[MUD-Dev] When will new MMORPGs that are coming outget originalwith the gameplay?

[David Kennerly]

I'm having a hard time understanding the theme of realism you're weaving.

Martin Bassie wrote:

> Lineage has a large following for a very simple reason. If I
> remember this correctly, it really was the first "real" MMORPGs in
> its own demographic (and non-English, non-American) segment.

I dislike these false facts being propagated.  I don't mean to pick
on you; I'm guessing you heard it from someone else.

The Kingdom of the Winds (1996) predates Lineage, which is set in
ancient Korea.  Last I heard, The Kingdom of the Winds is still the
second most popular in Korea, with peaks around 100,000 concurrent
players.  This arguably makes it the third largest MMORPG in the
world: Lineage, EverQuest, then The Kingdom of the Winds.

> Granted, [Lineage]'s only got isometric graphics, and yeah, it
> doesn't go far in the "realism" department - for us.

Maybe you could help me understand by mentioning a few features
side-by-side that make Lineage less realistic than a popular game in
the US (if that that's what you mean by "for us").  When I think of
realism, none of the popular MMOs come to mind, except the housing
market in Ultima Online.  :)

I'm failing to understand what you mean by realism when camera angle
(or lack thereof) detracts from the realism of a game.  I think
first-person view is can be pretty, and I think many US players
demand this camera angle.  But I don't see how camera angle makes an
RPG more realistic.  Isn't a keyboard/mouse/monitor interface too
abstract for camera angle to matter?  The RPGs in question are not
driving games, piloting games, dancing games, or even fighting
games.

It reminds me.  Years ago, I was discussing camera angle with
Sangwon Chung, the president of Nexon Corporation.  He said that the
isometric view is important, because it allows you to see your
character.  Without being able to see your character, you cannot see
your social status, since in all the popular MMOs, a lot of social
status can be recognized by the character's appearance.  I don't
think he still believes isometric per se is important, but I got the
psychological principle at work.

I digressed, but I'm still trying to see what you mean by realism.
I think that immersion helps engage the player, but many times
realism is broken to increase immersion.  Tricky techniques to
immerse the audience are done all the time in theater, movies, and
radio plays. And more and more similar tricks are appearing in
games.  The animation, modeling, lighting, sound design, and physics
of popular games is often unrealistic.  Sports games and driving
games are going for realism, but only the kind that makes the player
feel like he's a superstar.

And if what you mean does not match this opinion of "realism," (even
if you mean ONLY 3D engines with higher polygon counts) that's cool,
too.

David
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