This is a post I made in a recent GBTV thread.

"You're right that no new MMO can hope to compete with an established MMO for amount of content.

What is needed is end game content that remains fun when you repeat it (and fun does not mean a loot lottery). End game dungeons need to be challenging even after their loot tables have been farmed. 'Farm status' is one of the worst mechanics in gaming history.

This means that end game content has to provide rewards which do not render the content trivial. EVERY time you go into that dungeon, you have to be unsure if you will be able to clear it.

Another thing is to have the same (but expanded) loot tables for all dungeons of the same tier - so players can run the dungeons they LIKE, rather than the ones which have the loot drops they need."

MMO_Doubter wrote: I actually agree with this. I think "end game" needs to be more than just this tbh, it needs to also incorporate "down time" stuff, like decorating your house, gathering resources, dancing, singing, playing music, fishing, racing, mini-games...there needs to be more to do at end game than JUST running dungeons.

TUX426 wrote:
That's the real endgame. Everything else is just repetitive circle-jerking.

TUX426 wrote:
Yeah. All that stuff is beneficial to long-term membership.

WHY THE HELL don't MMOs have inns where players can play minigames while waiting for other adventurers to group up with?

I agree MMO_D, but I think this mainly applies to the Diku style games like WoW and EQ more than it does to Sandbox games like SWG, UO, and EVE. In those types of games enough toys need to be added for users to play with in the sandbox (for UGC). I think there could be quite a bit of cross-over, however, between the two. No reason WoW couldn't have UGC or meta-games, or the means to have them.

Shayde wrote:
i agree! A vibrant player crafting/resource/player economy systems need to be something that is desirable to keep in play. Non-crafting/social game play has to be focused on - and NOT in cash shops! Theme parks suck....you go through them even twice and you leave and wait for the next new 'ride' to be offered (DLC/expansion).

I lived in Central Florida for years with the real theme parks and frequented them...same mentality, do it, get bored and leave to go home (wow?). New ride next year = expansions. I'll pass with this mess of MMO's.