My Idea is continuing the evolution of MMOs as was the case with MUDs nearly 20 years ago. We live in an age of user generated content yet MMOs and other online games content are stagnant with little to no ability to truely change the in game enviornment. CoX is starting to move this direction with user generated quests..but it is limited. Second Life allows us to create objects and scripts but is stuck being mainly a  game about fashion

I think the next evolution of MMOs will be in making MMO shells where everyone can create their own MMO.

Was going pretty strong there for a lil bit what happened to the creative ppl out there lol

seems one of the earlier posters on this thread was right for the most part everyone wants to complain but they don't consider how hard it is to please the gamers to begin with.

I have a million good ideas, but I won't post them here. I'll refine them and sell the design to a big Asian company, and then I'll retire to the Bahamas and drink sweet drinks all day and forget about MMOs!

Originally posted by charlionfire

I have a million good ideas, but I won't post them here. I'll refine them and sell the design to a big Asian company, and then I'll retire to the Bahamas and drink sweet drinks all day and forget about MMOs!

Really well good luck with that i hope they buy them from you instead of laughing at you when u try to offer your ideas and then tell u that's y they have game designers.

Originally posted by Justin83x

seems one of the earlier posters on this thread was right for the most part everyone wants to complain but they don't consider how hard it is to please the gamers to begin with.

This thread is based on a bogus premise. The majority of the posts on this forum aren't asking for anything new in the sense you're using it. They're mostly people who want an updated version of an old game e.g UO, EQ, DaoC or Asheron's Call i.e they want an updated skill-based sandboxy game like UO or AC, or an updated PvP game like UO or DaoC or an updated group-centred PvE game like EQ.

There's lots of solo quest-grinding themepark PvE games and there's lots of (F2P) solo mob-grinding themepark PvE games. And a lot of people like those kind of games. The bulk of the complaints on this forum are from the people who don't. For the most part they're not asking for new ideas they're asking for newer versions of old games.

This thread is fail.

If it's new ideas you want.  I got one that I'd like to see.  An MMO that actually scares the living bejebus out of me, like the original Resident Evil.  As far as I know, the only "scary" mmo (imho it's not really that scary, just gore) is Requiem.  I still have nightmares about those stupid decaying rotweilers! I hate you Capcom! lol

I have to call upon a little unknown mmo that I played for a good 2+ years called Dransik (ashen empires now) when it comes to the "skills vs level" debate.  They had a good balance, and it only makes sense that if you use a sword for 10 hours you become pretty efficient with it.

Originally posted by scodavis

Originally posted by Mysk

 

I dream of a MMO that focuses on story and does not have even a single "kill 10 whoozits" or  "collect 10 whatsits" job.

Oh, and World of Darkness done right (that is to say actually following the game's rules and not being like D&DLOL).

::sigh:: I dream, I dream...

 

As much as everyone complains about killing mobs to level, that's what makes a game a game.  If it was completely about story it would get old really quickly. 

If you want to pass the time with a story, there are movies and books.  I don't really need to sit at a virtual table and read a virtual book. 

If you really don't like leveling, then a game like TeamFortress2 might be to your liking.  If you don't like any kind of killing, then Sims might work for you.

If you just want a social game where you sit around and RP and gab then you have Second Life.

 

My point is, in the MMORPG genre you kill stuff to level.  What we really need (apparently) is a completely new genre of game.

That would be an MMOLG, levelling is an aspect of PnP RPG that has become a part of digital RPG, there were no gains for levelling in PnP games though, players undertook adventures that were appropriate and levelling measured an imagined status, now level status has become real in digital RPG which means for some they're not role-playing games at all but status games instead.  The thing is, that's how the games play, most players want to see the game worlds and feel respected and they have to level to get that in most cases

Instances have to go and so do re-spawns, put caves in for the creatures to come out of or something and make environments more real so under-dwellings only house one or two races and maybe a few bats and a bear and snakes that come out of the walls, and those races have a real conflict that you can really solve, for good, and when that's done a new problem might arise.  Take ecology into account, in the detailed way D&D writers have done,  Normal coves only have one dominant predator in them and maybe some smaller creatures that predator wouldn't consider prey.  To do this make servers that hold less players, maybe 100, and have lots of them without penalties for transferal between them, then have a smaller really well designed and implemented world so that the staff running the game can implement changes accurately and be aware of what's changing.

I want to see an MMO that's more of a society sim, where people have jobs that make sense in the context of the gameworld, whether they're blacksmiths, or tailors - and even though they can be more combat oriented like soldiers or mercenaries, they'll always be just people with skills, rather than levelling up to become super heros who can solo giants.  

Players choose roles that fit into the gameworld, and instead of levelling, they can work on more humble skills, character customization, and amass wealth and notoriety and own land, houses, shops, taverns, etc.  all in a very social sort of atmosphere, where interacting with other players tends to be lucrative, and all in some sort of sci-fi or fantasy environment that's just fun to socialize and hang out in.

As for original ideas, in general, of course people have them.  I think even some devs have them.  It's just that the idiots who finance these games think they'll do better with yet another mediocre level-grind formula than anything original that might have soilid niche appeal.

Originally posted by Vhaln

I want to see an MMO that's more of a society sim, where people have jobs that make sense in the context of the gameworld, whether they're blacksmiths, or tailors - and even though they can be more combat oriented like soldiers or mercenaries, they'll always be just people with skills, rather than levelling up to become super heros who can solo giants.  players choose roles that fit into the gameworld, and instead of levelling, they can work on more humble skills, character customization, and amass wealth and notoriety and own land, houses, shops, taverns, etc.  all in a very social sort of atmosphere, where interacting with other players tends to be lucrative, and all in some sort of sci-fi or fantasy environment that's just fun to socialize and hang out in.

This would fit well with the survival horror theme some of us have been discussing in that thread.

One big advantage of minimal stat-leveling is that players don't out-level each other and everyone can contribute something to the community cause.

As for original ideas, in general, of course people have them.  I think even some devs have them.  It's just that the idiots who finance these games think they'll do better with yet another mediocre level-grind formula than anything original that might have soilid niche appeal.

Bingo! That's the right answer. It's less a lack of creativity from the devs, and more a lack of courage from the investors. This is why I say MMOs should start off small, and grow after release. It reduces the pre-release expense and risk.

Originally posted by MMO_Doubter

Originally posted by Vhaln

I want to see an MMO that's more of a society sim, where people have jobs that make sense in the context of the gameworld, whether they're blacksmiths, or tailors - and even though they can be more combat oriented like soldiers or mercenaries, they'll always be just people with skills, rather than levelling up to become super heros who can solo giants.

Players choose roles that fit into the gameworld, and instead of levelling, they can work on more humble skills, character customization, and amass wealth and notoriety and own land, houses, shops, taverns, etc. all in a very social sort of atmosphere, where interacting with other players tends to be lucrative, and all in some sort of sci-fi or fantasy environment that's just fun to socialize and hang out in.

This would fit well with the survival horror theme some of us have been discussing in that thread.

One big advantage of minimal stat-leveling is that players don't out-level each other and everyone can contribute something to the community cause.

Yeah, a dark gritty horror atmosphere would great, too.  Certainly a sort of gameworld that's lacking in the genre so far, but I'm not one to be all that picky about themes.  As long as it's not modern day suburbia, ala The Sims Online.

I think horror can be the sort of theme that can enhance another theme - i mean, you can have it mesh into almost any other time period, whether it's a fantasy game, sci-fi, or present day urban, right?  Adding it to anything would add a touch of much needed originality, I think.

I'll be simple minded compared to some of the other posts here.

I'd like to be able to start another character without having to play the same quests/zones/content as I did with my main toon. Probly why I end up with one high lvl toon and then start several new one over and over. I get bored repeating the same content.

Originally posted by Morphaleon

I'll be simple minded compared to some of the other posts here.

I'd like to be able to start another character without having to play the same quests/zones/content as I did with my main toon. Probly why I end up with one high lvl toon and then start several new one over and over. I get bored repeating the same content.

I agree. I hit the alt cap in WoW last year, and I have about 70 alts in Warhammer. The lack of variety in starting areas is going to hurt Aion quite a bit, I think.

In warhammer, you have the option to level from PvP, which makes rerolling much more enjoyable for me. More games need to have that as an option.

Warhammer has a lot of flaws, but if the game was as fun in tier three and four as in the lower tiers, it wouldn't be dying now. What a shame. It's like different companies made the two halves of the game.

Originally posted by Vhaln

Yeah, a dark gritty horror atmosphere would great, too.  Certainly a sort of gameworld that's lacking in the genre so far, but I'm not one to be all that picky about themes.  As long as it's not modern day suburbia, ala The Sims Online.

I think horror can be the sort of theme that can enhance another theme - i mean, you can have it mesh into almost any other time period, whether it's a fantasy game, sci-fi, or present day urban, right?  Adding it to anything would add a touch of much needed originality, I think.

 

Yes, but it's survival horror in particular that changes things. If you haven't read that thread, I recommend it, as people have suggested many good ideas.