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+---- Thread: Devs making MMOs easier over time. (/showthread.php?tid=424)
Devs making MMOs easier over time. - TimeLierG - 08-06-2024
Don't you just love when developers of an online game make all of your prior progress and accomplishments meaningless by adding ways to progress through the game easier, get faster experience rates, add or remove features, alter mechanics, add "quality of life improvements" and change things to cater towards new players over the player base that has been playing for ten, twenty or thirty or more years? Most of the time it's new employees of a company who do this after the original developers leave, all original intent is gone or left at the whim of the newer gen "fomo" anxiety ridden individuals or older gen ones who say they don't have time to play video games so the game should be made easier to progress in, ruining the experience for everyone else just so they can get home and get a few 99s in a matter of minutes without feeling accomplished then go to sleep.
I play quite a few RSPSs but I have recently been playing OSRS again with the intent to max my ironman main and I can't help but be bothered every time I sign in and get to work, the addition of new skilling outfits that give you a 1.2% or more experience boost in specific skills, items like the fish barrel, I had an issue with Wintertodt but at least it does not give you more firemaking experience than just lighting logs so that's an example of a good change. I don't mind the tomb of fire either or new tools like the crystal axe after the Song of The Elves quest because of the requirements to obtain it, there should be new changes and some quality of life changes, new content is one of the reasons as to why the game is as alive as it is now but that is also debatable considering 2006scape had what, 400k - 600k users registered? I might be incorrect on those numbers. Anyway, another thing that irked me was smaller things such as Jagex adding a new death talisman that is apparently (didn't look into it too much) easily obtainable by ironmen which bypasses what I had to do for Mourning's End Part II. If something is negating the progress I and others have already done years and and makes me say "I should have just played the game later in life" that is absolutely bad game design and should be frowned upon.
Why would I want to spend 400 hours achieving level 99 in a skill when I can wait a few years and do it in 200 hours instead? It makes me feel terrible like I shouldn't even bother to play the game, OSRS is turning into RS3 whether players want to admit that or not, who needs atrocious microtransaction shops when they just put the same kind of rewards you get from it inside the game itself? Think about it, the squeal of fortune / treasure hunter rewards are in OSRS, they added so many alchables and skilling items as boss drops that the economy is in ruins, they are adding teleports and clothing that enhances experience rates that makes the game easier, what's the point? RuneScape by Jagex in the future is just going to be something without substance, it will be nothing because everyone, all players will always have everything given to them before they even begin and all past / veteran players will feel alienated just like they already do with RS3 and have felt since late RS2.
The most well known player Zezima has stated during an interview that he quit due to "the game becoming progressively easier over time" and that he "lost a sense of accomplishment which I worked hard to achieve.". I feel bad for everyone from any MMO who has had their progress, achievements and accomplishments thrown down the drain. Do you remember when Jagex also tried to make quests easier because new players kept quitting the game early as stated by their analytics team? I remember two quests, Waterfall Quest (which is funny because this is one of the easiest quests in the game) and Underground Pass. Imagine the look on the folks faces who have gotten 200m xp in a skill only for Jagex to release 2.5% exp increasing outfits right after, I'm not saying the game should be catered to any specific group like those going for 200m, pures, or ironmen but it's still something to think about.
I'm just currently demotivated when playing OSRS and going for max.