Did WoW ruin the MMORPG genre?

I have been playing MMORPGs since the very first releases, and I will admit that it's difficult to get into new MMORPGs if you play several titles, because they all borrow from previous popular titles, and there's really only so much hack n slash leveling you can enjoy without the genre becoming stale, but I'm disappointed that most MMORPGs since WoW have chosen to follow the streamlined, easy-to-play-and-solo format that WoW made so popular. (Although I think Asheron's Call 2 was the first "big" title to really employ it.)

I tried LOTR online and found it to be a WoW rip-off. I really enjoyed MMORPGs when they didn't hold your hand as much. When quests were things you discovered by talking to the gaming community or exploring online sites that contained all the rare lore. When the character creation menu didn't actually spell out "TANK" to let you know what your role was in the game. When the game let you do stupid things like jumping off a cliff to your death in the first five minutes. It feels like most new MMORPGs are directed to the casual gamer who wants to play for a few minutes every few days and hit a "level cap" with little help from online gamers. (Level cap, ha!) It's notlike Everquest 1 whencertain classes pretty much had to team up in groups if they wanted to survive.

But most of all, I'm disappointed that skills and leveling have become so easy. Games like Asheron's Call had so many different directions for your skills. You could ampsomething as specific as yourjumping skill of all things if that's what you really wanted to concentrate on.

Anyone else feel this way about most of the new popular MMORPGs, and does anyone have a recommendation of a newer MMORPG that doesn't coddle you as much, and allows vast customization of your character?

It didn't ruin the genre, but it did simplify it. I was one of the earliestEverQuesters and I've watched just about each subsequent MMORPG get a little easier and a little easier until finally WoW came along. The first year of EQ was extremely punishing and very frustrating at times, but I think that's almost what we liked about it. Advancing to high levels, getting great equipment, and completing certain quests were badges of honor because they were so hard to get done. It meant you put in a lot of time, did level grinding, were great at grouping, etc. Now with WoW, much of that can be accomplished in a fraction of the time with much less effort, and I'd even go so far as to say with less player skill and technique.

But of course by doing that, WoW did what EQ and other MMORPGs never did, and that was attract a huge audience. As much as I'd like to say WoW dumbed down the genre, it really didn't. It just took out obstacles, glitches, and bad ideas that the other games had in order to make it less frustrating and more approachable. And in the end it offered up a different experience, that while it is easier doesn't make worse.

I do understand where you're coming from, and often find myself shaking my head at people who talk about how great WoW is and how great their character is when my gut reaction is to say, "Until you've taken an Erudite Shadow Knight up to level 50 you know nothing!!!" But you can't say WoW ruined the genre when more people are playing it than ever before.

i dont think wow has ruined all mmo's but i definately think its ruined people's attitudes to them. the fact is that most mmo players are, or were WoW players, and so whenever a new mmo comes out they all just slate it as a "WoW clone". for example, when lotro came out, tonnes of people were in the beta saying "oh WoW pwns this" or "they have just copied WoW", and they fail to see what makes games like that great inits own right, of course its guna be similar to WoW, just as counter strike is similar to just about every other fps in the world.... my brother was a serious die hard WoW platyer and he was the same until he quit, and now hes playing tonnes of other games, and doesnt regret leaving WoW as he knows that it can just ruin your life.

theres no denying that WoW is and always will be an amazing game, but there are just so many idiots playing it that they never bother considering any other mmo's, and think they are all crap

WoW didn't ruin anything, it just isn't your style. OneWingedAngeI

Exactly. Blizzard streamlined the experience so it would be easier to get into so it would appeal to more than just the hardcore RPG players.

It sounds to me like you want something more like Neverwinter Nights 2,it's not an MMO but you get my point.

As much as I'd like to say WoW dumbed down the genre, it really didn't. It just took out obstacles, glitches, and bad ideas that the other games had in order to make it less frustrating and more approachable. And in the end it offered up a different experience, that while it is easier doesn't make worse.

Robio_basic

Well said, and that is exactly how I feel. WOW cut away a lot things that were hurting the genre and making these games more frustrating than fun.

Wow got me into playing MMOs, yea its a little bit simple but for a first MMO thats all you want. Its simple to play, you don't need to put in a billion hours to hit the cap, there are some good, fun quests (but also a bunch of repetitive ones) and the classes are balanced enough to allow for soloing at 4am when the servers are empty.

They cut out the frustrating stuff (dieing is really not that big a deal) and the leveling grind. It still takes time to get to 70 but at least its possible.

if it wasnt for WoW id never of gotten into aMMORPG-DirtySanchez-

And that's the end of the argument right there. It may have steered the genre towards a more casual-friendly approach, but it popularized the genre, while also showing the way in the creative department. This kind of success is seldom random.

WoW didn't ruin the genre. It made the genre main stream. Probably all MMO's devs are happy to see such a successful MMO.

Most of the WoW players are new to the genre and sooner or later move to other MMO's, so it doesn't steal subscribers from other MMO's, it gives them.

I didn't take LOTRO as WoW ripoff. Yes, it has similar gameplay but so do 90% of other MMO's too, including Turbine's previous games. And LOTRO has better atmosphere and world than WoW.

YES. definitely. I have been saying this for half a decade. Search my name, you will find me ranting about blizzard killing the genre everywhere. Now MMORPGS are littered with entitled xbox kiddies who scream "this suxxors wow!!111 is the win" all day.

The most gratification ive felt in some time is reading the interview with the blizzard dev last month that said he's disgusted by what they did to the genre. His words not mine. Some excerpts about "too easy" and "what did we do!?!" but I digress. The preteens will still romp around being rude maggots in wow, and ill yearn for a day that a dev puts the community before his wallet and makes an mmo worth of the title. Until then wowkids, be very very thankful your uber tough arse is behind that pc screen in some far off corner of the world. The one and only place you can treat other people the way you do without getting your ribs cracked.

I know, I know, you'll kick my arse... lol

lol woops, that was the necro of a lifetime eh? >.<