A lot of bloggers will talk about features that “have to be in” at an MMO’s release. They consider these items standard and as such no new game can lack them at the onset. The problem with this is that many of these “needs” weren’t there at the launch of older games and the list has gotten longer and longer. Developers are backed into a corner because there is no way that their new MMO can launch with every feature that WoW and EQ2 currently have. So, even though I recognize that problem, I’m going to pick ten features that actually are requirements for a successful launch!
I don’t want to spend a lot of time “defining terms” but I will need to do a little bit of that. The features I’m refer to are the “value adds” outside of the core. Being able to group is no longer a feature. That is a core part of MMOs. I’m going to avoid things like that and talk about the extras that make life easier. You’ll probably disagree on some things so feel free to chime in with your own! I also want to note that “successful launch” doesn’t mean developers just saying it was because the game didn’t go nuclear. Every MMO has been a “successful launch” according to their company (actually I’m pretty sure almost every over hyped MMO last year claimed “most successful launch to date”). Players, however, have had a drastically different opinion on the subject. I’m more concerned with their view.
This may not be considered an in game feature but the lack of it in some recent releases has been astounding. Even if a developer (wrongly) opts for no official forum you still must have an official support forum. New players to MMOs do not know to go to fan sites for support. They want to go to the game’s site for support. This is not unreasonable. There will be problems on day, week and month one. Have a central support area with frequent problems so frustration is reduced!
These days you also have to have a trial. Once more, not every new player is going to know to sign up for open beta. They also might be hesitant to buy a title based on what little information is available on the web (which may be negative). Not having a trial is like saying, “I’m not confident that actually playing my title will sell it.” If trial keys are only available via a code from a paid account that is fine. Just make sure there is some way that the less dedicated players can get in for a little while.
New MMOs frequently focus heavily on the early play experience to get good reviews and build customer trust. The higher players get, however, the thinner the experience. In an industry where leveling is no longer difficult or even long this practice has to change. The focus can’t just be the beginning; it now must also be the end. Ensure that players have something substantial to do at max level for a while. Battlegrounds and PvP does not meet this qualification (unless your game is PvP focused). Too many games have seen a large quantity of players cap out and then talk about how dull the game is. This turns off people and causes them to wait on that purchase. Let the middle be thin! You can fill that in later and it is transitory. Start strong, end strong.
If your game has any sort of skill choices, talent trees, or advancement points you can’t start without the ability to reset those choices. New games mean pioneer justice. Nobody knows what is good or how you’re going to change it from day to day. Players will feel frustrated when they “choose incorrectly” and are stuck with it. Respecs in an MMO are not a frill anymore. They’re not a kindness. They’re a necessity. It is fine if they’re not instant or if the player has to work for it. The point is that two minutes after I log in and pick my first skill I should be able to begin the process of undoing that choice.
The ability to “return home” is also a necessity these days. Players like the option to gate or hearth back to a known point of reference. MMOs also have issues at release with people getting stuck. Don’t make this a customer service issue! Throw the player a hearth stone so they can get themselves out of a jam. CSRs will be happier and so will the players.
To go along with the hearth ability players also need some simple form of reference. A map needs to be included even if it doesn’t do anything other than act as a map. I’m not saying mark quest locations on it (even if that is becoming standard). I’m not saying put guild and group mates on it. I’m just saying give the equivalent to a paper map so players don’t get completely lost.
Having a personal bank is no longer a frill either. Bag space is at a premium these days and some games throw a ton of junk loot and quest items at players during the leveling process. The bank doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to be there. Throw some slots the player’s way and worry about the upgrades to the system later.
In addition to a bank you also need a basic mail system or ability to get items from one person to another without having to meet them. I personally don’t care if you can even send a “letter.” Just put a tube system in like a bank where I can drop some boots in and send them off to Dresden. Worry about message and spam filters later! Just give us UPS.
We’re also going to need a method by which to sell things. I know auction houses are incredibly complex pieces of code in comparison to other features. I don’t believe games must have the full blown auction house at release. I’m sure many will disagree there but I stand by it. Everything doesn’t have to be instant gratification immediately. A UO style vendor in a set place like EQ1’s bazaar is just fine. As long as I can sell things when I’m not online we’re good to go.
The final piece is somewhat like the auction house in the sense that it isn’t a simple feature. I still see too many MMOs neglect it, though, and that just isn’t an option. A new MMO must have stellar support for player organizations. Guilds keep players playing more than anything else. Give them the tools to do that. They need a guild window, a channel or two, ways to pass information like a MotD and other features of that nature. Don’t skimp on the community tools!
With just those ten features I can see a lot of the major issues that have plagued 2008 and 2009 releases mitigated. Players might complain a lot and seem needy but if your experience is compelling and we have the basic tools we’re used to, even if they’re not as flashy as another product’s, we’ll be fine. Some WoW tourists might not stay but then let’s be honest, they’re going back to WoW anyway. That shouldn’t be the target market anymore anyway!
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You forgot Ratongas.Every MMO should have them. Non negotiable.
Yeah, probably!
I loved the EQ bazaar back in the day, especially before they completely changed the bazaar. It was a more honest system and more difficult to manipulate, plus it was a charming, little area.
Honestly, with the WoW auction system — and yeah, I feel a little evil saying this — but, as an enchanter, I used to buy every single item in the bazaar from other competing enchanters if they sold those items below my standard price points (and I put a lot up in the AH, because I pretty much bought any reasonably priced item on auction possible)… and I’d just sell their own stuff, even if I bought bags and bags full. Doing that, my enchanter, at level 29, had about a gazillion times more money than my main character, who was roughly twice as high in levels. My level 29 alt could have paid to twink my main if I wasn’t equally as obsessed with BGs, getting my main all PVP gear =p
I only say this to point out the flaws in the AH system. It’s more convenient in some ways, but not necessarily more convenient insofar as getting people good deals. You couldn’t manipulate the market so easily in the bazaar, because people were constantly popping in and out and it just took longer to keep up with it, especially since you had to physically go find the vendors to buy the item.
Yes, you could absolutely still do it, but it just wasn’t ever quite as effective as instantly being able to click “buy now” on all people who would otherwise undercut reasonable prices (and, honestly, I never really price gouged when I played the market… there are just so many people who don’t really care what they sell something for, jumping to undercut the competition *even when there’s more demand than supply*).
Some people may complain that your character had to actually sit there in the bazaar for things to be sold, but you could do it while AFK without being bumped, and you could always get great deals you wouldn’t see in the AH, because sometimes people just wanted to sell things *very quickly*, much more quickly than even giving a ‘buy now’ option in the AH. Plus, while characters had to be there in the bazaar to sell stuff, players didn’t. AFK couldn’t bump you in trader mode. So I’d just leave my bazaar mule up all night and in between classes while I was in college.
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Good article!
I think that both MMO development and product develoment are very similiar. For example the growing list of features that automobiles have seems to parallel MMOs. I remember features like power steering, power brakes, air conditioning — all standard equipment on cars today used to be upgrades.
You hit the nail on the head with features like mail systems, auction house and guild support. Every MMO will have to have them as MMO players expect them.
It makes me wonder why a software company has not yet released a standard MMO development platform with these various modules available to developers. It seems like a big waste of time to essentially reinvent the wheel each time a new MMO is made by creating all of these features from scratch.
Interestingly enough all of the features you outlined all seem to have one thing in common: they free the player from doing mundane tasks so they can persue the more enjoyable things like adventuring and dungeon crawling.
“Start strong, end strong.”
Except, modern MMO design doesn’t actually *end*, it just peters off into droning, mindless treadmill exercise. Devs can’t keep making content for the endgame, it’s too expensive. Players either need to move on at some point or accept the treadmill.
I’d also add customizable UI to your list, including key remapping, mouselook and axis reversing options. It’s OK to have a nonstandard basic UI, but players who are used to how some *other* game plays will want to shuffle things around before they feel at home.
Other than those minor additions, I heartily agree! I most especially agree with the respec stand, and I’d go so far as to say that they should be cheap (preferably free), easy and as complete as possible. Let players change as much as possible, even down to the class, as far as I’m concerned. Grinding up alts sucks when you just want to *get on* with the game. (And those who love alts will play them anyway.)
I don’t think UPS is a mandatory feature, and I even think it is potentially a BAD feature.
The fact that players rarely have to inhabit the same space to interact is one of many reasons that the virtual world feeling of MMOs is really decaying.
A very valid point! UPS might not be necessary if we go back to player gatherings.