Posted by: Snafzg
On: Apr 30, 2009 at 09:10pm
Welcome to a new semi-quasi-sorta-regular series called If I were Mark Jacobs.
Someone told me to use my blog to suggest changes I'd make to WAR rather than keep on saying that I'm on my way out of the game. Sure, let's give it a try. Each part in this series will take an aspect of WAR that basically pisses me off and then suggest an alternative solution.
I hate gear grinds in any MMO, not just in WAR. Gear is a tool that should give you an advantage in battle but I don't believe your entire progression and incentive structure should revolve around it. Unfortunately, WAR in its current state is all about the gear, wards, and sets.
This post isn't about the gear itself (I'll save that for another day), but the grind Mythic forces us to go through to get it. To save some space in this post, please read Nazgum's latest entry. I agree with him completely that gear is simply too difficult to get right now.
Why is it so hard to obtain? The answer is obvious. Gear is the carrot on the stick. Gear is the only real motivator Mythic thinks will keep you logging back in. Gear is a key, not really any different than a faction grind, that unlocks more difficult and interesting content.
I don't agree with this at all and I think it is a ridiculously stupid motivator for an RvR game that is supposed to be about teamwork, realm pride (whatever that is these days), and fighting other players. The only real difference between the gear system in WAR and the gear system introduced DAOC with TOA is that you were forced into PvE to get the gear in DAOC. You're only half-forced in WAR... but that doesn't mean it's any less grindy. Since launch people have found it a more efficient use of time to gain gear from PvE than RvR. That's just freakin' wrong.
Have a little confidence in the game you built and put a little trust in your players that they will make alts. And of course, cut the grind by at least 50%!
Warhammer is theoretically an alting paradise. There are 12 careers in each realm and they all play very differently. The tier-based system and scenario variety that Warhammer is based upon lends itself to alting as well. Back when WAR first released, previous zone control meant a lot more than it does today. Why did it change? No-one was really alting. Why? The grind! Not just a gear grind of course, but a gear + renown + influence + XP grind. Yay, ideas for future posts in this series...
Why the heck would I want to make a new character when the one I've been playing for the past 7-months isn't even remotely close to the end of his gear grind? Gear isn't as important as it is in other MMOs, but a rank 40 in PQ-gear doesn't stand much of a chance vs. one in Conqueror gear and that's only two levels of quality up. Also, as Nazgum says, the chances of you getting into even Annihilator gear are much lower today than they were back when WAR first launched. Back then, there weren't 2-3 warbands taking each keep.
And let's not pretend the new token system is the savior here. It's just another grind and Mythic even admits that it is only supposed to supplement your gear grind. The prices are waaaay out of whack.
WAR is supposed to be game of perpetual war. Rather than focusing on a vertical progression model, focus more on the horizontal. People will still play their fully maxed characters because they will still have an edge. People still play FPS games and their characters don't progress at all! We will be more willing to roll a new character and experience your game from another perspective. Think for a moment about Team Fortress 2. Once you've mastered the Tank you start playing a Spy.
Options = fun. Locking someone into one role because it isn't an efficient use of their time to play anything else is not.
Think about it, Mark.
Someone told me to use my blog to suggest changes I'd make to WAR rather than keep on saying that I'm on my way out of the game. Sure, let's give it a try. Each part in this series will take an aspect of WAR that basically pisses me off and then suggest an alternative solution.
Gear grinding
I hate gear grinds in any MMO, not just in WAR. Gear is a tool that should give you an advantage in battle but I don't believe your entire progression and incentive structure should revolve around it. Unfortunately, WAR in its current state is all about the gear, wards, and sets.
This post isn't about the gear itself (I'll save that for another day), but the grind Mythic forces us to go through to get it. To save some space in this post, please read Nazgum's latest entry. I agree with him completely that gear is simply too difficult to get right now.
Why is it so hard to obtain? The answer is obvious. Gear is the carrot on the stick. Gear is the only real motivator Mythic thinks will keep you logging back in. Gear is a key, not really any different than a faction grind, that unlocks more difficult and interesting content.
I don't agree with this at all and I think it is a ridiculously stupid motivator for an RvR game that is supposed to be about teamwork, realm pride (whatever that is these days), and fighting other players. The only real difference between the gear system in WAR and the gear system introduced DAOC with TOA is that you were forced into PvE to get the gear in DAOC. You're only half-forced in WAR... but that doesn't mean it's any less grindy. Since launch people have found it a more efficient use of time to gain gear from PvE than RvR. That's just freakin' wrong.
The solution
Have a little confidence in the game you built and put a little trust in your players that they will make alts. And of course, cut the grind by at least 50%!
Warhammer is theoretically an alting paradise. There are 12 careers in each realm and they all play very differently. The tier-based system and scenario variety that Warhammer is based upon lends itself to alting as well. Back when WAR first released, previous zone control meant a lot more than it does today. Why did it change? No-one was really alting. Why? The grind! Not just a gear grind of course, but a gear + renown + influence + XP grind. Yay, ideas for future posts in this series...
Why the heck would I want to make a new character when the one I've been playing for the past 7-months isn't even remotely close to the end of his gear grind? Gear isn't as important as it is in other MMOs, but a rank 40 in PQ-gear doesn't stand much of a chance vs. one in Conqueror gear and that's only two levels of quality up. Also, as Nazgum says, the chances of you getting into even Annihilator gear are much lower today than they were back when WAR first launched. Back then, there weren't 2-3 warbands taking each keep.
And let's not pretend the new token system is the savior here. It's just another grind and Mythic even admits that it is only supposed to supplement your gear grind. The prices are waaaay out of whack.
WAR is supposed to be game of perpetual war. Rather than focusing on a vertical progression model, focus more on the horizontal. People will still play their fully maxed characters because they will still have an edge. People still play FPS games and their characters don't progress at all! We will be more willing to roll a new character and experience your game from another perspective. Think for a moment about Team Fortress 2. Once you've mastered the Tank you start playing a Spy.
Options = fun. Locking someone into one role because it isn't an efficient use of their time to play anything else is not.
Think about it, Mark.
