I think RPG was getting very good in 90s with games like Might & Magic 5/6/etc. But then EQ made big leap ahead and became better than all RPG. Now RPG come back with Witcher 3 and Skyrim and things that are big and pretty. But really not much under the hood? How can one enjoy a Witcher with 4 spells when 20 years ago I had a Necromancer with 50 interesting spells? And they had to be used together in correct combinations and with skill to work. Quad kiting, fear kiting, root rotting, and other methods were all interesting. And you had to learn different methods for solo, grouping, duos, solo indoors, etc.
But everyone loves Skyrim where you just shoot fire out your hand until enemies are toasted? WTF? EQ had factions that change based on what you do and you can influence. Wandering enemies that roam and might fight you based on your faction. Classes had different gameplay and feel and were planned to have good abilities and spells but balanced to not be too easy. Enemies would flee sometimes when injured, they hit people who sit, they attack healers or someone with too big nukes. EQ at classic had about 1000 spells! Skyrim has about 10% of that EQ had lava areas, deserts, forests, plains, swamps, many dungeons, hundreds of enemy types, etc.. Skyrim has either grass or snow. Most dungeons are copy pasted and very small and simple, no traps or hidden rooms or anything, and most enemies are draugr or wolves...
But one sells 22 million+ and one is forgotten. How can people enjoy a sandbox world when there is not much to do and discover? I lose all interest fast. I never lost interest in EQ because there was so much to discover.
Also MMO was still advancing. Vanguard had many new ideas that are good. Skyrim has no ideas and less things than even Oblivion and Morrowind. So MMOs were developing and growing, RPGs have been dying. But now it seems like MMOs have died.
But everyone loves Skyrim where you just shoot fire out your hand until enemies are toasted? WTF? EQ had factions that change based on what you do and you can influence. Wandering enemies that roam and might fight you based on your faction. Classes had different gameplay and feel and were planned to have good abilities and spells but balanced to not be too easy. Enemies would flee sometimes when injured, they hit people who sit, they attack healers or someone with too big nukes. EQ at classic had about 1000 spells! Skyrim has about 10% of that EQ had lava areas, deserts, forests, plains, swamps, many dungeons, hundreds of enemy types, etc.. Skyrim has either grass or snow. Most dungeons are copy pasted and very small and simple, no traps or hidden rooms or anything, and most enemies are draugr or wolves...
But one sells 22 million+ and one is forgotten. How can people enjoy a sandbox world when there is not much to do and discover? I lose all interest fast. I never lost interest in EQ because there was so much to discover.
Also MMO was still advancing. Vanguard had many new ideas that are good. Skyrim has no ideas and less things than even Oblivion and Morrowind. So MMOs were developing and growing, RPGs have been dying. But now it seems like MMOs have died.
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