Quote:
Originally posted by Link:
Well now you're making it an entirely different argument altogether. Instead of sticking to the naming system alone, you got things like trolls, 1337-speaking kids, active online modding in the game etc. involved. That was not my point; my point was that the naming system in itself isn't a very strong argument. That it may be related to other, potentially strong arguments is a different discussion.
I can understand that you have a fear of how Guild Wars will work out, but I'm not that convinced by your arguments, to be quite honest. Mind you, I haven't played a MMORPG ever -- and at the moment I cannot spare any time and money to change that situation -- but I consider myself reasonably balanced when it comes to an opinion about the genre [reading reviews, listening to arguments, viewing screenshots and movies etc.]. Guild Wars, in my eyes, is a very promising project, a project which makes me wonder how they will deal with things without having the monthly fee. The one side of me warns me for it, for the same reasons you mentioned, but the other side of me tells me that any MMORPG, or MMOG for that matter, has its problems with hackers, PK-ing. Popularity brings problems, regardless of subscription fees. It's all up to the game developers to devise a system to filter out those people, and if Guild Wars can do that without a subscription fee, then kudo's to them.
I think it would be rather unfair to judge Guild Wars before it's actual release. Just as it's unfair to judge an existing game for lacking certain newly developed elements.
|
Then you ministerpreted my post [img]smile.gif[/img] . The argument I was making was about the "different discussion". The contrast between paying to play versus free games. The subject touched on was the naming policy, my post was addressing your comment but then expanding to address the above arguments also (that in free games character names are lawless and 'unchallenged' but with a downside, no enforced law at all) As for the naming system alone, well I have already put forward the main reason: copywright infringement. Marvel is bringing NCsoft (the makers of City of Heroes) to court beacause of their lax attitude to CWed names and costume-design in their game. If that didn't tell every MMO to further tighten their naming policy I don't know what did.
I mean this with all due respect. When you tell me you're not that convinced by my arguments but then say that you've never "played a MMORPG ever" something doesn't add up. Really I don't think one can have a valid perspective on the issue without at least being part of the MMO experience once thus rendering you a viable judge of both PTP and free online games. Reviews and opinions mean little if you have no first-hand experience to draw from in order to make a comparison.
I never said that there aren't still idiots and griefers in a PTP MMO but trust me, if and when you do try one, you will certainly notice a difference. Again, it serves to screen out the serious gamers from the troublemakers. There are GM's there to report them to also and since you pay for their service they can quickly be banned/curtailed. See, you pay for a desirable amount of control too.
I haven't really judged Guild Wars itself before it's release, but rather all free online games. Yes, it's sad but I played free for years with bad experiences (insisted I'd never pay some company on a monhtly basis to play games) but after moving up I never looked back and can safely say my gaming experience has greatly improved in this environment.