Are we just grinding to max level and waiting for raids, or are we trying to accumulate wealth to buy a title and land, or trying to usurp the monarchy, or trying to unlock the mystries of dark sea to be able to unlock a new continent? Or just raise fishing to max level until we hook Cthulhu and win the game?
This isn't hypothetical, this is an actual question. I know there will be plenty to "do" in pantheon, but from doing all of it, what are we looking to do? It's already been made clear that we aren't the chosen one, that storyline for MMO's ended long ago and is now an Off-Line only concept. Is one of us on each server going to raise from the fallen and asend to the Pantheon? Is that my goal, to try to check every box so that when the time comes I may be the one to asend? Or am I trying to stop evil from taking over the world (look at Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted, neat idea and I logged into the game a month or so ago (after years away) and the game has literally, been taken over by evil). We are suppsed to, as a server, be trying to unlock secrets to the world so we can continue on with explortation? Am I supposed to be investing in "nodes" to earn regional favor and via for royalty? Or are we supposed to collectivly build new cities from the ground up?
Nuggie said: Honestly, this time around I don't want to feel like I'm in a horse race trying to be the mightiest steed. I want to kick back and enjoy lazy camps a bit. I want to see how early we can crawl dungeons. That's batphone lifestyle is bad for my health. Not going there again.
I know how you feel and want to sit back this time and enjoy the ride. I will focus on the the quest and finding every little thing i can about the world. To long have i been in the rush for end game in part because it was so easy to get there. No more, I will know every inch of the world and i will see what every NPC has to say. While i have never role played in a video game i may try it this go or at the very least interact with the NPC as if i were there.
Iksar said:I think we are trying to figure out wtf happened to our gods and why civilizations are being plucked from other worlds onto Terminus.
This is add libbed from the lore? If so, ok cool.
I'm not looking to rush to end game either, nor do I want to never have a goal. I don't want to just try to get better forever, I want to try to get good enough to take a shot. However, I'm still trying to figure out what I'm taking a shot at.
I think the key is that Brad said he doesn't want to make a game, he wants to make a world to live in. A game usually has a "goal", something you have to do to "win". But in the case of a virtual world, there is no "winning". You may set goals for yourself, like becoming the mightiest warrior with the best equipment of all. Of the greatest wizard who knows all spells in the world. Or maybe you just want to explore the world and see all the great vistas for yourself. Unlike other current MMOs (which are much more "gamey"), you won't be set on rails...you will be free to do whatever you want. You may die trying to do so...but at least you can try! :)
Your goal is whatever you want it to be, my friend, that is the beauty of a game like this, what you enjoy doing could be completely different for someone else, all we are doing is providing the space for you to enjoy and interact with other, how you go about doing that is up to each individual but I think knowing our "What Is Pantheon", "The Pantheon Difference", "Game Features", "Game Tenets" and the "FAQ" all help to understand what you will be able to do and what you should expect to be on offer in our world of Terminus :)
Even if you have read them before, I would urge you all to have another read, there is a lot of good information in them to cover nearly all of the early questions you may have.
Kilsin said:Your goal is whatever you want it to be, my friend, that is the beauty of a game like this, what you enjoy doing could be completely different for someone else, all we are doing is providing the space for you to enjoy and interact with other, how you go about doing that is up to each individual but I think knowing our "What Is Pantheon", "The Pantheon Difference", "Game Features", "Game Tenets" and the "FAQ" all help to understand what you will be able to do and what you should expect to be on offer in our world of Terminus :)
Even if you have read them before, I would urge you all to have another read, there is a lot of good information in them to cover nearly all of the early questions you may have.
While your contributions are always appreciated @Kilsin, your post more answers the question "what is a digital world?" and not so much the original question. My interpretation of the OPs question lies more in the actual practical motivations of the player, i.e. why are we fighting? In other words, from a lore standpoint of Terminus, what is the driving force in the world that is encouraging us as the protagonist of the story? For those of us who have read the current lore available, it very much feels like there is some sort of [nefarious?] force behind the mysteries of the world. Are we compelled to unravel those mysteries (I hesitate to use the words "main story", but there they are)?
I feel like the OPs question was more of a macro question rather than a micro one. All the small fights, quests, loot, and interactions are part of the journey, yes - but are they a means to an end within a larger narrative? And does this change over time or based on race selections?
At least that's how I read it, I could be wrong.
I have always wanted to try everything in a mmorpg. If there is a boss/raid boss that I haven't killed...I want to kill it. If there is a piece of loot that I want, I try to get it. If there is a quest I want to do, i'll do it. If a noobie is scared and needs help, I will help them. I mainly want to take down big raid bosses and get gear, but I also love the social interaction, rping, and just taking a stroll in a city. Also, guild events are fun and GM events. Sooooo everything that I can do I will try to do.
Nikademis said:Kilsin said:Your goal is whatever you want it to be, my friend, that is the beauty of a game like this, what you enjoy doing could be completely different for someone else, all we are doing is providing the space for you to enjoy and interact with other, how you go about doing that is up to each individual but I think knowing our "What Is Pantheon", "The Pantheon Difference", "Game Features", "Game Tenets" and the "FAQ" all help to understand what you will be able to do and what you should expect to be on offer in our world of Terminus :)
Even if you have read them before, I would urge you all to have another read, there is a lot of good information in them to cover nearly all of the early questions you may have.While your contributions are always appreciated @Kilsin, your post more answers the question "what is a digital world?" and not so much the original question. My interpretation of the OPs question lies more in the actual practical motivations of the player, i.e. why are we fighting? In other words, from a lore standpoint of Terminus, what is the driving force in the world that is encouraging us as the protagonist of the story? For those of us who have read the current lore available, it very much feels like there is some sort of [nefarious?] force behind the mysteries of the world. Are we compelled to unravel those mysteries (I hesitate to use the words "main story", but there they are)?
I feel like the OPs question was more of a macro question rather than a micro one. All the small fights, quests, loot, and interactions are part of the journey, yes - but are they a means to an end within a larger narrative? And does this change over time or based on race selections?
At least that's how I read it, I could be wrong.
In my defence, I actually forgot to add the "Game Lore" link but intended my reply to cover everything and in a more general and broad sense to get eyes on all of the official info ;)
Kilsin said:Nikademis said:Kilsin said:Your goal is whatever you want it to be, my friend, that is the beauty of a game like this, what you enjoy doing could be completely different for someone else, all we are doing is providing the space for you to enjoy and interact with other, how you go about doing that is up to each individual but I think knowing our "What Is Pantheon", "The Pantheon Difference", "Game Features", "Game Tenets" and the "FAQ" all help to understand what you will be able to do and what you should expect to be on offer in our world of Terminus :)
Even if you have read them before, I would urge you all to have another read, there is a lot of good information in them to cover nearly all of the early questions you may have.While your contributions are always appreciated @Kilsin, your post more answers the question "what is a digital world?" and not so much the original question. My interpretation of the OPs question lies more in the actual practical motivations of the player, i.e. why are we fighting? In other words, from a lore standpoint of Terminus, what is the driving force in the world that is encouraging us as the protagonist of the story? For those of us who have read the current lore available, it very much feels like there is some sort of [nefarious?] force behind the mysteries of the world. Are we compelled to unravel those mysteries (I hesitate to use the words "main story", but there they are)?
I feel like the OPs question was more of a macro question rather than a micro one. All the small fights, quests, loot, and interactions are part of the journey, yes - but are they a means to an end within a larger narrative? And does this change over time or based on race selections?
At least that's how I read it, I could be wrong.
In my defence, I actually forgot to add the "Game Lore" link but intended my reply to cover everything and in a more general and broad sense to get eyes on all of the official info ;)
;) <3
The answer clearly needs to be lore based and is obviously not completed as of yet, at least to my knowledge. But I don't want to know the answer outside of the game. A lore primer is fine, but I want the vast majority to be a mystery that explorer types or lore hounds seek to unravel in game and on forums in a co-op effort.
I'm hopeful the story and reasons for doing things will be subtle, but extensive, just like the lore in EQ 1, but even more improved. I want to find (or buy) lore books and slowly piece together with the community what our over-arching approach is in game. Maybe a tattered note in a dungeon here (with some obscure reference), maybe a broken artifact there (that needs to be found and completed), and maybe rare NPC spawns to give cryptic riddles on how to proceed (if you type in the right trigger). Just lots of that type of detective stuff. Hard, with no hand holding. The collective community can figure out anything. You will never stump us for long.
But, I agree with the OP. There needs to be a reason for why our character exists and a goal he is hoping to achieve, even if we don't know what it is and we're trying to figure it out. Don't just put us in a sandbox with some old stories and tell us to go have fun and do what you want. That's lazy and boring. Craft a great story and then shatter it into a million pieces, scatter and hide them in game to be figured out and put together. Your job with the lore has to be to create a compelling urge or need for us to find out more, and then make it hard, but possible, to do so. Please don't just craft an interesting back story and call it a day. That's how most developers screw up the entire concept of lore and player purpose.
While driven by advancement, adventure, danger and challenge my goal is to avoid the "grind" and "level" mentality entirely.
My goal is to exist ......to live, eat, breathe, socialize, adventure, explore and EXPERIENCE on Terminus.
My motivation will change from day to day. Some days, my goal will be to achieve a rare goal, complete a quest, solve a riddle, support my race's cause, honor my class, complete a tradeskill. Some days it iwll be simply to travel and get to a new location. Other days it will be simply to see a sight that I heard of.
In short, my goal is to LIVE in Terminus.
Everything else, including leveling, grinding and raiding are just a means to the end.
Mathir said:There needs to be a reason for why our character exists and a goal he is hoping to achieve, even if we don't know what it is and we're trying to figure it out. Don't just put us in a sandbox with some old stories and tell us to go have fun and do what you want. That's lazy and boring. Craft a great story and then shatter it into a million pieces, scatter and hide them in game to be figured out and put together. Your job with the lore has to be to create a compelling urge or need for us to find out more, and then make it hard, but possible, to do so. Please don't just craft an interesting back story and call it a day. That's how most developers screw up the entire concept of lore and player purpose.
Yes, thank you and again this is what I was asking. I'm not good at phrasing my comments the way my mind sees them, but luckily the amazing community here helps hash it out.
But again, I'm tyring to figure out if I'm trying to save Princess Toadstool, or stop the walking dead? Or am I trying to find treasure, or am I trying to usurp the throne? And when I say I, it's a collective I as in what is the point of having 3,000 people on the server, are they all just supposed to be happy fishing all day and killing the occasional skeleton rat king? Or do they have an ultimate goal, purpose or desire to be more? If we don't know what that "more" is yet, thats fine, but hopefully, we'll find it and can then work towards accomplishing it. (the "more")
Wouldnt the answer to this questions be different for every race that exists, and then for a "good", "neutral" and "evil" allignment in that race. Ultimately i dont think Kilsin could have been clearer in the fact that the goal is completely up to you. While you may not choose to be RPing in the traditional sense the game itself facilitates you to RP even without realising because you are not on rails, each decision each day killing a particular faction, questing for another faction will end up having an effect on what you may find yourself being able to or not being able to do later on. So I just dont think a true answer could be more than what Kilsin mentioned. Existing in a living breathing world as someone else mentioned is another good way to describe it!
I don't know about needing a reason our character exists and story thing, I think that's one thing I dislike about modern MMOs in general. When the game gives you a storyline it all becomes so linear and more or less the same thing for everyone. In something like EQ the world was just there filled with rich lore behind it and some things you could learn in-game but it was ultimately up to the player to decide and figure out their characters goal or purpose in the world. For some it was breaking into the planes of gods, others it was crafting or making a name for themselves as a respected trader, and others were just interested in exploration or defeating notorious beasts across the lands. In something like WoW or FFXIV you have a story, it is the exact same as just about everyone else and nothing you do really makes any difference toward that story anyway: a pre-written tale that you just check off the boxes until you get to whatever big evil there is to fight until the next comes out.
The Devs plan is to build a World. We all have experiance with interacting with a World.
What should be avalable is
Meet friends. (Grouping)
Explore the world. (Traveling)
Learn what can.be learned. (Crafting)
Lol.... Rush to get old run a few raids and die. (Level and Quit)
The Devs need to make it avalable, just like the world were in, I think the goal is up to the player.
I refuse to be part of the horse race to "the end".
There will be much MUCH more to see in Pantheon, hardly worth it to miss it or waste it.
I want to get really familiar with my new home world, understand the races, their lore/stories, why they are the way they are, harvest, craft ..help my fellow "Terminites" hehehe I plan to be around a long time, will have as many alts as allowed per server, use those alts to craft and help others. Been waiting a long time for a game WORLD like this. Going to know every nook and cranny. :)
Cana