MMO Theory

[goblinmob]

If you had the means to design your own MMORPG, with no external pressure of any sort to compromise your creative vision, what features would you put in your game? What details would you like to address in your own specific way? What arguments could you make for or against how these would affect gameplay/community experience?

My 2 examples will be
1. Maybe "Common" would not exist as a language in the game. I guess this would steer the game into a more xenophobic atmosphere. If you played with friends, you might have to discuss more than just your starting cities if you wanted to journey together.
2. Kinda tied to having more emphasis on "kingdoms", maybe there would be different currencies in game with exchange rates tied in (a Dwarven dollar is worth like 117 Goblin shinies or some shit) maybe racial faction could determine where your currency is accepted?

Idk if you're interested go ahead and post.

[unsunghero]

One of the only interesting things about Diablo Immortal when I was playing it was this event where two guilds competed against each other by each having their leader control essentially a raid boss, while the opposing guild tried to kill it. Whichever guild killed the boss first, won

Unfortunately D:I was a pay2win gear check so strategies such as the guild leader running away trying to stay alive (very unlike an AI raid boss) didn’t matter too much. But there was some strategies employed. And there was no such thing as tanking, since the leader knew to ignore tanks and go for the casters

I thought this was a novel concept, a GM or chosen player playing a raid boss against a zone or guild, and thought it would be cool to have in a MMO. It would completely alter the idea of aggro management, since the boss could be using intelligent human tactics the entire time

[goblinmob]

Originally Posted by unsunghero [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

One of the only interesting things about Diablo Immortal when I was playing it was this event where two guilds competed against each other by each having their leader control essentially a raid boss, while the opposing guild tried to kill it. Whichever guild killed the boss first, won

Unfortunately D:I was a pay2win gear check so strategies such as the guild leader running away trying to stay alive (very unlike an AI raid boss) didn’t matter too much. But there was some strategies employed. And there was no such thing as tanking, since the leader knew to ignore tanks and go for the casters

I thought this was a novel concept, a GM or chosen player playing a raid boss against a zone or guild, and thought it would be cool to have in a MMO. It would completely alter the idea of aggro management, since the boss could be using intelligent human tactics the entire time

Yeah! That actually sounds really cool! Have you ever played LotRO? That's an example too of having "expendable" toons to PvP. But another thing you said that grabbed me was "raid" and the idea there of implementing a larger scale for PvP activity on a server.

Also, for the record Pay2AnythingReally is a pretty garbage business model imho and I wonder if it's that way inherently or if every time we ever see anything like that in practice it's basically shameless greed.

[unsunghero]

Originally Posted by goblinmob [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Yeah! That actually sounds really cool! Have you ever played LotRO? That's an example too of having "expendable" toons to PvP. But another thing you said that grabbed me was "raid" and the idea there of implementing a larger scale for PvP activity on a server.

Also, for the record Pay2AnythingReally is a pretty garbage business model imho and I wonder if it's that way inherently or if every time we ever see anything like that in practice it's basically shameless greed.

I did hear about how players could control mobs in one of the LOTR games, is that what you were meaning? That sounds cool too

I do know there has been times when GM’s on P99 or even EQ back in the day would control a mob. D:I just implemented a way for players to do it on the regular

And they didn’t explain the setup well, so it was pretty funny the first time around because no one knew what was going on. We thought we were just fighting a raid mob, but noticed it was like avoiding aoe’s, dodging stuff. It would see someone healing then run over and continue to combo them with stun moves until they died. When it aggro’d me there was no way to shake him, he’d combo me until dead

I remember after the fight the first time I commented to my guild “that was the best AI I have ever seen on a video game boss in my life”. And then our guild leader said “yea, that was their guild leader”. And I was like ohhhhh shit!

But yea D:I was one of the most P2W phone games ever invented. I guess there’s this acceptance that any phone game by default is going to be P2W and we should all just accept it. Which is kinda bullshit…

[Encroaching Death]

I think I would have a mutually-dependent style of class makeup, like EQ does.

I'd have a crafting system like Runescape.

PVP system like Dark Age of Camelot.

Trading/Auction House system like Albion Online. Actually, scrap that. I like the community style market like P99 tunnel has it, but maybe with an in-game bulletin board where people could leave up when they're logged off.

I don't like mounts. No mounts. Makes the world feel smaller.

Little to no instancing either. Instancing might be some kind of achievable bonus of some sort, but not the norm.

[Reiwa]

I like the idea of zero-sum languages. The more you talk in troll, the worse you get at any of the others.

[Encroaching Death]

Originally Posted by Reiwa [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I like the idea of zero-sum languages. The more you talk in troll, the worse you get at any of the others.

I like the idea of making a race traitor.

[Reiwa]

Originally Posted by Encroaching Death [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I like the idea of making a race traitor.

Hey it could be diverse. Maybe you get 300 exchangeable points and there's 8 languages. Can be pro at 3 or half decent at a few.

[Jibartik]

I would like that game valhiem to have basically had all the eq content and bam! Im good to GO!

[goblinmob]

Originally Posted by Encroaching Death [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I think I would have a mutually-dependent style of class makeup, like EQ does.

I'd have a crafting system like Runescape.

PVP system like Dark Age of Camelot.

Trading/Auction House system like Albion Online. Actually, scrap that. I like the community style market like P99 tunnel has it, but maybe with an in-game bulletin board where people could leave up when they're logged off.

I don't like mounts. No mounts. Makes the world feel smaller.

Little to no instancing either. Instancing might be some kind of achievable bonus of some sort, but not the norm.

1. Big time fan of how EQ had done classes. Each class I've played really has me invested in how I can utilize what it can do. Also how to cope with limitations. Super dumb how so many newer MMOs succumb to the griping of the player base and end up with 19 "different"(-ly homogenized) classes. Choose to shore up your weaknesses, play into your strengths, or group! Or maybe the content in Zone X isn't for you at this level! Get in where you fit in.

2. I'm not familiar with RuneScape enough to recall how the crafting system felt overall.

3. Again, not familiar with this personally but I'm familiar with it's reputation and anything larger scale that's gets players involved would be a plus IMHO!

4. I'd always had an aversion to auction house systems since the first time I'd ever wandered the tunnel in EC! I just had a specific conversation with a buddy about this idea though so I'll bring this up now. We were bouncing ideas of unique perks exclusive to each class. And whether or not this would be cool or not is anyone's guess but we had the idea that rogues could be the class that could use an in game auction house and play up the element of thieves guild having connections and fence their wares in a way more scrupulous occupations do not. Something like the silk road, ya know.

5. SOW and levitate. 2 best mounts in MMO history!

6. I couldn't have any solid stance on instancing. But I would admit it can be a somewhat useful tool to alleviate things like griefing or other types of zone abuse that can arise where population is high. Or issues like rare mobs on green. Seems like a lot of bitterness stems from that issue