The Perfect MMORPG

[Halan]

Hi all,

i want to start a little discussion about the topic which is MMORPGS and their problems - what should be changed added to make it a game which is not based on powerlevling or something like that. I know this is a programming forum but i think no one gets hurt if i start such a disussion

Well in my opinion the main problem of a MMORPG is the expericence or skill system, but the way you gain those stats. Also im missing a world that is changeable. A main reason this aint possible is everybody wants to play a "hero" so if all of those ppl could make a change in the world it would cause a big chaos in my opinion. And i also haven't seen a game yet with nice opinions to roleplay.

what do you think of the worlds mmorpgs? what do you hate/like? how would you improve those games?

greets,
Halan

[Anteater]

My idea of a perfect MMORPG would be Final Fantasy XI but without the slow leveling/need to power level. Pretty much everything else about the game is great.

[klikmaster]

A new MMORPG needs a new system for improving your character, rather than the FF-Style/WoW level up system. EVE-Online has a nice system where you need to train certain skills and earn money, to be able to fit upgrades to your ship.

[TheC]

Some people don't like wow, but I was very impressed at first.

What annoyed me is the repetative quests. Alot of the time its something like:

"Kill <NPC> and retreive 10 <loot item>, return them to me and i will pay you <money>".

Its repetative and annoying, I want something more epic in a game

[Halan]

yeah me too but i have no idea how this should look like.

mourning seemed promising but at the end it was jusdt a piece of crap
did someone hear anything of age of mourning?

greets,
halan

[Spintz]

Age of Mourning kept getting renamed, it's Thones of Chaos or something like that now isn't it? Or is Age or Mourning what it ended up being renmaed to? Was it ever released?

Shadowbane was best concept, IMO( aside from Ultima Online ) but the bugs, and interface ended up killing the game. It's actually free to play now, but it's full of retards.

[miko93]

From what I read, Mourning seemed to be nothing but a huge management desaster. Obviously, it isn't released yet - and I doubt it ever will (pics look promosing, though).

Things worth looking at IMHO are Planeshift ( http://www.planeshift.it/ ) and Infinity ( http://www.fl-tw.com/ ). Both are non-commercial and offer possibilities to participate as a developer. Far better than everybody starting his/her own massive OnlineGameProject, I think.

Back on topic:

MMORPG concepts is a very complex topic, I think. At least, we are talking about generating completely new worlds

This is what just came to my mind:

First of all, I think a MMORPG needs to have a decent and easy interface (as offline games need, too. X2 anyone, hehe?). Wow really is a standard here.

Then, a good prediction system for smooth movement is needed, too. E.g., 2nd Life ( http://secondlife.com/ ) lacks in that, I think.

Another "must" would be players' participation via add-ons. This way, inventions come from the player base, too.

Repetitive quests could be there (sometimes, I like stupid farming in the evening, while thinking about the day, hehe); but it should be an option, not a must.

Impact on environment - as it is done e.g. by AutoAssault ( http://www.autoassault.com/ ) is a first step into the right direction, I think.

Economy... ah, economy. One could write a book about online games' economy models (and surely some did already). Basically, I think, the economy should reflect real-world standards, so that people can easily adapt and accept it. How this could be done in detail? Dunno, really...

my 2cents

[Klasker]

In a fantasy RPG what I really like is the feel of being in an adventure with a good story. But in online games everything is ruined when you enter a city with 500 people screaming "WTS +2 Fire Sword send /tell" and whatever.
I was thinking it would be much more fun if the game engine automatically decided on what people you would meet. So you could walk out in the forest and by chance meet someone and decide to travel together. In a typical online game people are dismissing each other because they see players all the time. But when you only see about 3 or 4 other people in a few hours, maybe they'll pay attention. The game could even choose for players with similiar quests to have higher chance of bumbing into each other.
Also, what makes an RPG fun for me is that you are a HERO (or a villian), but it sucks being a hero when there are 150 other "heroes" standing around shouting "LFG for Lord Faron's quest".
Well, the short version is: I hate overcrowding. It ruins all the atmosphere.

Oh, and as already mentioned.. more creative quests, please!

[Strong99]

You see with silkroad, first it was made for less people than playing today. The have installed 3 more worlds, but before the week was ended 500 new users were registerd, so than you have to set a max on user pro world and that's not what a commercial compagny wants. So i think you have to add many servers or just add a user limit. But i like it and you talk to much people when you play much times.

[lostclimategames]

some time when i have 2 or three hours to sit here and type, i might type up my idea for my "ideal" mmo that i want to eventually lead a team into, unfortunately due to how large i want it to be, most machines nowaday might have a problem running something this complex.

[lostclimategames]

erhem,.... ill start tonight, since im waiting for a 30 minute download, anyways, my idea is completely non-linear in everyway, i wouldnt quite call it an mmorpg, as just mmo, because it would have basically no genre, instead it would have basically all of them, from a people simulator, to an rpg to a fps to a hack and slash, to an rts, you start out as a basic commoner, you can learn different skills to gain money, and rent or use land (initially owned by npcs until there become people good enough to purchase it), eventually you get good at a skill or too, this is were it gets interesting, you could for instance if you were a farmer, buy a small building, build it to your specifications, populate it with npcs, maybe hire on hands (other players) to help you farm and sell (for merchants) you from there raise enough money to open several shops, bigger buildings, can hire other classes to sell different merch, so, now you've went from rpg, to sims, to tycoon, lets say your a fighter, you choose how you want to fight, you choose to use guns, select your camera options, 3rd-person or first person, you, can from there try to find areas were the land owners allow you to fight, if they dont but they have gaurds, maybe you just kill there gaurds, now you've went down a evil path, now that player might have an ill will against you, on the other hand you could gain expirience and talent the legit way, by finding a merchant and hiring on as a gaurd, and eventually getting good enough to be hired by bigger and better people, maybe start a bodygaurd business, and such, the way this game would work everything could be open ended, its a lot bigger than even this in my mind, but it would take so long to finish explaining it that i really dont feel like it now

[sgt_pinky]

In my ideal MMORPG, players would have to be able to punctuate correctly before being able to play.

[ssexton]

For my $.02, see http://www.kiltononline.com . Ok, so that's a shameless plug, but now you know what I'm building with Irrlicht.

[BastetFurry]

In my opinion GuildWars is a rather nice one.
The only thing i miss is that the community cant build maps.

Thats the nicer side of Graal, you make your dungeon/house/whatever, it gets checked by a level admin and when its ok its in the game.

[Xaron]

Hmm... Guildwars might be a good online game, but where is the RP-aspect there?

Regards - Xaron