MMORPGs have many facets, many subgenres, including Survival games like Conan Exiles. Does this sub-genre perhaps even show the future of modern MMORPGs?
MMORPGs out, Survival-MMOs in? Survival-MMOs like Conan Exiles or the upcoming Rend are currently very popular among developers. Players are also enjoying the genre. Meanwhile, traditional MMORPGs seem to be stagnating. Few large MMORPGs are being announced. The last hopefuls are either indie games like Ashes of Creation and Pantheon or Asian imports like Lost Ark.
Western MMORPGs like WildStar turned out to be flops. Instead, Conan Exiles was a success and has some imitators: Do we see the “modern version” of MMORPGs with Survival MMOs?
Is classic also just as good?
The problems of classic MMORPGs: Online role-playing games are fascinating because they bring a social component. However, an MMORPG also has to deal with disadvantages. These disadvantages include:
- All players are heroes in the game world. It is no longer special to be a hero
- Every player does the same quests – regardless of whether another player has already rescued the princess
- There are no consequences for actions. The defeated dragon from a quest always comes back and terrorizes the village again
- The game world changes little or only very slowly. Players’ actions have no impact on the world
- You also often deal with other players that ruin your fun
- The unique magical sword is not actually unique because anyone can find it
- The story and the relationships in the world change little
- NPCs cannot die
- The gameplay often proceeds the same way: Talk to NPCs, receive quests, kill monsters, collect rewards, improve character
- You usually have to invest a lot of time into an MMORPG. Some raids last several hours
- Solo players often face boring grind and do not get a really appealing solo experience
- Developers often offer an in-game shop despite the purchase price, which annoys many players
- An MMORPG needs to be operated over a long time and kept current and enjoyable, while in other genres sequels can appear that bring many fundamental changes and innovations
- There are often too many players in an MMORPG. Most of them are ignored
There is a new way
Survival-MMOs take a different approach. Games like Conan Exiles take the genre and turn it on its head. They simply leave out the problematic features and focus on a sandbox:
- There are hardly any “real” quests
- The game world changes as players build buildings and cities themselves
- Powerful items are crafted by the players
- There is often no story, just an overarching background story
- The player and their survival are in focus
- The number of players is usually tightly limited, which promotes interaction among them
- It is possible to enjoy the game alone on private servers
- Adventures and challenges arise from situations and are not predefined scripted quests
- Players have more freedom
- Short gaming sessions are also possible
The mix makes it – What can MMORPGs learn from Survival games?
A combination of classic MMORPGs and Survival MMOs could be the future. More does not always mean better. The MMORPG genre may evolve if it aligns more with Survival games:
- A reduction in the number of players. Heroes would again be something special in the game world and you would not feel like ignoring 90 percent of the players because it would be interesting to encounter another player
- You get a sense of achievement even if you only play briefly. Even if you only have 15 minutes to play, you should feel like you’ve achieved something
- There are no more “unique items that everyone still has.” Either players craft such items or they are truly unique
- The MMORPG would need to be designed so that you can have fun alone, without constantly grinding or doing meaningless MMO quests
- The story could unfold without linear, scripted quests based on an evolving background story
MMORPGs must change and evolve to be successful again
What do MMORPG players want? The MMORPG genre is a complex field with many different opinions from players:
- Veterans who have been around since the beginning want hardcore experiences again,
- WoW fans want a modern World of Warcraft,
- PvP lovers prefer open player versus player fights.
Progress is important: Yet with all the differing opinions, the genre is stagnating. It needs to evolve again to be as successful as it was during the heyday of WoW. Perhaps survival MMOs can help achieve this goal.
