Originally posted by Malicus
I\'m probably in the extreme minority here, and I\'ll probably get chased out with pitchforks and torches, but I\'m the sort who plays MMORPGs to gain levels and skills and such, sure, but I understand rather well what RP is. I just usually choose to avoid RP in MMORPGs, though I try to avoid disrupting it if I see it going on. Granted, most MMORPGs don\'t exactly have environments that encourage RP, though... I suppose it\'s just unfair to label all of those who are there simply for the mechanics of the game as ignorant of RP...
Actually what should get you run out with a pitchfork is admitting that you aren\'t ignorant of RP and are simply in it for the mechanics of the game. Hey! Where\'s the \"the game is for RP and if you aren\'t one get out\" response?? Oh well, probably further on. You should see the pitchfork holes in my rear! Actually avoiding RP in this game so far has been rather easy. I rarely see it going on, and then usually only by newbies. I\'m attributing that to the Wipe that seems to have been pending since the CB upgrade. We\'ll see what happens after it. I don\'t think of people standing around the Plaza near the GM\'s ignoring the Newbies as they pop into the game and griping about the duels that happen almost nonstop on the Plaza as Role Playing. Then again, I won\'t say it\'s totally nonexistent. If you look in the Guild and Role Playing sections of these forums, they\'re quite active. That\'s not in the game though is it? It\'ll be interesting to see if the Role Players of this RPG MMORPG actually come out after the Wipe, or if they\'re once again only seen in the forums.
The nature of the capabilities and limitations of MMORPGs up to this point have limited RPG play so far IMHO. The advantage that non-computer Role Playing and MUD\'s have over MMORPGs is that the lack of graphics and sophisticated AI\'s force the interaction of human imagination and creativity. Until the technology of MMORPGs reaches the point that allows something to equal this, all P2P MMORPGs eventually dumb down to PL\'ing by most players.
Having said that, this NON-P2P has the best chance of turning into a more MUD-like MMORPG than any P2P, IMHO. Eventually it will reach the point where the Devs bring it out of testing. Since it\'s not ever going P2P, the drive to add content geared solely at adding and/or keeping customers won\'t be the be all and end all of content creation that it is in P2P\'s. Nor will they have to fear losing their \"customer\" base because they decide that something isn\'t working with their goal and they make a massive change to the game to come closer to achieving it.
Elaborate RPG actually does occur in the P2P MMORPGs, and usually done by and creates the most loyal customers. But the appeal of a growing first time user base that at least stays long enough to PL to the limit of the game has driven most of them to add \"expansions\" as fast as possible to access the most profit possible. The tide seems to be turning back with the addition and expansion of quest systems, housing and crafting. We\'ll see. In P2P\'s profit is the bottom line. PS could add all of this and still see the same thing the P2P\'s see; PL\'ers massively outnumber RPG\'ers. It may depend more on the RPG community\'s ability to create content that encourages more newbies to RP than PL. It may take some form of GM that\'s really a Game Master instead of a Rules Moderator. It may be beyond the limitations and nature of MMORPGs at present. At least with PS, there is a very capable testing ground for all theories.
/me Drinks an Ale and rubs his aching head
