MMO Diversity, Part 2: The Choices You Make...

Note: This article is mainly about Massively Multi-player Online Games, with a slight bleed into skill-based RPG's.

A quick recap of terms I've discussed and that I will continue to use:

Western MMO:
An MMO where characters choose clearly defined roles at the outset, characterized by little or no character branching and definite skill sets rather than point based skill tree systems.

Examples: Everquest, Dungeons and Dragons Online.

Eastern MMO:
An MMO where characters start off with initially unclear roles, and determine them by strict character branching with further branch-offs from point-based skill tree systems.

Examples: Ragnarok Online, Trickster Online, Maple Story

In the Western MMO, it's very hard to talk about my character. After all, what makes me different from anyone else? There's very few classes, and in those classes are very similar skills. How do I express myself if all I can say is 'I'm a level 30 warrior.' 'Oh.' Where is the choice or the diversity there? How am I any different from the faceless masses?

Considering the problems of Western MMO's, the Eastern MMO System seems like a comparative upgrade to the old Western MMO system. Why would one want static roles and a complete lack of choice in skill sets? Why shouldn't I have the freedom to decide whether my character has heal or not? Why shouldn't I look forward to when my Thief becomes an Assassin?

Problem 1: Hybridization

Throughout time immemorial, there have been 4 main party roles:
Thief (Single Target DPS).
Cleric (Heal Bi.. err. Healer.).
Mage (Crowd Control).
Warrior (Tank.)

When you have 32 classes divided up into these 4 roles, and possible combinations of those roles.. you have no idea what those classes end up as. Please, tell me, at first glance, what you think the difference between a Crusader and a Knight is? Crusader, Knight, Swordsman, Assassin, Rogue, Battle Smith, Monk? What do you think their roles are? Tanks? Damage/Tanks? Damage/Tank/Cleric? What makes these characters special besides the unique way they take/deal damage? How do you compare the relative benefits between a Crusader and a Knight? An Assassin and a Monk? When the classes come too close to one another, the difference between the two might be in Name (And looks) only.

Still, with a little effort, you could do it... I mean, what do I care if my Assassin and my Monk do similar things. Isn't it awesome that I have an Assassin? And a Kung-Fu Monk? Or better yet.. ASSASSIN MONK?

Problem 2: Focused Skill Sets

If you have one point in a skill, common knowledge says that it should be worse than a skill in which you have 9 points in.

Fair enough, that makes total sense. A skill in which you've invested in should be better than a skill in which you haven't. And it also makes total sense you should be able to 'pass up' bad abilities to further your good abilities. Who hasn't groaned when their thief in some game got the skill 'kick a little bit of sand in someone's eye' and wish that they could just possibly gouge that eye out?

However, this leads to dangerous scenarios where core abilities and utility spells are ignored in favor of the best abilities. It'd be slightly odd if the following scenario happened...

'Okay, Thief, sneak around that corner and kill the guard.'
'I err.. don't have points in sneak.'
'Okay, then steal the key off him.'
'I err.. don't have points in steal... but I can err.. stab him twice, really quickly.'
'...'

This frankly, wreaks havoc on the whole class-role system. You can't count on a person in that role to have to skill you need in a party system. Imagine a Healer who couldn't heal effectively, because he spent all his points on his 'holy attack' skill.

Furthermore, this problem kills game-play diversity. In our focus to make our good spells ... well... really good, we kill off any opportunity for our other spells. Any player who has spent the last 10 levels saving skill points to dump it all into 'Double Attack' of any type will know the feeling. Days and weeks are used leveling the same three skills over and over to their maximum power. Other skills are discarded into the dust. It is *so* important that we level our main skills that we do not deign even to "waste" a point in other spells.

Our game-play will be reduced to three-skills. And the system encourages it, otherwise, we're just being silly and weak, wanting 'too much.'

Problem 3: Fear of Experimentation + 'Cookie Cutter' builds.

The major problem with the skill point based system is that usually, each and every decision made with our skill points is final. We can't try out a skill before we sink a point into it. It's FINAL. Nothing is worse than the excitement of putting a skill point into our recently acquired skill of fiery explosion mark 3 and learning that.. well.. it sucks.

Which leads to a major fear of experimentation. Who has the time to level another character up to 60? 100? 200? How will I reconcile my desire to have a good play experience as well as the desire to have a character that remains useful? I limit myself. I limit my skills. I do research online to find the 'best' skills.

Which leads to the plethora of 'Cookie Cutter' builds. The established common builds that are supposedly better than any other build (Whether or not that's true or not, is up to the player.) Millions of people requesting help on how to build their characters. Millions of skills lying unused in the mud.

Problem 4: Obsoleting Skills feels like a punch to the gut

So, I have my shiny level 10 double attack skill. It rocks. Wait.. what's that? What do you mean in 10 levels, I get a triple attack skill? What? That totally sucks. I just got a new skill. I should be HAPPY. Instead, I feel like the game creators have just pulled a fast one on me and are now pointing and laughing.

Some skills are better than others. This is true.

Having skills that are simply better than others and obsoleting old skills that people have spent dozens of points on, while ignoring other ones, is like someone slapped you across the face.

Now, you could make level 10 double attack a pre-requisite for this awesome triple attack skill.. but then that pretty much means you've set the course for the player for the previous 10 levels. 'Hey! You better get level 10 double attack, or else.. You're going to suck!'

Compare this to the Western MMO, where if you get a triple attack skill, all players will scream 'Awesome', replace their double attack skill with the triple attack, and walk off feeling like they've been rewarded for invested their time into this so far.

Proble...

Well, actually, I've said enough about the skill tree system. The fact is, the sheer amount of customization you give to the players might be a terrible idea if the system also punishes them for customizing their characters in the wrong way. That, combined with the fact that more and more character classes generally leads to more confusing and less diverse gameplay tends to be more of a net negative in the end.

Join me for the next part, when we look at Modern MMOs and how they've addressed the issue of customization and avoiding these problems.