Originally Posted by
Biomega
Acting on an incentive isn't a WoW-invention, it's how people have always worked. Carrot-on-a-stick design isn't the problem, nor the point of debate - the nature of the carrot is. In WoW it's loot, whether powerful, pretty, or pet. Games like GW2 have tried to make the gameworld experience the carrot, and it has only been mildly successful. Understandably so, I think; in the end, we are all selfish bastards at heart and so the strongest incentive will always remain whatever caters to that the most. Whether that's amazing stats or amazing looks is another question, but it almost assuredly has to remain PERSONAL. The power of these sorts of incentives has been slowly invading most games and gaming platforms. Look at achievements, for example: they are nothing but imaginary badges designed to tell others how awesome you are. It's just one of the mechanisms to get players more involved with the game. Heck, even games that were traditionally without such a mechanic (like FPS or RTS) are all switching onto a system of persistent progression to keep people playing.
MMOs are destined to follow such a pattern almost by definition. After all, what good is it if you play with others but can't show them how badass you are? Might as well play single-player then, right? And there are only so many ways you can come up with to reward players with tools to show off their "uniqueness" and, dare I say it, "skill". In fact, at the core there are only two factors that matter: time and ability. Everything in the game is designed around these two, the differences are merely how you use them. But I guarantee you that it's going to be incentive-based, in whatever way. Nobody will sit there and kill 100.000 enemies just because the combat feels cool. It just won't happen, not with players being what and how they are.
That doesn't mean everything has to be a WoW-copy. WoW itself has copied many of its core concepts from other games. What distinguishes WoW, in my opinion, is the iterative nature of its endgame. It's an endless treadmill, driven by loot. You may like that, or you may not, but ask yourself: what other incentive could there be? Players WANT goals when they play, or they become bored very quickly. An engaging, beautiful game world will keep you occupied for a while, but even the biggest, prettiest sandbox becomes dull and repetitive in almost no time. That works in a single player game; you play it for a few hours, then you've had your fill and move on to the next game. It's a perfectly valid system, but it only works for single player games. As soon as you try to create a long-term, persistent multiplayer world, player boredom becomes your #1 enemy. Understandably so, as a multiplayer world lives off its inhabitants, and if you keep hemorrhaging players because they become bored, then the world will be underpopulated and the experience will suffer for everyone.
But, again, I'm in no way saying that every MMO needs to be WoW, or have a WoW-like endgame. But they all need something, some incentive, some carrot to dangle in front of people to keep them engaged. It would be nice if we were all devoted players that are in it for the experience alone - but that's just not how the majority of people think and play. It's not going to happen.