1) Complex UI vs. easyUI/no UI. Has nothing to do with immersion - good example is roguelike RPG games like ADOM ect.: UI is difficult and awful, graphics are awful, but when you memorise all the controls - immersion is superb - for me it's like reading a book.
2) Sandbox vs. theme parked. Is a separate dimension. Diablo seies is a good example of rather theme-parked games with great immersion.
3) RPG vs. action type games. Another dimension irrelevant of immersion. We all played some 3d shooter game with great immersion, while no RPG elements (e.g. Half-Life).
I would say that IMMERSION have lots of things in common with ADVENTURE. It is no matter in what form you are getting it (a book, a film, 3 action-shooter, roguelike game or graphical RPG, MMO) - a good adventure is what makes you forget about your daily worries and feel like a part of the fantasy world. ADVENTURE is when lots of things happen around you, lots of events - like in Yanocchi's example with him making an interesting career in the FoM. It is about not knowing what you will face next.
Most SP games would achieve this the same way books and films do - by throwing a good story at you, but this way is not acceptable for MMOs, since people will give it up after getting through the storyline. I can see only 2 alternatives:
1) RANDOMISATION - which is the case with roguelikes/diablo/daggerfall games. Ideally I would like to see the game with randomly generated instanced adventures, which you could take alone or with a group of friends - the bigger the party the harder the instance, the greater the probability of getting the best loot.
2) Player driven worlds. While offering the same thing randomisation does - unperedictedness, this is rather hard to manage and will often lead to experienced players abusing their power in PvP and PvE, which would usually lead to the small sect-like community of players.
I think Final Fantasy XI was a immersive experience.
It wasn't one of those games where you get everything done in a day. Doing everything takes a lot of time, and even though that can be boring for impatient people, to me, it felt realistic, because in real life, you don't just teleport to places, zaps stuff, and get all the best gear you want in 2 seconds.
The field bosses were scary, though, and I'm talking about the wait time. Hours on end and it dropped one piece of gear, that can be discouraging. Still, I had a good time and I really felt like I was in the game more than just in the literal sense.
Nice column. Fully agree. Sadly an overly dominant UI and notifications aren't the only immersion killers lurking in modern day mmorpgs. I already beat these to death but yeah: lack of open, seamless world design, phasing, teleporting, lineair zone design, lack of interaction with the world and its contents (other than fighting mobs), loading screens, ... yada yada.
At the end of the day an MMORPG is still a video game. Video games are created for entertainment. Immersion is great and I support immersion. HOWEVER immersion should never interfere with or take precedence over gameplay. An MMO having a realistic day/night cycle would be awesome but if that MMO is terrible then no amount of immersion will save it.
It would be better than an equally terrible MMO with no day/night cycle.
Comments
Lots fo things are getting messed up there -)
1) Complex UI vs. easyUI/no UI. Has nothing to do with immersion - good example is roguelike RPG games like ADOM ect.: UI is difficult and awful, graphics are awful, but when you memorise all the controls - immersion is superb - for me it's like reading a book.
2) Sandbox vs. theme parked. Is a separate dimension. Diablo seies is a good example of rather theme-parked games with great immersion.
3) RPG vs. action type games. Another dimension irrelevant of immersion. We all played some 3d shooter game with great immersion, while no RPG elements (e.g. Half-Life).
I would say that IMMERSION have lots of things in common with ADVENTURE. It is no matter in what form you are getting it (a book, a film, 3 action-shooter, roguelike game or graphical RPG, MMO) - a good adventure is what makes you forget about your daily worries and feel like a part of the fantasy world. ADVENTURE is when lots of things happen around you, lots of events - like in Yanocchi's example with him making an interesting career in the FoM. It is about not knowing what you will face next.
Most SP games would achieve this the same way books and films do - by throwing a good story at you, but this way is not acceptable for MMOs, since people will give it up after getting through the storyline. I can see only 2 alternatives:
1) RANDOMISATION - which is the case with roguelikes/diablo/daggerfall games. Ideally I would like to see the game with randomly generated instanced adventures, which you could take alone or with a group of friends - the bigger the party the harder the instance, the greater the probability of getting the best loot.
2) Player driven worlds. While offering the same thing randomisation does - unperedictedness, this is rather hard to manage and will often lead to experienced players abusing their power in PvP and PvE, which would usually lead to the small sect-like community of players.
I think Final Fantasy XI was a immersive experience.
It wasn't one of those games where you get everything done in a day. Doing everything takes a lot of time, and even though that can be boring for impatient people, to me, it felt realistic, because in real life, you don't just teleport to places, zaps stuff, and get all the best gear you want in 2 seconds.
The field bosses were scary, though, and I'm talking about the wait time. Hours on end and it dropped one piece of gear, that can be discouraging. Still, I had a good time and I really felt like I was in the game more than just in the literal sense.
Immersion to me is being put in a world and having to figure things out for myself...The more hand holding there is, the less immersion there will be.
At the end of the day an MMORPG is still a video game. Video games are created for entertainment.
Immersion is great and I support immersion.
HOWEVER
immersion should never interfere with or take precedence over gameplay.
An MMO having a realistic day/night cycle would be awesome but if that MMO is terrible then no amount of immersion will save it.
Nice column. Fully agree. Sadly an overly dominant UI and notifications aren't the only immersion killers lurking in modern day mmorpgs. I already beat these to death but yeah: lack of open, seamless world design, phasing, teleporting, lineair zone design, lack of interaction with the world and its contents (other than fighting mobs), loading screens, ... yada yada.
My brand new bloggity blog.
It would be better than an equally terrible MMO with no day/night cycle.
I feel for you dude, I hope that one day you get it.