Richard Garriott on MMORPG Design

Next Generation reports that NCsoft's Richard Garriott critisized current MMORPG design during his keynote speech at this week's Develop Conference & Expo. Whack-a-mole!
Garriott added that missions are typically very repetitive and developers find it hard to tell stories in MMOs.

With regard to AI, he said most developers ignore the possibilities of AI because they see the real people playing as the AI.

He labeled MMO gameplay as (whack-a-mole turn-based combat.)

Garriott also offered solutions to his criticisms, and he hopes to address the perceived shortcomings of MMOs with his own upcoming title, Tabula Rasa.

He said the sci-fi Tabula Rasa ((blank slate)) is by no means perfect, but he wants it to be a new blueprint for MMOs going forward.

I really hope he pulls off everything he's set out to do with Tabula Rasa or speeches like this might come back to haunt him.