What gameplay element motivates you to keep playing that MMO you''ve been playing for months now?

So far no MMOG has kept me playing for months. Back in the height of the Everquest days, when I realised it would take at least a day to reach level 10 I quit right then and there. All I wanted to do you travel the world and map out the caves etc. When I was forced to advance to do this I lost interest.

I''ve tried many other MMO games but they fail to hold my attention. Even though it is not a MMO game WCIII has keep me coming back for more time after time. The reason? Evolving gameplay and PvP challenges.

I currently have two accounts at www.Runescape.com and I''ve spent quite some time with them (one is over level 50).

I have played my share of MMOGs (UO was the most significant but lacked any form of direction for what it cost ).

Runescape, though not as detailed, still keeps me coming back. The price is more than reasonable (a free version and a members version for a reasonable $5 a month ), the leveling isn''t all too painful untill you reach a high level (and is individually accounted for among your skills ) there is plenty of extra questing complete with good rewards (not bad, but not ''ubber'' either), and the game has plenty of support from the staff.

Yes there are plenty of faults with the game, including the ratio of decent players to scammers, the sometimes tedious skill building (which is constantly being updated with creative ways to avoid the nag), the ''Pures'' which max out their strength just do unjustifiable Player Killing (meaning a combat level 15 might easily slay a level 30 or 40 warrior, though they are forced to one area, unless you agree to a duel), and the rather raw combat (one-on-one only - you hit, I hit, repeat ) though it can get interesting at times.

The thing is, I don''t bother with the crap, I focus on making my own experience whenever I play and I enjoy playing the way I want to. I think anyone who gets into a MMOG and actually works towards a point where they can begin to set examples of play for others to follow, will enjoy the game that much more than the typical power player. Besides, most of the time you can spot the newbs that everyone despises and if you can show them the ropes and get them ''into the game'' similar to your playing style, it makes for that much better of an experience, IMHO

MMOGs are still in their infant days, they do have quite a ways to go, but for now I''ll be happy swinging my rune pickaxe in Runescape, making my way to that next mining level, and helping others to enjoy the game rather than wander around hating everything

- Christopher Dapo ~ Ronixus

I don''t think mmog''s will work until we have better feedback technology and graphics, i.e. when you can actually feel like you are really there. Only then will you be able to walk for hours to get from point a to point b, and actually get excercise out of it without feeling like you shouldn''t be wasting your time.

The biggest problem with these games, is that even if you are good and play a lot, you always feel like your wasting time better spent doing something else. They need to be more fun and less boring, but I don''t know how to do that

Ragnarok Online kept me playing for a while because I liked the graphics, and I had friends on there. That''s the only MMOG I''ve played.

Runescape. Ugh. Wee, let''s go kill...COWS! And get MEAT! And cook it! Ugh. I''m sorry, but I don''t see the fun in that.

Personally, MMORPGs miss the R and P parts of the acronym. I like RPGs. Single-player ones, that is. If it''s multiplayer, I damned well expect some roleplay. Take MUDs for example. The ones I play on are RP-enforced. Good stuff. MMORPGs? Not interested.

DAoC kept me playing for awhile. But I got tired of my Paladin and was too lazy to build up my mage (which was fun). Dark Age of Camelot has lots of cool features and they are really adding to it. I think constant updates really keep people coming back. And not just rehashed stuff but real updates. Since I started playing the DAoC team has added an expansion, a new lowbie RvR zone, RvR quest, new clothing options, and are working on adding in housing and another expansion.

What really keeps people paying is a unique game with constant updates that provide new options and stuff to do.

MMORPG''s have to get some gameplay elements before I''ll be able to spend months on one.

Most every MMORPG so far has been the one released before it, with a couple minor changes. There''s been no innovation, and the future does not look bright!
WoW, leveling treadmill.
SWG, leveling treadmill.
EQ2, leveling treadmill.
FFXI, leveling treadmill.
None of these have anything new or interesting. They''re just combinations of old systems with new graphics.

The only somewhere slightly near to promising MMORPG I see is Dragon Empires, because of it''s PvP and clan ideas. Although even that game has been steadily cutting down on it''s originality throughout development (ie. they recently switched to using "classes"). And really, when you think about it, there''s still little new to see there anyways.

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MSN: nmaster42@hotmail.com, AIM: LockePick42, ICQ: 74128155
"It''s all part of the conspiracy of conspirators conspiring to conspire their own conspiracies..."

The average 'lifespan' of an end user for an MMORPG is 2-3 months ( will reference source after I find it again ). The players that play more than 2 months are the huge minority and mostly irrelevant to business so the original topic is somewhat silly.

As has been mentioned though I think the most relevant aspect in an MMORPG is to keep a continued promise of 'amazing change' which you slowly implement. If you give players everything they want immediately then they will be pleased for a month or two and quit playing permanently.

If you keep jostling the players with promises of "The blah blah system is nearing completion. We'll be accepting applications for the test server within a few weeks." you maintain interest and even older players may stick around for hopes that you will completely change the game with some amazing change.

Another thing that can keep games active is a strong real life economy. Ultima Online is an ideal example. Back in the 'day' when people would sell Ultima Online characters for up to $2000 the users could trick themselves into believing they weren't just wasting 10 hours a day playing. They could make themselves believe they would have the strongest character in the game that they could sell for thousands. So they weren't really wasting their time playing the game, in fact they were actually 'working'. It would all end up profitable in the end if they could just sell their characters or items for more than the cost of the game/monthly subscription.. right?? Fortunately for MMORPG companies, most users are ignorant of the basic economic concepts such as potential income.. that or they force themselves to ignore it.

Keeping players believing change is imminent and making them feel as though they are not wasting their time is key to success with an MMORPG I'd say.


[edited by - haro on June 22, 2003 10:11:44 AM]

So the issue seems to be here is the poor implementation of leveling systems, and the lack of continuos original material.

One of the biggest things to overcome then would seem to be the need for a sytem that can reliably generate new environments that are of high enough quality to keep them consistent.

Perhaps a game with a few constant areas, and then wilderness areas which are similar to Diablos randomly generated areas.

There was a thread a while ago featuring ideas on how to generate a more intersting multiplayer environment, and I said on it that one of the details I find lacking is the inability to change anything in the game world.

Runescape has the ability to make items, but there are a fixed number and each combination is fairly straightforward. Diablo was on to something with the Runes and Gems system; a game like that where you can design your own equipment to match your game play and have that weapon be ''unique'' is I think an important part of the game.

I also think that one thing that would make the game more interesting is building on skill restrictions; the more time you spend beefing up your smithing skill, your dexterity/agility should start to suffer, although your strength/stamina related skills should climb, or if you spend too much time studying to build your magic skill your physical attributes should suffer.

Factions need to be worked into the game, as well as players influence on the factions. Players relationships with other players in the game often limit the experience they have in the game. Imagine if you go to get a quest/job and you are told that you have to co-operate with some other player, or convince them to co-operate with you to complete it

Factions can also be used to create a real political system, esp one that would mirror some of the real political issues that set people off. A game that evokes an emotional response will get players attention, all the more so if you can actually make a difference in the game world.

Just some ramblings that I think would keep me coming back for a game. In the meantime I will continue mining Coal with my mith pickaxe until I can afford a Runic Pickaxe