I'd rather there be no story at all but a blank canvas and the tools given to allow each character their own choice in what story they want to craft for themselves.
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
One other questions arises then: What about mortality?
When I say ordinary I just mean in terms of your role in the main/ personal story. I don't mean ordinary in terms of having to watch your avatar take a leak at the urinal or having tooth-brushing mini games. You are still allowed to resurrect.
I don't particularly care if I'm hailed as a hero or if I'm just some soldier.
But let's be sensible about this. If you're playing a character that goes around fighting all sorts of beasts, can shoot magic out of your butt, and can wield massive weapons and run in full armor all day while carrying 3 other sets of armor in your backpack you're pretty legendary by human standards.
So it's a bit silly to say, "I want to be ordinary." And then proceed to do non-ordinary things. The ordinary people in these games are usually NPC's milling about town selling bread. They have no capacity to go adventuring and are therefore ordinary.
Even in games in which I'm supposedly a hero, I've always just imagined myself and other players as being part of the military of my faction/race.
I don't think that my enjoyment of a game where I was just ordinary and not a hero would depend a lot on other options of things to do. A game structured around the kill-loot-level model pretty much define the 'character as hero' model. So, if the non-combat play opportunities were interesting enough, I could play and enjoy the game. If it's another kill-loot-level game (combat focused), it would not be enjoyable to simply exist in that world without an opportunity to progress.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
I agree that there doesn't have to be a "You are the Chosen one and will save the universe" Storyline.After all if there is gonna be any MMO shouldn't involve a massive amount of players to achieve?Being one of many heroes to heed the call to battle makes more sense in a MMO.
After all most heroes start off ordinary,they become heroes by vocation and training or by doing the extraordinary in spite of fear or both.
I mean after all, to quote the Incredibles, "*Everyone can be super! And when everyone's super...no one will be."
Yeah, I get the paradox, but the player stories (strangely imo) tend to ignore the fact you are in an mmo and that everyone else is achieving exactly the same as you.
It has always struck me as odd that a developer will create an mmo and then have a whole chunk of it where you have to pretend you are not playing an mmo.
Every day every one of us have opportunities to be heroic. Why would I ever want a game that removes those opportunities? I do not like this poll and I am resisting the troll in me from passing judgments.
Sure, for the most part in old UO, you are an adventurer, but not the hero...In EQ you were an adventurer, later they had some stuff if you want to be strict, you are a hero, but it is subtle....It is not like Rift where you are the chosen to save everyone.
Sorry, I do not have self esteem problems, to where I need npcs to bow down and kiss my butt, or the need to be a super hero that is saving everyone, and I am their only hope....Sure I can be the avergage guy that is doing a good deed, and saving people....People do it all the time.
I mean I am not opposed to a hero type game, but the Rift angle was a little too much, and it didn't mean much when every other player is supposedly THE savior....Kind of minimalizes things....Also since story aspect was mentioned, I am not a huge fan of the personal story stuff, it is ok, but as a side thing, when it is half your game, probably more than 10-15% of your game, you are going to have content problems very quickly. People burn through story stuff.
I didn't mind TORs story stuff, it had horrible variance from the dark/light choices, as me and my wife played it and did the opposite choices, and it was probably 95% the same for the most part....When you saved people or got the rebel leader guy on your side, the npcs of that faction still attacked you, even though that would be an easy fix, they didn't do it...We leveled up, got to 50, and stopped playing, I got my money worth, but I even said at the time, I wouldn't come back if it was truly free to play with no sub (had a sub at the time)...Just played the game out, no hate, just was done, didn't have the style to keep me.
I liked TSW, probably the best story type questing and feel that was different imo, but it ran into the content problem, and I feel it is probably very time consuming to create that type/quality of content, so they made their themepark style woes even that much worse.
So sure, I am not against it, but I find it much easier, and the game works better when you do not try to make the character this super hero that is there to save everyone.....Heroic...sure, THE HERO...no.
TOR also fell flat with its companions imo, the story made these people unique, and then you couldn't throw a quarter and not hit the big monster guy Val pet. That was tied into the story aspect, because if it was just a creature or type of golem thing that everyone had, their would of not been a unique feature to it, but the story made it so.
Every day every one of us have opportunities to be heroic. Why would I ever want a game that removes those opportunities? I do not like this poll and I am resisting the troll in me from passing judgments.
You can still be heroic, the difference is are you THE hero, or are you everyones only hope....What if you are an adventurer and still do heroic things, but they do not make the NPC bows down and kiss you butt and say how you are everything they wished they could be...Do you need that also?
Originally posted by Gorwe What xthos is trying to say is following:
You can still be heroic, just like Carathril(read the Sundering-you won't regret it), without being the Hero, like Imrik/Caledor. The right analogy would be Samwise->Aragorn.
Now, would you rather be Carathril/Samwise or Imrik/Aragorn?
Obviously I would rather be Aragorn, but when I became the king I wouldn't want to have to share my throne with four million other players, it would have to be one bloody large chair.
I can't stand the story/hero MMO. All it does is emphasize the solo experience. Besides, I've yet to play an MMO where the story was completely engrossing. SWTOR and GW2 stories are incredibly overrated. If you were to make them into a movie or even a graphic novel they would be boring. Very poor writing mechanics, characters, plots and story development. SWTOR had some decent voice actors though.
I want to feel like I'm part of a community, part of a force that works towards a specific goal in a dangerous and entertaining world. We can't ALL be heroes. I don't have low self-esteem though, so perhaps that lends itself to my lack of desire to be the allmighty. If I do want to save the world I'll play Mass Effect or some such.
Given the massively part of mmo's this would strike me as slightly more credible than most 'every-player-the-hero' stories.
I would definitely play it. but even more so, I would play a game where what I did in the game was recognized.
so if my guild took down a world boss or I assassinated a ruler I would have no problems (and would prefer) having my character/guild recognized for real achievements and not the "setups" that these games create.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
I had one character in WoW that never went into a dungeon, just played it in open world, had cooking profession and I rolled it in a PvP server. No need to be a hero. Good times.
For ages I want an rpg where I play as a foot soldier
I don't know if you are serious, but I hope you are XD.
I liked in RF Online to roleplay a soldier doing his duty. Was probably the best MMORPG experience I had to date.
I would much rather be a foot soldier. Ignoring how ridiculous it is to be THE hero in an mmo, I think it would be a better POV from which to tell a story.
You would watch huge events unfold before you and they would appear more monumental as you have no control over them. You would be part of an ensemble in a huge production rather than the protagonist in an amateur dramatics society.
It would allow for all sorts of mystery, intrigue and twists by virtue of your comparative removal from the action and the main characters. You would be able to withhold some information from the player and foster a sense of unease fed via the grapevine rather than having everything spelled out to you in a war meeting like you are some sort of idiot.
I have always hated how twists work in games, for example the cliche where the good guy turns out to be bad. Because you usually have so much face time with all the main characters and are right there at every single plot development you usually see the twist coming three weeks ahead of time. Day one 'that nice mentor-type guy is gonna turn out to be the villain' and day 30, low and behold he is the villain.
Removing the player from all the politics and intrigue would allow you to pull plot developments out of left field without spelling them out beforehand.
Originally posted by Mtibbs1989 yeah, I'll pass on playing the average character. However there's a game for that. It's called Second Life and no thanks.
holy cow... WHen the OP said ordinary character The Ark Hunters came to mind and i would like that in a more traditional mmorpg, but Second life-esque? ew.....
Originally posted by Mtibbs1989 yeah, I'll pass on playing the average character. However there's a game for that. It's called Second Life and no thanks.
holy cow... WHen the OP said ordinary character The Ark Hunters came to mind and i would like that in a more traditional mmorpg, but Second life-esque? ew.....
i see SL as a IRC chat with graphics.
I certainly was not thinking Second Life; its not even a game, just a forum with avatars.
I think in TSW your faction leader tells you you are not some kind of hero, you are part of an army or something like that. I sooo wish that game had stylized visuals....
Well not every game does this, but a lot do give you that feel of a hero, and honestly I don't think its wrong. When done right it can feel like, you know, you are actually a hero considering the tasks you do. Rift often kind of does this as a good example often speaking to you as an ascendant, which is in ways just a glorified soldier really in the world. A lot of other games do give this approach as well giving you that feeling of being important without being the 'you are the one' type of response.
In the end, being ordinary would be... well boring. The acts you are doing SHOULD be extroidinary in some games, though a sandbox would likely represent you in a different fashion. In the end though, a game that makes you a hero ONLY after you do accomplish something I feel has nothing wrong with it and in ways is a lot more realistic.
Comments
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
When I say ordinary I just mean in terms of your role in the main/ personal story. I don't mean ordinary in terms of having to watch your avatar take a leak at the urinal or having tooth-brushing mini games. You are still allowed to resurrect.
I don't particularly care if I'm hailed as a hero or if I'm just some soldier.
But let's be sensible about this. If you're playing a character that goes around fighting all sorts of beasts, can shoot magic out of your butt, and can wield massive weapons and run in full armor all day while carrying 3 other sets of armor in your backpack you're pretty legendary by human standards.
So it's a bit silly to say, "I want to be ordinary." And then proceed to do non-ordinary things. The ordinary people in these games are usually NPC's milling about town selling bread. They have no capacity to go adventuring and are therefore ordinary.
Even in games in which I'm supposedly a hero, I've always just imagined myself and other players as being part of the military of my faction/race.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
I agree that there doesn't have to be a "You are the Chosen one and will save the universe" Storyline.After all if there is gonna be any MMO shouldn't involve a massive amount of players to achieve?Being one of many heroes to heed the call to battle makes more sense in a MMO.
After all most heroes start off ordinary,they become heroes by vocation and training or by doing the extraordinary in spite of fear or both.
wouldn't it be kind of the same as it is now?
I mean after all, to quote the Incredibles, "*Everyone can be super! And when everyone's super...no one will be."
Yeah, I get the paradox, but the player stories (strangely imo) tend to ignore the fact you are in an mmo and that everyone else is achieving exactly the same as you.
It has always struck me as odd that a developer will create an mmo and then have a whole chunk of it where you have to pretend you are not playing an mmo.
Every day every one of us have opportunities to be heroic. Why would I ever want a game that removes those opportunities? I do not like this poll and I am resisting the troll in me from passing judgments.
http://www.speedtest.net/result/7300033012
NO!
I can be ordinary in real life why would I want to play ordinary... IF I did there is already games for that like the SIMS.
Sure, for the most part in old UO, you are an adventurer, but not the hero...In EQ you were an adventurer, later they had some stuff if you want to be strict, you are a hero, but it is subtle....It is not like Rift where you are the chosen to save everyone.
Sorry, I do not have self esteem problems, to where I need npcs to bow down and kiss my butt, or the need to be a super hero that is saving everyone, and I am their only hope....Sure I can be the avergage guy that is doing a good deed, and saving people....People do it all the time.
I mean I am not opposed to a hero type game, but the Rift angle was a little too much, and it didn't mean much when every other player is supposedly THE savior....Kind of minimalizes things....Also since story aspect was mentioned, I am not a huge fan of the personal story stuff, it is ok, but as a side thing, when it is half your game, probably more than 10-15% of your game, you are going to have content problems very quickly. People burn through story stuff.
I didn't mind TORs story stuff, it had horrible variance from the dark/light choices, as me and my wife played it and did the opposite choices, and it was probably 95% the same for the most part....When you saved people or got the rebel leader guy on your side, the npcs of that faction still attacked you, even though that would be an easy fix, they didn't do it...We leveled up, got to 50, and stopped playing, I got my money worth, but I even said at the time, I wouldn't come back if it was truly free to play with no sub (had a sub at the time)...Just played the game out, no hate, just was done, didn't have the style to keep me.
I liked TSW, probably the best story type questing and feel that was different imo, but it ran into the content problem, and I feel it is probably very time consuming to create that type/quality of content, so they made their themepark style woes even that much worse.
So sure, I am not against it, but I find it much easier, and the game works better when you do not try to make the character this super hero that is there to save everyone.....Heroic...sure, THE HERO...no.
TOR also fell flat with its companions imo, the story made these people unique, and then you couldn't throw a quarter and not hit the big monster guy Val pet. That was tied into the story aspect, because if it was just a creature or type of golem thing that everyone had, their would of not been a unique feature to it, but the story made it so.
You can still be heroic, the difference is are you THE hero, or are you everyones only hope....What if you are an adventurer and still do heroic things, but they do not make the NPC bows down and kiss you butt and say how you are everything they wished they could be...Do you need that also?
Obviously I would rather be Aragorn, but when I became the king I wouldn't want to have to share my throne with four million other players, it would have to be one bloody large chair.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
I can't stand the story/hero MMO. All it does is emphasize the solo experience. Besides, I've yet to play an MMO where the story was completely engrossing. SWTOR and GW2 stories are incredibly overrated. If you were to make them into a movie or even a graphic novel they would be boring. Very poor writing mechanics, characters, plots and story development. SWTOR had some decent voice actors though.
I want to feel like I'm part of a community, part of a force that works towards a specific goal in a dangerous and entertaining world. We can't ALL be heroes. I don't have low self-esteem though, so perhaps that lends itself to my lack of desire to be the allmighty. If I do want to save the world I'll play Mass Effect or some such.
I would definitely play it. but even more so, I would play a game where what I did in the game was recognized.
so if my guild took down a world boss or I assassinated a ruler I would have no problems (and would prefer) having my character/guild recognized for real achievements and not the "setups" that these games create.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
I would love it
For ages I want an rpg where I play as a foot soldier
"It has potential"
-Second most used phrase on existence
"It sucks"
-Most used phrase on existence
gameplay > graphics
I don't know if you are serious, but I hope you are XD.
I liked in RF Online to roleplay a soldier doing his duty. Was probably the best MMORPG experience I had to date.
I would much rather be a foot soldier. Ignoring how ridiculous it is to be THE hero in an mmo, I think it would be a better POV from which to tell a story.
You would watch huge events unfold before you and they would appear more monumental as you have no control over them. You would be part of an ensemble in a huge production rather than the protagonist in an amateur dramatics society.
It would allow for all sorts of mystery, intrigue and twists by virtue of your comparative removal from the action and the main characters. You would be able to withhold some information from the player and foster a sense of unease fed via the grapevine rather than having everything spelled out to you in a war meeting like you are some sort of idiot.
I have always hated how twists work in games, for example the cliche where the good guy turns out to be bad. Because you usually have so much face time with all the main characters and are right there at every single plot development you usually see the twist coming three weeks ahead of time. Day one 'that nice mentor-type guy is gonna turn out to be the villain' and day 30, low and behold he is the villain.
Removing the player from all the politics and intrigue would allow you to pull plot developments out of left field without spelling them out beforehand.
holy cow... WHen the OP said ordinary character The Ark Hunters came to mind and i would like that in a more traditional mmorpg, but Second life-esque? ew.....
i see SL as a IRC chat with graphics.
I certainly was not thinking Second Life; its not even a game, just a forum with avatars.
Well not every game does this, but a lot do give you that feel of a hero, and honestly I don't think its wrong. When done right it can feel like, you know, you are actually a hero considering the tasks you do. Rift often kind of does this as a good example often speaking to you as an ascendant, which is in ways just a glorified soldier really in the world. A lot of other games do give this approach as well giving you that feeling of being important without being the 'you are the one' type of response.
In the end, being ordinary would be... well boring. The acts you are doing SHOULD be extroidinary in some games, though a sandbox would likely represent you in a different fashion. In the end though, a game that makes you a hero ONLY after you do accomplish something I feel has nothing wrong with it and in ways is a lot more realistic.