The legacy system was just one of the highlights on why SWTOR should of been released 6 months to a year after it did. Most players, like myself already had a couple of level 50's and multiple alts by the time it was rolled out, making it pretty much useless.
SWTOR will be a case study for future developers on how not to ruin potentially good ideas and gameplay before the game even has a chance at success.
Like any developer ever looks at another game.
Want proof?
Check how many games add an option to report gold spam WEEKS after launch, despite gold spam being a problem every new game has to deal with.
If game developers made cars, every single car model released would have had a recall to have brakes fitted.
Originally posted by pkpkpk If an MMORPG designs itself around an 'end-game' it has already failed. And while all MMORPGs may do that now, all MMORPGs now also fail.
The game should be just as much about the joruney as the endgame. If you're not enjoying the journey and it isn't extensive then you probably shouldn't be playing the game.
Its nice (have a habit of to much time and alts) but at the same time... I feel like it does play a part in taking away progression. In rift right now, I have 0 desire to play any alts since my main is practically maxed (20 levels away) and the changes means not only will my main be way over what the cap is now, but also my alts will be to. It just crushes any desire to play an alt due to that account bound AA. Its just really hard to say if its a good thing or a bad thing. It depends really on how its implimented. I do like the idea your progress on your main isn't instantly lost, but also dislike that insentive to play alts is also lowered with less reason to bother playing them much at all.
Originally posted by Scot CoH, Lotro, SWTOR and Vanguard have all come up with interesting ideas for PvE advancement after top level. But the MMO genre is strewn with good ideas that hardly get used again. I see no reason for that to suddenly change, you but hope mind you.
Any game that has end-game in weeks is a joke and poorly designed.
Exponential leveling skills/abilities has always been the way forward but it requires a change in approach and development of current MMOs.
________________________________________________________ Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
In my opinion a game should focus on the content and experience of a player's main.
Focusing energy on a system to actively encourage a player to create alts seems to me like a band-aid to disguise lack of content for a player's main.
If a player wants to create an alt because they enjoy doing so, the game should be good enough that the player can enjoy playing an alt on the game's own merits, not with some bizare system to make levelling quicker and easier.
To be honest, I don't even understand the reasoning, "You like playing alts? Well we spent a lot of energy creating a system to greatly reduce the amount of time you have to spend playing your alt. Isn't that counter-productive? If you want to play an alt because you enjoy it, why would you want to reduce the amount of time it takes to level cap the alt?
Again my opinion, but just design a good game, don't invest time an energy on a gimmick.
I don't mind that swtor has mostly unique storylines for all their classes making the game an alt driven game, I only mind that its not worth it at the cost to everything.
Hell, I enjoyed the voice as well, but again, not to the point where all the other staples are left out.
I was starting to type out all the things I would rather have seen instead, but suffice to say, I think they should have focused on the staples of mmo's first and foremost.
Lost in how disappointing the game was and how poorly this system was implemented, SWTOR really had an idea that any level based game should openly embrace: the Legacy system.
But instead of focusing on the details of how SWTOR implemented it, lets call it for what it really is: Account wide alternate advancement. And this should be an MMORPG staple.
All level based games suffer from the max level syndrome. Most games, once you hit max level, your character is 100% done with progression. Then it turns into gear progression, which isnt improving your character at all beause once that gear is taken off the imporvement vanishes. Its temporary improvement.
EQ was one of the few smart ones, it realized this issue and implemented AAs. Problem is, and Rift with its watered down version of AAs has experienced this, is it makes people not want to play alts. but account wide AAs? Not only are you heling your main, you are helping your alt as well.
Now SWTOR chose the Legacy System to act differently, and a smart implementation of a non-character progression system can work for the right type of players. RP types can have more options to unlock for housing for instance. There always stuff like WoW's heirloom gear that can be tied to it for altaholics, or appearance gear. The key thing is to give lots of choice so they can customize their account how they want to.
I hope more games jump on this idea.
Care to explain the mechanics of it for those that don't play SWTOR, which likely are a lot of people... Just saying
Comments
Like any developer ever looks at another game.
Want proof?
Check how many games add an option to report gold spam WEEKS after launch, despite gold spam being a problem every new game has to deal with.
If game developers made cars, every single car model released would have had a recall to have brakes fitted.
MMO developers don't learn.
The game should be just as much about the joruney as the endgame. If you're not enjoying the journey and it isn't extensive then you probably shouldn't be playing the game.
Any game that has end-game in weeks is a joke and poorly designed.
Exponential leveling skills/abilities has always been the way forward but it requires a change in approach and development of current MMOs.
________________________________________________________
Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
I disagree with the OP.
In my opinion a game should focus on the content and experience of a player's main.
Focusing energy on a system to actively encourage a player to create alts seems to me like a band-aid to disguise lack of content for a player's main.
If a player wants to create an alt because they enjoy doing so, the game should be good enough that the player can enjoy playing an alt on the game's own merits, not with some bizare system to make levelling quicker and easier.
To be honest, I don't even understand the reasoning, "You like playing alts? Well we spent a lot of energy creating a system to greatly reduce the amount of time you have to spend playing your alt. Isn't that counter-productive? If you want to play an alt because you enjoy it, why would you want to reduce the amount of time it takes to level cap the alt?
Again my opinion, but just design a good game, don't invest time an energy on a gimmick.
I have to politely disagree with the OP.
I don't mind that swtor has mostly unique storylines for all their classes making the game an alt driven game, I only mind that its not worth it at the cost to everything.
Hell, I enjoyed the voice as well, but again, not to the point where all the other staples are left out.
I was starting to type out all the things I would rather have seen instead, but suffice to say, I think they should have focused on the staples of mmo's first and foremost.
Care to explain the mechanics of it for those that don't play SWTOR, which likely are a lot of people... Just saying
Philosophy of MMO Game Design