CB2 is not an MMORPG! (in Off-topic)

I have a friend who has made the claim that CB is not an MMORPG, as most people in the game seem to classify it. The two main reasons that he cites are:
1. It is text-based.
2. It is turn-based (BA).

I thought that that would make an interesting discussion. Don't you?

its an RPG, but the problem is the MMO, Massive Multiplayer Online, i wouldn't say massive, guess a MORPG? lol turns or text have nothing to do with it.

Why can't a MMORPG be text and turn based?

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.
1. There can indeed be massive amounts of people playing CB2 simultaneously.

2. People can indeed be playing CB2 simultaneously, hence multiplayer.

3. Online? Well, the server is up and running most of the time, so yes CB2 is online.

4. That's a bit tricky. Do we all play roles here? I have to say, CB2 must be some kind of role playing game. But not like Guild Wars or World of Warcraft. However, we do build characters, give our minions names, etcetera. AoD even pretends to be the Grim Reaper himself in chat. I'd say, yes, in a way, in CB2 we play roles.

5. Is CB2 a game? Argh, no. Definitely not. It's a way of life. :p


To conclude, I'd have to agree with LeadenClaw. CB2 is not a MMORPG. The first four points are surely true. But alas, it's not a game. It's a lifestyle.

I don't see why CB2 would not be a MMORPG because of it's text-basedness and turn-basedness. That has got nothing to do with it. Cheers!

:)

CB has as many, if not more players than DDO I think. ;) And as much in game roleplaying...

As long as you play a role (which can be set my minion/team names, item naming, battle cries) then CB is a role playing game. It's multiplayer, and 'massive' enough to qualify I think. ;)

I've played many table top turn based RPGs and many Text based RPGs.

I did not say that I did not think that it was an MMORPG. I simply named the thread that way because I thought it would spark more interest than something like "Is CB an MMORPG?", and I thought asking simply "What is CB?" would sound too much like some contests from the past, and be misleading because people would take it as an opportunity to be creative.

And yeah, come to think of it, I think one of my friend's other reasons was because it's not really "role-playing", according to his definition. But that's been mostly covered, too. But anyway, please keep posting your thoughts. Any dissenting views? Come on. Someone has to come out of the closet and say "Actually, this is something I've always felt was inaccurate about the game" or "It's a misnomer, really...". Even if just to play Devil's Advocate.

I've never thought of CB as an RPG. To me it's always been closer to the player/manager sports games. The ones where you build a team and climb a league.

But then if somebody says RPG I picture something like Final Fantasy, with quests and a storyline.

The definition of Role Playing game is quite muddled.

You can have action-rpgs and strategy-rpgs for example.

Does the ability to name your character qualify a game as an RPG?

Or is it more? Is it the ability to design the appearance? Is it growth? Is it interaction with other Players? Interaction with the game world?

What makes a Role Playing game?

to play a role, is to play someone else, so you are not you in a RPG, such as me, I can be Dwarf lord of the Nile river, but really im plain old flamey.

imo, CB doesn't really Role play.

Are you really a bloodlusted Anihaltor wielding the Blade of Destruction? ;)

that has got to be the worst spelling for Annihilator that i have ever seen, lol.

i see your point, but that is my character, not me, seeing as i have numerous character, i can not be the character nor minion.

it looks like a character is commander of team, and a user is a commander of five possible teams.

i guess CB is a bit skewed with the role play.

and why is Annihilator spelt wrong in the spell check? when dictionaries say its right? neither is spelt, CB spell-check sucks!

role playing for me is the strategy I give to my character, the identity and uniqueness.

the correct parlance is "texted browser-based mmorpg", CB2 fits the description to perfection; my only problem is with the server lag when accompanied by hanging botchecks; but the problem with server hosts is its better to stick with the devil you know than the one you don't; so well we'll have to live with that.

btw, I've asked an expert about the server lag, he says even if CB2 runs on a dedicated server on AOL, the shared hosting means other servers sharing the bandwidth can clog up the pipeline pretty fast, which explains server lag even when not many people are around in chat.

" see your point, but that is my character, not me, seeing as i have numerous character, i can not be the character nor minion."

And the GM/DM/Storyteller plays the rest of the whole world. Role playing isn't limited to being a single character.

Take WoD 'Wrath'. Players play not only thier characters, but the dark side of one of the other players characters. ;)

in my little bizarre world cb is not a RPG.
But all the games like WoW DAoC etc. are no RPGs either!

Why ?
Simple, its all just Hack and Slay.
In a real RPG you can solve every riddle, problem in many ways besides killing it.

Dont get me wrong, Hack and Slay brings a lot of fun and i like CB.(why else would i play it)
But i know only few or no real RPGs in the "ComputerWorld"!
One example of a game that has a little more than Hack and Slay is Fallout ...
Ever tried to talk your way out of a camp of desert bandits ;-)

In fact if anyone knows good ComputerRPGs that are not Hack and Slay ...
plz let me know!

You can have Hack & Slay P&P RPGs as well. I think most of my first experiences (AD&D and Marvel/DC) were that sort of games.

They were still RPGs. But you could label them (and the equivalent CRPGs) as Action RPGs not Roleplaying/Storytelling RPGs.

It's confusing. ;)

Planescape: Torement is another CRPG that has multiple paths like fallout.

Personally I think the Fallout series is a fantastic example of computer based roleplaying.

You could sneak, fight, talk, trick, bribe, betray your way out of just about anything. Depending on the charcater you wanted to play.

Inspired.