when's the next great MMORPG coming ?

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: JavaMomma
I loved AC1 before Turbine messed it up and started putting rules into the PvP... that and the hacks and cheats/macros got out of hand.

That game had awesome PvP in the early days, no level caps, very player skill based PvP- character level and equipment was important but it only helped a good player be a little bit better. The game had some balance issues but the players figured ways around them. The rules of who controlled what towns and what areas were all player controlled without any artifical rules. It was awesome.

I find PvP rules suck...
PK flags, Rules of who and when you can and can't fight, honour system...

Anyways I'm currently playing WoW and just waiting for something better to come out..

Maybe it's the popularity of mmos that is causing the shift away from player driven dynamics, whether it's economics, towns, pvp etc.

I wonder if AC1 and UO would have worked with 10x the population. TBH i don't see why not, just scale everything else up - land mass, creature concentrations, dungeons, etc.

Actually, i read about an interesting aspect of Vanguard: they will be moving away from instanced dungeons. Instead, groups will find items/triggers that lead to more bosses etc spawning that only that group can actually target. The rest can still see them and spawn their own.

I like multiuser dungeons

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Malladine
Actually, i read about an interesting aspect of Vanguard: they will be moving away from instanced dungeons. Instead, groups will find items/triggers that lead to more bosses etc spawning that only that group can actually target. The rest can still see them and spawn their own.

I find there to be little difference between the two. Heck, I think I even find instanced missions preferrable to a mob standing there that I can't attack and that can't attack me, but I can do a jig next to while you and your group approach.

It's more no-imagination, lazy design.

The way it should be is to just have enough content to go around. Have plenty of places to find interesting encounters and don't put pre-determined uber drops on certain mobs. UO nailed it with the random generator.....where a series of dice rolls determined the attributes of the magic item.

I added this to my list of topics to cover in more depth in my MMORPG manifesto.

 

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: Malladine
Actually, i read about an interesting aspect of Vanguard: they will be moving away from instanced dungeons. Instead, groups will find items/triggers that lead to more bosses etc spawning that only that group can actually target. The rest can still see them and spawn their own.

I find there to be little difference between the two. Heck, I think I even find instanced missions preferrable to a mob standing there that I can't attack and that can't attack me, but I can do a jig next to while you and your group approach.

It's more no-imagination, lazy design.

The way it should be is to just have enough content to go around. Have plenty of places to find interesting encounters and don't put pre-determined uber drops on certain mobs. UO nailed it with the random generator.....where a series of dice rolls determined the attributes of the magic item.

Right, my point was that instancing really isn't the answer. At least they're trying :laugh:

Let me know if I can lend a hand with this MMO essay beyond board discussions

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Malladine
Right, my point was that instancing really isn't the answer. At least they're trying :laugh:

Let me know if I can lend a hand with this MMO essay beyond board discussions

Well, you just indirectly reminded me of one of my strongest arguments. Thanks.

 

[thujone]

D&D online and Middle Earth online... or whatever it's being called now.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: thujone
D&D online and Middle Earth online... or whatever it's being called now.

MEO was originally going to be a living, breathing Middle-Earth replica. Doesn't that sound incredibly cool to you?

Since Turbine took over the project, they changed it to be a combat-oriented level fest. Now instead of grinding in Astaroth or Norrath or Sosaria you can do it in Middle-Earth. Sound exciting? Hell, it may as well be a hobbitt expansion pack for AC2.

Congrats WoW players. Your financial support of WoW has sent the message that all people want is a nice, shiny level grind with a big franchise name. And, oooooh boy, are you gonna get a lot of those......I hope you really, really enjoy them.

 

[thujone]

oh god... are you serious?

i kept up with the development of MEO for a while... but then forgot about it after a while.

this sucks. i will most likely not be playing then.

the game mechanics described earlier in development sounded amazing.

the one thing i wonder about though... didn't the tolkein ppl give them rights to content but on conditions?

 

[thujone]

well... just from reading the forums real quick there... it looks like they're still going with the low/no level magic environment. that's a relief at least.

i was worried i was going to go to the webpage and it'd be wizards everywhere casting chain lightning and crap like that.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: thujone
oh god... are you serious?

i kept up with the development of MEO for a while... but then forgot about it after a while.

this sucks. i will most likely not be playing then.

the game mechanics described earlier in development sounded amazing.

the one thing i wonder about though... didn't the tolkein ppl give them rights to content but on conditions?

From Turbine's site:

Announcement
How did Turbine secure the license to make MMO games based on J.R.R. Tolkien?s wonderful works, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit?

Turbine approached Vivendi and Tolkien Enterprises about taking over the massively multiplayer online (MMO) games license and ownership of LOTRO. Given our experience with online games and the stage of product development, it made sense for Turbine to take over the license for The Lord of the Rings Online?: Shadows of Angmar?.

How will The Lord of the Rings Online?: Shadows of Angmar? (LOTRO) benefit from Turbine acquiring the game and the MMORPG rights?

Now that Turbine can work directly with Tolkien Enterprises, we will have more flexibility in the game design and can incorporate feedback relating to the representation of the Tolkien literary works in a more real-time basis. Both Tolkien Enterprises and Turbine are committed to making LOTRO an engaging, immersive, and truly representative re-creation of Middle-earth.

Why did Vivendi give up the rights to LOTRO?

That question is best answered by Vivendi. Turbine first approached Vivendi about taking over LOTRO as an independent project.

How will the game be sold at retail? Does Turbine plan to sell the game itself?

As the exclusive licensee and publisher of The Lord of the Rings Online, Turbine is committed to making sure this world-class product will be properly marketed and distributed so that all fans of Tolkien and MMORGs can buy and play the game. Turbine will work with a well-respected retail partner to handle inventory and retail sales for us.

What are you doing with the extra time now that the game is shipping in 2006 instead of 2005?

Now that Turbine is the sole licensee, we have more control over the direction of the game. Our goal has always been to create a living representation of Tolkien's Middle-earth and allow players to participate and be immersed in the world. This extra time will allow us to implement changes we feel will make a better experience.

Turbine, Makers of Asherons Call I/II also has the license for Dungeons and Dragons Online. I wonder how much money will be spent on game development after all these licenses have been paid for.............

Not to mention having to split resources between Asherons Call, Lord of the Rings Online (Middle Earth Online) and D&D Online......

 

[Velk]

Originally posted by: Genx87
The best part about it[Ultima Online] was the freedom you got from the game. Granted this had a negative side effect of pkers. But this seemed to bring the community together. Good against bad.

The noteriety system was great and hasnt been reproduced since.

Lineage 2 has a quite similar system, which is not surprising given that they had Richard Garriott as a consultant.

Of course L2 also has the most unholy level grind ever seen in a successfull game.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: Genx87
btw for the people who played UO and then a game like daoc, WoW, EQ1-2.
Is it me or did UO feel like a game where you didnt have that feeling to being compelled to level every night in the same spot? But instead it was a much more relaxed atmosphere where you had many options on your plate when you log in?

The main reason for this is because people could GM skills in a weeks time. There was no rush because there wasn't ever any time sink there. I think UO would have been much different had macroing never been invented.

 

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: Genx87
btw for the people who played UO and then a game like daoc, WoW, EQ1-2.
Is it me or did UO feel like a game where you didnt have that feeling to being compelled to level every night in the same spot? But instead it was a much more relaxed atmosphere where you had many options on your plate when you log in?

The main reason for this is because people could GM skills in a weeks time. There was no rush because there wasn't ever any time sink there. I think UO would have been much different had macroing never been invented.

People could. I certainly didn't. Weeks? Hell I played the game for 18 months iirc and barely made it to 5 or 6x gm, if that. This is not the main reason UO had such an open ended, "relaxed", atmosphere. The game has no levels, that's the key, along with other smaller but no less important aspects.

Oh, and I never macroed. Not once.

 

[Bulldog13]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: Genx87
btw for the people who played UO and then a game like daoc, WoW, EQ1-2.
Is it me or did UO feel like a game where you didnt have that feeling to being compelled to level every night in the same spot? But instead it was a much more relaxed atmosphere where you had many options on your plate when you log in?

Of course. It was obviously that way for probably most players. I spent about 50% of my time logged in on various bank roof tops BSing with people, primping my house, shopping at player-run vendors, going to auctions, and buying and selling stuff. The rest of the time I was PvEing to get magic items to sell on my vendors, or treasure hunting with friends, or PvPing against PKs harassing some area, or crafting. And crafting was seriously cool because you could go hunt dragons, skin them for leather, and make barbed leather armor out of it.....or go mine for verite and make green plate mail....or go sheer some sheep, loom the wool, weave the yarn, and make yourself a new sash.

Remember the bone armor trade that arose out of Deceit. It was the best place for a steady supply of skeletons and, thus, bone armor which had all the benefits of plate with less of a DEX and weight hit so it was valueable stuff even though it broke quicker and couldn't be repaired. That place, because players made it a hot spot for profiteering, was a favorite target of PKs, so anti-PKs would swing by looking for PKs. It was so freaking cool to be a aprt of a totally player driven dynamic like that.

QFT X Eleventy Billion

Long live tinker trapping.

 

[aeiou]

Personally I am looking forward to Vanguard. As you might notice I have a bit of a vested interest, because I set up a Bard fan site for the game, http://www.vanbard.com

But check it out, we have a section with extensive developer messages in about 46 different categories, so it gives you a pretty good idea of what they are planning for the game. Beta 0 just started very recently.