I guess I'm always an odd ball when it comes to RPG tastes. I dislike open worlds (except in MMOs, but in the solo part of MMOs, I hate open worlds too), I loathe exploring for the sake of exploring, and I absolutely hate the very notion of sidequest (and if the sidequests are so awesome, why aren't they in the main story in that case?).
I also never replay any game or RPG with choices differently. I always tend to do every time the same choices, the same customization, the same things (which is why I love the 100% jRPG linear models of old). I know it sounds weird, but I always choose what seems to fit the best for me. Added to an obsessional completionist drive, I always end up following the exact same path. So, what makes me replay things? The story and the universe, every time, and the gameplay has to be not too shabby either. So, generally I don't mind going through the same story again, provided the story is great. Though I bet after the 3rd or 4th time, especially in short succession, no matter the story, I would be bored and unwilling to cope with it once again.
But my point is that, coming from that perspective and speaking about it with most players, I tend to notice I'm not interested in the same things. I can totally understand why some players would want to jump to the end of something they would consider like a very tedious grind, and get directly to the meat of things (to their eyes). I'm pretty sure less of them would care that much if the story was even greater, with huge cutscenes and awesome hooks, and no boring parts, but you would still get many people just not interested, period. When you kick up a solo RPG and play, you can do it for two things: either the gameplay and the progression/leveling, or either the story. Or both (which is the ideal state of things). But I know a lot of players that do it more for one than the other (and it's not binary either). So, when you start up a MMO, you can actually do it for many things (depending on the content offered). Leveling, RPing, just following the story and cutting the sub afterwards, end-game pve, pvp, crafting, trading, I don't know... Or a combination of things. It can be many things. Hell, some people don't even play MMOs for the multiplayer side of them, however sad that is. Why would you force them through the story, no matter how great to your eyes it is?
And I think the problem with most people here is that they seem to assume that their own preferences apply to everyone else, or that the story has to somehow be the alpha and omega of everything for everyone.
Hint: it's not.
I also never replay any game or RPG with choices differently. I always tend to do every time the same choices, the same customization, the same things (which is why I love the 100% jRPG linear models of old). I know it sounds weird, but I always choose what seems to fit the best for me. Added to an obsessional completionist drive, I always end up following the exact same path. So, what makes me replay things? The story and the universe, every time, and the gameplay has to be not too shabby either. So, generally I don't mind going through the same story again, provided the story is great. Though I bet after the 3rd or 4th time, especially in short succession, no matter the story, I would be bored and unwilling to cope with it once again.
But my point is that, coming from that perspective and speaking about it with most players, I tend to notice I'm not interested in the same things. I can totally understand why some players would want to jump to the end of something they would consider like a very tedious grind, and get directly to the meat of things (to their eyes). I'm pretty sure less of them would care that much if the story was even greater, with huge cutscenes and awesome hooks, and no boring parts, but you would still get many people just not interested, period. When you kick up a solo RPG and play, you can do it for two things: either the gameplay and the progression/leveling, or either the story. Or both (which is the ideal state of things). But I know a lot of players that do it more for one than the other (and it's not binary either). So, when you start up a MMO, you can actually do it for many things (depending on the content offered). Leveling, RPing, just following the story and cutting the sub afterwards, end-game pve, pvp, crafting, trading, I don't know... Or a combination of things. It can be many things. Hell, some people don't even play MMOs for the multiplayer side of them, however sad that is. Why would you force them through the story, no matter how great to your eyes it is?
And I think the problem with most people here is that they seem to assume that their own preferences apply to everyone else, or that the story has to somehow be the alpha and omega of everything for everyone.
Hint: it's not.
Balmung:Â Suen Shyu
