In the future, we can expect some MMOs that increasingly rely on gameplay elements from days gone by. In doing so, special attention is given to the isometric perspective.
So whenever I randomly hear the term “isometric perspective”, I think of a strictly physical viewpoint on solutions for particle acceleration under the most sterile conditions. My way of thinking is very peculiar and just as isotonic. Perhaps it’s because I seldom encounter such cryptic terms in virtual worlds.
Isometric View – excuse me?!
But most gamers among us know what is meant by the “isometric perspective”. It is the camera angle from which we view and control our virtual best friend or adventure hero from a slanted bird’s-eye perspective. The Diablo series is a prime example. But even the first major MMOs, such as Ultima Online, Lineage, or Runescape, relied on what is now considered a rather conservative view of our character.
[pullquote]In the thick of it, not just up there[/pullquote]
The reasons for this are obvious: The possibilities in game development, especially in graphics, were very limited. However, with the advancement of graphical capabilities and the now hundredth Nvidia graphics series, computer games have evolved in tandem. Finally, our beloved MMOs received a third-person view in 3D. Now we were “in the thick of it, not just up there”.
With a critical eye on the MMO genre, we quickly realize: “Going well for you – not”. Some of the biggest titles are struggling with fluctuating player numbers. One possible reason for this is the lack of innovations. Too often, publishers serve us the same reheated dish for the third time, with new game concepts that are more of a curse than an innovation. I think they just don’t realize that potential players are not repeaters.
New Trend? MMOs return to their roots
If we leave the Asian market aside and look at the remaining MMO game developers, a new trend quickly becomes apparent: Back to the isometric perspective. Thus, we return to the topic. Publishers wrap this nicely with the words: “We are focusing on proven game elements”.
What can one say about that? Only the marketing folks are innovative. Because the developers aren’t coming up with anything new with the “proven” game elements. On the contrary, they are taking a step back, using a time machine to excavate prehistoric game mechanics.
A while ago, I reported on the MMORPG in alpha, Albion Online, which uses the isometric view. The same goes for Embergarde, the new online role-playing game from the creators of Runes of Magic. In indie projects, this might be more complicated, but will something be missing in the long run?
A modern MMO in the 21st century with such a camera perspective is, for me, rather a step back. Sure, the perspective certainly has its validity when we look at a hack & slash title like Diablo. To manage the huge masses of skeletons, one should always be aware of what is happening behind them. I also find this type of camera view indispensable in MOBAs. Otherwise, team fights would end up looking like an acrobatic circus act like it does in Smite.
But if you imagine viewing the elaborately designed world of World of Warcraft or Guild Wars 2 on just a few square meters of screen space, because of this perspective – it would truly be a waste of graphical capabilities and level design. Even the combat system is influenced by the isometric perspective. A game like TERA would then have a less dynamic and action-packed combat system; instead, it would seem more like an amateur boxing match from the podium.
If it were up to me, it would develop much more in the direction of first-person perspective, similar to how The Elder Scrolls Online allows. Just the weapons in view and off we go. The isometric perspective, however, can stay where it came from. Somewhere up there. What do you all think?
