It's been a long time since there's been a revolutionary MMORPG... Maybe that's being too generous. Has there ever been one? From Meridian 59, to Ultima Online to Everquest to World of Warcraft and to what is probably the highest species of the genotype Lord of the Rings online, players have been pretty much been riding the same horse.
Meridian gave us a graphical MUD. Ultima Online crafting and an economy. Everquest gave us a beautiful world and raiding. World of Warcraft lowered the time and entry requirements. Lord of the Rings took a snip here and a snip there and spent a lot of time polishing things up, but we're still pretty much playing Meridian 59. Today I am going to kill a monster, loot his corpse and use the sword he had to help me kill a tougher monster tomorrow.
Some games have given us different beautiful worlds (Pirates, or Space or Alien Landscapes or Technoworlds), some games gave us instances or dragons or new trade skills, but though the games have been refiend and are evolving, there hasn't been an evloutionary leap probably since the original Everquest and even that can be argued.
Going over the list of upcoming games, only Tabula Rasa is looking for a way to change the landscape. Why is that? Is the lure of the windfall Warcraft created so strong that financiers are only willing to try to better that game in an effort to steal its market share? What would you do if you were making an MMORPG? Would you try to Out-WoW World of Warcraft or would you take a step away and try to step forward and deliver something new?
User Comments
How on god's green earth is TR revolutionary or even DIFFERENT? Instead of standing next to each other auto-attacking with a broadsword, you're just standing 15 ft away holding down your left-mouse button until the monster drops. There is no skill involved at any point. Or fun that I can see.... This game is going to have the same fate as AA.
MMORPG's need to change otherwise a lot of big companies are going to lose many millions. Not commenting on the upcoming titles. I just hope 1 shines. *praying to the game god*
To answer your last question. No I wouldn't try a fantasy game at all. What I want to see is probably summed up by mixing other games.
If I could I would do the following:
EVE-Online universe. Except every planet is habitable with varying levels or resource and riches. So on the planet the game should be represented by a combination of being in a Fallout Tactics world with counterstrike type combat albeit with RPG playability.
I think a game where you could literally spend years in space and not land on a planet or spend years on a planet and know that there is a universe full of players out there flying around and hauling your resources would be just mind blowing.
We would see blockades, wars to break blockades, players trying to dodge them as well. In the same game counterstrike combat could be used for ship vs ship boarding...... I am drooling here.
If i was only in it for the money, i would do a WoW with a different skin. Blizzard took what was working in other MMOs and polished it. That is the only new thing they brought in the MMO world. Polishing.
Demonzealot,
How on god's green earth is TR revolutionary or even DIFFERENT?
Streamlined interface, meaningful player decisions in the story lines, saved game character development and combining 'dice rolling' with first person shooting I think are all innovations, but I wouldn't call it revolutionary, I would call it an attempt to step away from the Everquest - World of Warcraft army of clones, though.
Chryses,
I've often thought what I would like to play in a space MMORPG would be one where you sign on as part of a crew of a 'capital ship' which would be a raiding/ PVP vehicle. Some players would manage the weapon systems, some the defense, like the spot force shields they used in Robotech Macross, some would pilot or manage power or perform emergency repairs etc. When you're not doing those guidlike activities, you could have your own solo ship to explore, gather resources etc. The community aspect is what I feel is lacking when I try to play those games.
matraque,
I think Lord of the Rings has already done that. It seems to have really positioned itself as a World of Warcraft killer, but only time will tell if they can get the job done.
Thanks all for the comments.
What I think, is time to broaden the view in the terminology that governs and limits MMORPG design ideology. Nowdays because of lack of words and themes, people are forced to use references from other games to describe what they're hoping for. For example EVE's player markets, UO's looting. To ever take this discussion any further, we have to rid ourselves completely from the bindings this kind of thinking and lack of terms puts on us.
Forever discussed PVP. There is so many approaches to this topic, that when ever the casually used 3 letter demon appears in any topic, you can expect similar opinnion changing than in any other topic. This is so broad and generalizing term, that its usage renders the whole discussion pointless. Its like asking "what animals do you like", when you actually are trying to discuss Indian white cow's metabolism issues.
Maeby lesser, but as annoyingly generalizing (and thus problem causing) are idioms like RP, BG, Instance, Levels, Death, Class and definetly the word Skill. Usage of all these and hunreds of other casually accepted ideas just limits the dreamers and developers.
Woe the never ending time discussions like "perma death or not" and "level or skill based" have been repeated in every forums ever touched by MMORPG topic. They'll never end anywhere, chance anything, merely compare two different approaches that cannot co-exist. But still they're always rammed underneath the same topic, MMORPG.
Nowdays already MMOFPS, or even MMORTS have become somewhat recognized. But still deeper differentiation should be brought to public attention and accepted, so we could finally stop comparing EVE (yes a freggin alternative universe spaceflying simulator) to LOTRO (IP limited high fantasy teen rated extension of a movie RP game), and both to games like UO DarkFall (open world sanbox permadeath bit-of-a-hardcore-style games). Even tho individual characteristics may be to some extent compareable, considering them on the same table of context brings me back to the similarities of those white cows metabolism compared to Starship Trooper bug's "similar system".
What comes to your original question, I guess it came clear that I would personally want to rip generalizing of every possible abbrevation to pieces and build something new. But then again as you also point to the question partially to finances, making a sequel or extension to franchise already well selling, is the way big markets are going.
Login or Register to post a comment