So, a team put together by 2k games to start work on an MMO was disbanded yesterday.  You can read about it here: http://brokentoys.org/2009/10/26/hi-recession/, and on massively.com.

What was known about the game was that it was based on an IP, and that it would be strategy based.

Some info has leaked out from fired team members, with some of the good stuff found here:

http://n3rfed.blogs.com/n3rfed/2009/10/in-which-i-briefly-return-from-work-and-twitter.html

which included comments like:

I"n addition to the management and direction aspects of my role, over the course of the project I also designed a fully functional and robust morph target \ wire parameter-driven fully customizable player avatar creation system based in 3DSMAX, developed the overall design of the city layouts throughout the various ages of history, designed a fully modular and customizable system of player throne rooms they can outfit with items they win or buy in the game, modeled, textured, rigged and facial-rigged characters, and created a series of low polygon highly optimized building models with a small set of textures that can be reused across that nation’s entire series of buildings appropriate to that age. "
 

The conclusion many are drawing is that they were working on a Civilization MMO.

Now, coincide that with the announcement just a few days ago of Civilization Network (here: http://www.facebook.com/civnetwork?v=info)

and it looks like that mmo may have been the direction they WERE looking, but that this Facebook plan may have killed it.

So, what do folks think?  Civ MMO?  Good idea, deserved to be scrapped?  How about the thought that a Facebook game could trump an mmo when it comes to a major IP?

I can't really say, everytime i load up civ I feel like I die a little inside. The fact that this MMO never saw the light of day is a god send to me, to others it may not be so.

I've always wanted to see an MMO based on Civilizations. But if this one is scrapped, well, theres still the Age of Wonders and Galactic Civilization IPs that someone could exploit.

Civ Network really just has more potential.

Civ as a MMO gives me expectations of Civ as an MMO, which it couldn't really work as without falling victim to the same problems as Travian-like games.  Even worse than Travian would be when you start your new Civilization civ and after your 7-day protection is over your 100 Clubmen get trounced by 5000 Bombers, Jet Fighters, and Tanks.

Civ as a facebook app gives me expectations that my civilization is developed basically in isolation but with limited interaction with my friends' civilizations - which makes a lot more sense gameplay-wise.  Facebook players are also less likely to bitch that this approach is basically "instanced" and "omg it may as well be a solo game!"  But really civ has never been a good multiplayer fit, so anything more than limited interaction with other civs ends up ruining the gameplay formula. 

Agree, Civ as a browser/facebook game has more potential.
It just doesn't need fancy 3d graphics.

I'm really curious if they can make Civ work as an mmo... I'll give it a try for sure.

No clue how civ would work as a mmo but as an addict not even dreaming of recovery I would most certainly buy it, no matter how bad it was lol.

Civ MMO would've been cool.  I've always wanted a strategy based MMO, and would love to see Civilizations in full 3D.

Civ Online could still be an avatar-based MMO. In the same way World of Warcraft descends from Warcraft, a real-time strategy game, the only major difference would be alot more factions to choose from. And perhaps instead of gaining levels, you can upgrade what sort of troop you get to play.

Originally posted by Mardy

Civ MMO would've been cool.  I've always wanted a strategy based MMO, and would love to see Civilizations in full 3D.

Well, you'll get your Civ MMO - just not in 3d.

The Facebook Civ Network is operated by Sid Meyer, the creator of the original Civ.
The one that got cancelled was a Civ Clone, they probably didn't want to compete with Sid Meyer.


Having played a few browser strategy games like Travian and Evony, i just hope Civ Network is going to be different.
Browser strategy games have quite a lot of flaws imo...

Originally posted by VowOfSilence

Originally posted by Mardy

Civ MMO would've been cool.  I've always wanted a strategy based MMO, and would love to see Civilizations in full 3D.

 

Well, you'll get your Civ MMO - just not in 3d.

The Facebook Civ Network is operated by Sid Meyer, the creator of the original Civ.
The one that got cancelled was a Civ Clone, they probably didn't want to compete with Sid Meyer.


Having played a few browser strategy games like Travian and Evony, i just hope Civ Network is going to be different.
Browser strategy games have quite a lot of flaws imo...

It wasn't a "clone".  It was being made by 2K games, which publishes the Civ games now.  They have permission to use the IP.

They were going one way, and it appears Sid decided to go another.  The Civ Network game looks like its going to be like Farm Town....

IMO...i'd prefer the 2kgames mmo version...but, that's just me.