Comments on: The Muddle of Middle Levels http://www.mmognation.com/2008/02/11/the-muddle-of-middle-levels/ Wed, 25 May 2011 02:52:43 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Tinman_au http://www.mmognation.com/2008/02/11/the-muddle-of-middle-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-23053 Tinman_au Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:56:42 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/2008/02/11/the-muddle-of-middle-levels/#comment-23053 I'm a middle-level-lover as well, it's the "end game" I feel is the "bait and switch". One minute your rockin' along running quests, killing things, having fun...."growing" your character. Next your looking around thinking "Hmmm....where'd all the quests go? Where/which way can I grow my toon now?". Raiding? That isn't the same gameplay that I've been playing for the last 50/60/70 levels. PvP? Same deal....nice diversion, but if I wanted 24/7 PvP I'd have stuck with EVE or play Shadowbane. That's the biggest issue I have with current MMO's, the game changes "end game" and you get offered alternative gameplay. It's a real shame "Everquest" didn't live up to it's name, I'd probably still be playing that if it really was ever questing... I’m a middle-level-lover as well, it’s the “end game” I feel is the “bait and switch”.

One minute your rockin’ along running quests, killing things, having fun….”growing” your character.

Next your looking around thinking “Hmmm….where’d all the quests go? Where/which way can I grow my toon now?”. Raiding? That isn’t the same gameplay that I’ve been playing for the last 50/60/70 levels. PvP? Same deal….nice diversion, but if I wanted 24/7 PvP I’d have stuck with EVE or play Shadowbane.

That’s the biggest issue I have with current MMO’s, the game changes “end game” and you get offered alternative gameplay.

It’s a real shame “Everquest” didn’t live up to it’s name, I’d probably still be playing that if it really was ever questing…

]]> By: Scott http://www.mmognation.com/2008/02/11/the-muddle-of-middle-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-23034 Scott Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:13:15 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/2008/02/11/the-muddle-of-middle-levels/#comment-23034 I agree, oh do I agree! I love the journey much more than the destination in MMO's -- at least the first time. I took nearly a year to cap my first WoW character, mainly because I started getting nervous that the game would be "over" once I arrived. Obviously I was mistaken, there's plenty of dungeon and raid content. But the journey was so great that first time, all the exploration, finding new areas. I especially loved the contested areas where you actually got to meet characters of the opposite faction doing their thing too rather than raiding your noob village. WoW did a pretty good job of showing you what the class could do every ten levels. 1-19 showed you how to play the game then when you ding 20 you get your first "major" set of abilities that makes the light bulb go off in your head "aha! So that's the direction this class is going..." And again at each ten level mark. But while some players may have felt WoW played a "bait and switch" at end-game compared to the leveling process, Blizzard never made bones about the fact their game is all about the gear, is all about the raids. It's all about the destination. Their utter refusal to revamp old content says much in that regards. I feel less that their attention to Dustwallow Marsh is a change in attitude than it is simply adding content that has been sparse since launch along with the xp boost to get you to the destination quicker. And that is unfortunate. I agree, oh do I agree! I love the journey much more than the destination in MMO’s — at least the first time. I took nearly a year to cap my first WoW character, mainly because I started getting nervous that the game would be “over” once I arrived. Obviously I was mistaken, there’s plenty of dungeon and raid content. But the journey was so great that first time, all the exploration, finding new areas. I especially loved the contested areas where you actually got to meet characters of the opposite faction doing their thing too rather than raiding your noob village. WoW did a pretty good job of showing you what the class could do every ten levels. 1-19 showed you how to play the game then when you ding 20 you get your first “major” set of abilities that makes the light bulb go off in your head “aha! So that’s the direction this class is going…” And again at each ten level mark.

But while some players may have felt WoW played a “bait and switch” at end-game compared to the leveling process, Blizzard never made bones about the fact their game is all about the gear, is all about the raids. It’s all about the destination. Their utter refusal to revamp old content says much in that regards. I feel less that their attention to Dustwallow Marsh is a change in attitude than it is simply adding content that has been sparse since launch along with the xp boost to get you to the destination quicker. And that is unfortunate.

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