What Are We Roleplaying, Anyway?

Hopefully I won't get creamed for posting this as a GM... :smiley:

I wrote this for a journalism class in college (casual-type piece, something to be found in a student newspaper, or some such). Was written sometime in 2004, I think, before I was a GM for Simu, so of course it's my views as a college student and NOT A GM! :D

WoW was still in beta, so, that's some time frame there. Title of the paper is the title of the thread. Hit me that maybe some of you might enjoy the read, anyway. Having re-read it, I find that I agree with myself, well over 4 years later. I would write it a little differently now, though. Seems a little... naive? Ah well, that's what college is all about, maybe. I got a B+ on the assignment, if I recall.

Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, or MMORPGs, have grown in popularity over the past few years. My first reaction to this technological breakthrough was excitement. Finally I could adventure with infinite amounts of real people, and I didn't have to invite them over to my house. What marvels modern technology can provide!

Before spending too much money, I decided to check out the feedback on the bigger titles like EverQuest and Dark Ages of Camelot. In doing this, I somehow felt disappointed. Then I began to wonder: just because these games are set in a medieval or science fiction fantasy world, are they actually role playing games? What's a role playing game, anyway?

Role playing games began with table top games like Dungeons and Dragons. To play a game like this, you needed a few Player Characters (PCs) and a Dungeon Master (DM). The DM invented the story, and the PCs reacted to the DM and made up their own interactions between one another. Generally, they operated on a system of rules that involved dice and character sheets. Slaying monsters, finding items, and leveling up were activities second to the story and the interaction between PCs and the DM.

For a long time, the genre was replicated to some degree in console-based games (e.g. Nintendo). Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star, and Dragon Warrior are some original console-based RPGs. Despite being single player, these games could at least somewhat reproduce the DM. The story lines were linear and prewritten, the player simply sat back and enjoyed the story unfold - in some degree interacting with the events taking place.

MMORPGs today reflect a similar game, but fundamentally tend to be different. First, it's important to know that the MMORPG concept is not new. It has been around since almost the beginning (before many console-based RPGs). The late 70s and early 80s spawned computer programs called MUDs, or text-based Multi-User Dungeons. There are some differences between MUDs and the more recent MMORPGs.

The largest obvious difference is graphics. The newer titles contain huge and elaborate worlds with highly detailed and realistic graphics. The older MUD-style games are text driven and contain no graphics. Are the graphics the defining element differentiating the old and the new? Why play with text when you can have 3d graphics!

One might be inclined to think graphics are what sets these games apart, but according to experienced game designer Chris Crawford, graphics are not what's important in interactive entertainment today. Crawford says, "The essence of the interactive experience lies not in what you see and hear; it lies in what you DO."

As much as we'd like to think graphics make or break a game, the reality is they do very little to determine if we like a game or not. Sure it's nice to see something pretty, but a game with poor design will begin to look and feel really ugly after a short while. Remember the interactive cartoon games like Space Ace and Dragon Slayer? I rest my case.

So it must be about the things you do ("game play"). The older text-based MUDs have been around for so long, their complexity and interactive depth seem to have the upper hand. Games like Gemstone IV are so detailed and rich, the things you can do is often only limited to your imagination. Melissa Meyer, Gemstone’s producer, urges us to use our imagination because it is "the most powerful 'graphics card' in the world."

MUDs are far from perfect, though. Anyone who has played a MUD will appreciate its ability to allow you to interact with your text settings. The same adventurer will cringe, however, when they recall the "verb guessing" involved. After all, you can't do something if you don't know what to type!

The newer graphical games have visual feedback, symbols, and representations – things all humans can easily relate to and interpret. These titles are less complex, and therefore are much easier to pick up and play for a little while and then get on with your daily routine. Plus, they look and sound nice.

Gemstone is about the most interactive game I've ever played. Unfortunately, that still doesn't make it the best game I've ever played. It follows a very similar design as all other MUDs, and is a design all MMORPGs follow. What exactly is that design?

Since these games are heavily based on Dungeons and Dragons, they tend to follow a similar level-up system. One gains experience through slaying evil monsters. One then gains levels, earns new skills, and finds powerful items. Since the paper and pen days of Dungeons and Dragons, the gaming industry has become very good at replicating this same old system, adding some twists, but hardly deviating from it.

This means that despite the beautiful graphics you're experiencing, the system you are playing in is the same design Dungeons and Dragons or the first MUDs used. Any role playing or creativity supposed to occur traditionally came from the people sitting around the table, most notably, the Dungeon Master. Console and computer games have yet replicate that interaction.

The Dungeon Master no longer exists in these newer MMORPGs. We are left with a program to dictate what we do. Back in the console days when Final Fantasy and others were at their peak, it wasn't so bad because the story was linear and prewritten – we just followed along and immersed ourselves in the world.

The real role playing interaction has been lost in MMORPGs because they have neither an obvious Dungeon Master role or dedicated Player Characters, nor do they have linear stories to tell. The storylines must be open ended. The game cannot end if the company wishes to continually charge a service rate on it. If people finished the game, they would cancel their accounts and move on to something else.

Let's slow down for a second here, and look at the genre's title once more: Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. The genre itself seems to promise role playing. Let’s try to clarify this. Do people define role playing in the same way I do? I asked some people who play MMORPGs to define role playing. My views on role playing don't differ greatly from what these folks said.

One person said it's "viewing the world through the eyes of your character without referencing real life stuff." Another asserted that it's "imagination for adults." Within the world you play in "you're represented by an avatar that reflects on who or what you might want to be." So it's all about you and your character. It’s about becoming your character while you play.

All MMORPGs have a character creation event. You choose your name, race, physical details, and class. This will then setup how your character will exist in the world you are playing in. People go through this character creation event, but does it mean anything?

Next, I asked these same folks if they or anyone they know actually role play in their games, or if they see role playing at all. Some don’t even bother with it, and others fall into a "half and half" category, role playing when it’s fun or appropriate, but not very consistently. It isn't often their priority. The roles are reversed from the table top and early MUD days. Story and player interaction are second to monster slaying, questing, and item hunting.

Star Wars Galaxies, EverQuest, Lineage 2, and Final Fantasy XI players reported a low amount of observable role playing taking place in their games. One respondent reported that "with the sheer volume of people who don't care about role playing, it would be hard to create an authentic setting without the constant background noise of 'Can I get a rez?' or 'Price check on uber item.'"

The truth is, the current cash crops we call MMORPGs cater to an old game design philosophy, yet package it in a way consumers are drawn to (the same could be said for all interactive entertainment). The target group for most interactive entertainment, including MMORPGs, is adolescent males and young adult men. These games are based around level-hierarchies and item acquisition, a la Blizzard's Diablo 2.

A playground-like social hierarchy results, and any role playing or traditional RPG gaming becomes second priority – if it's prioritized at all. In fact, if one looks closely at these games, role playing is really just a side feature to a complex combat engine and detailed skill system. The emphasis is on who is better and who has nicer stuff.

The graphical "eye candy" plays its role in attracting the target audiences. The actual design and game play is the real hooker – getting users into a world where they can be powerful and respected (through leveling up and "leet" item acquisition). These games begin to show their depth. They are quite shallow, yet so addictive. EverQuest is often parodied and called "EverCrack" – obviously referring to the addictive narcotic.

Many MUDs and text-based games are no exception to this rule – they follow the same design philosophies and make the same mistakes, hooking users in a similar fashion. MUDs are less popular because the developers didn’t spend time on pretty eye candy and other "pull" factors. Besides, who wants to type and read that much text, anyway?

Is there any hope for this promising genre? The idea is great, but few have been able to deliver. Major companies like Sega and Sony Computer Entertainment have taken stabs at this genre, and have made considerable profits. The games, however, are just as I’ve described: shallow, bland, and boring. Who will save the genre and play the role of knight in shining armor?

We turn toward renowned PC game developer Blizzard Entertainment, producer of "Game of the Year" titles like Starcraft, Warcraft, and Diablo 2. Blizzard is well known for their attention to detail and outdoing the competition in nearly every conceivable way.

Blizzard Entertainment's new addition to the MMORPG market, World of Warcraft, promises to ace the competition by ensuring "that players can enjoy World of Warcraft without having to invest huge amounts of playtime." Blizzard representatives have asserted that World of Warcraft will not follow the same trends other MMORPGs follow, and offer a game world every gamer, hard core or casual, will enjoy. Oh, the euphoria I've felt for this game! That is, until I got to try it.

Having played World of Warcraft in its beta stage, I regret to say that Blizzard has not created anything original or awe inspiring. The game, though still in beta, is dry. It offers many quests and distractions for the player, however, nothing is innovative or original. It feels like a single player game I would have to pay a monthly fee for – and there isn’t even an objective.

The only difference I can see between World of Warcraft and most other MMORPGs is that World of Warcraft is the "best of the same." By that I mean Blizzard has simply poured more time and man power into the same old thing, thus acing the competition through brute force. The "polish" Blizzard is known for is there, it just doesn't change the fact the game has little depth at this point (I'm still hopeful for the future).

After four hours with World of Warcraft, I was spoken to one time. It was a single word: "thanks." After a few more hours and zero interactivity with anyone in the world, I simply logged off and have not touched it since. It was a typical MMORPG, though highly refined, but still suffering from the same symptoms as other MMORPGs.

These games, I would insist, should be simply dubbed MMOGs, Massive Multiplayer Online Games. Who are developers fooling with the Role Playing aspect tossed in there? Apparently they fool many, because they wouldn't do it if it didn't work. I, for one, don’t enjoy being mislead or lied to.

Tolkien would roll over in his grave if he knew people mocked his creations so readily. Apparently, all one needs to do is create a world that resembles Middle Earth, and it can be deemed an RPG game (make it so many people can play and it's an MMORPG). The entire concept of genre is beaten to death with a blunt, ignorant, stick. Yet, the money continues to flow in! In the end it pays off, and that is what it is all about.

Perhaps the problem is not only the developers. Don't they just give us what we want and what we'll play? Why are these games, supposedly role playing based, so devoid of role playing or other fun and meaningful interactions? Is it just the players? Perhaps the target audience is too immature to put forth the interactive experience I, and many others, seek? Perhaps the genre, though a good idea, simply can't be done correctly. At least, no one has done it, and based on how things are going, no one will.
 
Just a "covering my ASSets" follow-up.

1) I didn't know of HJ at the time I wrote this. Obviously I wouldn't be working on HJ now if I didn't think it broke the norm. I feel we have the DM / PC potential, and hope to live up to that lost interaction many people would like to experience.

2) I didn't clearly follow up on how text-based games like Gemstone are the best place to find RP (maybe DragonRealms moreso), and RP is often placed above mechanics (and I especially left out platinum -- no experience with it at the time). I realize I sort of glazed over the point and made it sound like there was no RP to be found in text-based games. I didn't mean to; they aren't mainstream enough so I wasn't focusing on them.

3) I could have made it clear that RP does exist in certain groups or guilds in many of the listed games... and can be found... it's just very far from the norm, and not always easy to locate. Hence why I still feel they oughta tug the "RP" out of the title.

4) I should have posted this in off-topic. Feel free to move it wherever.

Anyhow... It's due for a re-write but I felt like sharing.

/flamesuit on
 
It's a topic that always makes me sad. What HAS happened to it all? I think you needed more research, though. And betas have really always been like that from as long as I can remember, so WoW wasn't missing or gaining there. People rarely interact with other players. It's not important to level up, really, just to get the first know and peak. All these characters will be wiped, so there's no use bothering with others unless absolutely necessary.

Still, what encourages or discourages role play? I don't think any longer that it's a matter of "enforcement". It truly is mechanics that we need. The player needs a reason to WANT to be a part of the world. There need to be things that, maybe, make RP really fun and only RP. At least, that's beginning to be my opinion.
 
I personally never expect roleplaying when I delve into an mmo. It's a great thing when it happens, but is usually far too rare an event to even look forward to.

However, I have to say I'm not as unhappy about it as I could be since I'm the storyteller for a really great group of roleplayers in various White Wolf pen and paper games. That means I don't lack for really good roleplaying. Or, when they aren't available, I turn to other holdouts like Morrowind and Oblivion when the urge strikes me.

Though I have my methods of coping, you are absolutely right in that I shouldn't have to cope, and by doing so, I reveal just how disappointed I really am with the MMO"RPG"s. How pathetic is it to have a craving to roleplay while playing a RPG?


EDIT: In response to Pin's comments: For me, the main issue is needing to ignore and work around too many things standing in the way of roleplaying in MMOs. Out of character talk is actually the least of my worries. Running the same dungeon over and over again, lack of immersive systems (such as not being able to set on fire a lying quest giver even though you are a warlock and he just cheated you... or even just have some RP options in the dialogue you choose), and immersion shattering systems like corpse running present the largest barriers to my RPing in these games.
 
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