MMORPG Thoughts and Other things that I can't get out of My Head

As a disciple of the MMORPG system, I offer my humble thoughts in this blog.

Author: fansede

Ok just going to throw some concepts out for this card based game. Again, just going to draw from Magic the Gathering as it is one of the pioneers in this system.

We would like some customization in an MMO. So players can choose various elemental forces to specialize themselves. So players can either start as an adventurer with no special card sets, however they are more flexible with what they can use. Downside as an adventurer is that they are less likely to use more powerful skills/summons that demand several lands of a specific element. Those that desire a special elemental build can unleash mega skills of that element, but may find themselves at a disadvantage from certain foes. Suppose a Mountain Red Mage goes up against a foe with cards that inhibit mountain/red cards, etc.

Professions - even though not the favorite of skill based gamers, could be pre made builds for players to start with. Here are some examples:

Warrior - Perhaps a couple of cards of each land: Plains, Island, Mountain, Swamp, Forest. however they only get artifact creature cards to use. To balance this restriction, the warrior has a higher hit point pool and has more personal attack and defense skills than other professions. More on personal combat later.

Paladin - Similar to the warrior, but only allowed to use White soldier and aura cards

Dread Knight - Similar to warrior, starts with Black soldier and aura cards

Ranger - Warrior + Green Solider and aura Cards

Rogue - Has a card set of sorceries/instants that involve assasination, stealing opponents cards and evading personal damage

Priest - card set of white cards

Druid - Green cards

Necromancer - Black cards

Illusionist- Blue cards

Magus - Red cards

Obviously the possibilites are limitless . Shaman (White/Red set), Oracle ( Blue/Green), Wizard (Blue/Red), Witch (Black/Blue) Monk (White/Green), etc.

Ok Point being there is plenty of room for players who want their own gaming style. Play an adventurer and pick and choose what you want to put in your deck. Or be a specialist of sorts and be more limited but access to elite skills of your profession.

The next thing is why would I play a warrior with little access to other cards than a magus with acess to all red cards?

Here is where your personal avatar comes in. As a warrior, your life points is higher. Lets say all players start at 20 life points. A warrior starts at 30 points. There is more:

The warrior acts as his own permanently summoned card. He can attack anything on the field, including the opponent. He is limited only by his attack cooldown button. The damage he inflicts depends on what weapon he is wielding. And he can wield artifacts to enhance his damage output. Lets say a Warriors base damage is 1 per level. The warrior cannot be assasinated, controlled, enchanted or removed from play like other cards. He can be physically blocked (unless artifact equipment is worn). Warriors also are granted additional actions as they progress. All the other classes only receive one action. This means they have access to physical skills no other can. For example he may attack the opponent and completely block the next incoming attack. So while very restricted in card access the warrior takes to the battlefield himself and revels in it.

MMO stats play less a role in these types of games, but it can add another dimension to the game if they did play a role. How?

Strength may influence the amount of physical damage the avatar can inflict.

Intelligence may influence the amount of total cards a player can have ready in his deck.

Wisdom may influence the maximum amount of cards a player can draw (not including modifiers)

Dexterity may influence the chance to partially evade damage from physical attacks. Rogues may get a special chance to evade all damage on one attack they choose per encounter.

Consitution influences the amount of life points one has and how many they receive per level

Charisma influences NPCs, factions, card costs, and role playing aspects like quests.

Luck is just that. Influences drops and any rolls or random calculations in the game are tilted to your favor.

Armor rating - a percentage calculation which provides an avatar a chance to mitigate damage. The higher the armor rating, the higher chance that any physical damage inflicted on you is lessened.

When Guild Wars was launched, I thought the door was cracked open and it would be a matter of time before we saw a plethora of card type games. Imagine a Magic The Gathering MMO...

I was excited to see skills converted successfully into "cards" for a MMO (well in Guild Wars, case, Co-operative role playing game).

So thinking more and more about it, I wondered why hasn't Wizards of the Coast tried to get into the market? They already had some computer games and an online game. However, the online game is a duel program which is fine for MtG enthusiasts. However, there was no  player avatar that could interact in a persistent and dynamic world.

The obvious game design barriers to such an endeavor include:

• Multiplayer gaming - MtG is a duel based design. I am interested in a design which involves more than two players. What are some possible ideas that could bring this into fruition? Guild Wars has a reasonable starting point. Many of those MtG cards can be used as skills that could be used by the avatar. Sorceries, Instants, Enchantments are all spells that can be converted to skill sets in an MMO design much like a Guild Wars System.
• Creature cards and MMO gamelay - Here is a tough one. Players familar with the MtG know summoning creatures are essential to the game. As MMO veterans realize if a group of players summon allies at once it can cause massive lag to a system. Good news though. Perpetual Entertainment will soon launch Gods and Heroes, a different flair on the MMO world in that a player can have minions at their side. So there is some evidence that a group system can have several creatures at their side in a MMO gaming world.
• Turn based game converting into a real time game. Card based games are inherently slow by design. Gives players time to strategize and think through the game. Again, I think Guild Wars is a place to lay the foundation for this transformation. Cooldowns for skills are the key. A player cannot activate, have a summoned creature attack if it is greyed out in cooldown mode.
• How to handle player avatars - normally in duel games, the player is a punching bag that simply has to stay alive  long enough. In MMOs this is not interactive enough. We want to gear up our avatar, unlock his own abilities and attack ourselves damn it! So here I would always give a skill where the player avatar can act - whether it be a melee attack, a spell or similar skill he /she has acquired and be able to use it at certain intervals. This is provides more strategy and also gives the player something else to do besides sitting in the backlines. Some turn base games like Etherlords displays how this can be implemented. This also helps out in PvE gaming in that a player does not have to always summon things to defeat a foe and perhaps play in traditional mode we are all familar with playing.
• Tapping lands - Most MMO designs have casters or warriors draw skills from a mana/endurance pool. In this MMO, players create the mana pool from the land cards. The skill /summon cards are unlocked as enough mana is generated.
• Graveyards - I don't see a problem here either. A MMO design can create a temporary discard area where dead creatures or one time skills can be placed.

All in all, there is much to be gained from an innovative designer of this type of MMO. A different type of gaming combat system, a financial opportunity in that card sales can contribute to online game play, lots of lore to draw from if MtG is used. Or card games like YugiOh or other card type games.

Next Concept in this: Devil is in the details how would combat look like in this game?