All Posts by CactusmanX

I don't think character advancement and PvP work to well to together either.

Actually I would like to see a game that either didn't have statistical advancement or equalizes people's stats when in PvP, like WAR but more so.  Gaining perks from PvP is good but they can't make you auto-win.  The rock paper scissors type fighting also makes encounters inbalanced.

Territory battles and such are a great direction to take PvP in in a MMO, you might as well make full use of all the people playing and the open persistant world.

Though a little more engauging combat would be good too.

The blog has been removed, just to let you know OP.

Transit sounds much more relaxed and pleasent, and also less dangerous. Not to mention to have the potential to make more money.

Originally posted by Tatum
 

More player driven content would be a start.  I think there are at least a few MMOs that have done this in one way or another.  Thats not to say that you can't have quests, but I definately don't think they should be the focus of the game, like they are now in most new MMOs.

I agree I would like to see fewer but better done quests.

Maybe have some developer planned events every month too, even if it is something small like a race.

Originally posted by Tatum
 

What he said.  They're just not immersive or even logical in a massively multiplayer game. 

But then again what is a good alternative to provide players with something interesting to do?

I mean I like the idea of random events but those can only go so far.

Other than that we can leave people to make their own reasons for grinding mobs and skills, however contrived they are. Or hope they roleplay enough to enjoy the grind.

Originally posted by dave6660 

Auction houses are too convenient and make the entire game world economy one dimensional.  Plus they're exploited by automated programs constantly.  Wouldn't it be more interesting if materials had different values in different parts of the world and you would have to travel through dangerous areas to get the best exchange on your goods.

I agree you probably would need a lot more inventory space since  people would horde everything they find hoping it maybe useful someday.  If people keep an open mind, there's no reason negotiating can't work out well for both parties.  Fine you maybe you don't have the 5 ingots for the bow you want, maybe the guy would be willing to accept 10 fur pelts instead.

The barter system would be aggravating  to some people but others will like it.  Just as the auction house system aggravates some people and others like it.

The lore aspect is the easiest to deal with.  Many ancient civilizations used the barter system.  Even once a currency system was developed barter was the only way to trade between nations.  Just because your nation has a currency doesn't mean it has any value in mine.

Of course in today's world this is all moot.  But in a game I think it would be interesting for people looking for a change.

Well, You could put in some sort of local market so you could see who is selling things within the region you are in so they do not have to spam and you could message them, to better organize things, because that is what this system would lack the most, organization.

But ultimately what I think would annoy people the most is that if someone isn't online you can't buy from them, so if you play odd hours your ability to buy goods is hampered.

Having an ability to set up a stand to sell goods would be a big help in this situation.

Quests can be fun, but I don't think I have played an MMO that really made the most of quests though.  Most of the time they come out like busy work, go here, kill that, collect this.  If they made fewer quests and made them with the same quality of single player game, except it is co-op then that would be great.  Also if you are going to have dungeons and instance them you might as well make them more cinematic and more interactive.

Another aspect I think would be good is open objectives that pop up semi-randomly, things like a bandit attack, that the game generates for players to do rather than chase to do lists like quest grinds or just aimlessly and pointlessly grind on mobs like the more sandboxy model.

Not to mention that the combat system in the Witcher, I think, is just better suited for a controller rather than a keyboard and mouse.

This is probably the most inefficient form of economy you could do, ok not the most but pretty close.

Barter economies become a hugh problem because you have to have the exact items someone needs at the exact time they need it, which basically means you have take up crafting or have multiple alts that can craft anything you would need to trade, which in that case why trade to begin with.

And without some way to organize merchandise, like an auctionhouse, you are left to stand there and advertise for yourself, which is both dull and creates inbalanced, not to mention it means for convience everyone needs to be in the same place to be seen which is difficult in the first place.

Auction houses are great because you can buy items from anywhere at anytime, with very little lag time for price changes which is close to perfect competition.  And of course money is great as a medium of exchange, don't have the 5 ingots the guy wants for his bow, give him money so he can buy it latter.

People may socialize more, but I think it would be largely aggrevating and drive most away and really you could only buy from people while they are playing.

Not to mention the lore aspect of it, why exactly doesn't this world have pre-establish currency and or any form of market to sell goods?

No not really it is kind of impossible when you know that thousands of other people can do and have done the same things you have.

So what if you soloed a though dragon boss, other people can too, it is no biggie, and really anyone could given enough time to collect really good gear/get high enough skills.

I mean if I do not feel special or interesting in a single player game then a multiplayer game I certainly cannot.

Originally posted by Tatum

I'd prefer to just have one type of xp (or a few if you have combat skills, non-combat skills, and trade skills).  So, you just play the game and spend the skill points however you want.  There are no level mechanics needed for that system, it's just xp = skills.

Just me, but I don't like the old style of skill system, where you have to use the skill to raise it.  Just turns out to be a grind.

I think the logic behind the increase through use system is that it won't be a grind because you only use what you want to.

Of course to not suck at those abilities you have to use it over and over again so it always becomes a massive grind to me too.

But I agree a system of a just using XP to get new skills and such would be my favorite, or even a system like Fable, combining specific with generic xp to purchase new abilities, so that it encourages some focus but lets you expand too.

What game are you guys playing?  Or should I say what game aren't you guys playing?

I thought M&B combat was aweful, slow, clunky, your character belabours every move, the only good thing is the horses.

I just do not think melee combat works well for FPS style controls, I have yet to encounter a game that has done it well and this game is no exception.

Levels and skills are not mutually exclusive.

You could do a system where you get xp and levels and spend it on new or improved skills and that is a skill system.

The opposite of skill based is class not level, though I am sure you could always do a class/skill hybrid or completely different system too.

So you could also do a class system where instead of levels you increased the aspects of your class from use rather than levels and I consider that a class system.

Skills systems just mean that you pick the different  paths like sword, gun etc. to make your own character type, class is where you pick a premade character type, how you progress in the game, if at all, is seperate.

I think you should be able to switch between the two ala Oblivion/Morrowind/Fallout 3

First person is good for looking at small details and using scoped ranged weapons but I don't like how I cannot see my character, other than the hands, and if I am going to take the time to customize my character I want to see them.  Also for twitch based combat I think first person view is horrible for melee combat and even for ranged I prefer over the shoulder, except with sniper riffles and such.  Third person makes jumping on and over things easier too.

Third person does nothing to hurt my sense of immersion though or my scope of the world.

One thing however is I do not like how far MMOGs let you zoom the camera out, I mean it makes your character a spec and is kind of cheating when you can see that much of the battlefield.  I think this is the reason why stealth in MMOs is really just invisibility, since you can zoom the camera so far back you can't really sneak up on people, not to mention the big red names over peoples heads.

I was going to say Eve but then realized I would rather stick a drill through my head.

I'll go with Ashen Empires, if I have to play a bad game a lot then it might as well be free.

How about actual player involvement, in both the world and your character?

If you look at the world the player can't effect it much at all, how about building, destroying and taking forts etc for territory battles or having open objectives for every one to pitch in like gathering resources for a wall.

And if you look at player characters, they are mostly automated and success or failure depend mostly on the character.

The hierarchy being

class/skills (as in paper ,rock, scissors fighting)

level

gear

dice rolls

strategy

player skill (physical skills)

No wonder players complain about games being boring, they are not so much playing their character but suggesting what they do.  If you minimized the automation and use of auto win features strategy and skill would play a bigger part.  Combine this with a world you can effect and you might feel like you are actually playing the game.

1. I would much prefer PvP to PvE, but to have fun PvP players need to be more statistically balanced, too much hierarchy and it makes the game aweful to play, I would rather see progression more like CoD4, I am not saying make it a shooter but make it where you get perks for leveling that help but new players are still able to compete and don't auto lose to higher level players, this mean reigning in the growth of stats.

2. You mean like having quests? Some quests can be fun if they are well thought out, but too many and you get into just doing busy work.

3. Tutorials can be really useful to new players, I would like to see tutorials more dressed up though, like Morrowind, rather than just dropping the player into the world.

4. I agree, but PC games do this alot, just add more buttons for more actions which I think is sloppy and lazy, if they used more streamlined controls and multiple functions per button then I think it would help.

5. Some is fine where it makes sense, but too much does annoy me.

6.  Agree, and I would say style is more important than power.

7. Strongly agree, I would say removing auto attack would help too, and make many abilities instant cast, or if there is a cast timer make it a hold down to charge deal, so I feel like I am actually doing something.

8.  I can't understand the concept of excitement from risks or the resulting value of rewards.  I am not really reward driven, but excitement to me comes from the circumstances of what I am doing.  Fun combat is a large boon, atmosphere is too, and if you give me a reason to be doing what I am doing then even better. death penalties, especially ones like corpse runs and being looted I see as just a massive waste of time and out dated like the lives system in single player games, I see it as punishment that doesn't add anything positive to the game and functions as negative reinforcement to teach you not to die.

9. Wouldn't like this either, I like the concept of being able to play my character as much as I want to, and it is not a question of if I lose my character but when, kind of defeats the point and keeps me from caring about my character.

10. I have always thought the the game need not wait for the probing for players to do something but the NPCs should act on their own, attacking and defending things even without players.

11. I am not really a fan of filling the landscape with monsters and such, they could be there but you have to go look for them and they should travel, I especially dislike the field of mobs, especially when they are all the same, some games use just to prevent quick travel through that area.  Nor do I think everything should want to kill you, maybe if you ran into it or moved too fast or went on its territory but usually animals do not want to fight.

I would like to see more games with a steampunk setting, or post acpocalyptic or alternate history, sci-fi does not really interest me though, too campy even when it is trying not to be.

But I can understand why developers use fantasy so much, unlike other genres which have some logical limitations, fantasy does not because of magic.  So it is much easier to explain things like buffs or rezing and teleporting and other things that makes the game convienient.  It is also instant variety, use a bow, fire ball, or a shadow bolt, they all are ranged DPS skills but makes you think there is more variety.

As opposed to sci-fi where everyone uses guns and some melee weapons and people are limited by gadgets, unless you really start using some soft science.

I don't think judeo-christian mythology is that good really.  There are some cool things like leviathan and behemoth and some other magic and monsters.  But over all it is really one sided, I mean satan isn't even a character just a collective term for human nature and doubt, so the "evil" side would consist of average people struggling against human nature along with anybody else that does not believe in the biblical god with the occasional smiting thrown in there.

And if the jews and christians' god is real in context of the game and they can get powers from him etc. do the Roman gods become real too, so I could pray to Mars for strength and courage?

What do you mean by easy and hardcore, hardcore as in large time investment or hardcore as in an actually challenging game probably with better AI?