Future MMORPG ideas

[Justa Mirage]

This could be a fun topic of discussion so I will start it out:

I have looked over the histories of MMORPGs and how they are organized by "server" "geographical area" and "replication of mobs just with different names and size/color difference"

What if there was an MMORPG that operated on seamless servers across the country. The land mass was that of Earth. You would never have "cross server" problems as there would be no duplication of worlds, all the players would be in one huge virtual server.

Someone mentioned to me that 1:12 of the earth's population plays WoW. That's scary when you think about it. So I thought... Why do games have "servers" to choose from? Because you can't have 10,000,000 people standing around Westfall fighting over coyotes, pigs, and vultures (WoW area)

So I thought, what if there was an MMORPG based on a Shadowrun post war Earth with magic, technology, guns, genetic enhanced super humans that really exist on Earth, the game world IS Earth, and your starter city would be one of the major city/countries ON Earth. As you venture from your capital starter city, quests and adventures get harder. You could level your entire career and never leave your home state, or you could accept a quest that takes you to another state / country and their quest system. You would never have "Servers" to choose, as the server you chose was the city / country you start in. This way, the game would never get boring, as you could start new characters in other city/countries and do the quests in that area.

If you start a guild, you could have everyone find transportation to an agreed city that you would prefer to hang out at and do the quests there. There could be email setups in game for communicating to other city/states/countries, magical / regular transport systems, and epic mobs that are only in a few places on the planet where multiple characters from different starter areas can gather and defeat.

It's a thought

What would be an interesting MMORPG idea for you?

p.s. Shadowrun has dragons btw.

[AmonGwareth]

Someone mentioned to me that 1:12 of the earth's population plays WoW. That's scary when you think about it. So I thought... Why do games have "servers" to choose from? Because you can't have 10,000,000 people standing around Westfall fighting over coyotes, pigs, and vultures (WoW area)

Try 2/10 of 1% of the world's population. 0.0018 or around there.

What you are describing sounds a lot like the Metaverse in Snow Crash. And yea, that would rock.

[Arietna]

sounds like a lot of fun

so long as I can have my own corner cooking for all them people who want to adventure, I'd be happy

I always seem to end up cooking, in no matter what game I play. Either that or tailoring..

[Favoran]

Someone mentioned to me that 1:12 of the earth's population plays WoW.

That'd be scary if it were true. (Un)Fortunately , far less than 1/12 of the population even has access to a computer.

I think that'd be a really interesting and fun idea for an MMO, however it'd be a huge undertaking to get something like that started, and before it got big it'd only be able to use a few cities or states. Not to mention the potential lag problems. But I still think it's a cool idea. So long as there's playable dragons; no MMO is complete without them.

Therefore, very very few MMOs are complete...

[Shian]

I want to see a game with weather that affects the game and characters. So far no MMO has done it.

It's raining? Cool! Resources are all respawned (growth) but your radar or overhead map containes a "Fog of War" effect.

Heavy snow? Your endurance is slowly depleted unless you are carrying a torch or have a heavy coat. Very few vegetation spawns here.

Dust storms pelt you with a DOT consisting of a small % of your HP so no matter who you are or how strong you are, being in a dust storm for too long is not a good idea.

Very few players should be able to survive a tornado or some other large scale natural disaster so running away or finding shelter would be a good idea.

You stand in a fire? Okay, you now have a fire DOT until you run around to put it out, but going in water will put it out instantly.

I can see why developers would be hesetant to put such a thing in the game- it would be a bit of a let down to only log in once a week- the one day you do log in and it's raining.... but to me there are enough games that are safe to play in that regard.

[Justa Mirage]

Why not go one further..... have the game scan national weather maps and make it rain only if it's raining in your home town

Actually the "fire" thing is done minimally in some MMO's but you don't catch fire, you just take damage for standing in a fiery area, or as in Asheron's Call, you lost health because the air was toxic.

But yea, weather affecting your ability to perform in-game is a good one.

[Shian]

Nah. I prefer a random throw of the dice. Would not be fun to live in drought in RL AND ingame.

Besides, if it's gloomy and dark outside, I know that it is sunny in at least one game ^_^

Here's a fairly recent post of mine I found in a different board. The question was asked "What is your ideal MMO/What would you want in your MMO?" so the text phrasing is slanted to answer this question. Bit of a repeat with the weather thing, but there was some other stuff I didn't add. It also references other games as I'm not sure how to accuratly describe such a system. Sorry if it's too long.

I really want to see an MMO with weather. Why don't we have one yet where weather affects the player?

If you stay too long in blizzards/heavy snow, your stats get reduced due to cold/hoypothermia

Sandstorms will tick away at your health. ('cmon being pelted by tiny pieces of sand sucks) so players should try to seek shelter rather than stay out in it.

No player should be able to survive a tornado or some other "large" natural disaster. Well.. maybe really epic players, but they need to be using consumable items/have all the best gear to keep thier health about "0" during such an event. Meaning it should really be something to be able to brag that you survived it.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one that would want such a thing as I'm sure alot of people are labeling it as "inconvienient". Well duh! It's supposed to be. If you can't go out and hunt because there's a blizzard outside, stay inside and craft. In SWG's case, the game is so dynamic there is always something different to do because there are so many mini-games you can busy yourself with.

Emotes

Good for immersion and trying to convery such. And I don't mean just put in /dance.... being able to show emotions and proper humanized gestures is nice (and makes for good screenshots! ^_^) Moods are also nive to have. Meaning, set a mood and your character will sit or walk differently.


Mini games

Make lots of them. Little perks that people can do if they get bored with slaughtering things and make them complex enough so that they are fun.

SWG's Fishing system-it's not a point click. It's interactive.
EQ2's Crafting system- also complex enough of a mini game to make crafting very fun, but not difficult. As you craft, you get "tics" that you need to hit the correct ability to counter such a tic in time. If you don't, you get a hit to your endurance! (I hear it's also possible to die at the crafting table if you try to AFK it and miss every single tic)
Gambling-Present in most games, makes for a good time sink for those that have too much cash.
EQ2 also recently introduced Legends of Norrath- a simpler Magic the Gathering type card game that you can play during downtimes and time sinks. Perhaps way out of scope, but putting in a jan ken or other simmilar simple game.

"Fluff Stuff"
Is VERY important. Make silly items like a paintball or snowball gun that dosen't really do anything for combat, but running around town pelting it with red or pink paint is fun.

Celebrating holidays is cool too. Have IG events to correspond to a few RL holidays. Make up a few holidays for the game too!
April 22nd. (pull date out a hat) Just another day? Nope! It's when <insert IG town here> was built. There will be a parade four times today and vendors will be selling special foods and items! Lots of lore to read from the townspeople too!

Also in game references and tiny hints to things that are outside the game. IE WOW and EQ2's list of references. They're REALLY fun to find and understand. Like WOW's Firefly. It means nothing and is nothing out of the ordinary unless you have seen the show and can telll that it is a reference to an actual show.

One of the appeals for me that is a must have in the MMO's I play is player housing. I can't really play a game that dosen't have it. The game seems too basic without it. (Hey, are you really all that surpised?)

PVP and PVE should be kept as seperate game mechanics- seperate games altogether really. The two do not and will not ever work together. There is always SOMETHING that will work in PVE that dosen't work so well in PVP and vice versa. So players will complain that "special 13 is too strong in PVP" and a nerf makes it totally useless in PVE.

[Royal]

http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/38088
Is a very interesting podcast btw. Thisone is about the future of MMO's.
Two nice guys from Turbine (LOTRO) are in the show, so you hear some about LOTRO aswell. Very nice game I must say ;-)

Greetings

[RuneDragoon]

I have a nice setting and story for a game, although it was developed as a hobby and in the opposite way a game should be created (Mechanics first!)

So... it fits an MMO type thing, and I had thought of the weather affecting the player. For example, thunderstorm: Very slight chance to be struck by lightning, druids can call lightning, and stuff. Sunshine: Nice little experience buff because the player feels great.

My idea of a druid class for an mmo would be for several levels you are just a standard version, eventually you join a grove order dedicated to something specific. IE: Ocean, Dragons, Elements. Your skills will be based on your specialty from then on, so your shapeshifts will vary based on what you picked.

Although, a neat standard druid skill should be a wolf shapeshift. A buff slightly increases speed and damage if you travel with other wolf druids in a pack.

I am a fan of mini games and advocate the usage of them in a game for the fun factor.

[LOVWYRM]

I like your idea, Justa-sounds like future

And yes, sure, shadowrun has dragons

(did you not know, the great western dragon has a sister??^^)

[Justa Mirage]

I am running a shadowrun campaign presently where it's a mix of Shadowrun and "EvE online (the spaceship MMORPG)" where the adventurers are like the "Firefly Crew in Serenity" but under Shadowrun rules.

They have accepted a cargo run mission, no questions asked because they are being paid well. What they don't know is the containers house 2 dragon mates and their eggs, being transported back to their home planet.

Having a lot of fun DMing that one.

[LOVWYRM]

may I have the part of the dragoness, protecting her eggs pls ?