MMOGs as Sport
This is an analogy that I made a few weeks ago on Shut Up We’re Talking, but I wanted to expound on it a bit more, especially since the issue of “The Multiplayer” is sticking in my head. I see a lot of disgruntled bloggers out there that feel there’s something missing from current MMOGs, and are holding out hope that something on the horizon will be able to supply it. (waaagh!!?!)
It’s possible that what’s missing is the energy to invest, longterm, in a game, to dive into a guild, and commit to a longterm goal of progressing together. Brenda threw down the gauntlet not too long ago – subscribe to a game, and stick with it for one year (and write about it!). I think she’s on to something.
To those that invest themselves in guilds, MMOGs are a lot like sports. What drives those in guilds, especially high end guilds, is not the loot, it’s the drive for achievement. Often, people dismiss high end guilds, because they hit the ceiling so quickly. Scott from Pumping Irony commented on my last entry, saying, “it’s the journey, not the destination.” That statement comes up often when there is a discussion of raiders vs non raiders. Ironically, what drives the high end guilds is the journey. They want to see the hardest content, fight the toughest bosses, beat the hardest raid zones. The fast leveling and farming is part (PART) of a means to an end. What’s always overlooked is that the raider and the non-raider both feel the same way about the level treadmill, they just choose to handle it in different ways. The hardcore raider often puts his head down and plods through it as fast as he can, and the non-raider often just stops doing it, either by leaving the game entirely, pursuing a different path (tradeskilling, PvP, roleplaying, etc), or making an alt, to relive the fun of fast leveling.
What it takes to succeed in sports is the same as in an MMOG. You need a good leader, a cohesive team atmosphere, a core of people that are willing to work together and look out for each other. You need to practice, and yes, repetition is part of that. You need precision, execution, communication, and loyalty. You need to examine past attempts to correct mistakes (game tapes vs raid logs). Sports seasons are marked by expansions.
And when a team succeeds, the result is very similar in MMOGs. There is a sense of pride, whether it’s a team or a guild. The guild website is the MMO Clubhouse, and yes, there is even some locker room talk and towel snapping here and there. Post game wrap up is no different than guildies marveling at each other’s “heat of battle” performances. There is some chest thumping from guild rivalries during the race to be the first. Highlight reels in sports are a lot like the You Tube videos that guilds make to show their victory against a tough boss.
Those who play MMOGs in a guild setting have an entirely different gaming experience from someone who does not. I am not at all saying that one playstyle is right or wrong. But for those who feel that something is missing, maybe taking the plunge into a long term investment in a game is the scratch for the itch.
Posted by jayernh under Archive | Comments (5)
My journey vs. destination comment was aimed more towards a comparison of differing game design. WoW players come to LOTRO (or VG) and because there is no progressive raid treadmill like they’re accustomed to, they equate that to “no end-game.”
But, as you’re intimating, regardless of the design there’s always the players for whom the leveling is the entirety of the game, such as John said he was on SUWT. I knew so many people in WoW who, once they reached 60 felt they’d “beaten” the game, and either made an alt to do it all over again or just quit the game. Once the xp bar disappeared, they were effectively done.
My MMO history has been funny to look back upon because, while I always put effort into seeking out just the right guild that fits me, I actually rarely get to do “guild runs” or whatever. I’m PUG-ing 95% of the time, if not more. Yes, I had my raid group in WoW but that was a coalition of guilds rather than a single entity (and was much preferred over the two hardcore raid guilds I tried very briefly). But still, the personalities were such that we became a meta-guild and began just chatting, questing, PvPing, dungeons… all the rest of the game in addition to the raids. Without the drama of leaving our own little guilds and friends.
In DDO, I’d never done a single thing with my guild other than chat until the 2nd Anniversary live event, where for the first time ever in that game, they made me remember that sense of guild pride when we formed a guild-only raid to take on the devil invasion. First time ever actually seeing most of those characters, but we all meshed quickly and did our jobs well.
I’ve done quite a bit with my guild lately in LOTRO, not nearly enough for my liking though since we’re a great bunch and have a hilarious time together. Again, that “team” aspect, as well as far more tolerance for goof-ups since we’re a family rather than PUG strangers.
How to get people in for the long haul? That’s a tricky one, and obviously I’m guilty of looking as well since I’m still in Age of Conan’s Live Test (hey, it’s free right?). Brenda is sticking with EQ2 and even has her EQ1 Nostalgia group going, which is great. K&G are huge RvR/DAOC fans so… why aren’t they there? Why aren’t all the UO fanboys in UO? I suspect far too many people’s memories have rose-colored glasses, and sometimes you just can’t go home again. Trouble is, we’ve become like virtual hobos, hopping on every flashy new MMO train that rolls through town, then quickly jump off in the next town, find a cardboard box to camp in and wait for the next train. We’re a sad bunch…
Comment by Scott — May 27, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
The “journey vs destination” statement set the gears clicking in my head. Certainly didn’t mean to call you out, on the contrary, thank you for the spark!
The “sport” analogy can apply to more than just raiding guilds – I just used that example since they seem to bear the brunt of ire usually. The guild I run is far from at end-game, but the little goals and accomplishments still give that feeling of excitement. You could carry the analogy even to groups, who might have a surprise one night as they defeat dungeon content that’s over their heads. That’s the stuff that I think we all loved the most from our first MMOG.
Now if we can only figure out how to get rid of the eye-bleeding level grind….
Comment by jayernh — May 27, 2008 @ 4:23 pm
Getting rid of levels altogether would be a welcome start in that direction…
It can certainly be argued, and I won’t disagree, that “leveling” up skills is also a form of “level grind” but sorry, I’ll take that any day over the damage that levels cause.
Repetition is only a grind when it’s not fun. Find a way to make acquiring and improving skills (crafting, combat, utility, etc.) systems FUN and you’ve gone a long ways towards eliminating the grind feeling.
Continuing that train of thought (and in the process, I’m totally hijacking your original topic… sorry, I’m bad about going off on tangents) consider me one who is totally in favor of dynamic raid content vs. memorizing static patterns. I have a notoriously short attention span, and for me, once I’ve seen an encounter beaten I’m bored of it and every consecutive time in that encounter is grinding as far as I’m concerned.
Speaking of attention span, what were we talking about again?
Comment by Scott — May 27, 2008 @ 4:51 pm
*claps* no not the disease the action
Comment by lumio — May 27, 2008 @ 6:04 pm
Jaye remembers the multiplayer
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