Everyone else not into real role-play are relegated to using a strange version of English that’s mostly gibberish.

About the MMORPG gameplay… MMORPGs are similar to RPGs in some elements, but I think they’re two very different beasts. You get to socialize with thousands of people in MMORPGs, but the gameplay is basically stretched.

The developers have created the grind gameplay because they want to keep you playing and coughing up the cash. Once you experience everything they’ve created, the devs need to put in a new chapter to keep you playing.

Unlike real RPGs, there is no end-game in MMORPGs. I disagree that RPGs and MMORPGs are the same. They may have similar elements, but they’re apples and oranges.

I think PvP and PvE are pretty much the same. The main difference is that another person is controlling that avatar you’re facing-off with. It all boils down to whose stats or stuff are better.

I’ve played my fair share of MMORPGs (even WoW). I really tried to like the subgenre, but its supposedly numerous stuff to do feels like a smokescreen because when I look beneath it, there’s really not a lot of gameplay there.

I’m not saying that all MMORPGs would be like that. I just think the genre could be improved to include more gameplay (which would not be hugely stat dependent). After all, there have been moves to incorporate action and MMOs in games.

I guess that says I’m not a huge stat fan, even if I’m into RPG. When there’s a lot of emphasis on the stats, the focus seems to have been lost. Let’s not forget that the root word is “role-play” and not “OMG l33t l00t r0xx0rz!”

I think that this whole idea that MMORPGs are “grind fests” comes from a misconception or misunderstanding between the action and MMORPG parties.

For action gamers, the action, that is the combat is the crux of their experience. So when they see how gameplay lite a MMORPG (or any RPG for that matter is) they label it as somewhat weaker because of this more statistics driven gameplay. Yet in reality it is not the statistic driven gameplay which attracts MMORPG players . For these guys the crux of their experience is the open world, social elements. Much like what Adrenis answered for the second question.

So realy it is all a misunderstanding as to what makes each genre appealing to the player.

I think that a game like GTA: San Andreas is an interesting middle man because in essence it contains the best of both worlds. There is the sandbox world which allows you to do whatever you feel like but there is also the skill based, action elements. I think that this is what made the game so appealing because it is a game that could appeal to both parties.

I don’t deny that the gameplay in most FPSs is more varied than that of MMOs. That’s kinda the point of FPSs - they’re action games, and if the action doesn’t draw you in or isn’t fun, then there is no game.

In MMOs, on the other hand, the action/gameplay/killing of baddies is only one part of the game. You noted that the more things we have to do in a game, the longer it will take us to get bored. Well, in an MMO, if you get tired of one aspect of the game, then there are tons more things waiting for you to do. If I get tired of solo PvE content, then I can group up with friends, do some PvP, improve my crafting skills, work the Auction House to make some gold, create an alt, or just hang out in a city and talk to people.

That’s really the heart of what MMORPGs are about. It’s a role playing game - you’ve created a character in this world and you decide what they are going to do and what kind of person they will be.

If all you’re looking for is action, then MMOs (and RPGs) are probably not for you. You might get bored easily and start thinking that everything is a grind. But if you enjoy the vast go-anywhere-do-anything world, then you’ll probably enjoy MMOs.

The US/Canada/Australia are another block group of servers. The American playing in Germany would have bought his copy in America, and be stuck with an American server. Equally, my copy, which I bought in England is stuck on an EU server. This is actually something that bugs me a lot, as the majority of people I know who play are on US servers. But you can’t transfer I would have to buy an American copy of the game, and set up an American account.

Here’s the definition: “Any action, or series of actions, that you are forced to repeat to the point of boredom to achieve some sort of goal.”

There was another definition he mentioned, the only difference is that the phrase “to the point of boredom” wasn’t included.

This is when the discussion becomes subjective. Boredom is a relative term. Some people find a certain activity as boring, others don’t.

However, I think it would be safe to assume that boredom sets in earlier when the activities involved are fewer. Would you agree? After all, if there are more things to do, we won’t get bored as easily, correct?

I’d like to describe the typical MMO gameplay some more.

In MMOs (like WoW), you approach an opponent, then proceed to click different attacks lined up in the middle of your HUD. Or you can just press the corresponding number and the attack will execute.

Other classes may have a different approach (like “casting” spells from afar or shooting arrows), but the combat boils down to clicking the UI or pressing a number. The number crunching takes over, and a pre-determined effect is shown.

If your character doesn’t suffer damage, it’s not because YOU dodged the attack or YOU took cover behind a rock. It was the stat crunching that determined it.

That sounds pretty limited to me. You sit back and hardly do anything. Would it be safe to assume that doing this over and over could be described as repetitive?

In Halo, or any other action game made in the history of gaming, your success or failure is determined by YOU, the player, not some number crunching that happens in the background. Even Tabula Rasa’s supposedly action-oriented gameplay is dependent on the number crunching.

You do the tactics, you do the attacks, you do the dodging, you do the twisting or blocking. If you survive, it’s not because of number crunching. It’s by your skill, it’s by your actions. The outcome can go either way. If you don’t dodge, you get hit. If you don’t shoot the rocket coming at you, you get hit. If you don’t run, you’ll get killed. There are a whole lot of choices on what you have to do, and you have to react in real time, not in rounds.

If you keep playing an action game, you will get bored eventually. But the fact remains that there are more things to do, so boredom doesn’t set in as easily.

In addition to the rather limited combat options in MMOs, there are more repetitive tasks to do: You keep on fighting (doing the limited routine on your keyboard), you then level up eventually, earn enough money to buy better equipment, and fight more powerful monsters. Rinse and repeat. That sums up what you do in pretty much all MMORPGs like WoW.

Sure, you may craft items and weapons to keep you occupied. In fact, many players resort to this because they’ve already maxed their characters out, and there’s nothing much to do. However, I doubt this would keep you occupied long enough.

Bottom line, the MMO subgenre has a reputation for having that grind, and for good reason. Action games like Halo may have the potential for grind when engaged in long periods. However, it’s unfortunate that MMOs need to resort to rationalizing to make it look like it’s not as tedious as it is perceived.