Foomer wrote:
That's the question, what should an online RPG have for players to do... Suppose one player logs in, no one else is around, no admin, no GMs, no anybody. What is there for the player to do? Of course the common answer is, "go kill stuff", since that's what RPGs are all about right? (sarcasm)

What I think what makes a RPG great is a detailed merchant and exploration system. I'm not more of the combatant type, instead, i'd brether make my money by helping other players. Now, i'm not saying "killing stuff until level 100" isn't fun, its just that you cannot have one simple goal for the average player. You must start with one simple goal, then branch more complex goals out for the player.

> But what if your character is a maxed out uber-|337 warrior who could cut a dragon in two with a glance? Combat poses no challenge to him, or her, and killing monsters is one of those things they've been doing for a long time, now they're sick of it. What ELSE is there for them to do?

A good RPG must always have a decent amount of side-quests. Side-quests are make the world go 'round, although people do not realise the true power of a side-quest, they are, indeed, the sole environment to keeping their game alive.

> Just an innocent little question, what should players have to do - baring combat - when there is no one else to interact with? What kind of things could there be to keep a single player occupied?

As i've mentioned before a game with some side-quests, detailed merchant and exploration system, usually becomes popular. Of course, that is just my "two cents".

"A land without proper judgement is indeed a land of hell for the people of intellect."
- Asguard
In response to Green Lime
It was a pretty perverted example though
In response to Asguard
A good RPG must always have a decent amount of side-quests. Side-quests are make the world go 'round, although people do not realise the true power of a side-quest, they are, indeed, the sole environment to keeping their game alive.

While I agree that side quests are important, they are not what makes or breaks a game. The real selling point of any game is whether or not the game environment fits together as a functional and sensical whole, such that any conceivable method of play is equally as fun as any other.

For example, if a baker doesn't enjoy himself just as much as a warrior does, then what's the point? Baking should be equally complicated and equally engaging as combat if you hope to hold peoples' interest, and it should be just as liable to bring you success.


If at all possible, side quests should be beyond the typical FedEx quest -- get this here, bring it back there -- and should instead be complicated with much variety. There's a lot more fun to be had if someone wants you to go scout for an orc encampment that's been raiding the village lately, or manufacture a large order of supplies for him, or the like.
In response to Ter13
Or even add in a few cool systems, like "create your own quest" or "create your own monster", thay can be fun for a little while, but not to much, maybe a artifact/exploration system like when you use a search command, you can find artifacts in certain areas (like in Skies of Arcadia Legends). Bt think of some kool systems.
Make trade skills..... Tailoring,Smithing ect so you can get goos at the trade you whant to master and after you master it theres more to master also....

try making a level cap like level 100 but make it hard to get there and so it takes time to get to level 100 and make monsters that are level 105 so a group needs to kill them and level 100 monsters to so there always even just for the fun of the kill and items

you can make skills like Slashing , Piecing , blunt , ect and some combat skills like Kick , bash , taunt , ect
so that say a fighter gets his SLASHIN way way up but never got good at BLUNT weapons ??? then what well since the skill is not high he cant kill level 100 monsters with BLUNT and it may even take a LONG time just to kill a level 15 at level 100 thus meaning he can go kill noob monster to get him BLUNT skill up making the game a have endless posbilities

like you could be a Fighie Spec in SLANSHING weapons and be a black smith to make you self weapon or to sell to gain money....! well hope i helled have fun
houses... decorating it, side skills... quests that are extremely chalenging even for him...

Riddles, puzzles, I mean what else do people do in other games that aren't RPGS?
In response to Jon Snow
Riddles, puzzles, I mean what else do people do in other games that aren't RPGS?

So it's best to fill a role playing game with as many non roleplaying elements? I guess the best role playing games are the ones that aren't role playing games :P.
In response to Theodis
Theodis wrote:
So it's best to fill a role playing game with as many non roleplaying elements?

No, its best to just make them based entirely on senseless slaughter, then you don't have to bother with those silly "other things".
In response to Foomer
Don't forget to set it in medival times, because nothing happened anywhere else that could possibly be used in an RPG. Certiantly not in Greece, Egypt or Japan.
In response to Foomer
No, its best to just make them based entirely on senseless slaughter, then you don't have to bother with those silly "other things".

An entirely combat-based RPG can be great fun if the combat system is good which is why most combat-based RPGs aren't much fun. The Temple of Elemental Evil is pretty much a dungeon crawl(replace dungeon with Temple of Elemental Evil and that's quite accurate), but combat is very tactically deep with many options and doesn't have you fighting trivial battles 95% of the time. Non-combat elements can be good in combat-based RPG to break up the tension of constant battle but if broken up too much it does get annoying.
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