The Archenemy of MMORPGs...

[Val the Moofia Boss]

RNG! I hate RNG so much! And why does EVERY single MMORPG have to use it? So, damn frustrating!

What's your archenemy when it comes down to MMORPGs?

[mickybrighteyes]

RNG! I hate RNG so much! And why does EVERY single MMORPG have to use it? So, damn frustrating!

What's your archenemy when it comes down to MMORPGs?

RNG isn't unique to MMO's it's part of every RPG and, I'd say, every game currently known.

Without the randomness it just gets old and turns into counting turns/cycles till you finish something.

My archenemy in MMO's? Idiots I spend far too much time trying to explain simple things like "move as a unit and not die"

[Nnyco]

RNG is not the archenemy of mmo's its more the small brother of em, always following around, if you like it or not

[Graeham]

The role-play community. On one hand I love it because role-play itself allows me to keep myself invested in an MMO I enjoy even during periods of content stagnation. On the other hand a lot of influential role-players are really horrible, spiteful and manipulative. I've seen so many great people stabbed in the back by their fellow role-players and more often than not it's over something really bizarre or petty.

[PizzaSHARK]

RNG! I hate RNG so much! And why does EVERY single MMORPG have to use it? So, damn frustrating!

What's your archenemy when it comes down to MMORPGs?

RNG is an RPG thing, not just MMO's. RNG exists to make combat more "exciting", since direct player involvement is limited in RPGs. It's not like, say, a shooter, where everything can be 100% the same (gun will always spread in a specific pattern, etc) and it's still exciting because players have a lot of very direct involvement, with aiming, movement, etc.

RNG can be fine in a game as long as it's not so powerful that it can automatically decide the outcome of an action. Games like D&D have implemented systems like "take 10" and feats or skills that basically let you re-roll some actions, or average multiple rolls together. It keeps the "excitement" of RNG in place while giving the player some ability to influence it a bit so you're less likely to get one of those "5% chance of BECAUSE FUCK YOU" situations.

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The role-play community. On one hand I love it because role-play itself allows me to keep myself invested in an MMO I enjoy even during periods of content stagnation. On the other hand a lot of influential role-players are really horrible, spiteful and manipulative. I've seen so many great people stabbed in the back by their fellow role-players and more often than not it's over something really bizarre or petty.

Like... in-character, or out of character? What's wrong with backstabbing and betrayal in-character?

[Bathory]

Figured the arch enemy of an MMO is real life.

[Graeham]

Like... in-character, or out of character? What's wrong with backstabbing and betrayal in-character?

There's nothing wrong with IC intrigue, I'm referring strictly to the OOC stuff. Like someone deliberately infiltrating a guild with the intention of destroying it so they and their friends can have the perceived monopoly over a particular niche. Or the excessive amount of nasty OOC drama that emerges over character relationships gone awry.

[PizzaSHARK]

There's nothing wrong with IC intrigue, I'm referring strictly to the OOC stuff. Like someone deliberately infiltrating a guild with the intention of destroying it so they and their friends can have the perceived monopoly over a particular niche. Or the excessive amount of nasty OOC drama that emerges over character relationships gone awry.

Man, you RPers get hardcore into this stuff, huh?

[kail]

IMO, interface ques are the enemy of MMOs. Less traveling in the world when you simply que up and get teleported to whatever you need to do.

[zealo]

IMO, interface ques are the enemy of MMOs. Less traveling in the world when you simply que up and get teleported to whatever you need to do.

Id say the ability to teleport in general can be a bit of a bad influence for MMO games but have played real sandbox ones, so suppose that is where that opinion comes from for me.

[Ausr]

Seems like someone also got double gold rewards from the world boss today.

[Tekkommo]

People that complain about RNG.

[Deleted]

RNG! I hate RNG so much! And why does EVERY single MMORPG have to use it? So, damn frustrating!

Do you have any MMO in mind in particular when you wrote that?
If you were thinking about WoW I suggest you check some japanese MMO like FFXI before you whine about RNG :P

[Aqueous]

I understand what the OP means. IMO, RNG is both the archenemy and the cornerstone of MMOs, it's what gives them longevity but restricts the fun involved.

Thing about RNG is it allows developers to artificially enhance the amount of content in their game. If an item you want has a 10% chance of dropping, it won't drop guaranteed after 10 kills. It may drop earlier, it may drop later. However, in the case where you want multiple items (ie. all the time) the amount of time you play will be the amount of time it takes to get the last item. So, the vast majority of time at least one of the items you want will take longer than 10 kills to obtain, increasing the play time required.

Personally I don't think MMOs will ever step up to the next level until one comes out that is as engaging as WoW, allows full freedom for the player to do as they wish (ie. reduction of restrictions on certain end-game tasks) and dispenses of RNG. Until then, they'll always be the same.

[Kaganfindel]

The assumption that all PvE content that isn't raiding is something you do to prepare a character to raid.

[Deleted]

The role-play community. On one hand I love it because role-play itself allows me to keep myself invested in an MMO I enjoy even during periods of content stagnation. On the other hand a lot of influential role-players are really horrible, spiteful and manipulative. I've seen so many great people stabbed in the back by their fellow role-players and more often than not it's over something really bizarre or petty.

Strangely true, many RPers are their own worst enemies. I started out on RP servers in 2005, and often tried again after, but every single time I got picked on for bizarre reasons and not adhering to someone else's weird rules (made-up rules, not standard RP behaviour). These guys can be *mean*.


Then they complain that nobody plays on RP servers.

[Deleted]

I have pointed this out several times in threads and within games themselves, but you can have a better version of RNG in a game; I say better, but obviously it's subjective. However, here's how it would work:

It's simple, really. Let's say an item has a 1% chance of dropping. So, basically, 1 out of 100. Now, we all know statistics are bullshit where RNG is concerned, and you won't be guaranteed an item after 100 tries, nor does the chance of dropping change even if you're on your 99th try. However, statistically, it would be dropping once every 100 tries.

Now, the problem with RNG is luck. Luck isn't fair. If luck was fair, everyone would be a lottery winner. But it's not. Some get lucky, others don't. Luck is also something that may or may not exist; scientists might err on the side of saying there's no such thing as luck. But, it sure as hell seems like it sometimes. So, to make sure you get the item when you actually need to get it (on the 100th try at the latest), you could have a growing chance of getting the drop.

For example, for the first 50 tries at least, the chance of dropping an item would grow very little. It'd be around 1-3% maybe. Then, the curve would start to grow towards a 100% so that it would reach 100% on the 100th try. You might still be at like 25% chance on the 90th try. It'd be some kind of a curve, and mathematicians would be able to figure out a smart one to use here. Just so that at the latest you'd get it on the 100th try.

This way, those who would've gotten lucky before, would still be able to get lucky and get it on the 1st try or 10th try. However, there would be nobody going for the drop for their 200th or 300th time just because their shit luck.

I'm sure it's not a perfect system, but at least there'd be some kind of a "cap" or a "wall" you could work towards to make sure you finally get there, unless you get there earlier thanks to good RNG. The way the system is now, you can go 1000 tries and not get a 1% drop.

[blackblade]

I'm sure it's not a perfect system, but at least there'd be some kind of a "cap" or a "wall" you could work towards to make sure you finally get there, unless you get there earlier thanks to good RNG. The way the system is now, you can go 1000 tries and not get a 1% drop.

Here's the thing.

I don't have ashes of alar, (and frankly, will likely never get them considering how lightly i've been farming it)

I do have several other rarities, like a disgusting oozeling, Reins of the Raven Lord, and a handful of other low-chance-to-drop goodies.

I don't know many people who hunt rares passionately, who do not have at least 1 or 2 1% drops. If you want to bypass RNG, the BMAH is a good bet. and you can "work towards" getting enough gold to get that 1% mount that dosen't seem to drop for you in whatever instance.

[barackopala]

You could play firefall, it has got no RNG then, just crafting

[Deleted]

If you want to bypass RNG, the BMAH is a good bet

Here's the thing; the BMAH doesn't exist in all games, and can't be used as the kind of crutch you're talking about. Not sure what gave you the idea I was talking about WoW. RNG existed in quite a few games long before WoW came around.