Profile: nethervoid
Send PM  Forum Posts  Forum Topics 

Recent Forum Posts [more...]

• • Imagine an MMO with *no* NPCs at all

  • First off, there are a lot of horrible posts in this thread.  It just proves most MMO gamers would make horrible game designers.

    I like where you're headed with the whole 'no NPC' thing, but I think there are two distinct pieces to the concept that must be addressed:

    1.  NPCs used in an economical system

    I think this has been proven to be a set of NPCs you can do without.  You can swap out all NPC stores with PC stores pretty easily if you take the time to develop the system.  Games that have done this successfully:  UO, SWG, EVE.

    2.  NPCs used in the adventuring system (Mobs)

    I don't think you can get rid of this so easily, at least not in Fantasy MMOs.  This is because fantasy is mainly 'Dungeons and Dragons'.  You must make them NPCs unless you decide you want to have players filling out the actual 'Dragons' part of your game, complete with 'Dragon' eco system and living conditions, etc.  ... Actually that would be pretty sweet, but a HUGE task to code.

    Now as far as questing, well in an NPC-less world, there would be no quests.  The dragon players eating too many of your farmer types?  Quest: go kill the dragon lair and pillage his gold and items.  Players would make all the content in that environment.

    Also in a player generated quest system, you have to make systems where the 'grandmasters' of anything, whether it be smithing or dragon slaying, don't have time to do the menial tasks and also their grand tasks.  This is where the noob steps in to do these menial tasks...for a fee or some kind of apprenticeship.  PROBLEM!  What happens when the game ages, and there are no more noobs?  Hey dude time is running out, but yeah you'd have to work out how to fix those issues.

    An NPC-less game can be made.  With that I mean I could even design the systems that would make it work and work well, but then you've got the problem of:

    - You need a ton of cash, devs, and time to code all of those complicated systems (also you need friggin awesome devs who can code anything: correctly the first time and as light on the processor and ram (server side) as possible.

    - You need players who actually want to think and work to advance, instead of be spoon fed

    Hard to get both of those together.

    This game could come around in about twenty to thirty years.  Or maybe when my grandkids are playing games.  Today's gamers are very, very noob still, so this kind of a game will more than likely just be lost on the mainstream.  They won't 'get it'.

     

  • Posted: 5/01/08 2:17 PM
    General Discussion
• • MMOGCHART.COM Updated

  • Originally posted by dragonace
    

    Originally posted by SirBruce
    

     

    Originally posted by dragonace
    

     It means that there is a lot of guesswork going on.   There are 3 or 4 MMOs that look like they are reliable (They have an A accuracy rating AND have frequent data points - highlighted above).  Most of the others... well, decide for yourself.  You can download the spreadsheet and analyze the numbers for yourself if you want (that's what I did). 

    
    Actually I'd modify that slightly and say that guesswork is only going on with C-grade MMOs, but it's pretty darn good guesswork.  B-grade MMOs aren't guesses; they're simply inside sources that may or may not be accurate.  Almost always these have turned out to be confirmed by other sources later.  But they aren't guesses.

     

    Bruce

     

    Heh... the highlighted section above is MY definition of a guess.  I guess you can have your own. 

     

    Even if you want to debate the "accuracy" of the B rated MMOs.  There simply are not enough data points for them to be all that worth-while.  There are quite a few games there that don't have a data point going back 3 years!   That's not really even worth discussing is it? 

     

    I'd question any data point older than 6 months.   In this industry even anything older than 3 months is already getting pretty old.  So yeah, perhaps as an entire genre analysis project (which is what I stated that I liked about it)... the numbers work. 

    As a month by month tracking feature... not so much. 

    How is an inside source's information a guess again?  I'm failing to see how you piece that logic together.  And by those standards, it would make every official press release a guess because the information is a source from the company?  I mean it's like if Jesus came down and said, I'm f***ing Jesus H. Christ, and you're like oh really?  You've shown me miracles, but I want to see heaven.  Better yet, give me all your powers and maybe I'll believe in you.

    What is 'real' proof?  Have you any proof of half the s*** spouted at you in any books you ever read in school?  Do you have to SEE the Haulocaust to know it really happened?  Damn, man.  I think you just don't want to believe, and are biased for some other reason than just to know the facts.

    Lastly, if there is some set of information on this topic you feel is more accurate, please link it.  If you don't have a better source, this is the best we have.  You can't argue that it is untrue, just as Bruce can't reveal his sources.

    To argue against these stats with no stats of your own or sources of your own, etc etc, then please just take the data as is.  Sir Bruce has given you all the proof he can, and you have no facts to refute his claims; therefore, all your bitching is mute.

    The world is round?  I don't fing believe it.  I mean it just can't be, so it isn't.  I have no evidence to say it is or not, even though you do have evidence.  But still I don't believe you.  Why?  Cause I just don't want to.

    LAWL to you sir.

     

  • Posted: 4/09/08 2:34 PM
    General Discussion
• • MMOGCHART.COM Updated

  •  

     

    Originally posted by bobfish
    

    I don't care whether you claim the figures are accurate or not, you protect your sources who are people breaking their legally binding employment contracts with their companies by divulging these figures.

    Harboring criminals is not in my mind something that you should be proud of.

    You are ignorant of how reporting and intelligence work.  Complete naivety at work right here in your post.  C'mon man.  Haven't you ever heard of reporters never reveal their sources?  Nobody would ever talk about the real dirt if they had to do it publicly.

    When Paul Revere road forth to tell by which way the English brought war on the 'Law Breakers', I guess that was wrong too?  I mean he swore an oath to the Crown, for God's sake!  BURN ALL OF US ILLEGAL AMERICANS!  GET YOUR PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES!

    Sir Bruce, I've watched your progress over the years, and the constant flaming by those who have no like project.  Just empty flames from haters.  Keep up the good work.

    Don't like his numbers?  I want to see YOUR subscriptions research project.  ...  Still waiting.

    Lastly, the greatest men in American history were criminals: every man that signed the Declaration of Independence.

  • Posted: 4/09/08 1:13 PM
    General Discussion
• • Attn. Raiders: I Don't Get It !!!!

  • Originally posted by toby124
    

    Do you just mean PvE raids, or PvP ones too?  Because some of the best raids I've ever been on were in Shadowbane.  They were, like you said, kind of a fuster cluck, but being part of a giant army and swaying a battle one way or another was definitely a draw.

    Totally agree.  My favorite thing to do was get inside the enemy's ball, and kill their healers.  lol  Balls break up pretty fast once the healers start dropping. 

  • Posted: 4/02/08 6:39 PM
    General Discussion
• • You know what I miss?

  • Yes older MMOs were about building virtual worlds; while new MMOs are about console multiplayer basically.

    Until you've ran a shop in UO or SWG (in those two games thats almost all I did, and I loved it), you just can't see how powerful and fun a world sim is.  You didn't really have to run all over to get stuff you wanted.  You learned where the good crafters had shops, and you just went there and stocked up.  Yeah you easily got burned when you only bought 1 copy of something.  So buy 5 instead.

    Also I had a lot of clients that bought in bulk in regular intervals.  I always had a bag of their stuff ready when I knew they would come calling.  Much better than any AH could ever be.

  • Posted: 4/02/08 6:22 PM
    General Discussion