Gamers Want Tough Game Because „Challenge Leads to a Sense of Accomplishment.” Everquest Dev Speaks About High Difficulty of Cult MMORPG
According to the design manager at the Daybreak Game studio, the high difficulty level of the MMORPG EverQuest is one of the reasons why the 25-year-old game is still popular among players.
It's difficult to believe, but this year marks the 25th anniversary of the existence of one of the earliest and most well-known MMORPGs, EverQuest. Despite this ancient age, the cult title and its 20-year-old sequel are still appreciated not only by existing fans, but also by new players. So what is the secret behind the popularity of both games from Daybreak Games studio? The PCGamer editorial team decided to ask their developers about it.
During the conversation with journalists, the design manager, Adam Bell, said that the element that still attracts players to EverQuest and EverQuest 2 is their high level of difficulty. The developer explained that during all these years of supporting both games, no thought was given to making the gameplay easier because the fans themselves don't want it. Instead, changes are being implemented to improve the overall gaming experience.
When we try to bring in new players it's more about quality of life changes [not in the level of difficulty] - things that'll make the game a little easier without getting rid of the core of EverQuest. The fact that EverQuest 1 is a hard game, and we don't want to make it an easier game because that's what our players want. Our players want that harder game, that Dark Souls experience. If they wanted the easier experience they would go elsewhere -- he said.
Bell then explained that players feel a sense of satisfaction when they accomplish something extremely difficult. The director of the game Elden Ring, Hidetaka Miyazaki, follows an almost identical way of thinking. The dev made it clear some time ago that lowering the Soulslike's difficulty level wasn't considered because "the sense of achievement that players gain from overcoming these hurdles is such a fundamental part of the experience, turning down difficulty would strip the game of that joy," which in his opinion eyes would ruin the game.
The critique of the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion from FromSoftware has recently sparked a debate among players about whether the game is too challenging or if the difficulties in defeating bosses are due to the players' lack of skills.
