Blizzard: Stop Trying to Copy WoW
- Thread starter John Funk
- Start date
Somehow, I can't make myself care if anyone copies WoW. For a few reasons. First, they'll just never manage it. There'll always be that part that seems out of place (like always). Second, Blizzard will *****, moan, and sue out the ass (like they're doing now). And third, everyone in the world is already stuck so solidly on MMOs (particularly WoW) that it's already too late!
I don't really get caught up in them myself, much. I certainly don't pay money for the damn things. I take an interest, do things for a while, and get bored sometime later. It happens. But WoW is like cocaine to people and alot of people out there are just incurably drawn in. So, how is any company trying to copy them even gonna compete? Blizzard should be cackling like dark overlords as they mock the companies gathered at their heels, trying to outdo their grand master scheme.
I don't really get caught up in them myself, much. I certainly don't pay money for the damn things. I take an interest, do things for a while, and get bored sometime later. It happens. But WoW is like cocaine to people and alot of people out there are just incurably drawn in. So, how is any company trying to copy them even gonna compete? Blizzard should be cackling like dark overlords as they mock the companies gathered at their heels, trying to outdo their grand master scheme.
Blizzard saying "Don't copy the most successful model of multi player gaming, which is us, by the way" does sound a little like Miss Piggy going "Pretentious? Moi?" though.CantFaketheFunk said:
the fact is, unless you go through the effort to polish your game to a greater mirror shine then WoW, you cant beat it. blizzard polishes to at least mirror, if not photon cannon reflectiveness. you need a game with as much depth, replayabillity, and variety as WoW to even start at crushing it
Just to throw it out there:
Blizzard should take the time to note that WoW isn't an original game, its lore is from Warcraft, which was intended to be a Warhammer RTS but they never got the deal, so they made Warcraft, similar at the root but very different (and imo better) overall. I can't call out certain places but, I do know that WoW isn't original, there were other MMOs at the time that did many things like WoW but, blizzard more or less improved and summarized the genre, thus allowing it to appeal to many players, this plus the fanbase from WC series, created a hit game. I understand why they want people to stop copying, but they weren't the first to come up with all their ideas. (ofc, at least they're not doing the Worlds.com thing, ugh)
Another thing to note, is that the original team at Blizzard isn't there anymore, Mike Obrien (who created the 3D graphics engine for wc3 that is based from in WoW, and battle.net) left the company to found tri-forge (now Arenanet) along with many other important people. At PAX this year, some old Blizzards in Arenanet noted that few to nobody they knew was with Blizzard from the old days, where all the creativity was.
Kudos to the current Blizzard though, they're keeping things nice and running smoothly, plus yeah, WoW clones are quite dumb and repetitive, thanks for shouting at them finally.
Blizzard should take the time to note that WoW isn't an original game, its lore is from Warcraft, which was intended to be a Warhammer RTS but they never got the deal, so they made Warcraft, similar at the root but very different (and imo better) overall. I can't call out certain places but, I do know that WoW isn't original, there were other MMOs at the time that did many things like WoW but, blizzard more or less improved and summarized the genre, thus allowing it to appeal to many players, this plus the fanbase from WC series, created a hit game. I understand why they want people to stop copying, but they weren't the first to come up with all their ideas. (ofc, at least they're not doing the Worlds.com thing, ugh)
Another thing to note, is that the original team at Blizzard isn't there anymore, Mike Obrien (who created the 3D graphics engine for wc3 that is based from in WoW, and battle.net) left the company to found tri-forge (now Arenanet) along with many other important people. At PAX this year, some old Blizzards in Arenanet noted that few to nobody they knew was with Blizzard from the old days, where all the creativity was.
Kudos to the current Blizzard though, they're keeping things nice and running smoothly, plus yeah, WoW clones are quite dumb and repetitive, thanks for shouting at them finally.
Ok, what else can a MMORPG do.
Lets make a game right the fuck here, that in no way copys WOW.
No dungeons (easy start)
No missions
No varied landscapes
More different kinds of things to kill (anything except spiders, gators, wolves, dragons, snakes the like)
Lets make a game right the fuck here, that in no way copys WOW.
No dungeons (easy start)
No missions
No varied landscapes
More different kinds of things to kill (anything except spiders, gators, wolves, dragons, snakes the like)
However narcissistic that statement sounds, its about time someone with weight in that genre said it. Nobody likes your spin-offs, spend that money on making a different, even more earth-shaking game rather than dancing the line of copyright infringement with it.
MMOs need to get out of this rut of starting players as a pitiful pimple on the ass of an lazy ogre. Just about every MMO I've tried: Here's a knife or a stick. Go kill some stuff. Come back to me after I've had a chance to laugh at your pitiful attempts at being a hero. It gets real old after a while.
Especially, after playing for two weeks, you find out you have some friends playing on a different server. And then you get to repeat this painful process all over again.
The 1-(max-10) grind is the same in every damn game. All of the "fun" stuff advertised on the box is locked out until you hit those last 10 levels, or sometimes only for max level. And if you pick up the game after launch, this part of the grind is an empty wasteland completely devoid of life and utterly depressing.
Many people started with WoW as their game. They did the 1-max grind already, probably on a few characters. They join another game and their first impression is, "Hey, this is like the boring part of WoW. Not fun at all."
Games need to narrow the huge power gape in RPGs. Give a starting character 10,000 hp and a veteran (as in, max level) character 15,000. There's plenty of room for advancement along the way (potentially limitless leveling). Let starting characters participate in end-game content, only more of them will be required. This way when people start out they get to experience more of what the game has to offer instead of being forced to grind for it. And more importantly, players can play with their friends, no matter what level they are.
Especially, after playing for two weeks, you find out you have some friends playing on a different server. And then you get to repeat this painful process all over again.
The 1-(max-10) grind is the same in every damn game. All of the "fun" stuff advertised on the box is locked out until you hit those last 10 levels, or sometimes only for max level. And if you pick up the game after launch, this part of the grind is an empty wasteland completely devoid of life and utterly depressing.
Many people started with WoW as their game. They did the 1-max grind already, probably on a few characters. They join another game and their first impression is, "Hey, this is like the boring part of WoW. Not fun at all."
Games need to narrow the huge power gape in RPGs. Give a starting character 10,000 hp and a veteran (as in, max level) character 15,000. There's plenty of room for advancement along the way (potentially limitless leveling). Let starting characters participate in end-game content, only more of them will be required. This way when people start out they get to experience more of what the game has to offer instead of being forced to grind for it. And more importantly, players can play with their friends, no matter what level they are.
He touches on a solid issue, we need more variety in our MMO's. Hence why I like Battlefield Heroes so huggy buggy much.
QFT. As long as it isn't copyrighted, they can.The_root_of_all_evil said:
Saying that...
I don't play WoW, or LotRO and many others for the insane boredom that sets in that at the end of the day, it's the same mechanic. Dull, dull, dull.