterminating The End Game
From my blog Ramblings of a Mastermind [Nineven]
The definition of "end game" refers to the final stages of a game where there is nothing, or almost nothing left to accomplish. You have done all there is to do, the only option you have left is to start over and play the game again, from the beginning. Which leads us to replayability; the two almost go hand-in-hand.
In order to keep your MMORPG alive, and to continue bringing in cash flow, the idea of exterminating the end game must be top priority. Some people may say this is impossible, and in a sense, it is. People will get bored playing and eventually move on, there is no way around this. The farther you put the end game from your players, the more money you're going to make. This does not mean making your players grind level, after level, after level, continuously. The game needs to be fun, otherwise people will leave, (obviously); and no one likes a level grind, or any grind for that matter.
So how can this be done you ask? It is simple really. As I always say, an MMORPG should be treated as a living, breathing, virtual world. No one should ever be the same, and their designs should differ GREATLY. But as the world would have it, money is power, and everyone wants it. They will do the least amount of work required to get it, which means sacrificing their artistic and creative talents just to make a buck. Sad, but nothing can be done about this. I'm getting off subject here, but you know what I mean.
Getting back to the end game discussion... Making your world realistically fun, should be your goal. Realism is a large part of a virtual world; just remember that too much can make a game boring, (this is why I call it "realistic fun"). This could be described as destructible environments, advanced crafting, or finely tweaked combat skills. The more options and freedom you give your players, the more fun they are going to have. Ever played a game and said to yourself, "wouldn't it be cool if you could do this...". That's what I'm talking about. All of these things place your end game farther away from the players by replacing it with enjoyable gameplay. The player is too busy having fun playing the game to even worry about getting to the end. And that's what its about, the journey to the end, not getting there as fast as you can. There's more truth to that statement than you realize.
And there you have it, a very simple way to help you get rid of your end game; or at least put it farther away from the players without sacrificing the fun factor of your game. Which might I add is VERY important. Always remember, as you move your end game further away from the player, you are going to have to compensate with enjoyable gameplay.
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- What do "skills" have to do with sandbox games? Nothing.
Originally posted by gillvane1
Why do so many people mention "skills" instead of levels when they talk about sandbox games? IMO, a sandbox game just means a game where players can affect the gameworld.
If only classes exist, the player never changes. With a skill system, they simply drop one skill for another, so they can "affect the game world" by adapting to it. Classes don't allow you to adapt to anything. In my opinion, being able to adapt to the game is how a player affects the game world.
For example, in EVE, you can take over territory and hold it. That's what makes it a sandbox game, and it has nothing to do with "skills". EVE would still be a sandbox game if there were classes.
So you're telling me in Tabula Rasa when you capture a territory, that makes it a sandbox game? A sandbox game, or virtual world, has many things that make it like it is. The biggest thing, to the players, is the ability to switch "classes" or "professions"; which is generally done by using a skill system. That makes it "sandbox" because they can play whatever they want, however they want.
I like skills, as long as there are limits so everyone doesn't become a tank mage, but classes work just fine if they are done well with several variations in each class.
There can be tank mages all day long, until someone discovers how to kill them, then everyone becomes the "tank mage killer". A lot of fine tweaking and balancing has to go into a skill system to players don't run into problems like this.
One form of progression I really don't like, is doing something over and over to raise a skill. Like shooting my bow, raises my bow skill, or swinging my sword raises my sword skill. That, IMO, is retarded, and very unrealistic. It's just an invite for macros to raise skills, and what's the point of that?
How is that "unrealistic"? You didn't get better at typing by NOT typing did you? Raising your skill is like practice, you swing your sword and hit things with it because you are practicing at getting better at it, (raising your skill).
Plus, instead of making choices that are logical when it comes to which skill to use, you make choices that make no sense at all, just to raise your skill. Should I use my fireball spell, or my sword, or my dagger? I don't care which one does the most damage, which one has an advantage over my enemy, I'll use the one that raises the skill I want to increase. Over and over.
I think after dying multiple times trying to kill a boss because someone is trying to raise their skill would probably tell them to actually kill the boss and stop paying for death penalties.
I would like to see a skill system in an MMORPG similar to KOTOR. You can choose any skill you want, but there are penalties for taking skills outside of your specialty. That allows for variety, but makes sure everyone doesn't become a tank mage.
That's the thing about sandbox games, you create your own specialty, you don't choose one.
But again, "sandbox" is about changing the world, not about changing your character. Every MMO lets you change your character, that doesn't make it a sandbox.
Sandbox - A closely-controlled environment (the game world) in which a relatively untrusted application (the player) is allowed to execute.
As you can see, it really is about the player. That's why skill sets are almost always referenced.
- Posted: 6/23/08 3:48 PM
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