[MUD-Dev] MMO Quest: Why they're still lousy

[Sporky McBeard]

<EdNote: Minorly edited without changing the brunt of the message>

"Michael Hartman" <michael at thresholdrpg.com> wrote:

> Do you honestly think only a small portion of the audience is
> interested in the story?

I honestly think only a small portion of the audience is interested
in READING the story.

> I am telling you that a very LARGE number of people enjoy the
> story surrounding the quests they do and the story is a major part
> of what drives them to complete it.

That's only because that's all they have available. For instance,
the story in a game like Fallout or Vampire Bloodlines is much more
interactive than the ones in MMORPGs. There's dialog trees,
decisions make differences, you can change the world. It's worth
reading the story. In MMORPGs, they are little more than window
dressing. VERY little more. As they used to tell me in English
class, never tell what you can show.  Stories don't have to be a
page of text with no interaction, even in MMORPGs. Stories don't
need to be explicitly related to the player either (ie Myst).

> Never, ever, ever underestimate how uncreative and poorly suited
> to design the majority of gamers are. Seriously, you will be
> absolutely shocked at the degree of suckage players create if
> given the opportunity.

I don't underestimate that. I also don't underestimate how creative
and well suited to design a large portion of gamers are either. If
you design around fools, all you are going to have playing your game
are fools. I knew there was a reason I thought most videogames
created in the US were secretly designed for stoned teenagers with
learning disabilities...

> There is a reason why games are created by professionals. :)

I can't believe someone said that out loud...

> I don't think removing one of the most important parts of quests
> (the story) or throwing the baby out with the bathwater (removing
> quests entirely) are really thinking outside the box. That's more
> like lighting the box on fire.

I think outside the box for giggles. Hell, I take my luggage when I
leave the box because I don't always return. Some people -
especially those who are stuck in the tried and true way without
questioning - need the box to be set on fire before they'll leave
it.

I suggested it because I hardly think the entire RPG genre will fall
apart at the seems without explicit questing instructions. Heck,
older RPGs didn't even have explicit quests - but they still have
ambience, character, and story... oh, and gameplay.

- Sean Howard
www.squidi.net
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