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Story in MMOs
BioWare's Old Republic is the new hope for storytelling in MMOs.
Written by Andy Griffiths, 10 July 2009
Looking for a good narrative in any game isn't easy. But in the world of MMO where every player is the saviour, it is difficult to form a good plot. Titles like World of Warcraft probably don't need a story. The drama is provided by who you are questing with and the equipment which is dropped. It's a very loot driven experience but there is another way for MMOs...
Sometimes even a grinder wants a little story, and games like Guild Wars try to implement an established plot. It has a fantastic system, where if only one person in the entire party wants to watch a cut-scene, they can without interruption - even if seven out of eight party members want to skip it. Guild Wars isn't the magnum opus of game story-telling but NCSoft's title is an example of a developer placing high importance on a plot.
MMOZine Issue 13
For our latest Old Republic coverage, click here to download MMOZine Issue 13 for free.The next big title in our genre will emphasise story-telling more than ever before. BioWare has an excellent reputation with Knights of the Old Republic, which successfully combined the Star Wars universe with an established RPG formula.
A single-player title is much easier to populate than a massive one. It depends how much work a developer is willing to do to make their world feel full of life. But if this kind of attention was paid to a MMORPG than we as gamers would reap the benefits. The Old Republic promises a different story for each character type and moral decisions which cannot be undone.
Narrative is the best way to appeal to a wider audience, and often offers a much better experience than just loot alone. The story aspect is much harder to get right than managing drop percentages. Bioware might be the first developer to get it right.
Old Republic coverage available in MMOZine Issue 13 - click here to download it for free!
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