What I mean is that your character story would not portray you as the hero saving the mmo world. There may well be an all-encompassing threat and you may well be a foot soldier or archer in the army or a sailor in the navy that fights it. You would see everything that happens but the npc's would not be hailing you once victory is achieved, rather you might get a pat on the back from a fellow soldier and a ration of rum.
Given the massively part of mmo's this would strike me as slightly more credible than most 'every-player-the-hero' stories.
Good question and one I actually answered in a conversation about Skyrim the other day. I told a friend that I haven't played Skyrim much at all because I made a character, logged in, and felt I had played the same game as Morrowind and Oblivion (really, a prisoner again that becomes the hero of the world?). I would want to be part of some epic conclusion, rather than the epic conclusion.
I'd rather be able to do something heroic through my own merit than have the game tell me I'm the Hero and then run me through the same stuff as everyone else.
I think I have been playing an MMO where the character is ordinary for the last several years already. I mean really, what sets any of us apart in any of these games? Is there something that you and your character can get or do that me and my character cannot? What then defines "extraordinary"?
Edit - It took me two iterations and several years of playing to ever meet Firiona Vie in person. In all that time I never once thought I was anything more than some random chump in the universe of that game. Meanwhile the big name NPC's of that game were doing things that I had absolutely no control over. Is this what you mean? Or do you mean less powerful individually overall, i.e. just human. Get hit in the mouth and fall down?
I'd rather be able to do something heroic through my own merit than have the game tell me I'm the Hero and then run me through the same stuff as everyone else.
Everybody is the hero = Everybody is average.
Exactly.
I'd rather relish (mmm tasty alliteration) the chance to create my OWN story. This is part of the reason I enjoy Eve Online and miss the original SWG...you know, before they ruined it by chasing WoW.
Just the opportunity to write a unique player biography and have it visible to other players that examine my character is huge.
While I don't think I'd line up to play a data entry MMO, I wouldn't mind being one of the spies at the spaceport instead of a copy of Luke Skywalker or Darth Malgus...
I'd rather be able to do something heroic through my own merit than have the game tell me I'm the Hero and then run me through the same stuff as everyone else.
Everybody is the hero = Everybody is average.
Exactly.
I'd rather relish (mmm tasty alliteration) the chance to create my OWN story. This is part of the reason I enjoy Eve Online and miss the original SWG...you know, before they ruined it by chasing WoW.
Just the opportunity to write a unique player biography and have it visible to other players that examine my character is huge.
While I don't think I'd line up to play a data entry MMO, I wouldn't mind being one of the spies at the spaceport instead of a copy of Luke Skywalker or Darth Malgus...
Nothing brought that home more than walking up to Darth Vader at one of the random shuttle landings and being insta-incapped when you tried to use any disrespectful emotes on him . The clear message was: "No... you are not in the same league." One of a thousand nice little small touches that made the original game great.
As others have said, I don't need to be the main hero like in SWTOR, but I don't want to be some average Joe. I play MMOs to have abilities and powers I don't have in real life. I can do pointless busywork in real life.
I love the poll results, being the 'hero' is nice but not when every single other person walking past you is....
In SWG you could be a fairly large variety of professions, plus mix-and-match them so if you wanted to be a 250-point Baking, Spice-Making, Teras Kasai Master feel free. It also enhanced the game a lot I think, because while some people were 'stacker' templates with every conceivable amount of combat bonus you could find, there were also a lot of more mundane professions that you really needed else you couldn't get things done, such as crafters, dancers for buffs, and the list goes on.
So not everyone was a 'hero' or even close. And it a lot of ways it was a good thing.
This.
Somebody has to be the Sidekick, I mean seriously....
Somebody has to be the techy nerd fix-it guy/gal that runs in to work their magic just to save the day for a few minutes, just to fade away again later...
and SOMEBODY just has to be Jane. YES.... Jane. Sometimes completely worthless and annoying but the Verse just wouldn't be the same without Him. True, Jane was a Hero for a little while, on one world, but of course THAT was a screwup of epic proportions.... but even Jane knew his place in the Verse.
Not everyone can or should be the Hero. It ain't Natural, and it ain't good MMO design either imo. GREAT Console Game design.... TERRIBLE MMORPG design.
Oh and in GW2 you are most certainly the hero, playing second fiddle only to Trehearne. I hated the story. The NPC chatter was so much more interesting. I like to have magic or better than average combat skills but I don't want to be hailed as the next messiah by NPCs like in GW2 and SWTOR. EQ2 handled it well, certain NPCs would acknowledge your achievements without overstating it, and this applied to real achievements such as epic quests. Not finishing a solo quest line.
I don't need a story where the world is in great peril and the day is saved thanks to [...]. But if there was a story like that, I would never want to be some shmoe while someone else claims the glory.
So I'm not really sure how to answer the poll because I'm not positive if it's asking if I need to be the hero in any MMO I play, or if I need to be the hero in an MMO I play that will have some kind of hero.
If it's the former, no, if it's the latter, then yes.
well the whole point of games is to escape reality and be something you can never be in reality and do things unimaginable in rules of reality so the question do i want to be the hero......hmmmmm well if i kick ass and have a huge burning sword with magical powers i dont really care who the hero is ill just pk them when they are not looking.....jk
a sandbox game with a 1 storyline the party or guild that clears it first becomes "nobility" or even kings who have their own regions where they can decide the taxes and stuff
but other players have the freedom to wage war on them and kick them out of their brand new castles and kill them out of envy or whatever the reason is if there was a game like that i wouldnt care who the hero is
well the whole point of games is to escape reality and be something you can never be in reality and do things unimaginable in rules of reality so the question do i want to be the hero......hmmmmm well if i kick ass and have a huge burning sword with magical powers i dont really care who the hero is ill just pk them when they are not looking.....jk
a sandbox game with a 1 storyline the party or guild that clears it first becomes "nobility" or even kings who have their own regions where they can decide the taxes and stuff
but other players have the freedom to wage war on them and kick them out of their brand new castles and kill them out of envy or whatever the reason is if there was a game like that i wouldnt care who the hero is
Or just put everyone in their own instance or phase, and make everyone a noble. It is not like whatever happening in a game is real. Just dress up the illusion so people can "feel" unique.
3rd option. If anything, being considered a hero in MMO's makes me uncomfortable, especially for things I, as a player, haven't done even in the game. "You're a great hero you saved our village!" no I didn't.
Originally posted by Greez 3rd option. If anything, being considered a hero in MMO's makes me uncomfortable, especially for things I, as a player, haven't done even in the game. "You're a great hero you saved our village!" no I didn't.
But that is not very common. Most games will only bestow the "great hero" title after you kill some bosses.
In the beginning, you are usually an unknown adventurer, or a peasant, or what-not.
Comments
Good question and one I actually answered in a conversation about Skyrim the other day. I told a friend that I haven't played Skyrim much at all because I made a character, logged in, and felt I had played the same game as Morrowind and Oblivion (really, a prisoner again that becomes the hero of the world?). I would want to be part of some epic conclusion, rather than the epic conclusion.
I'd rather be able to do something heroic through my own merit than have the game tell me I'm the Hero and then run me through the same stuff as everyone else.
Everybody is the hero = Everybody is average.
Survivor of the great MMORPG Famine of 2011
I think I have been playing an MMO where the character is ordinary for the last several years already. I mean really, what sets any of us apart in any of these games? Is there something that you and your character can get or do that me and my character cannot? What then defines "extraordinary"?
Edit - It took me two iterations and several years of playing to ever meet Firiona Vie in person. In all that time I never once thought I was anything more than some random chump in the universe of that game. Meanwhile the big name NPC's of that game were doing things that I had absolutely no control over. Is this what you mean? Or do you mean less powerful individually overall, i.e. just human. Get hit in the mouth and fall down?
Exactly.
I'd rather relish (mmm tasty alliteration) the chance to create my OWN story. This is part of the reason I enjoy Eve Online and miss the original SWG...you know, before they ruined it by chasing WoW.
Just the opportunity to write a unique player biography and have it visible to other players that examine my character is huge.
While I don't think I'd line up to play a data entry MMO, I wouldn't mind being one of the spies at the spaceport instead of a copy of Luke Skywalker or Darth Malgus...
Nothing brought that home more than walking up to Darth Vader at one of the random shuttle landings and being insta-incapped when you tried to use any disrespectful emotes on him . The clear message was: "No... you are not in the same league." One of a thousand nice little small touches that made the original game great.
This.
Somebody has to be the Sidekick, I mean seriously....
Somebody has to be the techy nerd fix-it guy/gal that runs in to work their magic just to save the day for a few minutes, just to fade away again later...
and SOMEBODY just has to be Jane. YES.... Jane. Sometimes completely worthless and annoying but the Verse just wouldn't be the same without Him. True, Jane was a Hero for a little while, on one world, but of course THAT was a screwup of epic proportions.... but even Jane knew his place in the Verse.
Not everyone can or should be the Hero. It ain't Natural, and it ain't good MMO design either imo. GREAT Console Game design.... TERRIBLE MMORPG design.
I would much rather not be the hero. Much more immersive than having everyone be the hero in the same story like GW2.
Look at UO. You start out being some random shmuck. But through your actions you earn a reputation and have the potential to accomplish great things.
Hives are for bees.
I don't need a story where the world is in great peril and the day is saved thanks to [...]. But if there was a story like that, I would never want to be some shmoe while someone else claims the glory.
So I'm not really sure how to answer the poll because I'm not positive if it's asking if I need to be the hero in any MMO I play, or if I need to be the hero in an MMO I play that will have some kind of hero.
If it's the former, no, if it's the latter, then yes.
No. Because devs can put illusions in place to trick your psychology into feeling heroic.
They did it with all single player games to huge degree of success.
well the whole point of games is to escape reality and be something you can never be in reality and do things unimaginable in rules of reality so the question do i want to be the hero......hmmmmm well if i kick ass and have a huge burning sword with magical powers i dont really care who the hero is ill just pk them when they are not looking.....jk
a sandbox game with a 1 storyline the party or guild that clears it first becomes "nobility" or even kings who have their own regions where they can decide the taxes and stuff
but other players have the freedom to wage war on them and kick them out of their brand new castles and kill them out of envy or whatever the reason is if there was a game like that i wouldnt care who the hero is
Or just put everyone in their own instance or phase, and make everyone a noble. It is not like whatever happening in a game is real. Just dress up the illusion so people can "feel" unique.
But that is not very common. Most games will only bestow the "great hero" title after you kill some bosses.
In the beginning, you are usually an unknown adventurer, or a peasant, or what-not.