Author Topic: ..only realize that there is no grind. (Read 2091 times)

likwidtek · « **on:** February 16, 2009, 04:26:15 pm »

Quote

Darkfall, the new age of MMOs
When I first started playing WoW, the game was quite fun. It had an action-like approach to combat and a polish that was quite refreshing in the genre. But after two years I couldn't take it any longer. There was nothing to do... instance grinding was unbearable for me. The years after WoW saw a lot of new MMOs and every time I was excited. I tried Vanguard, AoC, WAR and many others. But nothing could draw me in, because even though there were differences I felt it was the same themepark approach that I had already played for two years.

But finally I have tried a MMO that I can enjoy. Darkfall may be a little rough in some areas and have a few issues with crafting and som IU issues.

But for me darkfall is so different in the sense that it's not like the other MMOs I have tried recent years where I play a few days and think "oh this is nice". Darkfall is a game that when I have played it a week I think it's brilliant and after a month I think I'll just be even more amazed and want more. All the other MMOs I have tried after wow had me played for the free month and then I lost interrest. I see Darkfall as a game that can really make people commit for a long time, because of the freedom you have.

I hear people talk about the grind. It doesn't make sense to me, because it isn't a grind. From the very moment you log in you can start doing whatever you like. You can play the game and do everything... you don't have to wait until level 60 to start experiencing a particular area of the game. The skills may not be raised from 1 to 100 in a week, but that doesn't mean there is a grind. The thing is you don't NEED to get the skills to 100 in the same way as you needed to get to level 60 to start the fun in wow. There is no need to grind anything and when people complain about grinding I see it as a choice they make to focus on grinding through skills rather than something the game force you to do.

In wow and similar games there is one thing to do. One overall goal. To level your character. You have a defined path that you need to go down and as such it's just a long walk down that path until you can do whatever you like. And when you get to the point where you can do whatever you like in wow you find out that there isn't really anything to do but raise other numbers.

In darkfall however you have no set path for you. You could from day one set out, get basic equipment and go to the enemy and start raiding. You can take a more traditional PvE approach to the game or focus on crafting. Or everything of the above. The game doesn't expect you to do anything in particular as wow does. In wow you can't play the game and say that you don't want to focus on leveling your character. Because levelling is the only real goal.

In darkfall it's all about building something more like what you expect people to do in real life. Build a town, become wealthy etc. The focus on raising skills as fast as you can is a focus players put into the game, not something the game expects you to do.

Yesterday 2 well equipped enemy players came to the newbie zone and in any other MMO they would have ripped throug 20+ players levelling there without even a scratch. Here four completely naked newbies ripped them apart and took their stuff.

I wish we could stop discussing a grind that is not there. The sole purpose of the game isn't to raise your skills. Your skills improve as you engage in whatever activity you find fun. Standing in a corner and grinding MM is so immensely stupid, that I can't possible imagine why anyone with that mind set would even play games.

My point is that you just can't expect developers to tailor the game towards players with this kind of mind set, because if they did we would end up with a game as boring as the endless number of failed and successfully boring theme park MMOs.

Instead engage yourself in the game. Play the game. Then eventually your numbers will increase. But focusing on the numbers as the sole purpose of the game is a problem with players and not the game. I bet many new school MMO players are so used to the focus on numbers, levels, stats etc. that they just can't let go of that approach and it locks them into doing stupid things as grinding MM or abusing towers.

Instead they could just be playing the game, have fun, get loot, money and experience playing the game. The skills may not rise as effectively as standing all day spamming MM.