I wanted to get other peoples opinions on main questlines and how player characters get brought into it or mixed into it in mmo's.
My personal view on this matter is that I absolutely hate it when a main-line or the games story makes out the player characters to be the "hero" or the top dog, as this makes little sense when you have 1000's of people doing the same questline, I find it both more fitting from an RP perspective to be made to be seen as something more minor in terms of the bigger picture even if you earn respect within the player base for what you do, in the games picture you are still a minor cog is one of my firm beliefs.
Now thats not saying i don't see a position for player characters to become "legend" be it for good or evil or other things. However, if the game had things like this i would hope that it would be one time actions that are limited in the number of players that can gain it, in addition I would expect most of these actions to end with the death of that character so that their legacy can be then built on by the developers.
For example, Alien Invasion and a Player Character is responsible for sacrificing themselves to destroy the alien capital ship, well they would be remembered. Now im sure the dev's could leave a thin line for the player to escape but say death was 90% certain in terms of time frame to escape, I think it we were to allow characters to become major plot points that they would have to be from actions like this, otherwise it should only be NPC's that are seen as legends.
Now over to you guys for your view.
One of the first thing MWM and City of Titans Project thought of was a NOT a "THE HERO" idea.
Everyone is a hero or villain. Each has their own story that should change as the player make choices. That was one of the first goals set out. There is no "Chosen One" just a city of superpowered beings. Thought you would face the same threats as others there is no one hero to save the day, any hero could. Or any villain can take over... for a time.
At least that the goal as far as I know it.
Yeah, I stop playing other MMOs for the same reason. I don't like being "The Hero" just to see others doing the same quests and tasks and they being "The Hero" as well.
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Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
One of the great strengths of CoH was that it wasn't built on a major story line everyone had to follow. They gave us contacts and each of those contacts had their own story. Obviously those stories were important to the contact and, eventually, the players could decide which people they wanted to help. There was none of that, "I'm supposed to be saving the town/country/world. Why am I taking the time out to help this person distribute food or to deliver a package three streets over?"
The one thing that will always be true for MMOs is that if one player can achieve something then any number of other players will be able to achieve it as well. To use the alien invasion example, that character would be the big hero until the next invasion, when likely another character will make that sacrifice.
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Yes however major events you can make rare so you can balance out, how many people become known "legends" etc.
Well, if anyone became a 'known legend' then there might be jealousy from others. Therefore, it's better to become the 'unknown legend', so you know you're awesome, but nobody else realizes that you saved the city... Unless they check your badges and notice the 'Saved the City' badge.
Be Well!
Fireheart
Thats why i suggest that doing such a thing would normally cause the character to be permanently killed.