Themepark MMOs

KagamiTheMagicalCatGerl

So today in TERA they released a new zone that has a bunch of mini-games. Here is a picture of people standing in line waiting for their turn at the mini-game. They don't have to do that, people in Tera are just polite like that I guess, lol. I figured all you guys who hate on "theme park MMOs" would get a kick out of this picture:



My theory is, this is the devs putting work into making the questing experience more interesting by deviating from the "kill X things" dynamic.

decorumfriends

People hate theme park games? I played Free Realms for a while, when I needed a break from more "serious" games. It was fun, my only complaint being that I wouldn't pay for the higher levels of the game, so it ran out of steam fairly quickly, but that was my issue, not the game's.

KagamiTheMagicalCatGerl

I've seen some people around here use the phrase "themepark mmo" like it was a synonym for "bad game". I find it confusing as well... since I always had fun at theme parks.

championshewolf

Think you misconstrue the points that are made. Theme park is in no way bad, however if all you build is a theme park with no substance within said theme park, then it is bad. Because you end up waiting for the rides (aka big content updates) and not actually doing much of else. Even worse is when theme park designed games try to shove sandbox elements into the mix but don't have the elements to support it. For instance, hideouts. A purely cosmetic but at base a sandbox element, but not properly supported because it offers no ability to customize beyond a few set wallpaper designs, and all the work we have done in game amounts to nothing.

Another scenario of this is how the Ren Center itself is designed. It's very much designed as a hub, but it's pretending that it's an open world environment, with out of place NPC vendors and no sense of flow or style to it. Everything is conveniently placed (convenience being a relative term there since it's actually poorly placed) and many elements just there for no reason other than to be there.

And finally, another issue that crops up in theme parks more and more, lack of actual social environment. MMOs are as much social experiences as they are games. Social areas to just hang out have been strangled out of modern MMOs and they make them feel blander. Everyone is forced into a tiny area and it does little to alleviate the fact you feel like you are in a box, and considering the worst fact of Champions is the game makes you feel like you are in a box, and not a city or world, this is a terrible thing for an MMO.

And yes, when you make an MMO, there is specific criteria that has to be met. Saying the type of game play may not be for you and that's fine mentality is why many MMOs sink in this day and age (that and they are just blatantly copying one another now).

There is no excuse that an MMO today doesn't support multiple styles of game play from just socializing, to new content and such. Focusing solely on one brand of content has always been bad for MMOs. If you neglect any aspect of an MMO, from the dungeoneers, to the raiders, to the RPers to the PvPers, all you are doing is hurting yourself in the long run, and there is no excuse for MMOs to neglect any aspect of an MMO, theme park or otherwise.

KagamiTheMagicalCatGerl

Yeah but, look at the funny picture

championshewolf

KagamiTheMagicalCatGerl wrote: »

Yeah but, look at the funny picture

What's funny about it? Long ago, back in the dark ages of MMOs, there use to be this trait that seems to have been forgotten called common courtesy and people would either help you or at least wait for you to get your task done in these cases. The occasional ninja player was of course expected, but things were much nicer in those days.

Now-a-days, sadly, even helping someone out with something typically gets someone bitched at. What times we live in that being nice is considered griefing.

KagamiTheMagicalCatGerl

Sure but, look at the funny picture