Posted by Kromey at 2:53pm Jul 8 '10Especially RPG gaming -- the whole point of playing any RPG is to leave the real world behind and assume a completely different identity for a few hours or so. Other game genres are about this as well, but none exemplify escapism more than the RPG.
Blizzard, as the producers of perhaps the largest RPG on the planet -- certainly the most popular MMORPG -- should damn well know this. That they don't seem to is yet more evidence that Blizzard is, for the most part, completely out of touch with their own gaming community (it's a big reason why I left WoW in the first place).
Certainly the issue with posting under a level 1 alt on the forums is a problem, but as you said Blizzard could easily remedy this by simply requiring users to select a permanent identity to post under. Forcing their users to reveal their real-life identities and permanently tie them to their in-game personas is just ludicrous!
Contrast that with EVE Online, where my character is a dedicated miner but has branched out into exploration, salvaging, archeology, hacking, trade, manufacturing, and soon planetary exploitation. You roll up a Mage in WoW and you're shit out of luck if you want to try your hand at some Rogue-y bits for a time, unless you leave your Mage alone (and thus not leveling) and roll up a Rogue.
I blame the rantiness on my generally grouchy mood, which in turn I blame upon a severe lack of decent sleep.
Blizzard, as the producers of perhaps the largest RPG on the planet -- certainly the most popular MMORPG -- should damn well know this. That they don't seem to is yet more evidence that Blizzard is, for the most part, completely out of touch with their own gaming community (it's a big reason why I left WoW in the first place).
Certainly the issue with posting under a level 1 alt on the forums is a problem, but as you said Blizzard could easily remedy this by simply requiring users to select a permanent identity to post under. Forcing their users to reveal their real-life identities and permanently tie them to their in-game personas is just ludicrous!
added on 2:57pm Jul 8 '10:
This turned far more ranty than I meant it to be. I'm not as negative toward Blizzard as this post would seem, and to clarify the primary reason that I left WoW was that endless repetitiveness of the early- and mid-game play -- the game is just incredibly boring for someone like me who prefers to start dozens of new characters to try out new things, rather than stay dedicated on one character, locked into one way of doing things, and drag that up to the end-game where all the real content is anyway.Contrast that with EVE Online, where my character is a dedicated miner but has branched out into exploration, salvaging, archeology, hacking, trade, manufacturing, and soon planetary exploitation. You roll up a Mage in WoW and you're shit out of luck if you want to try your hand at some Rogue-y bits for a time, unless you leave your Mage alone (and thus not leveling) and roll up a Rogue.
I blame the rantiness on my generally grouchy mood, which in turn I blame upon a severe lack of decent sleep.
Gaming is ultimately about escapism - Kromey