MMO on Rails

[Antipika]

Or... FFXIV targets a different segment of the market: Those who can figure out things on their own and do not need constant guidance.

A market that doesn't exist and would make this game fail again. You want a FF XI-2? Where quests were just telling you "go find [thing]" without any detail at all?

Nor can they read the forums/guides (or feel they should not need to).

Sure there is a big difference playing with a wiki open and having direction in-game. The advantage of in-game directions over wiki is that at least you are not spoiled since you don't see what's coming up next. And that's impossible to avoid with a wiki. You will at least see how long the page is, so have an idea how far you are in a quest.

[Asiaine]

A market that doesn't exist and would make this game fail again. You want a FF XI-2? Where quests were just telling you "go find [thing]" without any detail at all?

Are you sure the market does not exist? Can you point me to market research that confirms this as I would be interested in such studies.

Also are you sure it has to be an all-or-nothing approach? There is no room for happy medium? (To be honest, I thought the present map-marker was plenty but then I am surprised at the huge quantity of people who still struggler with that. Have yet to be in a 'help-someone-get-AF/quest/etc-done' party without at least one person not finishing the pre-reqs).

But as I have stated. The world is now full of people who have learning difficulties and attention span disorders and need as much help as possible to get to the point where they make big explosions occur (as that is all they are primarily after).

(Imagine if the community here had to play a text adventure game without a guide.......).

[Antipika]

Hurr durr asking for market studies. Look around for products that are being released, how do they work, why do companies choose to make them run like that? Hell even PSO2 is now giving direction on where to find the NPC you need to find, despite the world being really small...

It's not an all or nothing approach, it's an ALL approach, and then if you don't want to follow directions, disable the feature, done.

The right way of doing thing is always to give more possibilities to players, while providing a way to disable features that some of the audience do not want to use. That way you make more players happy.

[Asiaine]

Hurr durr

I do not know what this means ; ;

It's not an all or nothing approach, it's an ALL approach, and then if you don't want to follow directions, disable the feature, done.

The right way of doing thing is always to give more possibilities to players, while providing a way to disable features that some of the audience do not want to use. That way you make more players happy.

If all you are referring to is directions on where to go next, then that is fine. But that is already here, so I am unsure what exactly you mean? Or do you mean more help on getting to a destination, then being shown where it is on a fully-filled-out-map that you can access whenever you want?

(One suggestion was that you click on a button and you are instantly teleported there. Is this the sort of help you mean?). Sometimes the route to a place can be tricky (trying to get around scarry mobs). Do you mean a marker should be shown which tells you the 'easy' route, then tells you when its safe to sneak behind a monster? Just how much 'help' is needed?

Some people find travelling to the NPC, or trying ot find a route too hard and would rather it be done for them. Others like the challenge. But the value of the challenge is diminished when it is entirely self-imposed. For example:

Adventurer1: I spent 3 hours travelling through Coerthas and Mor Dhona but I finally made it to the NPC and delivered my item!
Adventurer2: I clicked the button and was instantly sent there, and delivered the item.
Adventurer1: >.<
Adventurer2: Noob.


But back on topic, and like I said before, it seems less and less people want a 'challenge' in their games (I can understand that), and they do not wish a challenge here. Therefore all sorts of help must be given to them for the simplest tasks or they will be sad and leave ; ;

This game already had little challenge in it... if we continue the way of hand-holding there will be naught left for those who wish to use their brain.

[Gramul]

You want a FF XI-2? Where quests were just telling you "go find [thing]" without any detail at all?



Sure there is a big difference playing with a wiki open and having direction in-game. The advantage of in-game directions over wiki is that at least you are not spoiled since you don't see what's coming up next. And that's impossible to avoid with a wiki. You will at least see how long the page is, so have an idea how far you are in a quest.

I'd like a game like that. I enjoy figuring out those kind of things.

I only use the Wiki for things like gear stats, material locations, and prerequisite knowledge anyway.

And I actually can provide an example of an audience for that kind of game. The Legend of Grimrock is a classic style dungeon crawler RPG with a mapless mode where you have to draw out your own map on grid paper, and the game itself is filled with all sorts of puzzles and secrets without any menus telling you where to go or what to do next. The game has sold very well on Steam and is one of my most recommended indie titles.

[SuzakuCMX]

I'd like a game like that. I enjoy figuring out those kind of things.

I only use the Wiki for things like.. material locations, and prerequisite knowledge anyway.

ಠ_ಠ what

And I actually can provide an example of an audience for that kind of game. The Legend of Grimlock is a classic style dungeon crawler RPG with a mapless mode where you have to draw out your own map on grid paper, and the game itself is filled with all sorts of puzzles and secrets without any menus telling you where to go or what to do next. The game has sold very well on Steam and is one of my most recommended indie titles.

It's Grimrock.

Also I cannot tell you how pissed I would be if I had to run around the goddamn Black Shroud looking for Nine Ivies/Treespeak/Hyrstmill and ran into Twin Leaves or Sorrel Haven because I didn't have a map telling me where the hell I'm supposed to go. Most people would likely just get friends who explored to teleport them to all the aethergates anyways.

[Gramul]

ಠ_ಠ what



It's Grimrock.

Also I cannot tell you how pissed I would be if I had to run around the goddamn Black Shroud looking for Nine Ivies/Treespeak/Hyrstmill and ran into Twin Leaves or Sorrel Haven because I didn't have a map telling me where the hell I'm supposed to go. Most people would likely just get friends who explored to teleport them to all the aethergates anyways.

Thanks for the correction on the typo.

And personally, I'd be fine with no map if the terain wasn't the same bloby cluttered mess. I can get around in real life without maps just fine based on landmarks and buildings.
With Grimrock and early games, there's at least a grid system for the samey walls and corodors you can track.

Games like the Original Legend of Zelda, Y's, and Metroid 1 where a blast for me.