Is realm becoming stale?

#102

I have made multiple arguments about why RotMG is dying before. Pets, overpowered items, a failing economy, permadeath, massive amounts of people insta killing bosses, and an incredibly grind based game all come up to mind. However, recently while arguing over the sun phase of Oryx 2, I think I have finally came up with a good reason for why the game is dying.

The game is dying because there is no randomness, nothing new, to the game. Every time a new dungeon comes out, there’s a period of excitement. Even if the dungeon is not difficult, it is new and exciting, offering something that no other dungeons offer. For example, when the hive first came out, I found it intriguing, and even difficult, on unmaxed low level characters. When halls came out, I was excited by the prospect of a new endgame dungeon that would be difficult and exciting. But now, after a while of playing, I have reached a conclusion. Dungeons, with no to low levels of randomness, simply cannot entertain for long. The problem with our current dungeons is there is no need to know how to dodge, how to actually play the game once you know how to “do it right”. Dungeons that were once difficult are quite easy if you have a small group of 5-ish and know the layout. Dungeons that were once considered endgame can now be seen as jokes. And, when everything is trivial, when you see little to no risk of death, the game loses meaning. You’re no longer risking your life at the chance of a new rare item. Instead, you’re simply grinding until you get the item.

A common complaint I hear about hackers is “how can hackers enjoy the game”. But the truth is, the hackers are enjoying the game about as much as you are once you learn the tricks of a dungeon. There’s no fun because the only reason you were willing to enter in the first place is because you knew that it was unlikely you would die. Hackers just take the short route around.

And this is the problem with realm. It offers nothing new except a repetitive grind that continues and continues. Every new dungeon offers slightly more, something else, but that just slowly dies away as you learn the new pattern. And so what is the solution? That is where we hit a problem. The solution would be DECA continuously releasing new dungeons but even that isn’t a solution as soon RotMG would be filled with too many dungeons. Realm is only really fun at the beginning as you learn and get excited but after a while, we hit the stage where the majority of us likely are already at. The majority of us stay only because we don’t want to believe that we spent so much of our time wasted. We don’t want to believe that the items we grinded for truly mean nothing and show nothing and we are left hoping that we can impress others with what we wasted our life on. But over time, we will begin to see the problems, we will get bored, and we will all eventually leave Realm.

#103

Am I the only one that doesn’t find the ‘grind’ boring?

#104

This sounds like literally every other RPG, except you’ve played this to the point where you specifically hate it. Lots of us still like it. You deciding the grind is boring doesn’t change that. It’s not dying, you’re just wasting your time complaining about a game you don’t like anymore.

#105

I don’t find the lack of randomness bad, i mean, take in consideration that RotMG is a Bullet Hell game, it’s normal that every enemy in the game follows a certain pattern in way they attack, perfectly normal. Just imagine that you are used to Marble Colossus’ attacks, then in the next Lost Halls you do he does completely different attacks and catches you out of guard.

As for the grind, eh, the entirely random Loot System isn’t great at all, especially for a permadeath game.

#106

If you think that’s the case, then you should try running dirty shatters with your guild or maybe even switching up your gameplay. Play a rogue and rush dungeons. It’s quite fun

#107

Create some challenges for yourself, like priest with t-pain only or no weapon ppe.

#108

Dude, RotMG is huge. Imagine yourself as a new player, and take it out of your own perspective so you are able to analyze things properly. Of course people who have more than half a decade playing one game will eventually get bored, it happens with literally everything.

On the other hand, I agree that endgame sucks balls right now, because of the pure RNG loot system and because you need to use discord groups for any basic shit you want to do with other players, since the game doesn’t organize, group or put players together decently otherwise.

#109

Can you prove that realm is dying? That’s pretty important imo.

#110

I feel like if you added an RNG mechanic to enemy patterns, that would actually cause more players to quit, as players would rage about how there’s “no counterplay” to something that’s RNG dependent.

#111

Imo, the main problem is that the main goal of the game shifted from maxing chars to getting uts. The former was pretty addicting because of the permadeath mechanic, but the latter is just frustrating since most higher dungeons are pretty rare so you have to grind them by relying on chest events, which again aren’t fun.

#112

Oh I still find it interesting. Truthfully, I have no issue with it but I’m stating why it will die, not why it is dead. Also, just as a note, that’s why most RPGs don’t last long and they just keep coming out with more and more continuations.

#113

Yeah, after I figure how to do halls and nests in small groups, I’m done with the game (though they’ll likely introduce a new dungeon before that) though I’ll probably come back to the game when new dungeons are released. I enjoy the game but like I’m rich as shit and fail to see a need for any of the that I don’t already have other than as vanities. (though a prot would be nice)**

#114

MBC survival phase bullets are almost entirely randomized, both in terms of status effects and shot pattern. If you still think that phase isn’t all that interesting anymore, then lack of randomness isn’t actually your problem.

#116

I’m pretty sure that the addicted realm players just like the special bits that realm has to offer. The only issue we’ve got is that there isn’t really a constant stream of new players coming in.

#117

I agree but the excitement in getting whites is still enjoyable.

#118

problem is chest events and discords for specific dungeons making it to easy to 8/8

#119

Its dying because toxic community who are at each others throats constantly instead of coming together and forming friendly communities. MMOs need a friendly active community to function. RotMG has gone the way of WoW, its stale because the content is repetitive and players form increasingly elitists social circles which are hostile to those outside of them. I’d still play both RotMG and WoW if this wasnt the path that most MMOs go. It seems inevitable for older MMOs. We need lots of new players to liven up the community and breathe new life into it. Its not gonna happen unless they aggressively advertise the unity port.

#120

You claim that this is why it will die, but it’s really only what you don’t like, and you don’t seem to understand that. Plenty of people like the way the game is now. Plenty of people spend actual money on repeating the same thing over and over because they like that. Most people here would not like to add more rng to the game, because that wouldn’t make interesting, that would just punish people because it’s a permadeath game. Just because you think certain aspects of the game are bad and will cause it to die doesn’t mean that it will die.

#121

True, but it’s really your choice whether you’re gonna run them although it’s really tempting.

#122

This is why I harp on about how new classes have the potential to reinvigorate things.
A well-designed new ability mechanic give players the entire existing game content to revisit with their new item.

In retrospect Sheath would’ve been the far more interesting choice over Waki, (and I hope for it on the 16th class). Had we got that, it would’ve meant a new thing to learn at every boss, instead we have samurai being basically another vanilla “shoot your weapon and press space you do a bit of dmg” class.

Yeah, this gamestyle only is enjoyable if you like the dungeon you’re grinding. If your desired item is in a dungeon you dislike, Rip enjoyment.