Loading... Worlds Without End

Ethec · 01-07-2009, 11:33 AM

All good things must come to an end, but unfortunately you're stuck with Loading... for a long while yet. Flying in the face of this eventuality are most of today's MMORPGs, designed to last forever, more like a business than a story or a traditional game. Should MMORPGs end with dignity before that last dollar goes in the bank, or continue with a skeleton staff to dilute an already crowded market? Loaded question for sure, but that's why it's Loading...
Worlds Without End.

Be sure to jump in for this and 6 new articles including an Cities XL interview, finding the right F2P MMO for you, Warhammer Online New Year's WAAAGH-solutions, a new comic and two great new guides.

Kralle · 01-07-2009, 12:15 PM

The initial question in todays Loading... is hard to answer, if I think carefull about it...

I would say, let them die with glory.

Speaking about Ultima Online, over the years I played this awesome game, the catering to "I want it now and all of it" gamers brought it to a shallow pale shadow of its former facination and enjoyment.
It still has a decent fanbase after more than 11 years but its like a living corpse that just forgot to fall down.

So yeaa, they should had let it die before they introduced Age of Shallows or Shadows

Maybe thats just me *shrug*
I agree, let them die in a fiework of glory and dopnt let them walk around a pale stale stagnant shadow "what it once was".

In regards to beta leaks for Darkfall, I found a blog that has some appearently actuall beta leaks with screenshoots and all that.

Due to the TTH forumrules and my own opinion I wont post the link here, dont ask for a PM considering the link either.

We will see the truth in nearly two weeks anyway....so yeaaa

I want to believe, Scully

Sardu · 01-07-2009, 02:57 PM

This pretty much immediately brings to mind the final season of BSG that's about to kick off. Mind you the writer's strike really messed with the pacing of the show over a longer period, but I still commend them for writing a very specific end to the series that was planned out well in advance. This also makes me wonder if Beyond the Red Line will ever see a full release, but I digress

I do think it's interesting to see some MMOGs simply continue on rather than writing in a proper ending. On the one hand I suppose that if the involved parties (fans + devs) are having fun then there's no reason to call it quits. At the same time I have to wonder how people can continue to play a game that's population is a mere shell of what it once was and still enjoy the experience on the same levels.

In the meantime, you have games that would easily fall into the 'undead' category like Ryzom. Every time you think it's dead, it gets back up and starts shambling around again.

Miralyn · 01-07-2009, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sardu

At the same time I have to wonder how people can continue to play a game that's population is a mere shell of what it once was and still enjoy the experience on the same levels.

I think if the community is there who cares about how large it is. WoW's community is huge at this moment and that is good and bad. There are times where I wish it was smaller because then (hopefully) a lot of the riff-raff would leave to go somewhere else. But as long my friends (both IRL and in game) continue to play WoW is where I make my home.

What I find funny about MMOs and the fact there is "no end" to them is about 6-7 years ago my friend telling me about EverQuest. He told me about it - making a character and doing quests and the like and how you paid a fee each month. Even though I was a long time Dungeons and Dragons and fantasy fan I was not sure. I asked him "how do you beat the game?". He said "You don't". I was like "What? What's the point then?". What's funny is now my current girlfriend asked me the same question and I tried to explain the same thing to her and she is well...still worried...about me. Trying to get her interested....but it is not working.

Ethec · 01-08-2009, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miralyn

I asked him "how do you beat the game?". He said "You don't". I was like "What? What's the point then?". What's funny is now my current girlfriend asked me the same question and I tried to explain the same thing to her and she is well...still worried...about me. Trying to get her interested....but it is not working.

I remember having this same conversation with my brother-in-law, which only goes to show how pioneering (or painful, depending on your view) the concept is in a game.