Hello again everyone. Its been a busy summer for me, I have made sure to keep some time to play games and I figure its time for another “what I’ve been playing” update. This time two games I’ve played approached a system in such strong opposite fashion that I’ve title my post around it. Matchmaking.
Let’s start with the bad: APB
With all the discussion’s lately of cataclysm Raid changes, my mind started pondering how much I don’t like the way current Raid IDs are implemented. In doing so I started thinking about ways I would improve the system and came to the same conclusion I did a few years back. When I do this sort of thing I always ask myself, why did you not write your thoughts down? My answer is always dumb, so this time I’m going to write instead of just talk.
Where to start?
How about how one person can screw everyone else out of raid content for the lockout period?
Yep, I think that is a good place to start since the worst things about MMOs are the other people. 
I think all MMO players should at least try Champions Online to at least experience the Powerhouse.
This is something which I feel any game that requires players to pick talents, abilities, skills, or what not should have something similar to.
As with most MMOs as you gain levels you gain abilities and other improvements, but in champions you select these in the power house. Then before you leave while in there you can test them, and if you don’t like them you can sell them back for free and pick others. You can also for a cost undo choices made at previous powerhouse visits, and remake them.
To me this is such a genius idea, and one I have been asking for and even wrote to a friend about a long time ago.  I am not a fan of forcing players to stick to choices they made with no education about them, and the powerhouse helps alleviate that problem.
After reading a some blogs and tweets about MMO crafting I wanted to off and write a giant post explaining where I currently stand on crafting.
I wanted to talk about where I see game doing well, where I see games failing, where I would like to see game go and so on.  Then the writing started and I found myself frustrated, because I could not make it sound ranty.  So instead, after the break, I have created a quick list of ideas I love. They sum up my thoughts pretty well.
Over the last couple of days there has been a bit a stir in the MMO blogging community, mostly because of a post on Wolfshead Online where he decided to take a critical look at EQ2′s first 15 minutes. I love this kind of post, because I enjoy when people really look at a specific aspect of a game. Another example of such a dissection is Oli Welsh’s “Ten Level Test” series.
Now the case in question this week is one in which Wolfshead focused on his opinions the impressions a player new to MMOs or (coming from WoW) might get from EQ2′s first 15 minutes. Its a very narrow focus of study, and that focus is something people seem to be missing when they discuss the content of his post.
The other day because of twitter, I found myself thinking about the whole solo vs. group content found in MMOs. In particular how much content of each type is enough.
My mind spins when I try to discuss the topic with people, because everyone is different. We all have our own backgrounds, predispositions, likes, dislikes, and feels about what is the “right” way to make an MMO. Thus we pick side and try to fight for it, for example; I cry out for people that only want solo content in their MMO. I tell myself they don’t real know what they want, they only think they know. Of course on the flip side I wail in anguish when I hear someone claim MMOs should not offer any solo content except for a tutorial.
So, what do I expect from most new games in terms of types of content?
I expect that most MMOs will follow the leader (wow) and craft a game that provides a solo path all the way to the max level. Along the way I expect there to be some content (dungeons, bosses, quests, crafting) that will require me to interact and maybe even group, in order to complete.
And what do I think a dev. should do?
Look at your “end game”. What type of interesting content do you plan to offer there? Now mirror that type of content along the leveling up path. If your end game only offers grouping content, then I believe you should find a way to get players grouping as they level up. You should so in subtle but rewarding ways. WAR’s public quests, and open parties would be an example.
What is my dream for future games?
I want solo, duo, group, and raid content to be available and rewarding over the entire span of my character’s life.
I would love to log on my second or third night of play be able to choose between some solo tasks, getting into a group, or even joining a raid; all of them being rewarding in some way to my character’s growth. Choices of activities that vary between a 15 minutes and multiple hours.
On the flip side on my 100th day of play I want those same options to be available, and still be rewarding.
Having rewarding options / choices is the key.
And how should they do that?
If you have PvP introduce it early to the players. Make it easy to get in and out of.
Introduce grouping early. Again, while the meta design might need so tweaks, WAR’s open party and public quests systems are a good start.
Introduce the idea of harder content that requires more than a solo player has. Provide NPC to fill in for players. Guild Wars did this and while then even improved upon it, Iam guessing it could be done better.
Provide Raid level content early. Don’t wait until max level, don’t wait until half max level.
Make it easy to get get into such a raid. Maybe use a variation of the PvP queuing system some games.
And of course provide enough content that a player can do alone, to keep them busy.
Ultimately I think games need a balanced variety of content, and players (and designers) need to accept the fact that not everyone gets to see and do everything.
It has now been a week since I last played Aion, and longer since I last put any thoughts down about it.  Though in that time as I re-read my previous posts and posts of others I felt a few more things rattling around. So I made the decision to let these last few out.
Do note that while the Aion beta was what stirred these thoughts, I believe they also apply to MMOs in general.
Failing
I grasp the idea that without risk, a reward is not appreciated as much or at all. Though when the player is presented no mechanic to influence a success or a failure, the chance of failure simply becomes a time / materials sink.
I interrupt this normally sane blog with a freakout. You can find my real post after the break.
GAH!
I am not sure how many more missing quest objects and quest people I can take in a single game. The insane mechanic that only one person can interact with a quest object at a time and making everyone else wait for said object to re-spawn, needs to be tossed out design docs everywhere.
I looked around for an object for almost thirty minutes last night, dazed and confused because each time went where it was supposed to be someone else apparently had clicked it and made it vanish. Terrible design. Gah!