My unpopular opinions on modern mmo

Unpopular opinion: I dislike levels, and it's not for the act of going through the hoops of actually leveling.

I'd still want to do every quest and unlock my abilities over time, I just dislike levels as a measure of progress because of how removed from the world they are. The concept of exp and levels is so meta and purely for the benefit of visualizing player progress and gating content (which can usually be accomplished other ways); levels don't actually "exist" for characters... we train (learn abilities) and acquire equipment upgrades, but the power that something like "levels" provides just makes the problems of NPCs feel fake and insignificant once you get high enough. I'm supposed to believe these level 15 bandits are a real threat to the town but it takes me 20 seconds to clear their entire camp - it's so easy it's insulting that the player isn't always helping with everything . (I can hear Fray's teeth grinding at that, but I'll rest when I'm dead - negligence feels like an act of violence when you're this disproportionately powerful).

I know a more immersive world design would probably never work for an MMO today, players tend to favor the convenience of skipping mobs and the catharsis of tearing through older content, and I know I don't want to struggle through level 12 vultures just to pick some herbs any more than the next person, but it's still something that nags at me if I think too much about how fake/boring the player's strength is.

I'm just glad FATEs and dungeons tend to recognize this and scale us down to curb the power creep, so some of the world still feels as relevant as it's meant to be.

A more popular opinion: I wish there was more emphasis on communities.
So many MMOs have gravitated toward the convenience of automatic matchmaking, which is great for the solo player in a hurry, but it's kinda become a standard. I'd like to see more emphasis and encouragement for players to join more structured communities like FCs. "Alone together" is kinda what it feels like in a system like DF. Maybe some improvements to recruitment tools for FCs? I donno.

For me it's how relics in this game are so.....underwhelming. The glow is nice but besides that they don't feel like an item of legend, or that they pertain to the job they are associated with besides the name (and let's be real i wonder how many times they can steal names from FFXI before they actually start having to come up with original ones).

I wish relics told some story or lore about the world we inhabit, or had some awsome mythos about its creation even if the weapon itself is more of a legend and the story has inconsistencies with it. As for the power of the relic itself i wish they ACTUALLY had interesting effects, i know they don't want to because *balance* but with how relics are always behind raid weapons in ilevel until the last patch i think they could get away it.

If they really felt that the effect would be too strong, why not just have it you a disclaimer in savage/ultimate fights? "The light/power of your relic is being suppressed!". Make it so in fights that have no echo they are just another ilevel weapon, but outside in the world and content that doesn't really matter they can be used as the weapon of legend they are meant to be.

Generally i just don't feel like a badass when i have a relic...i just feel like my character went through the trouble to just get another glowbat that they probably didn't need it in a sea of glowbats, and the final stage for most for eureka relics in my opinion was....not good looking, at least for me it wasn't enough to warrant the effort.

You know what happens when a game rewards only the privleged few? Only the privleged few play it. In all the MMO I've played, titles are milestone markers, not something only the elite get. They get different titles based on the content and playtime they put in, same as everyone else. Same with vanity pets.

I would, however love a toggle that turns off pets automatically for large scale world map battles, or for a rule that makes you dismiss them before entering said battle.

I kind of agree on the FC name stuff but part of me cringes at the application and color combinations. Its not horrible how it is now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lukeal

For me it's how relics in this game are so.....underwhelming. The glow is nice but besides that they don't feel like an item of legend, or that they pertain to the job they are associated with besides the name (and let's be real i wonder how many times they can steal names from FFXI before they actually start having to come up with original ones).

I wish relics told some story or lore about the world we inhabit, or had some awsome mythos about its creation even if the weapon itself is more of a legend and the story has inconsistencies with it. As for the power of the relic itself i wish they ACTUALLY had interesting effects, i know they don't want to because *balance* but with how relics are always behind raid weapons in ilevel until the last patch i think they could get away it.

If they really felt that the effect would be too strong, why not just have it you a disclaimer in savage/ultimate fights? "The light/power of your relic is being suppressed!". Make it so in fights that have no echo they are just another ilevel weapon, but outside in the world and content that doesn't really matter they can be used as the weapon of legend they are meant to be.

Generally i just don't feel like a badass when i have a relic...i just feel like my character went through the trouble to just get another glowbat that they probably didn't need it in a sea of glowbats, and the final stage for most for eureka relics in my opinion was....not good looking, at least for me it wasn't enough to warrant the effort.

---

The names aren't xi originals either FYI. They tend to be mythological or historical weapon names.

Yes my post is mainly on the redundancy of the title and pet system, or how it had came to be. Of course they are unpopular opinions as I mentioned and I am aware cos this was not the first time I discussed about this both online and with friends.

MMO did not have pets in the past but now all mmo has them. There was no reason why they exist other than unexplained cosmetic purpose. The real reason why every mmo now has it is because it sells well on item store. You can expect every mmo now and here on to have the standard costume, mounts and pets system, trinity of item store. Every modern mmo world is a Golden Compass, with every players having pet/familiars floating around them.
In Destiny 2, Ghosts have a purpose other than just floating around a player. They serve an actual purpose of interface access. It makes sense to have every guardian owning one.

Same thing with titles. Every (most) mmo now has a title system where everyone has a name, clan, title system. Of course players are free to keep their nametags clean via settings. Personally I feel instead of having common/rare titles, make having a title a rare thing. There was an mmo I played long ago that bestow a crown on the player which everyone can see when he walks around. I cannot remember how to achieve it (probably via pvp) but it was rare and stood out pretty darn well in the town.

On the topic of cash grabs, I have an unpopular opinion as well.

I do not have a problem with games selling things like inventory, exp boost etc. Some people simply do not have time to invest in farming and inventory management.
If simply by paying cash makes a player stronger, the problem is in the game design.
Same thing for farming. If farming and grinding makes a player stronger, probably its the game design too.

Quote:

---

There was an mmo I played long ago that bestow a crown on the player which everyone can see when he walks around

---

GW2 has a system like this. You can pay in-game currency to get a somewhat customizable commander tag. When you toggie it on, itll display in game and on everyones maps, its visible from a good distance away, and you can interact with it on the map to join that players squadron (a 40 person raid group) for PvP or open-world farming.

It generally means that any place you see one, someone is leading something.

We do not need more discrimination in FF14. Having titles be rare only means that there will be title segregation. The 1% will have their titles, while the 99% will not. This will only lead to title discrimination and erode the midcore player base. What you're proposing is a world where 1% of players have 99% of the titles. What I propose is true title equality - where every man and woman can use whatever title they desire. This is the only egalitarian outcome.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Barraind

GW2 has a system like this. You can pay in-game currency to get a somewhat customizable commander tag. When you toggie it on, itll display in game and on everyones maps, its visible from a good distance away, and you can interact with it on the map to join that players squadron (a 40 person raid group) for PvP or open-world farming.

It generally means that any place you see one, someone is leading something.

---

It wasn't GW2 I was refering to though as the crown was earned as a trophy, not bought. I think it might be Granado Espada or Silk Road Online?
I recall the crown was not permanent, as it was bestowed to a new player every rotation.

Any case the commander tag in GW2 was not a trophy but serves a practical purpose for people to rally in wvw. It was meant to be really expensive at the beginning so that pvp clans can pool gold to get the tag for a member to lead.
Areananet might have underestimated players ability to earn gold. Many ended up buying it like a prestige item and wear it in wvw to confuse zergs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TitanMen

We do not need more discrimination in FF14. Having titles be rare only means that there will be title segregation. The 1% will have their titles, while the 99% will not. This will only lead to title discrimination and erode the midcore player base. What you're proposing is a world where 1% of players have 99% of the titles. What I propose is true title equality - where every man and woman can use whatever title they desire. This is the only egalitarian outcome.

---

Can we ask that GM's remove your ability to use titles so you can be the 1%.