Quote Originally Posted by Hyrist View Post
Actually, you're wrong, dead wrong.

Endgame is the focus of MMOs. It is the eventuality that everyone will level, they will be at max level. And if you do not have the proper sustinence to maintain players after you beat the game and your primary story is over, then you lose those players.

The way you would make the game in contrast would be SWTOR, and we've already witnessed the fruits of that approach. The lack of endgame murdered the base there. The story was great, the journey on the way up was properly paced and diverse, but the endgame was completely lacking.

You build an alternate EXP system that is built to simulate an endgame environment, and what you have is an engaging gameplay throughout, that accustoms the player to the pacing that will take over once the story is over. You feel familiar instead of feeling alienated by those of the 'hardcore' that rushed the level system, and you enjoy your course up.

You can have an interesting story and good feeling grind up, but ultimately it will be endgame and endgame goals that will sustain or lose you depending on how well it is designed. Creating content that prepares you for it is also creating content that will help make the journey up more fulfilling and enjoyable - without making content that ultimately lies dead and forgotten once the leveling scales tip towards the level cap - which is an eventuality.
Ya, look how every other mmo is turning out. BAD.

I played ffxi for 9 years and hardly did any end game.