Hardcore MMORPG's would be a massive failure if it was released in today's MMORPG era

[Codek]

Honestly SE, I'm not asking for much!

just an MMO that gives me 500+ hours of game time and doesn't repeat content.

It can be grindy, just plz god no repeatable quests or farm mobs. Keep it engaging!

-Thank you!

[TeaTimeBear]

Dark Souls isn't an MMO.

All the more reason to mention it. It was kept alive with nothing added to it for a long time. And it's still going strong.

[Gramul]

easy to say, hard to implement. most people can only soak up the environment for so long before it becomes a grind that feels like a second job.

We have instant teleporting, instant airship travel, sprinting, and a variety of mounts. I don't think that has to be a problem any more than it is.
Anyone remember that quiet meadow in the south end of Konschtat highlands? Inbetween the craigs to get to Noth Gustaburg, there was this little meadow. It didn't serve much purpuse other than to be a small quiet spot. It was things like this that helped keep the game feel like a world.

As an aside, I find it funny when people say "feels like a second job". My job is to test videogames. That's what I get paid to do.
Do you know what the difference between work and play is besides payment? How much you feel obliged.

[Skyhound]

A) Dark Souls is no different in difficulty than XIV. It's all about pattern recognition, dodging, and insta-kill mechanics.

B) EVE Online is a hardcore MMO with Horizontal progression. Though I find it hilarious because I know that the people who say that FFXIV isn't hardcore enough would not survive 5 minutes in EVE's environment.

[Jynx]

"feels like a second job"

My friend these are the common words of someone who plays games the wrong way.

They are considered as less of a leisure activity and more of a task to be completed, the longer they have to spend doing this activity the less fun they have with it. Some people seem uncapable of becoming immersed in a massive world or drenching themselves into the deep lore for no other reason than it's a enjoyable escape from the hussle and bussle of their life where they have deadlines on everything they do.

People let their real life ideals bleed into the game, therefor anything that requires attention or effort becomes an overwhelming ordeal that must be avoided at all costs.

The days of walking to your destination across treacharous terrain, or forging out into the open world to explore and see sights and face chalenges others may never see seem like things of a bygon erra now...it's sad really.

[Doo]

A) Dark Souls is no different in difficulty than XIV. It's all about pattern recognition, dodging, and insta-kill mechanics.

FFXIV is probably more difficult end game because you have to deal with 7 others.

[SendohJin]

Anyone remember that quiet meadow in the south end of Konschtat highlands? Inbetween the craigs to get to Noth Gustaburg, there was this little meadow. It didn't serve much purpuse other than to be a small quiet spot. It was things like this that helped keep the game feel like a world.

not sure what the point of this is, there are areas like that in FFXIV.

As an aside, I find it funny when people say "feels like a second job". My job is to test videogames. That's what I get paid to do.
Do you know what the difference between work and play is besides payment? How much you feel obliged.

there are lots of people who once they spent the money, they feel obliged to spend time. it's why most people don't walk out of crappy movies.

[TheUltimate3]

The days of walking to your destination across treacharous terrain, or forging out into the open world to explore and see sights and face chalenges others may never see seem like things of a bygon erra now...it's sad really.

And that is what makes the recent resurgence of sandbox mmos so interesting. Will we go back to the old days or will something new come from it?

Who the hell knows. But it is different and it is exciting.

[Stanelis]

OP rant

1/ Horizontal progression has nothing to do with a game being hardcore or not (horizontal progression means that no content becomes irrelevant).
2/ Hardcore MMORPG can be successful (Eve online player base is increasing).
3/ FFXIV isn't a true RPG (as you make no choice at all) but an action RPG.
4/ Action RPG and RPG are two differents types of games and both are ok. But obviously people who where expecting the former are disappointed.
5/ Wow peaked at 7.8 millions players before turning to action RPG in the 3.0 patch during burning crusade.

[Khavir]

If a game is good. then it well do well. Didn't Darksouls already prove it?

Dark Souls is an entirely different beast than an MMO. You can't compare genre's within gaming because there are entirely different rules and standards between them all.

However, Dark Souls is a casual game. Is it difficult? Yes. It's exceptionally difficult and it's still very much a casual game because you can jump in and jump out. You can beat it in no time at all really. The way that MMOs were designed as time sink after time sink after time sink would bomb. Because for all that people complain about casual meaning easy and hardcore meaning difficult what it comes down to is if you can put more time into horizontal progression you'll be better not because of skill but because you have more free time. Dark Souls gets this and doesn't do that, that is why it's successful difficulty is the challenge not poorly designed time sinks.