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'Elder Scrolls Online: Lamenting a challenge-free landscape' - article by Biobreak blog
(biobreak.wordpress.com)
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this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2024
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Some MMOs seem to focus more or story and environment than being challenging. I got into Final Fantasy XIV and it's also ridiculously easy. People are into it because of the story and characters (ERP).
wouldn't a non-MMO be better to experience story and characters?
That depends. If an MMO is well written (as FFXIV and ESO are for many) then it doesn't make much of a difference. Additionally, all to other people running around make the world feel a bit more alive compared to scripted NPCs, even if one doesn't participate in the actual group content.
but by nature MMOs are extremely static in terms of the world, NPCs etc because they have to be there for every PC at every stage of their story. To me that always makes them feel less alive despite a bunch of PCs scurrying around.
So are a lot of single-player games. Players running around in the background just add some semblance of "dynamic life" to the world. There's also the possibility of "well, I'm not playing with people right now but I could if I really wanted to".
I'm not saying that your perspective is wrong on that (I tend to bounce between the two views for example) but for some people just being in the same world as other players provides enough dynamism to make it feel more interesting than playing completely on your own.
I would counter that FFXIV is poorly written, has horrible pacing and awful quest design.
The dungeons aren’t the worst Ive seen but offer little challenge.
I'm not saying whether it is or isn't well written, I haven't played enough to have an informed opinion on the game. All I'm saying is, some people like it well enough they have no problem treating it as a fun single-player experience with real people running in the background.
Yes.
Maybe, but I think it's just the idea that it doesn't need to be mutually exclusive.
If you play an MMO, you are probably there primarily for the community/group/social content, the character builds, the economy, the frequent updates, etc. But nothing says it can't also have a good story.
To use FF14 as an example, as the only one I've played, the story could probably be told just as well in the form of a single-player game (or, being more realistic given its size, a series of single-player games). But it exists in the first place because there is a market for people who like both MMOs and the kinds of stories told in Final Fantasy games. For people who aren't into the online elements, there are still plenty of good single-player experiences out there, like maybe the 14 other Final Fantasy titles that aren't MMOs.
Some people are just looking for something to keep them busy while chatting.
Not necessarily. MMOs have a lot of room for emergent story telling opportunities that just don't exist in other mediums, things like community events that genuinely matter or developers responding to major trends in the player base. although i very rarely see good MMO design like that in MMOs, could be that i just don't look at a lot of them though.
You're right, but at least there are challenges to be found in FFXIV. Attempting to run past monsters and click the thing will result in death. There are clear bosses where taking you hands off the keyboard for 5-10 seconds means you won't make it. I am sure the high-end of ESO has genuine challenges, but I couldn't find them. This is a game where you can genuinely ignore enemies and afk during combat and you'll still survive. o
To be clear, I think it's devs really hit on a specific market: there are a lot of people out there who genuinely want a "wind-down, complete quests in vibrant world and feel like a hero" MMO. I was just bored out of my tree after a few days because I am the furthest thing from that audience. Casually getting into ESO, it is truly a challenge-free landscape, far more so than even the intensely story and social driven FFXIV.
Anything above basic content in 14 (which is lowest common denominator content) can honestly be quite challenging, and savage and ultimate content is very very difficult content overall. It's all about how much time and effort you're willing to invest, the first 70 levels of content is pretty braindead so anyone can beat it.
Curious if elder scrolls online is similar because I honestly don't know, haven't played it in a decade.
Base content is super easy. DLC/Expansion Veteran content and trials though are a monster.
An anecdotal experience I had with Final Fantasy 14 is that, while the main quests seem boringly easy to me, they were the right amount of challenge for my partner at the time who had never played an MMO before.
I also enjoy the difficulty of XIV's serious content. Savage raids blind are super fun. I've not tried any ultimates yet, but they look crazy lol
Guild Wars 2 didn't do this in the expansions and the game is so much better because of it.
When you are facing a world-ending dragon and it's army of minions, it's important that they actually feel freaking dangerous to begin with.