One of the things I have come to realize is that when looking into a new MMO, I tend to be biased. I think we all do. Depending on how we feel about our ‘go to’ mmo, the reviews of other mmo’s tend to fluctuate between ‘this is garbage’ and ‘best game EVA!’ It is to be expected that if we really enjoy EVE Online or World of Warcraft, that we want the next mmo we try to contain some fragment of the feeling we get from what we enjoy. While completely understandable, there is a problem with this.
When looking at a new game we forget that it is just that, a new game. It isn’t some expansion or sequel title that should have a connection with the games that we are used to. In fact, if anything, it is arguable that if the game is doing something to progress the industry that it will have new mechanics that challenge the norms that seem to weave in and out of most titles.
I think back to my experience with Everquest 2. When I first started looking into the game I was really excited about the world, the lore and the gameplay. I read blogs about it and wrote on this site (flexyourgeek) about how much I really wanted to get into the game. However, I was also in a slump with World of Warcraft. My need to distance myself from WoW made EQ2 all the better. For weeks while I prepped and then played EQ2, I couldn’t be happier with every aspect of the game.
The problem came when a few weeks later when my temporary disdain for WoW began wearing off. I started to realize that EQ2′s mechanics were not so much shinies I wanted to nom nom up. The character animations bugged me; the map graphics were horrid at best. Slowly I began to realize that EQ2 was not really the game that I wanted to play. At the core of this feeling was my desire for it to be World of Warcraft without being World of Warcraft.
A lot of times we look at the games that are new to us with the jaded misconception that it will be just like the game we fell in love with. We want it to be different, but not different. It makes us some of the most picky people on the planet. Give me my cake so I can eat it too, dammit! The fact is that this way of looking at games, and especially mmos, really does a lot of games injustice.
There is so much that each title has to offer that can and should be appreciated for what it is. My favorite Mexican food has to be chicken flautas. They are delicious! This doesn’t mean that the burrito, taco, or fajita doesnt have something unique and tasty to offer. Judging a taco on the scale I measure flautas is ridiculous. They are two separate foods that really have no basis for comparison other than the fact that they are both Mexican food.
This same thing goes for games. Judging titles like Final Fantasy, Fallen Earth, Age of Conan, or EVE against each other is a bit ludicrous when you think about it. Sure we may enjoy one more than another, but that doesn’t mean that any of these games don’t have something great to offer or just suck. It just means that for our particular tastes at the time, it isn’t want we feel like playing.
We forget that while we write about a games that we all have a ‘First MMO Love’ Bias. It is those feelings that seem to creep up and judge every other title that comes along. We hope for it to reignite that feeling and when it fails, we call it a crappy game.
I admit, when I first heard about the changes to how XP will work with FFXIV that I was appalled. I don’t like the feeling that developers are choosing how I get to spend my time in game. Actually I still feel that way but I am no longer angry with the mechanic. The truth is that Final Fantasy has always encouraged vertical and horizontal progression of characters. They want you to level crafting, trades, and other classes on the same character. So yes, there is a limit on this system but it sticks close to the ideals that Final Fantasy has always been about.
The anger over the issue seems to stem from people wanting level up as fast as possible. While the fatigue/surplus system encourages more well rounded characters, it doesnt appeal to those who are used to speed racing to the end. It isn’t bad, it is different. Largely, the mmo population is used to titles that encourage us to focus on one class and get it maxed asap so that we can participate in the end game. This is not bad either, but when used to judge a game like FFXIV it fails to highlight the unique and interesting aspects of the mechanic.
There are lots of things that we seem to look over or judge too quickly just because it isn’t the same formula we are comfortable with. I am currently working my way through Fallen Earth, FFXI, and DDO. Each game has different feels and mechanics associated with its gameplay. At first, all three of these titles had things that bugged me. I realized that the reason they bugged me isn’t because they were bad, it just was not what I had programmed into my gaming muscle memory. I had to think a little more than I am used to and it made things difficult and frustrating. However, after giving each title a chance, I have learned that all three games offer a lot of fun when I leave behind my WoW ruler to measure up how much enjoyment I can have.
So the next time you try something new, recognize that it is just that: Something new. It won’t be the game you have been playing for the last few years and that should be celebrated, not judged. If we were happy with our ‘go to’ games then we wouldn’t necessarily be trying new things anyway. Too often we measure up new games with a scale that comes from an old game, and more often than not, a game we are not content with at the moment. This is a problem and should be considered before our next “OMGWTFBBQ” post about how another IP is developing their mechanics.
Thanks for reading.
Yogi