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Design your ideal MMO Part I
Part of Keen's adventure in MMORPG, Random things

Back in October of 2007 I had this idea for a series of blog posts that would take the concepts, design elements, features, and so on from mmorpgs and break them apart into simple decisions.  Our blog readership has really grown since then so I want to revisit it and hope that it gets the attention it deserves.  I'm going to take the basic ideas from the previous attempt and rework them slightly this time around.

What type of mmo do you prefer?  That's the question we're going to focus on in each of these posts.  First up this week I want to tackle one of the bigger debates out there: Graphics vs. Gameplay.  Feel free to pick more than one.  The options listed below are mostly there to act as a guide and provide direction.  Which type of mmo do you prefer?

A mmo that focuses on having the best graphics out there but neglects gameplay and content almost completely
A mmo with good graphics and a seemingly unlimited amount of average content
A mmo that has average graphics but focuses on making great content
Other (please explain!)

Which did you choose?  For me, content and gameplay are king.  I need my gameplay to be fun, active, dynamic, and I need it to last a really long time.  Graphics are not completely out the door though because they need to be good enough to immerse me in the environment, whether they be highly stylized and cartoony or realistic they need to look "current". So in a way I'm fine with average graphics, especially stylized.   I know many of you are going to ask the question, "Why can't we have both amazing graphics and amazing gameplay?".  I purposely left out that pipedream because I want a decision between gfx and gameplay to be made.

Graphics are obviously important these days as well. Several mmorpg's are being designed to tout DX10, 3.0 shaders, and gorgeous environments. The most recent example of amazing graphics is Age of Conan which brought with it a flurry of issues including the latest controversy of DX10 being delayed until sometime later this year.  Cutting edge graphics come at a cost, and sometimes that cost can be too high for many potential players. Maybe you're not a ramen munching college student and can afford the best. Does that impact your decision at all?

What is important to you when choosing if you will buy, subscribe to, or continue playing a game?

Part II will be all about PvP vs. PvE.

Design your ideal MMO Part II