True, and if they can deliver, and placate the needs of both gamer types, The Old Republic is gonna dominate all non-WOW games in the genre. Wow will never be unseated for the same illogical reasons that COD won't: Because they are the most popular, and thus, people are reluctant to try other games in the same genre due to fears of their friends not following them.

Seconded. This is pretty much the bottom line.

The only problem with The Old Republic is that it's another Hotkey Based MMO, i think after all these years we are seeing WoW subs drop (around 1 lost million subs this year) because people are getting bored of the same hotkey based gameplay (it's why practically every MMO competitor has been forced to go F2P).

I do think it stands a chance, obviously the star wars fans will remain loyal to the game and support it, but i think the real game everyone has to been watching and that blizzard should actually be worried about it Guild Wars 2. Not only does it go against most MMO rules (Not totally hotkey based, no holy trinity, no 'kill 10 boars' quests, no item imbalance in pvp) but the fact it's free is really what will set it apart from other MMOs.

Not only that, but people could support both The Old Republic and Guild wars 2 since they would only be paying for 1 subscription.

I think the hotkey gameplay is the least of their worries. For $15 a month, the level of immersion, captivation, exploration, freedom, and sense of wonder should be Bethesda-level at the MINIMUM, with multiple people. The problem I have with MMO's is that they have all been the exact same, Everquest clones. A bunch of people running around clickong on something until it dies so they can increase a stat, to wear better gear, so they can show off to their friends and others in-game. In essence, MMO's are just competitive chatrooms...not games.

Why can't you play as a non-combat character in these games? I want to play as a shopkeeper, as a blacksmith, or as a postman. Also, what you do in the game has no effect, since everything has to be there for everyone else. I think heavy instancing, or even some events being "one time only", would assist in this regard.

Skies of Arcadia and Baten Kaitos were two of the three games that made me swear of JRPGS altogether. It has nothing to do with fear of how my peers perceive me (I'm an adult, for goodness' sake) but a resentment towards the amount of time spent either grinding monster fights or micromanaging meaningless little details. And while the stories were passable, and the graphics and music easy to swallow, the games themselves did not feel interactive in any meaningful way. These were games with approximately 10 hours of plot and characterization and 100 hours of padding.

I'm resolving not to play another game with a blue-haired hot-shot main character unless he happens to pilot a starfighter in Wing Commander 1 + 2.

I don't really get the hate for grinding. To me, it makes logical sense. if anyone can just pick up a sword or gun and go monster killing, then the entire game world in an RPG falls apart.

To be a strong monster killer/adventurer, you have to be skilled. And to get skilled you have to train.

So grinding is really just training. If anything, it makes the progression of games more rewarding.

Disgaea is awesome. Normally, I can't stand cute and I had not touched a JPRG for that very reason. Then I got to read an after-action report of a tabletop RPG inspired by Disgaea.

I completely agree. An RPG where you don't have to grind to reach high levels of excellence demeans hard work and real human achievement. Baldur's Gate is some 200 hours of gameplay from zero to God - I mean, really? If it were that easy, people IRL should be becoming gods left and right, and all we have is some unsubstantiated two-thousand-year-old rumors.
Also, cities should be real-sized, with an appropriate number of buildings and citizens. And travel times, what's up with that? If it takes a week, it should damn well take a week in real life!
Bottom line: the lack of realism in videogames is just insulting. ;-) note the smiley

I agree, one needs to work to become god-like...the only thing though is that work (the grinding) better be fun, or else people will have a problem with it...Me personally, I love the battles in Mount and Blade: Warband, though some may see it as grinding, it is hugely satisfying in and of itself, and doesn't feel like I'm working but playing, as grinding should be.

¿Western RPG? I call them... ¡Computer RPG!


Sometime ago I read: "The J in a RPG it invalidates the R".

Agreed. If anything, I think that's where a lot of jRPG's fail. Personally, I prefer jRPG's with quick dynamic battle systems. That's why SNES/NES-era/styled jRPG's are my favorite. You hit attack, they attack. You cast a spell, it casts. No waiting a few seconds (or longer on spells) to see some fancy animation.

I think sometime after FFVII, jRPG's kind of lost themselves in trying to be stylish at all costs, sacrificing quick engaging game play. That's how I see it anyway.

Yeah it is pretty annoying that you still have to be focused 100% on combat, i know in a certain game called Runescape i know a lot of people hate it, But you could actually be a Lumberjack/Blacksmith/Miner/Cook without gaining a single level in Combat. EVE online was similar in that you could just level up mining skills and buy mining vessels and do just that.

That's true, I forgot about Runescape! It was very flexable in that regard.