As long as I'm having fun while playing, then it's the perfect MMORPG at that particular time.  My tastes change everyday lol.  Sometimes I want to just sit around and talk.  Other times I just want to sit around and craft.  Sometimes I want to go pvp. etc etc.  I guess that would mean, the Perfect MMORPG for me would have to have alot of different things I like to do and have fun doing at the same time.

Originally posted by Swiftblade13

ok this might take a bit of typing =) 

Eq death penalty- In EQ when you died two things happened... you lost at least several hours worth of EXP.... which was no joke.  Even more serious...your body and all your items are left wherever you died.  You had to form corpse runs to go get your bodies... but keep in mind unless you had a second set of gear in the bank you are naked and weaponless... trying to get back to a place that was bad enough to kill you in your best gear.  Usually you hooked up with another group that was going the same way... but since there were so many dungeons spread all over this wasnt  always easy.  If you didnt recover your items within a week or so they disappeared forever!  This made going deep into a dangerous place terrifying!

EQ style quests- In EQ quests were started with a text dialog from an NPC.  The NPC might say "I could really go for a <beer>"  You had to take the keyword that was in brackets and for a sentence to say back to the NPC in the /say channel....    so you type "Here you go my friend, have a beer!"... the NPC would then thank you for the beer and say something else with a bracket.  You had to form an intelligible sentence with the word.. you couldnt really cheat and just say "beer" and thats it.  It was very engaging.

EQ epic quests-  Eq epic quests were truly epic adventures for endgame characters to get a special weapon for your particular class.  The quests often took a month or more to complete and were very truly epic in scale and challenge... requiring full groups or even raids of max level people to help you.

Challenge!  Many played EQ for years without reaching max level... with the experience penalty upon death it was possible to play forever without making much progress if you were careless.  Monsters were challenging and it was easy to get yourself in trouble.

No MAPS!!!!  You had to learn your way around by landmarks... it made the world seem huge and intimidating... made you feel more like you were really there.  If something big and bad was chasing you you hoped like hell you were remembering the right direction to run in!

 

SWG- Allowed you to place your house nearly anywhere on certain planets... there were a variety of houses which could then be decorated with items either crafted or looted... display some of your old weapons and armor etc.  My house was amazing.. I wish I had a fraps of it.  Later they made player cities with elections for mayor and all.  It was great but they mostly felt abandoned since there were so many and players were spread so thin.... there were tons of NPC cities.. and even more player cities.

SWG character advancement:  Instead of picking a class you leveled up skills in whatever class trees you wanted.  There were a certain number of points you ultimately got to spend on skills so you couldnt possibly learn everything.  I was a Master Pistoleer/Expert Bounty Hunter.  You could mix and match however you wanted.  Also crafting was a whole game in itself and plenty of people played SWG with pure crafting/marketing toons who never killed a single thing!  They would set up a "house" and make it their shop.  Shops were searchable on the world maps.

L2 PvP rules:  You can attack anyone at any time, but doing so makes you a murderer.  This makes you a free target to any other players and makes guards aggro you.  You could work this off by killing evil stuff untill you made up for your murder... but tryign to actually accomplish this before a group of players found you and saw your name was red and ganked you was very difficult!  Also when players were killed they often dropped an item out of their inventory that the other players could loot and keep.

L2 growing map:  The L2 map isnt just an island with water all around it.... most of the edges of the map just fade out....  over time (with free expansions) the map gets bigger and bigger, giving you more land to explore.  L2 would be my choice MMO to play but its totally unpopulated at low level areas, you pretty much need two accounts to play, and the economy is a disaster.

 

Hope that answers most of your questions!

I pretty much agree with all of this, with a few minor tweeks and a couple additions.
 

PVP- I like PVP to be faction based. Either you cannot fight your own faction (except duals, arenas or guild wars) or you can but with a heafty cost if you do. I like the going red and being catagorized as Murderer. I like city issued Wanted Posters, I like city issued bounties.

Maps- I have no problem with no maps at all, i actually like it. But i would be fine with, city maps and surrounding areas sold in the city. I even like maps sold for dungeons, but the more you pay the better the map, if you go cheap it could really really suck. This could even open up a new trade of map maker. I am also ok with in game maps that are blacked out until you explore the area, but no minimaps.

Travel- Very limited instant travel. I like boats, Airshps are ok i guess, Griffon rides are ok i guess but i would prefer not to have them or they are very limited. I do like certain "Jobs" to have the ability to port but it shoudl also be limited with not many ports locations.

Must have Fishing and Brewing. That is just a personnal thing.

Deity system- This is something i find very lacking in MMOs. EQ has a nice Deity base but it really didnt matter much what one you took, or if you took one at all. Your Deity choice should matter, perhaps the choice could increase or decrease certain spell types, or player stats. Perhaps a Deity choice would open up certain skills or spells only given to worshippers.
Also a nice PVP twist for the cant fight your own faction idea. If I am a Human and i pick a "Good" deity, and you are a human that picks a "Evil" Deity (or pretty much you just pick to Deities that dont like each other) then that opens you up to fight. Perhaps still with a faction penatly but it may be worth it. Perhaps you are granted a boon from your Deity if you send X amount of the rival Deities worshippers to meet thier maker.

Spells- I dont need new ones every level. I am fine with getting them every few levels. I also dont need them to automatically pop up as an option when i hit the appropriate level to use them. I dont mind going to a vendor or seeking them out. And i would also like spell components to reappear. Make me have bat wings if i want to cast levitate, or fish scales if i want to cast water breathing.

I also like player created selling points vise game bazaars or vendors who sell your wares. Yes you have to actually stop getting exp for a bit if you want to sell your stuff but it really adds to the community. And if you dont want to take the time standing around in the EC Tunnel ( memories) then you get one of your guildmates/friends to sell your stuff and you give them a cut.

AND PLEASE, make the game more about the trip from 1 to 50 and not just what happens after 50.

LOTRO meets the majority of those requests OP.   Reason its the best MMO on the market/.

I won't go deep into what classes as the perfect MMO for me as i'm tired due to being up all night, but i'll say one game that used to be perfect for me and no other game has even come close sinse..

Star Wars Galaxies Pre-NGE

Not bothered about the theme (star wars in this case) but that game had it all for me.

perfect mmo is where it's exciting to explore, where it has interesting group dynamics to discover, where the game will suck you into a compelling rpg instead of a none-too-subtle grindfest. (a grindfest that gets you running all over and killing x and y mobs not as a purpose of a rpg but as a purpose to eat up a player's time while satisfying by very small amounts)

The perfect MMORPG would be one without:

1.  WoW fanboi.

2.  Propaganda flamers.

3.  People without common sense.

If the game is good however, I'd play even if the above people are present.

I think we need a MMO with devs that drop us on a planet and gives us tools and just take a step back and watch the evolution of a world/universe.

player created content with almost no involvement from devs except balancing and new tool additions.

Player created cities, player run shops, houses, a total economic system fully ran by players.

every Item in this game should be crafted and I mean everything from a battlecruiser to a bar to a NPC player owned bot that has dialog written by the owner and missions created by the player.

A living breathing world only as limited as the players own imagination.... that's my perfect MMO and something I won't ever see in my lifetime.

Edit: sorry for the typos I'm rushing to work at the moment.

Metal,

I have something like this in mind, I'm working on it now.  I'm excited about it and have several ideas about how it would evolve.  I think this is the next level of MMO.  I think this is where we go from here.  give me a PM if you would like to talk specifics.

Originally posted by Aeroangel

I know the definiton is subjective, so in your opinion: What qualities are necessary for a perfect MMORPG?

If you want go into detail for each quality that is necessary, and explain what should be avoided.

I think my perfect MMO would have:

- More than just raiding or PvP. Like crafting, music, etc. You could have a character that only crafts, or one that only works on playing music, or you could have a character that does it all.

- Immersive world. Little to no loading screens, polished and detailed.

- Player creations. Players have a house somewhere in the world, guild forts, etc. Players could create their own items, or at least personalize their crafts.

- A lot of mini games or puzzles. These would be for many of the quests (think about the zelda games or whatever). You would also be able to do most of them with other players.

- Crafting: Could be done without ever having to fight, and you would be able to craft most things. Crafting would also have different mini games for each profession, and maybe even some games you could play with other people at the same time to craft.

- Focus on the story! The MMO of my dreams would have a huge focus on the story from the beginning of the game and until the last possible quest. There would be a lot of in game cinematic type things, and you would feel immersed in the story and would want to keep progressing just to see the story unfold.

- PvP: All PvP would be based on traditional groups (DPS, Healer, tank). You would have the option to progress by only doing PvP if you wanted, but it would be a little slower than PvE. There would also be mass PvP battles, and PvP area.

- PvE: There would be many dungeons to explore, interesting quests, and epic raids.

- Lots of emotes and player actions. There would be a lot of emotes in games or at least a few good ones, and there would be more than just walking around. Your character would be able to do things like dance, jump, crawl, etc.

- Decent graphics. They would have to be 3D, and they wouldn't have to be spectacular but good enough to look at and become immersed in the game world.

- Focus on community. There would be a reason for people to get together, and you wouldn't be losing out if you didn't get together, but you would be rewarded and possibly have more fun in groups.

- Gear wouldn't be that important. Gear would only have a slight increase on your performance in PvE or PvP. You would also be able to do both PvE and PvP in the same type of gear (there wouldn't be PvE only and PvP only gear). The game would be more skill based than anything.

Of course everything would have to be polished, and the combat system would have to be somewhat interesting. There would be more focus on just playing and having fun vs. getting bigger and better gear all of the time, and there would be a lot more then what I listed, and plenty of things to avoid but that would take me all day to write about

 

I  do not expect to ever get all the features I desire in a MMO, so, I decided to develop The Perfect MMORPG myself   .

Key Features of Techlord's MMORPG:

1. Real-Time First Person Shooter/Arcade/Puzzle Game Mechanics
2. Full Support Tools for Player-Creation at every level  {Media, Content, Logic, Dialog, Quest, Movie}.
3. Fully Customizable Modular Game Entities {Terrain, Characters, Weapons, Vehicles, Props, Building, Structures, Machines, Plants).
4. Fully Customizable Character Race, Class, Skills Attributes.
5. Integrated Communication & Dialog System for Interactive Story Crafting between GMs & Players.
7. Group-Centric Reward System from Parties to Guilds.
8. Economy System based on a Real-Time Strategy Input/Ouput Model.
9. Advanced AI for distinguishable PVE Mob Behaviors.
10. Tournament-Driven PvP.
11. Meaningful Day/Night Cycle, Weather Effects and Conditions.
12. Meaningful Visual Effects, such as Infra-vision.

Originally posted by techlord

 

I  do not expect to ever get all the features I desire in a MMO, so, I decided to develop The Perfect MMORPG myself   .

Key Features of Techlord's MMORPG:

1. Real-Time First Person Shooter/Arcade/Puzzle Game Mechanics
2. Full Support Tools for Player-Creation at every level  {Media, Content, Logic, Dialog, Quest, Movie}.
3. Fully Customizable Modular Game Entities {Terrain, Characters, Weapons, Vehicles, Props, Building, Structures, Machines, Plants).
4. Fully Customizable Character Race, Class, Skills Attributes.
5. Integrated Communication & Dialog System for Interactive Story Crafting between GMs & Players.
7. Group-Centric Reward System from Parties to Guilds.
8. Economy System based on a Real-Time Strategy Input/Ouput Model.
9. Advanced AI for distinguishable PVE Mob Behaviors.
10. Tournament-Driven PvP.
11. Meaningful Day/Night Cycle, Weather Effects and Conditions.
12. Meaningful Visual Effects, such as Infra-vision.

Sounds very interesting; I love some of the concepts! You are developing it yourself you say

Lately I've been planning out my own MMO ... quite irksome just planning one and having to figure out all of the details

Hmm. I would have to say:

 - No PvP. Balance issues are the bane of MMO's.

 - Crafting and professions with a much larger and more meaningful impact on the world. Crafted items being far superior to vendor items. Totally player-oriented economy.

- Random mobs, items and encounters. Change according to world events.

- Non-linear gameplay, but with a series of overarching quests that you complete at your descretion. They would be dynamic and change according to world events and your own actions.

- Character alignments that change according to in-game actions. Physical features and NPC responses would reflect your alignment.

- Living world. NPC's going about their daily lives, indepedant of the players. What the hell, where is the bread vendor?! He's sleeping at the moment. Give the guy a break...

Originally posted by Aeroangel

Originally posted by techlord

 

I  do not expect to ever get all the features I desire in a MMO, so, I decided to develop The Perfect MMORPG myself   .

Key Features of Techlord's MMORPG:

1. Real-Time First Person Shooter/Arcade/Puzzle Game Mechanics
2. Full Support Tools for Player-Creation at every level  {Media, Content, Logic, Dialog, Quest, Movie}.
3. Fully Customizable Modular Game Entities {Terrain, Characters, Weapons, Vehicles, Props, Building, Structures, Machines, Plants).
4. Fully Customizable Character Race, Class, Skills Attributes.
5. Integrated Communication & Dialog System for Interactive Story Crafting between GMs & Players.
7. Group-Centric Reward System from Parties to Guilds.
8. Economy System based on a Real-Time Strategy Input/Ouput Model.
9. Advanced AI for distinguishable PVE Mob Behaviors.
10. Tournament-Driven PvP.
11. Meaningful Day/Night Cycle, Weather Effects and Conditions.
12. Meaningful Visual Effects, such as Infra-vision.

 

Sounds very interesting; I love some of the concepts! You are developing it yourself you say

Lately I've been planning out my own MMO ... quite irksome just planning one and having to figure out all of the details

Planning is irksome! 

Programming + Drawing + Modelling + Orchestrating =

Originally posted by techlord

Originally posted by Aeroangel

Originally posted by techlord

 

I  do not expect to ever get all the features I desire in a MMO, so, I decided to develop The Perfect MMORPG myself   .

Key Features of Techlord's MMORPG:

1. Real-Time First Person Shooter/Arcade/Puzzle Game Mechanics
2. Full Support Tools for Player-Creation at every level  {Media, Content, Logic, Dialog, Quest, Movie}.
3. Fully Customizable Modular Game Entities {Terrain, Characters, Weapons, Vehicles, Props, Building, Structures, Machines, Plants).
4. Fully Customizable Character Race, Class, Skills Attributes.
5. Integrated Communication & Dialog System for Interactive Story Crafting between GMs & Players.
7. Group-Centric Reward System from Parties to Guilds.
8. Economy System based on a Real-Time Strategy Input/Ouput Model.
9. Advanced AI for distinguishable PVE Mob Behaviors.
10. Tournament-Driven PvP.
11. Meaningful Day/Night Cycle, Weather Effects and Conditions.
12. Meaningful Visual Effects, such as Infra-vision.

 

Sounds very interesting; I love some of the concepts! You are developing it yourself you say

Lately I've been planning out my own MMO ... quite irksome just planning one and having to figure out all of the details

 

Planning is irksome! 

Programming + Drawing + Modelling + Orchestrating =

I can't even begin to imagine

But I wish you the best of luck

Originally posted by Zayne3145

Hmm. I would have to say:

 - No PvP. Balance issues are the bane of MMO's.

 - Crafting and professions with a much larger and more meaningful impact on the world. Crafted items being far superior to vendor items. Totally player-oriented economy.

- Random mobs, items and encounters. Change according to world events.

- Non-linear gameplay, but with a series of overarching quests that you complete at your descretion. They would be dynamic and change according to world events and your own actions.

- Character alignments that change according to in-game actions. Physical features and NPC responses would reflect your alignment.

- Living world. NPC's going about their daily lives, indepedant of the players. What the hell, where is the bread vendor?! He's sleeping at the moment. Give the guy a break...

 

You mean Fable Online? lol Well Fable did have most of that in it...

imo, remove all the little conveniences build into MMOs now(imo which WoW introduced)

travel/trainer locations/ingame map/minimap/quest locations/penalty for death/trivial pve combat....  etc.  .etc.

my2c