MMOs where most people aren't "the hero"

So, I've been thinking about this for awhile and I really want to explore if it would be viable to create an MMO where not everyone is the world saving hero. I could never get immersed in things like WOW because what's at stake? Why should I work up to level 80 and save Azeroth if that dude over there who's already level 80 has done it already?

And I understand that it would be dull to just be a shop keeper or something in a game - but even so (let's stick to the fantasy realm for the sake of conversation), it could be fun to be a hedge knight, looking for a Lord, or a bard looking for a Patron. You could still have a personal adventure and learn and build skills, etc. You could build notoriety for what you specialize in. Any maybe there is an ongoing, world-changing crisis - and perhaps a player who puts in the right work and is "chosen" could be the world saving hero - but it would be a hard and arduous task and it would require others in the world to help along the way.

Does this at all make sense? I'm mostly just tossing around ideas, but I think somewhere out there there is a fun game to be had where we're not all the world-saving hero.

Star Wars Galaxies tried, everyone cried.

This made me think of A Tale in the Desert. Not so much a "fun game" though.

Eve Online has already been there, done that.

It's a nice idea but putting it into practice seems far beyond the talents of the industry at present.

Huh...I went the other way with the thread title. That instead of being the destined one in the MMO world who everyone turns to for help, you'd basically be a foot solider. The story would talk about the exploits of 'The Hero' while your group of people (the players) run side missions for them. The Raid you went on opened up the pass for The Hero to progress on their way to slay the Big Bad. The PvP Battle you just played decides which faction's Hero has influence over an area - as an added bonus The Hero for each faction could essentially be a Raid Boss walking the PvP field requiring the players to protect them while going after the opposing faction's Hero. I don't think people would want to hang out and be NPCs, that's why they set up AFK Shops and leave their computer.

Yeah that sounds a lot like EVE online.

@Turambar said:

Eve Online has already been there, done that.

That's for sure. That game makes me feel like a someone struggling to get by in the universe, kind of like real life.

@ztiworoh said:

Does this at all make sense? I'm mostly just tossing around ideas, but I think somewhere out there there is a fun game to be had where we're not all the world-saving hero.

You aren't really one in WoW either. It isn't your character who kills Deathwing, you just distract him until Thrall is ready to attack. You didn't kill Arthas, Tirion Fordring did it with Ashbringer you just weakened him a little. I can do this all day long too. The only MMO I can think of off the top of my head that legitimately lets you go out and do this bad ass thing without some NPC showing up to steal the glory is SWtOR. Truthfully how heroic can you even feel in a raid environment. It is you and 9+ other guys fighting normally 1 dude. That isn't very "heroic" and you definitely shouldn't feel like "you" are the one who saved the day in that situation.

That said there are games out there like this but they don't do well because the appeal of it is too niche. Most of us in real life are already ground pounders putting in a 9-5 at a boring job. Why would anyone want to play what they do all day long in an mmo?

EVE online and Star Wars: Galaxies both did it .

I actually really miss Galaxies, so much to love about that game. I

I think World of Darkness, from the makers of EVE, is also trying to accomplish this. Only a few people will truly be major players in the world.

I think World of Darkness, from the makers of EVE, is also trying to accomplish this. Only a few people will truly be major players in the world.

@ztiworoh said:

So, I've been thinking about this for awhile and I really want to explore if it would be viable to create an MMO where not everyone is the world saving hero. I could never get immersed in things like WOW because what's at stake? Why should I work up to level 80 and save Azeroth if that dude over there who's already level 80 has done it already?

I've never really understood this line of thinking. "Well that dude did it, so I don't see why I should do it." Do you feel the same way with single player games? "Well, someone else finished The Witcher, so, I guess I don't really need to go do it myself because it's already been handled." Now, if all the NPCs in an MMO like WoW acknowledged that other people had come along before you, or if the world changed as other people did events not as you did them, I could maybe understand that logic. But that's not how MMOs work. MMOs treat you as pretty much "the only one" but despite them treating you like that, you find yourself unable to give the suspension of disbelief? Sorry, I've just never understood that logic.

And your idea/explanation of being "Just a dude" is really what WoW quests are like. You don't start as the super bad-ass. You don't start as the dude that already saved the world. You don't even END as the dude that saved the world. You helped save the world, but you weren't the one that pulled the trigger. I think the only time that you actually did that was in vanilla. Once you get to Burning Crusade you're always doing the leg work for some bigger, better hero than yourself.

EVE Online does it, although one can discuss how much fun that game is to play. Maybe look out for World of Darkness their next game - it seems like it might be more of an action MMO.

Oh, and the level cap in World of Warcraft is 85 not 80 by the way ;)

Ultima Online, there were no quests for leveling so you could spend your entire playtime as a Baker or Blacksmith if you wished (some people did).

@Village_Guy said:

EVE Online does it, although one can discuss how much fun that game is to play. Maybe look out for World of Darkness their next game - it seems like it might be more of an action MMO.

Oh, and the level cap in World of Warcraft is 85 not 80 by the way ;)

It's 86 in the beta right now. ;)

The idea is good, but most people want to be the hero.
 
There's a shortage of people willing to take on support roles or even leader roles, not to mention the lack of players who actually listen or function as a group.
 
I dare say the world isn't ready for it.

I can see the appeal but I don't know if a game like that would be a success. I think most people play games to play as the hero.

Planetside, Battleground Europe/World War II Online.. In both you play the role of a single soldier aiding a greater force in which there is no single hero. Of course these are essentially just really, really big team-based FPS games. I'm not really sure what else to suggest that hasn't already been suggested. Both are great games though, especially Battleground Europe once you get over the initial learning curve and slow pace.