MMORPG Leveling -- A visual timeline. Predictions?

[Raymeo]

The leveling experience in Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games

A Visual Timeline

1999: Leave town in a party of multiple players, and venture into an open world to grind mobs, free to set your own pace.
2004: Leave town alone, and venture into an open world to grind quests, free to set your own pace.
2009: Don't ever leave town, line up in a queue to enter a linear closed off instance with multiple players, pace is bottlenecked by controlled daily/weekly experience bonuses.
2014: ???

It's now 2014 -- time for us to settle into the next five year chunk. As we prepare for the new leveling standard that will usher us through the next half decade, what are your predictions about what we will end up with?

According to the trends above, we should expect to be left with "zero colors" for the new generation. On the other hand, last year showed some interesting hints of developers experimenting with open world, multiplayer grinding: a new "color combination", with FFXIV's FATEs being the most familiar example to those reading this.

So what do you think -- will the trend of the past 15 years continue, or will we finally start seeing the pendulum swing back toward the true definition of an MMORPG experience?

[iRanOverYourMom]

whatever helps get me my allagan weapon more quicker

[Stormblossom]

"True Definition" huh? As someone who has played online games since before they were graphical I have to say that I'm quite pleased with the move toward open world exploration that happened with later MMOs. I'm ok with the stuff you absolutely need a group for being limited to small regions. That being said, EQNext has already announced that they plan to have no levels at all in their game, so I suspect we'll have to see what that looks like before we can guess if it will become a trend or not.

[synaesthetic]

Accessibility has been the name of the game since 2009, and that hasn't really changed.

Don't get your hopes up for themepark MMOs becoming more like sandbox MMOs. If you want that kind of gameplay, go play a sandbox MMO. They do exist, you know.

[NoloeTazier]

More than likely developers will have to create phone APPs so people can sit in the classroom/work place/bathroom and level up their characters by connecting 3 like colorful objects in a row this way no one will be left behind cause they can play on their computer/console at home or phone on the go. Then again who has time to sit infront of a computer and play a game anymore between school, work, karate, banjo lessons, soccer, mcdonalds drive-thru, ignoring your spouse, ignoring your kids, re-runs of Top Gear..etc.

[Millimidget]

Solo grinding has been around as long as the genre.

Also, it's ironic that open world activity is inversely proportional to the incidence of pk. An untold world of QQ never would have taken place if you could easily disregard the open world in classic MMOs as you can in current MMOs.

[mindful]

Since now most of that generations player base from the old times, are now in the late 30's and 40's and some them working as heads at game companies I would say. Phantasy star online dungeons,borderlands weapons style,Real time battles, Full open worlds,User content added,One character does it all with many jobs,multiple choices to level,No rails it will be all community generated, developer just put there idea out there and watch it grow and keep eye on it somewhat so it stays on there vision, one true voice chat program, tv's will have the power to run the games build in at 70 inch paper thin(nano and fiber tv),cellphones be the controller and option to play the game,entire world will fiber optic, Data centers that run at nano fiber speeds,

[Caraway]

Accessibility has been the name of the game since 2009, and that hasn't really changed.

Don't get your hopes up for themepark MMOs becoming more like sandbox MMOs. If you want that kind of gameplay, go play a sandbox MMO. They do exist, you know.

Too much 'accessibility' can be a bad thing. MMO developers want to keep people paying so they want to keep people playing. Making too much available too easily kills revenue so time sinks are necessary.

And I'm not familiar with any true modern sandbox MMORPGs out there. Even ESO looks like it's going to end up being pretty theme-parky from what I've experienced in the betas.

EQNext will certainly be more open and encouraging of a sandbox style game but that's not due for at least another year. Additionally there is Brad McQuaid's Pantheon that is on Kickstarter now but that won't be likely to even hit alpha until 2015 either.

[mindful]

Too much 'accessibility' can be a bad thing. MMO developers want to keep people paying so they want to keep people playing. Making too much available too easily kills revenue so time sinks are necessary.

And I'm not familiar with any true modern sandbox MMORPGs out there. Even ESO looks like it's going to end up being pretty theme-parky from what I've experienced in the betas.

EQNext will certainly be more open and encouraging of a sandbox style game but that's not due for at least another year. Additionally there is Brad McQuaid's Pantheon that is on Kickstarter now but that won't be likely to even hit alpha until 2015 either.

EVE is the only true sandbox game so far.

[Aegis]

" That being said, EQNext has already announced that they plan to have no levels at all in their game, so I suspect we'll have to see what that looks like before we can guess if it will become a trend or not.

2003 called. It wants its mechanics back.

EVE is the only true sandbox game so far.

SWG was sandbox.