MMORPGs often follow a similar gameplay flow. We present five things that can be annoying in almost every online role-playing game.
Do you know that feeling? You enjoy playing MMORPGs and try out new ones whenever they are released, but there are certain things that annoy you? Game elements that are found in almost every online role-playing game but should really be discarded?
We present five such things. These may not suit everyone’s taste. Surely there are features among them that some of you might like. Therefore, this list is not universally applicable but reflects the taste of the author and some members of the Mein-MMO editorial team.
5. Inappropriate Costumes
What are inappropriate costumes? Having an individual character that visually differs from other players is important for many players. That’s why developers often offer costumes in the in-game shop.
However, not all of them fit the style of the game. At Easter, there are sometimes bunny costumes, and at Christmas, a Santa hat. Then players run around dungeons dressed in colorful costumes, which does not suit the atmosphere.
Why does this keep happening? Developers know that some players like to spend money on cosmetic items and want to meet this demand to generate revenue.
The money then flows into the development of the online game. That’s why many MMORPGs offer such costumes, which can sometimes exceed the target in terms of design, especially when the game has been around for a while and all the “usual costumes” are already in play.
Why is it annoying? Sometimes it simply doesn’t fit. Imagine the hero group is on a quest to defeat a dark demon lord and fighting through a dark dungeon full of horrible monsters and undead. Suddenly, another player hops around the corner in a pink bunny costume.
The atmosphere is instantly ruined.
4. Excessive Grinding
What is excessive grinding? Discussions can arise over grinding in MMORPGs. Sometimes it’s just there to artificially prolong gameplay. The next boss in the story cannot be defeated because the hero is too weak. Or you have to farm resources forever to finally have everything you need to craft that cool, powerful weapon.
Grinding then takes up a lot of time when you actually want to do the next story quest.
Why does this keep happening? Players want to be kept busy and not just run through the content, only to twiddle their thumbs at the end.
For developers, grinding is a relatively simple way to keep players occupied in the long term.
Why is it annoying? Sometimes it can interrupt the flow of the game when you constantly repeat the same activities. If you want to progress but first spend hours fighting the same mobs or spend half the day gathering resources to craft something. Grinding often feels like work.
The evil dragon needs to be killed urgently because otherwise it will lay waste to the city, but the hero first fights random wolves for days and gathers ore to improve his armor. Fortunately, the dragon is of course waiting until the knight is ready for the fight…
3. Getting Rid of Trash Loot
What is trash loot? You know the situation: You fight your way through a dungeon and get a lot of loot, but 90 percent of it is actually junk and useless. It clutters your inventory, but it also brings in money.
So you travel back to the city to sell the items. This repeats over and over.
Why does this keep happening? Players want loot. Finding loot creates a good feeling because you are rewarded for fighting monsters and completing quests. However, not every item can be something special. So, there is a lot of junk among the loot. You have to get rid of this.
MMORPGs often handle this by requiring players to return to town to sell the unwanted items. This stretches the game time.
Why is it annoying? Often the hero’s inventory is simply too small and the player’s desire to collect is too great, so in a large dungeon, trips back to town happen not just once, but multiple times. This constant back and forth can be quite annoying.
However, there are alternatives in some games where you can sell unnecessary items in your inventory or convert them into resources. Not all MMORPGs utilize these alternatives.
2. Interchangeable Zone Bosses
What are interchangeable zone bosses? Sometimes there are boss enemies that just appear without much introduction. How do they fit into the story? Why do they appear? These bosses act as if they are something special, making a lot of noise. But once you defeat them, they are quickly forgotten.
Why does this keep happening? Defeating bosses creates a sense of achievement. Facing a large monster in a truly challenging fight is something special in an MMORPG. Furthermore, these bosses sometimes drop good loot. They present a change from otherwise monotonous activities, allowing players to showcase their character’s abilities.
Why is it annoying? If such bosses were better integrated into the story or world, their appearance would be more understandable. However, they often feel like the developers thought: “Oops, there’s a boss missing, let’s quickly put one in here”.
These bosses feel out of place. They don’t quite fit in. It’s as if you are suddenly pulled out of the action and the otherwise consistent atmosphere. When these bosses then act as if they are something special, it’s even more annoying. Because in reality, they are just interchangeable.
An example of a good sub-boss is Yotsuyu from Final Fantasy XIV.
1. Inappropriate Fetch Quests when You Are the Savior of the World
What are inappropriate fetch quests? The evil god threatens to destroy the world. As a hero, you are supposed to bring an NPC 10 wolf pelts and 30 turnips gathered from the fields. Even after completing this task, another NPC later asks you to kill 15 boars and pick 25 apples.
Why does this keep happening? Content is important in an MMORPG. The games must engage players long-term, which can only be achieved if players constantly have something to do. Besides grinding, typical content includes fetch quests in MMORPGs. Not every quest can be a hyper-exciting story; that would be too much work for the developers.
Why is it annoying? Fetch quests themselves don’t have to be bad. They just don’t always fit into the game’s story. When you are the savior of the world who may also be under time pressure, you shouldn’t have to spend time collecting pelts or picking apples.
Often, later in the game, you don’t really feel like a true hero when you’ve already defeated dragons and razed orc forts, only to receive a new task from NPCs to kill 20 mountain lions.
What game elements in MMORPGs annoy you? Let us know in the comments.
Let’s see if these upcoming MMORPGs do it differently:
