RO an IPOV MMORPG or GCBP? WTF?

ragnarok online.

i never was a fan of massively multiplayer online rpgs (MMORPG's). although the level of immersion of such online games can be overbearing, i never see the point in it.

it's just another glorified chat-based program.

yeah it's an rpg. but it only goes so far as to hacking and slashing your way to more moolahs and stats. even the level up procedure is flawed. in traditional dungeons and dragons role playing games (not that i think the D&D system is perfect, it's still flawed and outdated), one level apart from another player character is a whole lotta difference. but with RO, there is no distinction between a level 34 and a level 37 character. and that makes the RO players stat monkeys. another thing i noticed with its system is that they charge an additional fee for the time consumed by players while they are logged in to the server. which means that while the poor fools are already paying for the internet connection, they're paying extra, just to play the game. and i don't just mean extra, i mean a whole lot more. jesus. what a sham.

funny thing about the people playing the game is that most of them are kids (of course, games cater more to the younger generation), but then these kids are taking out the money from their parents' pockets.

parents.. who are working their asses just to get their kids a decent education.

it's my fault that i do not indulge in these kinds of hobbies. honestly, i think it's just not worth my time and money. i did, try it once, just to see what the fuss was all about.

took me an hour to realize the whole thing was crap. that long. and i have an explanation for that.

see, people think the level of interaction between PC's (player characters) can never be replaced by AI. and that is because in an MMORPG, the NPC's (non-player characters) have limited functionality and they have a definite set of preprogrammed responses to PC's.

that's why they're NPC's (duh!). because they're created to respond to routine player interactions, (like the shopkeeper, or the blacksmith) because in a game.. who has time to waste ten minutes talking to a shopkeeper? why would a player, and a kid at that, do such a thing if he's too busy running around killing monsters, collecting items and leveling his small, pixelated avatar up?

anyway, a good single player game would be enough to cover all that. sure, the level of interaction will still be different than it was with an MMORPG, but, with the newer AI being equipped in games nowadays, one can barely tell the difference.

now i've done some programming myself and i know for a fact that AI talk is a fairly complex build but it is, possible, to create a subhuman AI equivalent to make up for all that chatting gamers look for in a role playing game.

plus, this subhuman counterpart can be toned (for parental control) and adjusted to be as humanly interactive as possible.

and if it still doesn't do, heck, what would you need a human chatbuddy for? it's a friggin' RPG! go find yourself some monsters to kill, or go find a colorful chatroom with neat windows and lonely asswipes to keep you company.

i guess, what i'm trying to say is.. i just find it impractical wasting resources on a ridiculous endeavor that can easily be replaced by something more compelling (gameplay-wise) but reasonably economical.

i'm saying this not because i do not like ragnarok online. i do appreciate it's grandeur. and the same goes for all the other MMORPG's in the world wide web.

it's just sad to think that most game developers have already stopped creating single player games in order to take advantage of the growing populace of massively multiplayer online gamers and sponsors.

in the end, computer gaming will be all about capitalism, and not fun.

yeah, capitalism. i should write about that too.