The term grind traditionally comes from EverQuest. It means sitting in a place and slaughtering countless mobs for long periods of time to make a little bit of experience. It has a notoriously bad connotation and I can see why. You put in a lot of work for a little progress and a single death could take hours away from you. We still do the same thing today but instead we call them quests. I am not part of “we,” though. I call these things chores. Boring, mindless, pointless, chores that your boss gives you at work because he sees you sitting still for one minute and cannot handle that fact. Eleven out of every ten quests are dull and we don’t even respect them enough to read the text. Developers know it so they just color the map for us. Talk to Skippy the wonder rat and run over here. Quest done! That is totally so much better than sitting in a dungeon and killing monsters! That is an entirely different article. To get back on point, in this case when I say grind I am referring only to the speed at which you level. My point is that we need to level slower.

The attitude that has become prevalent among all players these days is that the game starts at max level. This notion used to be reserved only for the super elite like myself (I am no longer a super elite by the way). By that I mean those of us who invested our time in raiding competitively. Everything prior to that was fluff for the masses. We cheated ourselves the great experiences between 1 and max so we could get on to what we deemed fun. That was okay for a small minority of us. That is disastrous for the average player. The average player probably doesn’t want to throw away the majority of their free time dying to a raid mob. It is because of players like me that everyone assumes level 1 to max is worthless and for that I apologize.

As guilty as my ilk and I are in this regard developers have fallen into that mentality too. MMOs are designed to have really interesting beginnings so you become hooked but as you progress content starts to noticeably thin. Middle content is a very low priority behind end content because it is so transitory. Why spend a ton of hours designing a mid level dungeon when players burn through those levels in two days or less? Why indeed! After all, designers need to spend those cycles working on end game content to entertain the huge sum of average players capping out at alarming rates. The cycle is vicious and self supporting.

It seems that this all is justified by the idea that leveling fast makes a player happy. Leveling rapidly and reaching max level fills us with glee! Right? As far as I can tell, and someone may disagree with me, the answer is no. In fact it seems like they’re less happy. I knew hordes of mid level EQ players who were thrilled to explore the massive world and experience all that it had to offer. They could find neat places, dive into a few different dungeons per level range, and generally live in Norrath. This and more was available at release mind you. I’m not talking about ten years later. I’m talking classic EQ1 and then maybe the Kunark addition. These players were typical and many never reached max and they never cared. I’ve also seen horde after horde of average players cap out in MMO after MMO and complain of being bored or having to just grind gear to do anything. Then, when the next game comes out, they go repeat the process there. This is turning into an almost parental situation. You can’t always let your kids have what they want. Sometimes you have to give them what they need. What players need is to realize that MMORPGs, for the majority of them, are a journey, not a destination.

I think it is time to set the clock back and slow down those dings. MMORPGs need to adopt the Dungeons & Dragons model once more where the game is less about reaching the next level and more about enjoying the ride. If it took longer than two days to cross the mid levels we’d see more time invested there. If there were more interesting things to do in the middle, players wouldn’t shot gun through them so quickly. Death won’t set you back hours anymore so progress will always be forwards. Why then do we cling to this new tradition of easy levels and top heavy games?

My assumption is that everyone assumes that grinding means people will lose interest. They assume the WoW players won’t stand for it. To anyone who believes those two things I have something to say. WoW players do not matter. Everyone assumed that when that game hit 11 million players that would bust the industry wide open. Other games could do the same or draw those players off. That has not happened. WoW players jump on new MMOs for three months or less and leave. The market of non-WoW MMO players is still growing at a small rate and those are the people we need to develop for.

In evaluating my last point I’m sure someone will use Aion as an example as why my idea won’t work. I’d argue that Aion better fits my argument than the counter point. Aion has more of a grind than western MMOs, which players complain about, but it offers nothing compelling in the mid levels! Based one my earlier points I have to say of course it is a grind! They took the dull, chore-based system we have now and made the levels slower! Who wants to do that? The game is on a single rail and doesn’t allow you to deviate. As such, this example unjustly classifies the grind. If you’re going to use a grind you have to commit to it and Aion just didn’t. Not in the way EverQuest and other early MMOs did.

Some of you may not be aware but we have been streaming the Multiverse live as we record it. Our hope was that we’d have some user participation in the chat room and on episode ten it happened! If you click on that live link there you will be able to listen as we do the show. You can then click on chat and talk to us as we record! This discuss lead to some great things in this weeks episode and I’ve love to have more of that. I want to say thank you to everyone who came out. To everyone else, please consider listening in and participating in chat. We record every Friday night around 19:00 (7pm) EST. We’d love to have you.

One episode ten we discussed the viability of linear expansions. Who needs a level cap increases says I! Check out episode ten over at the Multiverse site or on iTunes.

At the start of your murder mystery you’ll find that the inhabitants of the Erudin Library do not want you there. You’re not from their side of the tracks and they want you gone! In the pursuit of justice you may slaughter as you see fit. After all, you can’t solve a murder without committing a few hundred, right? Clearing the first room should be swift and you’ll find Archivist Fahim waiting in the middle for you. He is a bit cocky and assumes you’re a bunch of scrubs. When you engage him large bookshelves will rise from the floor and leave only a single way into the middle area. Be mindful of that at the start as they will break line of sight to your tank. Beyond that Fahim really is the scrub. He doesn’t do anything impressive and should easily be dispatched. Once he has fallen the book shelves will rearrange and make a staircase for you to ascend. Be mindful that you may find the body in this room, the Archives. You may also find a clue here so keep your eye out for different colored ?s. These are the clues I mentioned early.

Follow the book case up and clear the balcony area of the archives. When you work your way to the back side of the room you’ll see a teleporter. Once you know there aren’t any more clues you can hop into it and take it to the next area. In this area you’ll find a few mobs to kill but no named. You’ll also find the Pantry. This is another place that the murder could have occurred. Make sure there isn’t a body stuffed into something unusual in there. On the wall opposite the teleporter back down you’ll see a big symbol. Click on it and it will open the mesh grate that protects the stairs. You can then ascend once more. About midway up you’ll notice a door on the right. Head inside to find a Tesla coil that is pretty fun to see. You can also find a clue in here so be sure to check this room. At the top of the stairs you’ll find mobs once more and you’ll eventually end up at a large opening into the Observatory.

In the observatory you will find Shahrivar the Unquenchable waiting for you. He doesn’t have any tricks up his sleeve for the most part but he is quite capable of beating you senseless if you let him. Shahrivar hits pretty hard and does have a minor power drain so keep that in mind before engaging him. Beyond that you can just keep your tank healed up well and lay into him with your DPS. The fight would be quite difficult without any sort of mana regeneration. Hopefully, though, you can use Plan Thax* on him and be victorious. You may also find clues in the observatory along the walls and hidden behind little nooks and crannies. Be sure you police the room before heading out into the open area.

In this main area you’ll find a lot of mobs flying around on discs to your left. This includes Conservator Haidar who we’ll get to momentarily. On the right side you’re going to find the Stacks. This is another area where you can find clues or a body. You’re also going to find three servants who will help you figure out who the killer was. Each one will give you a list of names in regards to one of the clues you’ve found or the body. Once you have all three and you talk to each servant you can pretty much use the process of elimination to figure out the killer’s identity. Whoever each servant mentions is the killer in the Erudin Library! If you haven’t found the body and two clues yet you may have to come back.

Clear the stack areas before returning to the main part of the hall so that you may talk to the servants and hunt for clues. Once you’ve done this it is time to lay into Conservator Haidar. Unlike the previous named throughout the Erudin Library, Conservator Haidar has a dirty little trick up his sleeve. Ever so often he is going to curse three of your guild mates. This curse is no joke, either. When it goes off it is going to deal some serious damage. The longer the fight goes the bigger this curse appeared to be (at least to me). Your best bet here is to use overwhelming DPS and drop Haidar as soon as you can. He doesn’t have a lot of hit points or mitigation so it shouldn’t be too hard. Just be ready to group heal and ensure that your most important folks are cured. Once Haidar has died return to the stacks. Head into the far room where only one servant is. Behind him you’ll note that one of the library walls is click-able. Do so and it will reveal a stairway up.

When you reach the top of the stairs you’ll see a teleporter that seems to be a bit off color. Don’t immediately run into it because… ITS A TRAP. Prepare your group for an extended fight and be sure everyone is in the room. When you step on the teleporter an alarm will sound and some very nasty minotaurs will come running up the stairs. Defeat them and more will come! Once you’ve finished off all of the usual scrubs you’ll be assaulted by Zulfiqar the Indomitable! Like many of the other bosses he doesn’t have any gimmicks to note. Zulfiqar is just another mob that wants to beat you senseless and he does a good job of it too. Don’t let him have his way, though! Turn the tables, beat him down, and claim your reward. Once you’ve done so you can hop into the now useful teleporter and head up to the Grand Hall.

The grand hall does not have any named mobs in it but it does have a lot of triple ups that will come in pairs or more if you’re not careful. Use body aggro as much as possible to separate out the mobs. As you clear the area be sure to look for clues. You may even find the murder weapon here. When all the mobs have been dispatched click on the three wall symbols and a magical staircase will be built. If you don’t have your clues yet you need to venture back into the Erudin Library to find them. If you do have all your clues you can talk to Head Archivist Farooq to make your accusation. Much like in clue you need to say who did it, where and with what. Once you have done this the person you accuse will fly down and attack you. Each done does something slightly different but the ones I’ve fought aren’t overly hard. If you guess correctly they’ll say something like “I’d have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you meddling adventurers.” If you guess wrong they’ll talk about your flawed logic. Defeating the correct one gives you a better shot at an exquisite chest. With the death of the murderer you’re now a hero despite the fact that you killed a hundred or so denizens of the Erudin Library!

* Plan Thax was developed back in the Iniquity days of raiding. The plan is complex but very useful. In essence it involves you reducing the mob’s hit points to 0 prior to it reducing yours to 0. This has been very successful in the past.

I don’t want to spend a lot of time “defining terms” but I will need to do a little bit of that. The features I’m refer to are the “value adds” outside of the core. Being able to group is no longer a feature. That is a core part of MMOs. I’m going to avoid things like that and talk about the extras that make life easier. You’ll probably disagree on some things so feel free to chime in with your own! I also want to note that “successful launch” doesn’t mean developers just saying it was because the game didn’t go nuclear. Every MMO has been a “successful launch” according to their company (actually I’m pretty sure almost every over hyped MMO last year claimed “most successful launch to date”). Players, however, have had a drastically different opinion on the subject. I’m more concerned with their view.

This may not be considered an in game feature but the lack of it in some recent releases has been astounding. Even if a developer (wrongly) opts for no official forum you still must have an official support forum. New players to MMOs do not know to go to fan sites for support. They want to go to the game’s site for support. This is not unreasonable. There will be problems on day, week and month one. Have a central support area with frequent problems so frustration is reduced!

These days you also have to have a trial. Once more, not every new player is going to know to sign up for open beta. They also might be hesitant to buy a title based on what little information is available on the web (which may be negative). Not having a trial is like saying, “I’m not confident that actually playing my title will sell it.” If trial keys are only available via a code from a paid account that is fine. Just make sure there is some way that the less dedicated players can get in for a little while.

New MMOs frequently focus heavily on the early play experience to get good reviews and build customer trust. The higher players get, however, the thinner the experience. In an industry where leveling is no longer difficult or even long this practice has to change. The focus can’t just be the beginning; it now must also be the end. Ensure that players have something substantial to do at max level for a while. Battlegrounds and PvP does not meet this qualification (unless your game is PvP focused). Too many games have seen a large quantity of players cap out and then talk about how dull the game is. This turns off people and causes them to wait on that purchase. Let the middle be thin! You can fill that in later and it is transitory. Start strong, end strong.

If your game has any sort of skill choices, talent trees, or advancement points you can’t start without the ability to reset those choices. New games mean pioneer justice. Nobody knows what is good or how you’re going to change it from day to day. Players will feel frustrated when they “choose incorrectly” and are stuck with it. Respecs in an MMO are not a frill anymore. They’re not a kindness. They’re a necessity. It is fine if they’re not instant or if the player has to work for it. The point is that two minutes after I log in and pick my first skill I should be able to begin the process of undoing that choice.

The ability to “return home” is also a necessity these days. Players like the option to gate or hearth back to a known point of reference. MMOs also have issues at release with people getting stuck. Don’t make this a customer service issue! Throw the player a hearth stone so they can get themselves out of a jam. CSRs will be happier and so will the players.

To go along with the hearth ability players also need some simple form of reference. A map needs to be included even if it doesn’t do anything other than act as a map. I’m not saying mark quest locations on it (even if that is becoming standard). I’m not saying put guild and group mates on it. I’m just saying give the equivalent to a paper map so players don’t get completely lost.

Having a personal bank is no longer a frill either. Bag space is at a premium these days and some games throw a ton of junk loot and quest items at players during the leveling process. The bank doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to be there. Throw some slots the player’s way and worry about the upgrades to the system later.

In addition to a bank you also need a basic mail system or ability to get items from one person to another without having to meet them. I personally don’t care if you can even send a “letter.” Just put a tube system in like a bank where I can drop some boots in and send them off to Dresden. Worry about message and spam filters later! Just give us UPS.

We’re also going to need a method by which to sell things. I know auction houses are incredibly complex pieces of code in comparison to other features. I don’t believe games must have the full blown auction house at release. I’m sure many will disagree there but I stand by it. Everything doesn’t have to be instant gratification immediately. A UO style vendor in a set place like EQ1’s bazaar is just fine. As long as I can sell things when I’m not online we’re good to go.

The final piece is somewhat like the auction house in the sense that it isn’t a simple feature. I still see too many MMOs neglect it, though, and that just isn’t an option. A new MMO must have stellar support for player organizations. Guilds keep players playing more than anything else. Give them the tools to do that. They need a guild window, a channel or two, ways to pass information like a MotD and other features of that nature. Don’t skimp on the community tools!

With just those ten features I can see a lot of the major issues that have plagued 2008 and 2009 releases mitigated. Players might complain a lot and seem needy but if your experience is compelling and we have the basic tools we’re used to, even if they’re not as flashy as another product’s, we’ll be fine. Some WoW tourists might not stay but then let’s be honest, they’re going back to WoW anyway. That shouldn’t be the target market anymore anyway!

I can’t begin to tell you how thrilling it was to do this episode. Our guests are always awesome but Brian has been quite a cool character when it comes to dealing with me. We’ve written a joint blog article, played some LotRO together and had a few conversations about the industry. Getting him on the show was totally awesome (or in more 80s speak, awesome to the max). The show ended up going so long that we just couldn’t get it into one episode. That said, Karen and I just couldn’t handle leaving anything on the cutting room floor. Karen went over and beyond the call of duty when it comes to editing and made sure we had a side B for episode 7. Listen to Side A and Side B to hear the awesome conversation we had with Brian.

It is also important for me to send out a huge thank you to Alan, Aimee and Robyn for taking the time to mention us on SOE community podcast 80. If you haven’t listen to their show yet I highly recommend it. It is a great source of SOE news and they do a good job of responding to fans. This is easy access to all the secrets so check them out and learn about your favorite SOE title! Next week on a View from the Top we’ll have Kiara from SOE so also check that out too! We’re looking forward to having her join us!

Battlegrounds are basically the lowest form of PvP in an MMO. They’re brought out and touted as a valuable feature but in reality they do far more harm than good in most products. In a game like Warhammer Online they work because they offer players an opportunity to escape the open world zerg-fest but still advance the core of the game. In a PvE game, however, they’re very detrimental.

When it comes to a PvE focused product like World of Warcraft or Everquest II battlegrounds really aren’t all that useful. They’re set up in these two games as an entirely separate product. Characters are pulled out of the world, breaking immersion, and thrown into a can with other unfortunate souls and forced to battle over what is essentially nothing. The outcome has no effect on the world. These battles are meaningless. You fight and die in repetitive competitions for tokens.

Tokens purchase gear that has been designed specifically for PvP (which I’m glad for but it still is necessary to note for my point). This gear is usually less effective in PvE content than gear you’d receive from doing that content. This does more to create a very clear separation between the PvE and PvP version of the MMO you’re playing. No real value is added to the opposite side of the game. Players simply have one more thing to do.

I’ve said in the past that having one more thing to do does not necessarily add value to an MMO. This is especially true when that activity is far from the core of the product. Battlegrounds are largely an excuse for the lack of content because a developer can suggest that they offer a different experience every time. Anyone who has done the same battleground for the 20th time can attest that there are subtle differences but each experience is largely a slight variation of the prior outings. Even when fighting a “smarter opponent” you are still limited by the random engine, spell lists, and gear. Fighting one ranger will be similar to fighting another.

For PvP to be successful and not a tack on feature it needs to be integrated throughout the world from the onset like it has been in successful titles in the past. Games like UO and DAoC both had a very strong PvE experience coupled with supplementary PvP. Characters could move seamlessly from one form of play to the other without losing immersion or being taken away from the primary game. These implementations were very successful but are frequently not replicated, which is interesting.

In my eyes it comes down to one simple fact. If you have to build a huge wall between your PvE and PvP so that characters are literally transported from one game to the other and back, you don’t need both experiences. The money spent on those systems would be better spent focusing on the primary aspect of the MMO. If we’re going to keep the vE and vP separate lets do it by MMO. Do we really convert a lot of accounts from the minority feature set players to warrant supporting them? As a PvE focused player I know I got out of Warhammer Online pretty quick once I figured out “something for everyone” actually meant, “we’re going to put an afterthought of PvE in and that should be enough for you. Go RvR!” Oh I RvR’d right into another product and I’m not the only one.

Join us this week for a interview with Syp, as well as our short-term and long-term predictions for the future of MMORPGs. Of course, we also talk about the week’s news (*cough* Allod’s *cough*) and have some fun discussing games and movies past.

We also change things up a little bit and turn Ferrel’s Guild Tip of the Week into Uncle Ferrel’s Story Hour. By request! See, you can’t say we don’t listen.

Here are the notes for today’s show:

Vagary Homepage
Subscribe to the Show
iTunes Feed
Direct Download

Intro

Welcome, intro Syp, what’s been up this past week?
What have we been playing?

News

Rumor: Final Fantasy 11 Closing – Has since been debunked.
LotRO Volume I Update
Allod’s Online – The Cash Shop is a Lie

Round Table

Topic I: Syp: The Interview
Topic II: The Future of MMOs: Our Predictions

Host Segments

Uncle Ferrel’s Story Hour
Riknas’s Rant: Expansions
Chris’s Blog of the Week: The Greenskin/Snaffy’s Place – Good luck, Snaffy!

Close

Shout Outs/Plugs
Check out Syp’s blog at: biobreak.wordpress.com!
Contact us at: multiversepodcast@gmail.com

The most interesting thing about the fusion system is that the forge has been moved to a Facebook exclusive feature. As you might imagine this can be more than a little annoying for those of us who play on the iPhone. When I want to forge I basically have to go to a computer and log into Facebook. I also open my friends there up to some annoying updates. Hopefully that particular change won’t last long.

This update to the fusion system has brought with it some positive changes, though. Instead of a very limited amount of items based on holiday rewards, there is now a large amount of weapons, armor, and accessories to upgrade from the basic to a special version. This essentially gives players access to items that traditionally required respect points. This is a great change and generally adds another element of fun to Epic Pet Wars. You have the opportunity to craft a little and I can see the system expanding in the future.

On the other side of this I’ve been struggling with my pet since level 170. There has not been an upgrade to investments since level 140 and item prices continue to soar. I’m hoping that at 180 there will be some relief but I’m starting to wonder if Miraphonic has left out a lot of items in the 170+ range. The newest accessory is level 150 and I haven’t seen a new usable since 148. Spells are even worse since the last one available is level 121. The only items that seem to continue to show up are weapons and armor but they’re impossible to afford and throw you into a negative cash flow. This has made leveling very tedious. I’ve had to purchase an inferior weapon just to keep in the positive.

All is not bad in the upper Epic Pet War levels, though. Battles have become less cheesy and more interesting. Miraphonic has recently changed the system so that the aggressor does not always attack first. Which pet goes first depends on level and posse these days with a little randomness thrown in. This has made it much more dangerous to try to defeat pets when you’re low on hit points or particularly weak on armor yourself. Players in my level range also seem to do a better job of keeping their gear on par so my level grind via easy wins has slowed. I don’t have a problem with that, though!

Bosses have been changed up quite a bit too. They’re no longer a simple matter of eating enough defense food to survive and then kill quickly affairs. Some are now virtually immune to melee and must be defeated with a cleaver use of spells. I enjoyed figuring out how to win and defeating the encounter. A new boss has also been added so some content is flowing in.

All told Epic Pet Wars continues to improve and I hope to see some smoothing of the high end game soon. We need some new investments and, most importantly, we need to have the forge available on the iPhone! If you’d like to join my posse use the code kremolb and the redeem code payssjeu to earn you and I a few respect points!

Listen to the Raid Leader – It might shock you to know that a lot of people don’t do this. Many MMO players get distracted with a web site, whispers, television, or whatever other excuse they can come up with to not give the guy in charge the common courtesy of their attention. If you’re new DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE of not listening and paying attention. It will show and you’ll get a bad reputation immediately. Listen to every word, hear them (this IS different than listening) and understand them. If you don’t get something, send a quick and easy tell asking for further explanation.

Do as you’re told – Another shocking realization! A lot of MMO raiders don’t follow instructions. This is usually because they didn’t listen. If the raid leader tells you to move left when he says to, MOVE LEFT. Doing so will already elevate you above the rest of the lot. Having raiders that follow instructions is like crack for guys like me.

Do some homework – If you know what raid you’re going to be doing, ask some questions from veterans before you go. You’ll never understand it until you experience it but try to know a little something about it. Don’t read strategies, though! Your raid leader might do things differently. You should do it his way, not yours. Don’t point out that X guild on Y server does it Z way. You’re new and don’t know the situation on the ground. Don’t be a backseat leader on your first outing.

Be prepared – If you show up to your raid without your gear fully repaired and the consumables you need please don’t come to a second raid. In fact, forget the whole thing. People who’ve been raiding a while do this and it is inexcusable. Repair your gear, get the items you need and be prepared! Better preparation means more success.

Don’t worry about loot – You’re new here. If you get anything consider yourself lucky. Raiding is about experiencing content and winning. It isn’t about you getting loot. If you think it is, you really need to consider another line of play. If anyone ever tells you it is about loot you need to find another guild. Loot is a tool, nothing more. It lets you know you’re appreciated and it lets you progress to harder raids. Focus on the win. Loot will come later.

Don’t pester the raid leader with trivial things – If you don’t understand an instruction it is perfectly find to send a tell to ask. You may be redirected but it is better to know than not. Don’t bother the raid leader in the middle of the raid with silly things, though. Don’t ask to change group or how many mobs until yours. That person has a lot going on and doesn’t need further annoyance.

Expect some yelling or stern words – Raiding is somewhat like being in the military. Each raid has a leader and that person will dictate instructions to everyone else. Don’t get your feelings hurt if you’re yelled at a little bit. That is par for the course. If your raid leader is belligerent and demeaning, however, I’d suggest going elsewhere. It doesn’t take “the more DoTs” guy to win. Trust me.

Don’t worry about the parse too much – On your first raid you should be more concerned with following all the instructions and reacting well than being the top DPS player. Be sure you don’t do horrible but as long as you’re around the same place as others in your class you’re fine. Don’t get too hung up on that parse.

This is a team sport – I’m sure you’ve heard this before but you need to hear it again. Raiding is a team effort. No matter how awesome you think or actually are, you’re not going to defeat current tier raid content solo. You probably couldn’t get together with five of the best players around and defeat it either. You need friends. Always be mindful of that. The guild that works together wins together.

Don’t wander – Don’t poke your nose around the zone. Stay with the class. Doing so will get you and likely the raid killed. This will anger everyone. Don’t wander away from your PC without telling someone or for long periods of time. You’re there to raid, you can do whatever it is after in most cases.

There are many more aspects to being a raider but if you follow this basic guide you’ll do alright. If you follow it closely you might end up being one of the favorite raiders of the leader. Some of these things people just don’t do and, if we find players who pay attention and the like, we love them!

When an MMO raises its level cap I see it as an attempt to do one of two things. The first is to increase the length of time a player will take to consume a new expansion. The second is to allow head room for developers and create what is believed to be a clear progression. Neither are very good arguments for an increase of the cap these days.

Using a level cap to increase consumption time is almost a fallacy these days. Developers are so afraid of “the grind” that additional levels rarely add more than one month to a casual player’s time. Hardcore players will usually cap out in one to three days and those in between can do it in a week. Value may be added by this but I believe it does not outweigh the detriments that are associated with the increase.

On the other hand new levels do add clear progression and allow developers certain leeway to do other things. New spells can be added, gear can be inflated, and monster difficulty can be raised. There is no denying this. That doesn’t make this a necessity, however. You can do all of these things with alternate forms of advancement and gear. Why are new levels required?

I see raising the level cap as a negative method of progressing an MMO because it hits a few key areas. The biggest in my mind is the negative impact on prospective players. When I want to play an established MMO I look at the level range. Since I have no frame of reference as to how hard levels are I look at the max level. The higher this value is the less likely I am to play a title. I simply feel like it would take too long to get “caught up.” There is a good probability that I’m not the only player with this mindset. Does a game with a huge max level turn you off?

Additional levels also stratify the player base and create a level disparity. Slower players are separated from their friends and are forced to solo or group with those in their own bracket. Their friends are equally frustrated as they are forced to sit and wait on the others or find new people to play with. This can cause a lot of tension in a guild and has been the doom of more than one. This comes about because levels are highly visible while talent tree points and AAs are not. This is an issue of “hard” advancement against “soft.” Players will frequently excuse the later but rarely the former. Content is frequently the same way.

A level cap increase dramatically reduces valid and usable content for players at the max level. As encounters become trivial because players are over leveled the amount of options shrinks. While new gear and alternative forms of leveling may have a similar effect nothing is as detrimental to content in an MMO as levels. How an encounter “considers” is still a huge issue. By increasing a level disparity encounters just can’t keep up and are trivialized faster than they might otherwise be.

This leaves me to ask why bother increasing the level cap of a game? Every time this is done developers seem to cut the levels in between and make them easier. In the top MMOs players don’t even receive new spells. They just find themselves with an upgraded version of one they already had. Most importantly is that there is nothing a level cap increase does in the positive that can’t be done through talent trees, AA points, or gear. So why do it? Why raise the cap ten levels at a time? EverQuest had great success with five. I’m thinking one to two is most appropriate. The more horizontal a game is the better in my eyes but I’d love to see the counter point!