MMO onboarding, leveling, and reward philosophy

The discussion presents a broad design philosophy for MMORPGs centered on immediate engagement, meaningful progression, and rewards that retain prestige. A strong opening is described as one that teaches basic play without excessive interruption, while the longer-term game should avoid reducing progression to a rush toward endgame.

Starting experience

A good starting experience is described as short, engaging, and integrated into play rather than delivered through constant UI prompts. The preferred tutorial style teaches movement, interaction, and combat implicitly, without repeatedly explaining controls that most MMO players already know.

The first minutes are treated as critical. The opening should place the player into something active and interesting instead of relying on repetitive errands such as speaking to one NPC, killing a few enemies, and running back and forth between quest markers. A tutorial is considered successful when it does not feel like a tutorial at all.

Time to first impression

The recording argues against the idea that an MMO can only be judged after reaching endgame. For players with limited time, the game needs to become enjoyable quickly. One view in the discussion gives a game roughly 10 to 12 hours to become compelling, while another is far stricter and expects intrigue within about 30 minutes.

The standard proposed is similar to other game genres: if the core play is not enjoyable early, many players will leave rather than wait for the game to "get good later."

What makes an MMO enjoyable

Enjoyment is defined less by a single feature and more by sustained engagement. A game is considered successful when time passes unnoticed during play. Different activities can create that effect, including dungeons, raids, PvP, exploration, or story.

Narrative is identified as especially important for some players. Most MMOs are criticized for weak story framing, where the player enters the world and kills enemies without a clear reason. By contrast, stronger MMORPG narratives give the player a defined purpose in the world and build systems and content around that purpose.

Leveling and progression

The discussion questions whether traditional leveling is necessary at all. One position favors slower leveling with smaller power jumps between levels, so that friends who start at different times can still play together without being separated by large progression gaps. This treats leveling as a long-form journey rather than a race.

Another position is more critical of leveling as a system, describing it as an artificial number that pushes players from point A to point B and encourages them to treat the world as a loading bar before endgame. In that view, the genre often teaches players to ignore exploration, NPCs, and worldbuilding in favor of reaching maximum level as quickly as possible.

Hard-earned rewards

Rewards are described as most effective when they require effort, time, or skill. If epic or legendary items are easy to obtain, they lose their meaning and become functionally common. The value of a reward depends on the work required to earn it.

The discussion also favors skill-based challenges that can be attempted early, even if they are difficult, rather than rewards being tied only to passive time investment. A memorable reward is one associated with a demanding accomplishment that players continue to recognize afterward.

Player expectations and genre drift

The recording argues that many modern players have been conditioned to expect constant, rapid rewards and frequent dopamine hits. This is presented as one reason the MMO genre has shifted away from slower progression and long-term goals.

Responsibility for that shift is attributed partly to players themselves. The argument is that companies continue harmful practices when players tolerate or financially support them. Pay-to-win and similar monetization are described as having become more common because audiences gradually accepted them instead of rejecting them.

Nostalgia and older MMORPGs

The discussion rejects the idea that positive views of older MMORPGs are only nostalgia. One argument is that newer players can still try older games and prefer them, which suggests that some older design principles remain genuinely effective. The qualities highlighted include stronger world exploration, a greater sense of wonder, and more room for self-directed goals.

Source

• Recording: What we LOVE and HATE in MMOs with @CallumUpton and @MMOByte | Scars of Honor
• YouTube: Watch on YouTube
• Published: Friday, November 17, 2023 at 1:20 PM UTC