Less traditional fantasy in MMO's would be great. I'm not sure it's going to "save the genre", unless you're referring specifically to the lack of creativity and originality to world building, and even then the situation would be less about making fantasy games which don't adhere to traditional standards, and more about convincing developers and studios to actually hire on writers that are capable of producing something they can call their own, to take pride in, or become seriously passionate about story writing. I'm certainly not trying to imply that it's impossible to find MMO lore, stories, or worlds that break some of the more conservative molds, but I do feel it's infrequent. Much of this could be said in regards to general fantasy writing, however.

Originally posted by Lawlmonster

Less traditional fantasy in MMO's would be great. I'm not sure it's going to "save the genre", unless you're referring specifically to the lack of creativity and originality to world building, and even then the situation would be less about making fantasy games which don't adhere to traditional standards, and more about convincing developers and studios to actually hire on writers that are capable of producing something they can call their own, to take pride in, or become seriously passionate about story writing. I'm certainly not trying to imply that it's impossible to find MMO lore, stories, or worlds that break some of the more conservative molds, but I do feel it's infrequent. Much of this could be said in regards to general fantasy writing, however.

That

Sorry I've never heard of this. The closest thing to a modern adaptation of a fantasy-themed story for the current generation that comes to my mind is "A Song of Ice and Fire".

WoT is a very involved and incredibly boring unless you are really really really into the soap opera. If I find out I only have like 6 months to live I will read a WoT book because it will feel like a damn eternity. Thus I think a WoT MMO would only appeal to hardcore WoT folks which is not enough to maintain a successful MMO.

The genre does not need saving, WoT is not the type of IP to do it even if it did. There are not enough options to make it appealing to play in the WoT world. I will take Shannara, if we are going with a fantasy world or even a Dungeons & Dragons redo setting it in a more classic setting instead of silly ass Eberon. Someone needs to throw budget at Pathfinder it could be good but not the way they are currently handling it.

I voted hell yeah, because I think Wheel of Time is that awesome, but I don't think the genre needs saving.

Choose a faction!

Light

Aes sedai - Locked to female character creation, 6 subsets of casters, some pet classes (green), healers (yellow), blue (battle magic). Not sure for the remaining 3 but you get the picture.

Aiel - Maybe restrict to just melee characters

Archers, various other classes such as Gleeman, ranged maybe locked to start location

Seanchan

A complete second faction, the big wild card. You still have chanellers (pet class lol), fighters stealthers and so on.

The dark side

Black Ajah (Still have subsets of caster, healer, battle etc and locked to female toons).

Darkfriends (any type, melee, ranged, rogue).

Then there is the second world, the dream world- tel'aran'rhiod, also the twisted tower (snakes and foxes). 

If anyone ever does make this as an mmo, I really hope they don't make it a dual faction game!

Thread title is a lie.

The MMORPG genre does not need saving, it's doing better than it ever has before.

Same can be said for the entire video game industry.

"But BadSpock?!? I don't like the current crop of games!"

Ummm sorry? Welcome to life kiddo, welcome to life...

Originally posted by DarkPony

WOT is a great IP for a mmorpg but the notion that the genre needs saving is completely untrue and at the very least superfluous to your topic.

never heard of WoT, but yes, the idea that the genre somehow needs saving just because a few sandbox fans don't like where the genre is heading is wrong

Wheel of Time is one of the best series I feel I have read/reading. But please no MMO, companies just screw us over these days money>all. Would ruin the series for me.

The MMO industry needing "saving" is a subjective view - biased by the experience and expectations of each one of us.

10 years ago, when I picked up an MMO, I played it for 2 yrs 8 hrs a day without ever thinking about something else.

5 years ago, when I picked up an MMO, I played it for 6 months without ever thinking about something else.

Post-WoW era, I pick up an MMO, I play it for 3 months and get burned out and one night I log off and I never go back.

Is the MMO industry failing, in terms of generating profits? Hell no, I am paying so much money every single month, trying the next best thing, trying the next wow killer (lol) and quitting in 2 months. 

However, is the MMO industry failing, in terms of producing a game which can catch MY attention for more than 6 months? Hell yes it is failing. (Again, as I said at the entry sentence, this is according to MY experience and expectations, not a generalization of the industry)

Having cleared that, would WoT be the savior for me, creating a game where I would be a loyal subscriber for months and months? I have my doubts.

I am no expert when it comes to fantasy however I can clearly say that the WoT series is one of the most detailed, polished and mmo-adaptable fantasy world out there, where the creator has given SO MANY information that can be utilized to create a system where you can have races, factions, classes, combat & magic and everything that would instantly fit into a MMO genre.

However, undertaking something as big as WoT, as we have seen in the case of SWTOR, is bound to make a lot of loyal fans upset - there are so many world-breaking decisions that the developer has to take - and it is simply too sensitive to attempt.

Seeing everyone and his dog being a jedi in a MMO makes you think: would you love a game where everyone and his dog is aes sedai? or myrddal? or ogier? How would you, the developer, balance it so that this is prevented, without taking away the aspect of fun? (i.e. SWTOR limiting people from choosing jedi so easily without any penalties?)

Such an undertaking, if attempted, would make me the biggest excited fanboy in the universe, but in the end when it would be released, i d not play it for more than 2 weeks for all the compromises and generalizations they would have to make, to appeal to the farmville player and the counterstrike player.. 

Thats why, I think the MMO industry is beyond saving, and will further be "dragon age 2-ized" in the coming years.. Success to some, ultimate end to me.

This is a MMO I would play no matter what. I think it would be best to have it take place just before the great battle. With Ashaman in the game and most of the Forsaken. Would also be cool if they had the portasls in the game that you could ask the 3 questions or ask for 3 things. I would love to be able to explore thoughs worlds. As well as the Way Stones taking you to different dimensions of the world where things are different. Where the 13 won the war and the Dark one is free and the world is twisted. So much you can do with this story. Wheel or Time could be a tripple A MMO if done by the right company.  

Not a very good poll.

Personally I consider the Wheel of TIme to be greatly overrated. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it or anything. I even managed to get Jordan to sign a couple of copies for me back in the 90's, but I just do not see it as living up to its hype.

Originally posted by Ashen_X

Not a very good poll.

 

Personally I consider the Wheel of TIme to be greatly overrated. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it or anything. I even managed to get Jordan to sign a couple of copies for me back in the 90's, but I just do not see it as living up to its hype.

Do they have necromancy in WoT?

Originally posted by Volkon

Do they have necromancy in WoT?

No but there is some really twisted dark magic.

Originally posted by Nanfoodle

Originally posted by Volkon

Do they have necromancy in WoT?

No but there is some really twisted dark magic.

Ah, gotcha. This thread led me to believe otherwise.

Actually, I recall reading a bunch of those books awhile back... Rand Al'Thor or something like that, no? Maybe that's a different series. My wife has most of them, maybe I'll crack 'em open again for some light reading. I do recall enjoying them. Of course, on topic, I'll have GW2 to "save the industry" for me.

It's the game mechanics are the one that should save the genre, not the story. You can drop the best story (or biggest IP) ever in a classic theme-park mold (SW:ToR comes to mind) and it might #FAIL big-time (again SW:ToR comes to mind).

The question in general should not be "Can WoT save the genre?", but "Can *enter mechanic system* save the genre?". Because I think if WoT will be done like any of the current settings has been done, it certainly won't make much of a difference.

Originally posted by Volkon

Originally posted by Nanfoodle

Originally posted by Volkon

Do they have necromancy in WoT?

No but there is some really twisted dark magic.

Ah, gotcha. This thread led me to believe otherwise.

 

Actually, I recall reading a bunch of those books awhile back... Rand Al'Thor or something like that, no? Maybe that's a different series. My wife has most of them, maybe I'll crack 'em open again for some light reading. I do recall enjoying them. Of course, on topic, I'll have GW2 to "save the industry" for me.

Ya I have my copy of GW2 paid for and love the BWE that ANet has been giving us. As much as I love GW2 WoT would be an MMO I would go and explore even just for a short while to see all the sights from the books. EA's SWToR is talking about picking up the same model for payment as GW2 so I am sure with them owning this game they would do the same. Either way WoT is a world I would not miss exploring, unless the game was really bad.

Originally posted by Nanfoodle

Originally posted by Volkon

Originally posted by Nanfoodle

Originally posted by Volkon

Do they have necromancy in WoT?

No but there is some really twisted dark magic.

Ah, gotcha. This thread led me to believe otherwise.

 

Actually, I recall reading a bunch of those books awhile back... Rand Al'Thor or something like that, no? Maybe that's a different series. My wife has most of them, maybe I'll crack 'em open again for some light reading. I do recall enjoying them. Of course, on topic, I'll have GW2 to "save the industry" for me.

Ya I have my copy of GW2 paid for and love the BWE that ANet has been giving us. As much as I love GW2 WoT would be an MMO I would go and explore even just for a short while to see all the sights from the books. EA's SWToR is talking about picking up the same model for payment as GW2 so I am sure with them owning this game they would do the same. Either way WoT is a world I would not miss exploring, unless the game was really bad.

You know... I'm not going to disagree with that. Another one that comes to mind... you ever read the Belgariad? Some fascinating schools of magic in there as well. May be difficult to translate into gameplay, but another interesting world with a ton of variety.