Everything comes to an end(./?)

Someone very aptly noted that when you finish reading a good book that you liked, no matter what the ending is, you feel empty. It’s like someone just died in your arms. Yes, you can re-read, but it’s like looking through photographs of the deceased. I want a continuation of what will happen to the characters next, to continue to empathize with them. However, they say correctly – everything should have its own measure. There are plenty of examples of what happens when the plot is too drawn out, the characters become boring, nothing significantly new happens (or sheer absurdity begins to happen), everything slides into boring drudgery and vile thoughts begin to appear in the heads of fans and admirers that it would be better if you, dear heroes, were killed during.

Having re-read a certain number of books, watched a number of films, gone through a number of worthy, meaningful, story-based games, I cannot single out a single creation that was “just right” – that is, the ending at the very moment when you don’t want a continuation anymore and haven’t had time to get bored. As a rule, if you’re tired of it, you don’t like it, and if you like it, then, damn it, you still want more, even though experience tells you that enough is enough, the topic is covered, the game is played and it’s really time to call it a day. Such a small paradox is the very completeness that causes slight internal whines about "well, just 5 more minutes, mom". Nevertheless, a worthy and timely ending, which puts an end or even an ellipsis in any work, is guaranteed to save the plot from going sour.

I could give a https://sportsbettingmedia.co.uk/latest-news/responsible-sports-betting-uk decent list of books, films, TV series that would be examples of the fact that there should be an ending and it should be at the right time, but we still have a gaming portal, so we are changing course to games. The gaming industry, like any other, is developing, growing, one might say evolving. As technology, and society as a whole, has developed, new genres have emerged, and today anyone who can be at all interested in video games will definitely find something for themselves. The spectrum is really wide – here you have to think with your head, and have time to kill, give free rein to your imagination and creativity, or immerse yourself in the atmosphere of something new… In general, you already know all this very well. But here I would like to start by paying special attention to games in which the emphasis is on the plot. Still, the context of my writing does not imply discussion about sandboxes or “match” games. And as a transition to the main idea of ​​this text, I will take the well-known Mass Effect.

I can hardly resist listing the merits, merits, pluses, as well as some of the still existing shortcomings of this (I think) gorgeous trilogy, and I’ll focus on the ending itself. Despite some controversial issues, it provides logical options for ending the series and adequately crowns the difficult journey of the Normandy team and the story of its captain. Without deviating from the topic and without going into the eternal question "what color did you choose?“I’ll just say that after all this I never saw Shepard alive. A man who saved the galaxy, who survived SO MUCH… It would be difficult for him to surpass himself (only if he saved another galaxy, ha!), future life would be infinitely dull and insipid compared to the background of the past. Moreover, he himself is no longer needed – that’s it, he played his role, he is History, but everyone wondered what it would be like to be walking history? The builders of the future have no place in this future, after all, their time is their present, and when it passes, it is best for them to leave with it. And although it was sad to “part” with the beloved characters of this wonderful series, thanks to the developers for stopping in time, before the characters began to become boring. At least in my memory it is imprinted with warm nostalgia, and, remembering, you involuntarily sigh and think “yes, it was great!".

Not long ago, on one fairly well-known information and entertainment portal, I came across an interesting article about some (sorry, but I really forgot the name) MMORPG “Tabula Rasa”. It described the history of not so much the development as the finale of this project. The peak of the game’s popularity has long passed, the online began to fall, the servers became empty. As expected, in the end the developers decided to close the servers. Forever. What surprised me was their decision to win the final. They didn’t just press “off”, trivially throwing the whole “world” into the trash, no. They organized something like an event. Final battle. They warned about this in the news feed and brought it to the attention of the players so that everyone could gather for their last battle for the last time. Since the project was about the Earth’s confrontation with aliens, according to the plot, on the last day of the life of the servers, a massive invasion of all this alien wickedness began on the planet in numbers overwhelming the forces of the defenders. Plus, the developers themselves sat down to control some characters with all, obviously, the goodies of the “game shop”. But the players fought to the last. Do you know how those who have nowhere to retreat fight?? Fanatical and frenzied, and this is not forgotten. Of course, “evil” won, the outposts were stubbornly given up one after another, there were fewer and fewer places for respawning, the enemy surrounded, and as a result, the countdown to the End began in the common channel. 10. 9. 8… We must still give credit to the developers for giving the fans another reason to get together. What gave a carload of emotions. And thus, in a sense, they “saved” their project from an unknown death with empty servers. In the minds of the players, the game was remembered not as “sliding into donut\monotony\dullness”, but rather as a glorious battle, and even though they lost it, they fought worthy of Valhalla.

This got me thinking about what might be missing from today’s MMORPGs. After all, everyone ultimately faces oblivion, everyone has a peak of popularity, and even such a multifaceted WoW will someday suffer the same sad end if Blizzard doesn’t change the concept, doesn’t change something fundamentally. Life is a movement, as long as there are resources, as long as there is imagination, such projects are promoted. But someday there comes a limit, and then what?? Yes, I understand, you can draw out the last juices, but if the ending is obvious and inevitable, why not make it bright and memorable? At least in gratitude to the players who supported, tested, donated, and just played in the end. This is the audience at whose expense the developers largely fed. All, or the vast majority of these online role-playing games are designed to be endless, which on the one hand is good and profitable, but the other side of the coin is that sooner or later they become obsolete. And personally, I came to the conclusion that Finitude is what is missing in today’s MMORPGs. The ending will add a plot to even a completely plotless farm, and the beauty is that everyone will have their own story, and only the ending is common.

In conclusion, I would like to say that, of course, this is not an attempt to reach the creators of online games, these are just thoughts, perhaps a little indignation. However, I note that a couple of years ago I complained about the lack of survival games and space themed games. Leafing through the Steam store, I get the feeling that I was heard. So I’ll try whining out loud again, in case it leads to something.
Thanks for reading.

Article I don’t remember who and I won’t say where about the above “I don’t remember the name” online RPG (if I find it and if they allow me, I’ll paste the link, honest guard) about the MMORPG “Tabula Rasa”, thanks comrade koSTENLPFan for help defining the game, link to the article in his comment below.
The whole series Mass effect, of course with an extended cut version of the third part
Fahrenheit
Bioshok infinite
A. and B. Strugatsky "Ugly Swans"
A. and B. Strugatsky "Snail on the Slope"
A.P. Chekhov "The Cherry Orchard"
Series "Firefly" (no, seriously, everyone wants a sequel!)
And much more, but to a lesser extent. Also, there are a lot of series that were not closed on time, sliding straight down into boredom, sucking events out of thin air, etc.d. (No, "Lost"I still can’t help but mention it here)

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