"Designing the Anti-MMO" Editorial

At Ten Ton Hammer, we often talk about the improvements we'd like to see in a specific MMORPG or in the genre as a whole. This latest set of network-wide editorials takes a different tack: we're designing the anti-MMO, a massively multiplayer game so chock full of wrongheaded notions on MMO design, you couldn't log out and unsubscribe fast enough. Is it the worst MMO never to be made, or will you find a little of the anti-MMO in your favorite massively multiplayer game?

"And, ah, quest types. Kill and delivery tasks: the dynamic duo. The time anti-developer's designers save on writing real quests can be put into writing lines and lines of typo-rife quest dialogue. Anti-developer will force players to read this one-small-step-up-from-fanfic drivel by displaying the dialogue character by tedious character. Most gamers are by nature roleplayers, not to mention absolute lore addicts. And who doesn't love repeatable quests for a modicum of experience and a weak potion or two? It's like someone took the best aspects of the grind and real quests and baked it all together in one pie. Multi-step quests are ok, provided players are required to return to the quest giver upon completing each of the dozen or so steps. And who can forget the scads of collection quests and other inventory intensive quests? Gamers studying for their degree in logistics enjoy the challenge of managing dozens of otherwise useless items."

Keep reading to learn more about Ethec's Anti - MMO.Agree with his thoughts? Think he's lost his mind...again (grin)? Tell us in the forums right here at Ten Ton Hammer!