Random stuff

Author: spades07

*Rift
*Warhammer
*World of Warcraft new changes in Catalysm.

You go on these games now and you're in the midst of some war, and some factions are fighting.  Is that really appealling though? I mean I do like my war theme in my fps' but mmorpgs? I don't find it all that appealling.

I'll explain why from my view:

1) It's cookiecutter, its mob sent at npc with no character. I mean you have a war, there should be character (WoW at least adds some)
2) Maybe there is a slight yearning for a carebear environment. For instance you take the old wetlands in WoW it was sunny, happy, it was a nice 'leisurely' stroll. No dark, destroyed, destructive, barren environments. I mean Warhammer just looked plain ugly.
3) A war of say gnolls, kobalds, frogloks or something is more appealling than the sort of dark theme. EQ2 at least did this a little bit on the newbie island.

I'm not saying it should all be cutesy but neither the beginnings of Everquest or WoW were environments ravaged by war. So why has everyone gone into a 'war' theme. It has it's place- I mean invasions and soforth that Rift have- nice idea. But have the leisurely and 'happy' side too. Have a look at the massive appeal of Mario and Zelda for instance. You don't see any dull-looking, war ravaged npcs in that.

I'm posting here as posts get lost forever so just to remember my thoughts on mmorpgs, and ideas and systems. And if anyone else enjoys reading thats a bonus too. So heres a mmorpg idea I had while playing er WoW. (I hope I didn't say that out loud)

A conservationalists vs Hunters mmorpg. It seems pointless killing things over and over- I mean sure it has a benefit, but what about having an engaging macro scale game. Ie having a purpose, or having an effect on the world.

This is the idea because you're fighting say tigers over and over again in a mmorpg but what happens if they could go extinct in the game?...and forever(on a server). This  where I introduce the  two factions conservationalists and the hunters. (and maybe traders too)

The hunters hunt the animals, and getting their prize assets. The conservationalists hunting the hunters. The hunters get bonuses for animals, especially rare animals, and might have a number of tools to help them and In this hunting attain reputations and bounties on their head according to how prolific and endangering they are etc that the conservationalists gain hunting them.

Its an idea that would probably have to be level-based, it would fit in with a 'world', and incorporates pvp. It could also have little aspects like:

-monitoring animal population numbers.

-it could involve server-firsts and a very rare animal killed. Or a very proflic hunter killed.

-it could involve players creating species that could be added to the game.

It would need a lot more thought- but it adds thrill in the way of finding rare animals(that could maybe somehow also hide), getting rare loot and maybe could have similarites to Ape Escape.

Skill-based is naff. Classes are the juice of games- you look at TF2 and the classes there, you look at the classic Final Fantasy Tactics, and you look at DnD itself. Its the juice, its the gameplay variation, its the replay value.

But hold on- this doesn't mean I'm a pure fan of classes and levels..

I mean lets be honest this current mmorpg style is naff:

(1)Your new friend starts the game and you got to start a new level 1 character and abandon your other one to play with him.

(2) You got to travel halfway across the world  to get to predestignated uh.. 40-49 area.

(3) How you can can no longer go to your favourite dungeons- like Deadmines as they're obsoleted.

Q)So whats my solution?  Whats my ideal mmorpg style..?

Ok first we look at the beauty of Guild Wars.  A nice low level cap. That chance to grow into your character so to speak.  And 20 is a nice cap.

Q)And what do you do after hitting 20 if you have no more levels?

Ok most of the game will be aimed at level 20. How will characters progress? Well we now look at Everquest and it's alternate advancement system.

A picture here of it: http://mmohut.com/wp-content/gallery/everquest/everquest-alternative-advancement.jpg

You still earn exp, and you use that exp to advance your character, earn new abilities, or upgrade existing abilities.

Most of the content will be aimed at this end level cap as I say but there will be differing difficulties.

For instance. You'd have grade A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H dungeons. Grade A being the easiest. Grade A where you could group with your friend new to the game Johnny while still progressing your character, and maybe acquiring rare items of the dungeon. (Incidentally not only can you just group with your friend Johnny, but as anyone can group with anyone you're not waiting around to get a group. Nor are you buggering around with cross-servers with people you're never going to see again.)

But also again to make it more skill-based. Some skills may automatically go up- like a rank of firebolt instead of lame 'grinding' outs. And skills/abilities are quest-based- maybe depending on loots from a dungeon etc.

Lastly PvP also works with this. Any person can fight any person without silly artificial level blocks.

A conclusion I came to on another thread- was Dota could not work in a mmorpg [i]unless it was a mini-game[/i] and that got me thinking... See Dota wouldn't work in WoW because Dota relies very much on item acquisition strategy and skill-choice strategy over a short-term period- typically towards an objective. The problem with WoW is that the skills, and items have been acquired over a long-term period and are basically persistent skills you carry with you everywhere, so competitive elements revolved around these elements doesn't work- unless you alter the persistent skills part.

So- imagine this instead. In a mmorpg you basically level up an entity- an entity that when enters different environments has different selection of skills to choose from, or to acquire. So this entity when walking along- like city parts- has no skills. Joins a PvE, or an instance, and acquires the skills that are automatically assigned to the character or the skills he has acquired in that environment. What the idea is basically, is allowing mini-games into mmorpgs without sort of breaking down the fabric of the game. Ie, the game can still be persistant, the character still levels up and he'll carry that into any environment he goes. Just in terms of the acquisition of short-term (or long-term skills) can be applied.