No such thing as an MMORPG
Not really...
The MMO I don't doubt. that certainly exists.
Its the RPG part I take issue with.
Specifically the R
The R in the acronym is meant to stand for “Role.”
However, nobody playing these games is playing an actual Role.
Unless you take the Role to mean your duty as a party member, Healer, Tank, DPS and all that...
but If you define Role by the traditional sense of RPG.
A part you play based on your characters motives and values (and not your own),
Then Role Playing just really doesn't happen in these games.
Anybody whose played a the average console RPG and MMORPG knows the difference right off.
Its the strength of the narratives. Simply put, the story in an RPG is much stronger than the story in an MMORPG. In fact, some MMORPGs are content not having a story at all.
The RPG will general have a narrative more akin to a story book that forms and evolves as the game continues on. Its got all your story elements. beginning, end, mcguffin, climax, maybe even a plot twist.
The MMORPG on the other hand usually just has a huge exposition dump right at the very beginning, but its clearly not required, and then they may or may not have some kind of conclusion at the end.
RPGs are typically character/plot driven epic adventures. They do have stat maintenance, but the purpose of maintaining those stats, is more for story progression than it is character growth.
MMORPGS are typically all about stat maintenance, and strategy. The only thing driving them really being the exploration of the world. Hence level specific dungeons.
The difference should be clear.
In an RPG you play a “Role”
where in an MMORP you play a “Roll”
So is their anything we can do, to have a multiplayer experience and still keep a strong narrative?
Yes. But not without a few sacrifices.
First, lets revisit that acronym. MMORPG and throw away that first M.
its that “Massive” part that I suspect is the root of the problem.
So lets dump it and just focus on making an MORPG.
Its surprising to me just how few of those their actually are, and even more surprising that developers don't really take advantage of what they can do, because they'd rather design the game as if it was an MMORPG anyway.
But back to our MORPG...
how many players is multiplayer?
Well I'm fairly sure you could get 8 to work out very well, were something like 16 may as well get you right back into trouble. but lets keep this thing small and say that number is 4.
Now, lets think about how to install the really strong narrative.
Strong story telling is usually found in Single player games, that don't offer much in the way of character customization. Because it allows the story to develop around one character and play off of that characters features and personality.
You may not like it, but that's exactly what we're going to do here.
The trick is this...
Each of the 4 players is going to have a narrative of his own that is exclusive to him and him alone.
Their player characters will have their own motives and values and goals, and as players they are going to do whatever they think is best to satisfy them.
If you still don't understand,
here is whats happening.....
Player 1: James
James mission in the game is to take revenge on the evil goblin king who murdered his wife and kidnapped his child.
Player 2: Mike
Mikes goal in the game is to recover a magic ring that the goblin kind stole from him.
Player 3: Chris
Chris is a spy for the goblin king, his goal is to collect information about the goblin kings enemies and lead them into traps.
Player 4: Gwen
Gwen is a money loving cut throat thief who has no real goal accept to make lots of money....but she has heard that the goblin king might have a really valuable ring...and you know what? As a child, she was kidnapped.
Viola!
And just like a game of Clue (or Cluedo) their are obviously certain things about yourself you'll want to keep private until the time is right.
Each players narrative is independent of the others, and so posses the potential to be very strong. But the coolest part is that their stories will overlap and intersect with one another, forcing everyone to play off of everyone else.
Ahem... Role Play.
Though they may have to cooperate with the other players, they are essentially in this thing for themselves.
The only real drawback I can see is that the players will need some discipline.
They'll need to be able to get together and regularly play together. as the game might be less playable if someone doesn't show up. Tabletop style.
They'll need to be able to restrain themselves from divulging important information which would ruin the game for everyone. Its the kinda game you'll probably only want to play with your friends. Again, tabletop style.
Now like a single player game theirs the issue of replay value. Single player games with strong narratives tend not to have very much of it, and this game isn't all that different in that respect, even though it has 3 more stories than your regular single player games do.
When the game is over, its over for everyone.
But you wanted a good story....
and a common characteristic of any good story is that it ends.
4 comments:
You've hit the nail on the head. That discipline is why games like this don't sell. Or rather, they're not even made. It's a completely different kind of game but Transport Tycoon Deluxe can be played online. I'd love to play against a real person (the AI sucks) but the inpracticality of it having to play at the same time for long periods means I never do.
Back in the dark ages (1996), I knew some friends (mainly girls) who used to play a MUD. I'm talking totally retro, text-based, connect via telnet stuff. There were no stats. It was almost like the Alpha Wars but with people mature enough to appreciate a good story over the success of their own characters. I don't know if they called it an RPG back then but I suspect they wouldn't now due to the negative associations. But these people also played old school D&D. You know the kind.
While I applaud Bioware's attempts to inject a bit more story into MMORPGs, it seems the inevitable result of that will be a single-player Bioware RPG with MMORPG elements. More story and characters and dialog and binary morality choices spread throughout, sure, but not more role-playing outside of "are you Sith or Jedi."
As Chewi said, there just isn't much of a market for it. The closest thing to a true "role-playing" MMORPG is probably second life, honestly.
Oh I believe theirs is a market for it.
I just don't think its a big enough market to handle such a project in the standard way yet. Theirs no way something like I described is going to sell on a store shelf at $50+ right now
(unless it comes from Bethesda. who seem to have a stumbled upon a huge fanbase of people who think pretty Graphics and large open spaces somehow equal a game.)
The thing about new markets is that their is as much effort in the creating of them through marketing campaigns, as their is in simply uncovering them.
Theirs 'no market' because their aren't any (or many) of these kinds of games at all.
It's Catch 22
If Football video games didn't exist, because they hadn't yet been made, you could argue that theirs no market for them, and be absolutely correct. But Because they do exist, Madden games sell ridiculous amounts year after year.
New game types and genres are huge risks that most publishers aren't willing to take. On the chance that they do take them, a good and probably costly, marketing campaign needs to follow.
Its a tough sell trying to get a publisher to invest so much money into a unique an unproven project.
The developer of such a game has two choices. Go Indy and take on all the risk and cost themselves. or go home.
There is a market for everything.
However, the key factor is thus;
Is Cost Less Than or Equal to Revenue.
Like the wookie said, you described a MUD, which is not without it's irony as the modern MMO, is generally a 3d advanced Diku MUD. This was most visible in Sony's Everquest, often the phrase 'It begins to rain' would appear in the chat log, which is pretty tarded cause ... I can see that it's raining, I don't need told.
Could you build a story driven 6 player game, fuck yeah you could.
but then you have to contend with almost limitless issues, that are almost entirely user related.
Off the top of my head, Speed of Leveling, Type of Gameplay, Hardcore/ Softcore/ No Lifer mentality, schedule. As a Raid leader/ Guild Leader, organising raids of 40 people is a fucking nightmare and often drags the fun right out of it, I only do 10's these days and it's still pretty hard for a game I'm playing for FUN at the end of the day.
Overcoming all that is no small feat, but lets say you manage it, now scale it, how many interested 4-6 player group are there ?
I would then say you've made a MORPG missing the 'Massive' part. Although the term was coined when getting 100 people into a server without the shit catching fire, was excellent.
I think Blizzard have done a fairly good job recently of putting the R back into MMORPG. With the Wraith of the Lich King expansion over the course of a year you leveled up and quested/raided the story out, the two age old enemy states put aside their personal shit and kind teamed up, the Lead Bad guy turned up as you thwarted his plan for the last time once or 50 times. There where cut scenes, the world changed forever after certain quest lines completed and events too place.
And sure everyone has a near identical player experience on a personal basis, but you all have a shared experience in a way and it's that what it's supposed to be about.
And sure your just a fighter or a shaman or warlock (tank,healer,dps) but a role as a role is still a role. (wow try saying that shit drunk)
I often get annoyed in high fantasy characterisation anyway. I've Role-played (table and live) for the last 10 years and if I hear one more 'orc's killed my family background' I'll fucking kill their IRL family :P
Sometimes it's nice to just be a blacksmith cause it was what your dad did, you know ?
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