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A lot of truth in all your words.
MMO's interest is decreasing while they're all using the same gameplay. Each time a development studio find a good idea, each new MMO implements it. There's nothing but copying what has made interest for gamers. Sure you can find some new ideas in each new MMO, but there's no revolution, and finally, you have that impression of always playing the same game but with other graphics.
What is MMO style today ?
- different races to fight PvP
- different classes to play, but the same in all MMO's... a tanker, a damage dealer, a healer, a buffer, ... Nothing new ... You always play the same way
- skills that are quite the same in each games : a great ball of fire, a summon skill, a multiple shot, ...
- basic quests : quests NPC are identified, kill this, talk to him, protect him... Players don't read anymore why they have to do that. They just do that to gain xp. What's the interest ?
- PvP modes : 1v1, Arena, RvR, ... This is always the same goal and you can play that games with any other MMO...
- crafting : since crafting could be better used and developped, it is curiously the same everywhere. You collect ressources with random success. The more you collect, better you are at collecting... You can put this description in every MMO. They all use the same scheme.
- cooking : just drink or eat to gain health or mana...
- fighting. What to say ? You have to fight in every game. There's nothing to do than fight. Game designers always tell them that you can choose your way to play the game, fighting or crafting, or questing, or all that... That's not really true. Since MMO's goal is beginnning always better than other players, you always have to gain more and more xp to gain levels. And there's nothing but kill monsters to achieve this goal quickly and loot the best items.
- leveling-up. That's the only goal in MMOs... And that's why MMOs are so boring with time. It seems natural that the more you play, the more you achieve, upper you will be. But that's repelling for casual players. So you have quests to gain more xp more easily, but the content is quickly achieved, and there's no interest for hardcore gamers... Finally, the game has not a real personality, since it has to be enjoyed by each type.
It's even obvious that this is due to the number of players. Each person have this way to play a game. Each person have different amount of time to play a game. And while MMO is designed for each of them, it has to be "generic". The development of such a game costs a lot, and being too restricted is not profitable for editors. That's why MMO style can't level-up easily. The style had its success since it was new, but with time, gamers are becoming bored with that. It's like you've been playing the same game from 5 years !!!
I personally think that games should be more dedicated to a certain type of players : one for hardcore gamers, one for casual, one for those who like PvP, one for those who like fighting, one for thos who like roleplaying, etc... There would be less players on each game, but the interest would be better while designers could go farther in each gameplay.
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