Is WoW an MMO? Not so much....

#0 - March 7, 2007, 4:32 p.m.

I have come to the conclusion after many attempts at PUG's that they are indeed unbarable and can rarely accomplish the desired dungeons they attempt. Most of the time people end up leaving or going afk for obsene amounts of time without respect for their fellow group members.

Above all else the skill level of players is drastically declining with the need for people to be more exacting with their characters.

It is because of this that Myself and all of my RL friends who play have agreed to stick to our own groups or the select few other members in the game who have "proven" themselves from the past. This however brings up a rather anti-social aspect of the game and presents a very unique question.

Is WoW a true MMO based on the fact that the majority of players create and atmosphere that warrents people from staying away from the more social aspects of the game. When does the line between design and gameplay break the barrier creating a game that is just online with friends.

Me personally, I wont group with you because I know you suck ahead of time. I bet that riles a few feathers.

Nethaera

#35 - March 7, 2007, 6 p.m.

It's not just an MMO. It's an MMORPG. It has story elements that help drive play even if most people don't get deeply into that aspect, if it were not a part of the game, it would be missed.

Being that you are playing with many other people at the same time it fills the "Massively Multiplayer Online" quite well. It doesn't matter if you are soloing or not (though group play is of course a huge element). Whether you choose to socialize with others or not is up to each player but the opportunities are there for that to happen. Even playing with just your friends fills out the idea that it's a multiplayer online game. Whether you ignore everyone else is your choice but it doesn't negate the very meaning of MMO.

Nethaera

#48 - March 7, 2007, 6:32 p.m.

Q u o t e:
WoW is certainly not an MMORPG.... But it's an MMO.

I disagree as I look at your blood elf avatar knowing that on Eonar you are Marciel, a Blood Elf Mage with a penchant for jumping with much aplomb. Your green eyes peer at the world around you with a haughty glint to them.

Whether you RP or not, you are taking part in the RPG aspect just by creating a character and taking part in the quest objectives.

Nethaera

#51 - March 7, 2007, 7:13 p.m.

Except the game is not denying you the ability to group with others. Other players and their perceptions are. I've found that in many cases in pugs people have odd expectations of what can and can't be done. In many cases it's because they've had one or two bad experiences with players who didn't know their full potential. There are successful pugs that are built around people knowing each other and hanging out even if they don't create a guild out of it, they work together pretty much exclusively in dungeons.

You're saying it's not an MMO based on other not wanting to group with you. That still doesn't negate that it is in fact an MMO. The game at the core is built around participating in the world with other people.

My suggestion is to work to get to know other people well enough that they trust you to invite you into groups. Start your own groups instead of waiting for others to invite you. Be proactive and things will fall into place.