Seems like this topic should fit in this forum since its related to game design... Does anyone else find private realms in MMORPGs to be counterproductive? You are playing a *massively multiplayer* online roleplaying game but you have a realm for yourself and your friends. Whats so massively multiplayer about that? Sure you can go off and enjoy the non-private areas with thousands of other people but upcoming games like Mythica, even current games like EQ are featuring more and more private areas that players would prefer to the public areas. In Mythica (www.mythica.com) you have vast storylines going on in your private realm, in Everquest you have private dungeons so that you and your pals arent bothered by other players. Doesnt this seem ironic to anyone else? Theyre creating massively multiplayer online roleplaying games where no one roleplays and theyre in private realms... that would make it just an OG, online game. The game companies need to create ways for MMORPGs to be fun, not addictive, for players when your playing with thousands of others. Not wanting your own private realm so you dont need to socialize.

Are we talking about whole seperate realms, or player housing. I am unfamiliar with the personal dungeon, but perhaps it is more just a way to cut bandwidth, and not relying on the central server? As for player housing, there is a big roleplaying element involved. Uber weapons and such that would show wealth/progress go less noticed then someone owning a huge tower or swamp. Do you get my drift. I had an idea once, to offer purchases of prominant locations on game map for development, with different housing cost dependent on location.

Completely seperate realms where only you and people you allow can enter. In Mythica entire storylines and quests take place in your private realm. You will likely spend more time in there then the public realms. Other upcoming games advertise that they will feature private realms. The idea of an MMORPG is that you play it online with tons of other people.

To me its like buying a schoolbus then not allowing anyone else on it. They advertise you can seat lots of people in the bus but you only want it for yourself. You dont need the schoolbus, it makes no sense to have it. Not the best metaphor I know but thats what I think of when I read about private realms.

Private player housing is good because you dont just open your real home to anyone. Your house is your property, you decorated it how you want and its your personal space. An entire private realm and dungeons is just pointless in a MMORPG.

that''s because despite everyone''s best whishes (and I seriously doubt marketing gurus actually *care* about that) most people prefer to have some sort of community where they know people.
The problem is that msot people are confortable with knowing only a limited number of people but well.
Think about it, observe chatrooms on the IRC, observe Forums like here, you''ll see.
Like attracts like, and after a while they dont want to be disturbed by anyone else. It''s a natural instinct, really, but it has the effect that MMORPG and other huge online world are really targeted at a non existent version of the homo sapiens.
On the other hand, why would the developers care as long as they are making money ?

Sancte Isidore ora pro nobis !

Well some times personal dungeons are a good thing. I''ll give some examples

--There is no camp competition in a personal dungeon.
--There is no kill stealing in a personal dungeon.
--Dungeons can have that "abandoned crypt" feel.

Whether or not to make a private area in the game should depend on (IMO) whether or not the lore of the specific area supports massive amounts of people and/or camping. For example, if the dungeon is a hidden castle of a dark wizard, or an abandoned crypt/mine/tomb, why would you have 5 groups haging around the dungeon farming xp? It makes no sense from an RP sense, and it does not fit with the lore of it at all. In that situation a personal dungeon is acceptable. (note this would work well for certain areas that might get attacked alot, but large numbers of players camping it would not make sense...IE an enemy base with 5 groups of your team wandering about freely)

On the other hand certain large scale dungeons where there is reason for large amounts of players to be in there is a seperate matter. Then personal instance dugeons make no sense.


Another point of private realms is for personal missions (like in AO) this is something for the player to do quickly for a little bit of fun, and it also makes sense.

With regard to the problem of too many adventurers in one dungeon, there may be a more elegant solution than private realms. I don't know what that might be, but I'm sure it would be clever.

And if you're just looking for fun, then why not let players download their character stats and play offline? Juskeep them from going anywhere they haven't gotten to in the real game or levelling up, and they can have all the fun they want. Then they can log back on and play for real when they want to acheive something.

[edited by - Iron Chef Carnage on September 9, 2003 6:39:32 PM]

I can see why the private areas are needed in MMORPGs right now but it just strikes me as funny to have a massively multiplayer game but they design it so that you arent around the massive amount of other players.

I agree with Iron Chef Carnage here:

"With regard to the problem of too many adventurers in one dungeon, there may be a more elegant solution than private realms. I don''t know what that might be, but I''m sure it would be clever."

Instead of thinking how to make a failed (which it has failed if they are making private areas) design work they should spend time on thinking how to make a working design. Games like mythic and a few others that I cant think of at this moment are designing their games purely with private areas in mind. Its crazy stuff "Here take this phone that cant call outside the house!"

It''s the best thing to ever happen to EverQuest... now my group can play in zones free from D00DZ and l0z3r5.

If players want it and will pay for it, it is a good idea. For some, just being able to compare their skill/advancement in the game on-line is enough (equivalent to just uploading high scores), and for others they enjoy going solo but still like having the option to communicate/interact with others. Just cuz it is massivly multi-player doesn''t mean it has to be massivly-always-in-a-party or surrounded by 100 people at all times.

Also if a game finds it has a few areas that attract all the players to it at the same time then they have a tuning issue. Either that area is way too good compared to others or they lack enough space for people of that level. Ways to avoid the black-hole effect of area player bloating is to simply make enough good areas in reasonable travel distance for players of appropriate level. You can still have the problem with areas that are simply just "cooler" or "more fun" and dont grant any additional eq/money/weapons, but then you just take the guy who made that area, pay him more, and put him to work on new areas.