The article is from MMOsite Writer Club member neramaar.

Killing to Level: is there no other way?

Innovation/in-no-va-tion.

1. Something new or different introduced: Numerous innovations in the high school curriculum.

2. The act of innovating; introduction of new things or methods.

(Source: Dictionary.com)

I've spent a great deal of time lately wondering what we can do to save MMORPGs from their grim fate. It's no secret that over the past few years the fantasy MMORPG genre has been slowly dying, this mainly being caused by the hundreds horrible games that are released on an almost weekly basis.

As a gamer the solution to this problem is simple, stop playing them, as if we stop playing them, then companies will stop making them and we won't be bothered by the problem any longer. However, as a game reviewer the solution is not so simple. We are required to play through even the most horrible of games, so that we can provide you with the information you need before you download/purchase the game.

Playing through all of these horrible games does have its benefits though, you get to see why these games fail, and you start to notice what can be done to improve them. I had always assumed that game developers knew everything, that they were aware of the lack of innovation and choice in most games today, but it seems that I was wrong. It seems that many of today's game developers don't have even the slightest idea of what it means to be innovative when making a game, and if they do, then they choose to ignore this information in favor of the 'tried and true' method, thus creating the 'clone games' that we are forced to suffer through today.

I'm ranting, and I apologise. My point is that it's time we told developers exactly what we want, and I'm going to start doing just that. I recently wrote my first innovation piece, Perma-Death and Time Travel: The Ironic Truth; and it was a huge success. It proved that there are literally thousands of players out there that are not only craving new game innovation, but have some amazing ideas on how to do so too. So I write this with hopes that you, the readers will continue to submit your brilliant ideas, and that one-day, some developers might see them. It's time for change; let's tell the developers what we want.

This week I've decided to take a look at the way we level up in our MMORPGs. No matter what game you play, the only way you're ever going to get stronger is by fighting. When you first look at it, there doesn't seem to be many other options than fighting, and it's no wonder that it's all there is. But delve a little deeper into your imagination (the place innovation is born) and you'll find there are literally hundreds of other ways to make a successful game. Sure, fighting should always be an option in the quest for glory, but it shouldn't be the only option. What else then could be used? Let's take a look:

Crafting:

Currently, the most common implementation of crafting is that the crafting skill has it's own level aside from your main level, or your 'fighting level' as we'll call it from here on. In other words you have a separate level to indicate how well you can craft. This however can't help you progress through the game. On the contrary, you need to increase your 'fighting level' in order to increase your crafting level, as most games will only allow crafting to a certain point before you are forced to go back to fighting.

What if crafting was a class of its own? Or even better, what if we called the class inventor and combined crafting with an entire new system that allowed people to combine ingredients and minerals together to discover new recipes that they could then share with their friends and sell to other players? The only way to level your character would be through crafting items and inventing new ones. But, what about end-game? Well, maybe Inventors are the only one's capable of carrying rare minerals that are only found in the hardest dungeons. Every group worth their salt would need to bring an inventor with them to refine the rare minerals they find, and upgrade their weapons.

While the fighters slay deadly foes and save the world from the horrors beneath the surface, the Inventors would scurry around the now safe areas mining and refining, upgrading and inventing to their hearts content. Naturally the only way for them to level would be by finding these rare minerals, and inventing new and powerful weapons and armour for the fighters. Inventors might be able to branch out and specialize in different areas, some choosing to specialize in potion making, others in enchanting weapons or creating new ones. The possibilities truly are endless.

Exploring:

Imagine a game where you didn't have a world map, well you did, but it was empty. Filling required you to not only explore every section of the game, but to document every part of it, take notes of the dangers within, and then sell you're findings to the highest bidder. To do this you would have to choose the Explorer Class, and sacrifice the glory of battle for the more subtle indulgence, lore.

Personally, this would be my favorite type. I would love to record every detail of a brand new world, every corner of a dungeon, every nook and cranny of every field and swamp. I wouldn't be very good at fighting, I might carry a flute that when played could put enemies to sleep whilst I recorded my findings on a scrap of parchment, and I would need to hire fighters to help me progress through the dangerous parts of the world. Fighters would need me though, as without me they would have no way to complete their maps, or organise their next voyage into a forgotten dungeon. Crafters could use me to mark the location of rare minerals on their maps, making their future journeys much easier.

Great explorers would be famous, known for their attention to detail and commitment to the role. The best fighters in the land would buy maps only from those explorers they trusted, guild masters would be on the hunt for master explorers, those that had seen the land and knew where it's greatest treasures were kept. Explorers could branch off into specific trees, such as mastering boss locations or treasure nests. This in itself would add incredible depth and life to the MMORPG genre.

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