I’ve tried to express my feelings about how today’s MMOs don’t seem to have the sense of adventure they once did. Oh sure, we’re seeing promises of new whizz-bang game mechanics and cool features. But once you get past the initial Oooos and Aaahhhs they always come down to the same basic concept.
Basically, a Game Developer creates an interesting story. Then they create an interesting setting with cool out of this world races and characters. Then it’s up to the players to level a character, gain equipment and skills. Then somewhere along the line, someone sends them off to kill an some power hungry, egocentric, evil doer that suffers from Mommy and Daddy issues saving the world from an apocalypse. HURRAY!!
It would seem that this formula would allow for an infinite amount of possible story ideas.
Then why do MMOs today seem tired and worn out? I don’t mean comfy old jeans worn out either. I mean the annoying hole in the crotch, busted button, stuck zipper kind of worn out!
Math – The Root Of All MMO Evil
I’m sure everyone has a theory on this. So here’s mine.
I think what causes everyone to eventually feel “Meh!” about their favorite MMO is one four letter word… Math!
Yes, I know! This is nothing new. People have been saying this very same thing for years.
Yes, I also know computers are basically complex calculators.
And yes, YES! I know Math has been a critical part of Role Play Gaming since its humble beginnings.
Fine!! I’ll compromise. Maybe it’s not the existence of Math that’s the issue, but HOW Math is used!
Here, let me try and explain.
Under the layers of user interface, storyline, and quest delivery mechanisms we can basically say every encounter is based upon a simple formula.
Player Damage > NonPlayer Character Total Health + Heals
Once we know what our Total Damage output, we can then establish what each player’s Damage Per Second should be in order to achieve the desired result within the shortest amount of time. After that, it’s all a matter of being able to execute this result repeatedly.
NO WONDER WE GET BORED!!!
Seriously, does anyone like to do the same thing over and over again? Oh sure, maybe a few times is cool but eventually we all want to experience something different. Otherwise how do you explain Altitis?
Make Your Old MMO Shine Like New
I propose a simple concept. One that would take us back to our RPG Roots and insist Developers replace predictability with randomness.
Yes folks, I’m saying throw away those spreadsheets and bring out the dice! It’s time to throw the bones and let fate decide!
WHOOA! Hold on now! Don’t get your panties in a boil. And I don’t need more j-ello thank you very much! And trust me, I promise it won’t kill your prescious Progression.
For you who never played D&D and don’t have a clue what I’m talking about, simply put, everything in the game is based upon two things: Dice Rolls and Modifiers. Yes, I mean everything.
From the beginning when you create your character, to your leveling skill and stat bonuses. And yes, even NPC Encounters are based upon an act of randomness. EVERYTHING!
Well, maybe not everything. I do admit there has to be some consistency. For example, Racials and Level Modifiers are typically static. So I’m not completely sure where the line needs to be drawn between something being static and predictable and random chance with an establish modifier.
That said, I do think it would be better to have the dice determine things like the following:
- Item stat bonuses
- NPC encounters
- Player DPS and HPS.
Sure, maybe the random(20) command said the healer fumbled causing a wipe. So what! We’re battling a crazed lunatic that will do anything to destroy us. As in real life, we should expect mistakes and random events to occur. (How else can you explain Oswald and The Magic Bullet?)
Another benefit of adding a 1d12 throw to gear stats, we’re no longer bound to specific dungeon grinds. We’d be able to run our favorite dungeons not because of the loot table, but for the excitement and adventure! No longer would everyone’s stats and specs matter because everyone would be naturally balanced. Sure, someone with the same item and spec could do more or less damage. But again I would say wouldn’t that be expected? Has NO ONE ever heard of David and Goliath? (No, I don’t mean the show about a boy and his dog!!)
Like I said, I’m not sure exactly where the line between Random vs. Predictability needs to be drawn. However, I do honestly believe the more Predictability we replace with Randomness the more excitement we would all experience with the games we love.
After all, isn’t variety the spice of life?
I have to admit I think I like that idea. Obviously would need some tweaking but part of the fun, and frustration, in playing games is the occassional “WTF!!” Sure you may accidentally kill something you never thought you could or you may just swing and miss on a freaking rat. Then again, I tripped on a step yesterday. Stuff happens.
@Mark Gardner
j/k
That’s exactly my point. When we play games the first time around everything is “WTF!!” But after a while it becomes expected, then routine and eventually boring. Who knows, maybe if you had done a save roll you wouldn’t have tripped.
Thanks for stopping by Mark. Much appreciated.
The roots of RPG gaming have little to do with with dice. Some P&P RPGs don’t even use dice (Amber). The roots of RPGs are a structured /role/ playing adventure.
Dungeon Masters would lay out adventures on paper, and calculate challenging encounters – many of which may be non-combative in nature and require the party to talk it’s way out of a very bad position. What’s more, they would often have to do the math to work out if an encounter was going to be too powerful, or too easy for their party.
Players on the other hand didn’t play games like D&D because the dice choose everything for them. Dice were generally used to only define things that you wanted to challenge the player outside of a narrative. This is one of the reasons that the more complicated systems were never as popular as the simpler systems.
The idea of walking along with RNG firing for a multitude of things giving you a totally random experience while walking down an alley is the antithesis of how people have ever played RPG games.
@Bailysmooth
For some reason I don’t think we’re on the same page. Not that I totally disagree with your comments jus feel that what I meant by “..going back to it’s roots.” So I’ll try to clarify it.
I completely agree with you that part of what makes traditional Tabletop RPGs so interesting is the story crafted by the creator of the encounter and it’s execution by the DM.
And you’re also correct that DM’s also had the ability to scale an encounter so it wouldn’t overwhelm the players.
However, I do have to disagree with you saying that Dice complicated everything and made the game less popular than other systems. Just look at D&D alone and I think you’ll see this as being incorrect. (I’m completely open to being wrong on this point but we’d have to do some serious research to prove or disprove it. So let’s just call it a wash.)
You say D&D only used dice to decide what’s outside the narrative. Since my Players Handbook is version 3.5 and things might have changed in 4.0 I willing to stand corrected. However, as of 3.5 dice were still heavily used to decide everything from Character Stats, Ability Checks, Encounter Checks as well as Combat and Saves and many other things in the game.
To state that RNG is the antithesis of how people ever played RPG games is completely incorrect. If your player was “In Disguise” to sneak into a guards barracks for example, you would need to do an Ability check to see if you were successful or not. Of course this is only one example but hopefully it shows how RNG is used to determine how encounters work out and are successful or not.
Though I respect your opinion and really appreciate the comment, I think we’ll have to either agree to disagree or pull out our respective player guides and rule books and start listing bibliographic references as proof.