What are social systems? To me they are the various tools used to create a thriving community. This could range from the chatbox itself to the crafting system and economy set up of the game. Though there is another part of this system that I feel most newer MMORPGs have ignored these social systems to instead further the leveling and combat systems.
The problem with this, is simply put, that all new MMORPGs have proven that they can make a great combat engine. So why not take a simple design for combat that has been either done before or reworked, such as in Age of Conan, and then create a new bar for the various social systems.
This is generally my focus in MMORPGs since they recieve the least amount of attention in order to draw the lowest common denomenator to recieve the highest subscription numbers. The problem with this mentality is that a "small" subscription base of say 200,000 people at $15/month is still an extremely large amount of income every month for any company. Sure, a company would love to be the blockbuster hit World of Warcraft is with their 10 million subscriber base, but that doesn't mean they got it all right. It just means they got their game in as simple terms as the general populace could understand.
Whatever the end result, I'll always give a game a chance to show its true colors before shelving it.
~Xi
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Hmm 10 million * $15 /month is definitely a good supply of regular income WoW is churning in...
ReplyDeleteBut going with the social theme it seems a lot of online games are focusing on their strengths rather than trying to do it all. As an example WoW and PvE, WAR and PvP, and Second Life for socializing. I'd guess the best reason for this is that its much easier to please a specific audience than to try and please everyone equally.
Conflict is the basis of society. If you didn't have people trying to kill bigger animals or other people, there wouldn't be much of a reason to band together. We might cooperate, but there would be no teams; the word "versus" would not exist.
ReplyDeleteAs such, you could argue that a good combat system doubles as a good social system. One guy sells you a lovingly crafted blade of withering sharpness and perfection, and another guy helps you kill a megacoelacanth with it. Who do you grow more affectionate of?