Hobthebob
Joined: 08 Nov 2005 |
 Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:24AM |
IF this game's multiplayer portion turns into a mmorpg, wouldn't it be a step in the right direction? Baldurs gate series was decent online, (I only played bg2 online for any mentionable period of time) and that would really have been a good mmorpg if you took a few of the parts out of the story like the very beginning where you crawl around the dungeon, because it was such a small area mmorpg's wouldn't really fit that.
But if this game had mmorpg multiplayer, and had the tons of classes and character progression similar to baldurs gate, then it would definately be a step in the right direction. What I always hated about GuildWars was that after a while you felt like you were playing a boring game with the same class over and over again. What I hated about WoW was that it took forever to gain levels and a lot of mindless quests and grinding. I never got bored with Baldurs Gate 2, maybe I'm missing something, but if they just turned that into a mmorpg, it would be great.
Yeah I know this has been discussed to some degree before, but tell me what you think, would it make a good mmo or not? Tell me what you'd like it to include if it was a mmorpg, comparing other games, and also what you'd like to be taken out of that experience. |
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kobebryant
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
Joined: 30 Apr 2002
From: USA |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:30AM |
I don't think you wan't an MMORPG for the online segment. I think NWN did very well with its online part.
It was the single player game that was sort of lacking in emotion (part of that was because I was used to the party based interactions and tactics, partly because NWN's system and POV was better built for Oblivion style actioning, rather than rules based combat, because the focus is so much on one character).
The idea is not to play the single player game online (well, that option should be available), but also small (or huge) modules where cooperation can be useful. Random dungeoning of various sizes should be available for people with time limitations.Edited By kobebryant on 04/11/06 00:31 |
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Scott Meadows
Senior Programmer
Joined: 09 Aug 2002
From: The Depths |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 04:38AM |
I think the thing that you are missing is the story.
What's the one thing missing from an MMO, a strong story.
That is why you never got bored with BG2, it never let you get bored, you always had a mission that meant something. |
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Hobthebob
Joined: 08 Nov 2005 |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 06:17AM |
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yeah that sounds about right. MMORPG's aren't my thing in that case. Playing a game with a sort of strong storyline but multiplayer would be much better. |
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Zelphi
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
NWN 2
NWN 2: SoZ
Joined: 08 Dec 2002
From: Here |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 07:03AM |
There have been attempts at storyline MORPG's (it's not Massively). Doesn't work too well when participants have different play times, and there are millions who want to see the same story.
I wouldn't mind an MORPG approach to the DA multiplayer campaign though.
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Quote: Posted 09/14/04 15:35:02 (GMT) by Darcy Pajak
At this time, I can say that we have no plans to impliment a z-axis in Dragon age.
DA is a 2D sprite based game!
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Secret of Mana is the precursor to DA! |
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Tonkarz
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
Joined: 09 Apr 2003
From: Sydney |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 07:37AM |
The issue is that BGII does not have enough content for a full blown MMORPG. If one removed the main story and just started you in the docks, fresh of a boat from Neverwinter (or something) you have enough content to keep most people playing about a month. Not nearly enough to justify the monthly fee, and not enough to justify running servers 24/7. Of course, it would be the best game ever for that period before you manage to do every quest in the game.
It might sound overly cynical to say that MMORPG developers try to stretch out their content as much as they can, but it's true.
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Origin Stories. |
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Gecon
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Joined: 01 Aug 2002
From: Germany |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 08:24AM |
Well, the charme of an MMORPG is to have a community and to have cooperation (Parties, Clans etc) as well as concurrence (PvP in Arena, Sieges etc) between players.
Story ? Yes, there should be some background story. But for a MMORPG it is a decoration, NOT the heart of the game.
The heart of the game is, for example, a well balanced rule system. Its not good for a singleplayer game if one class rules all others; but in a MMORPG, it is fatal.
Another important aspect is that it should always be possible to become even better.
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We are such stuff / As dreams are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a sleep. - Prospero, The Tempest, by ShakespeareEdited By Gecon on 04/11/06 08:26 |
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enderandrew
Game Owner
 Mass Effect PC
Joined: 19 Oct 2002 |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 08:40AM |
You can't just take a single player game and turn it into a MMO. I hear players always suggest, "Game X would be so roxxor if it was an MMO!"
Sadly, it just doesn't work like that. |
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fluffyamoeba
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
Joined: 01 Mar 2004
From: a test tube |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 08:42AM |
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Well, you can with a toolset and the DM client. Sort of. It was certainly possible to do with NWN. |
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Gecon
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Joined: 01 Aug 2002
From: Germany |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 08:46AM |
Well, NWN can be used for creating persistent worlds, but not for MMORPGs. The later can handle 10,000 to 100,000 people in one single world. For that you need specifically optimized software and a multiprocessor machine. NWN isn't optimized for that and is AFAIK also not multithreaded.
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We are such stuff / As dreams are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a sleep. - Prospero, The Tempest, by Shakespeare |
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enderandrew
Game Owner
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 19 Oct 2002 |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 08:49AM |
NWN:2 is multithreaded from what I understand, and I would hope that DA is as well.
Either way, neither game is designed for an MMO. |
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fluffyamoeba
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
Joined: 01 Mar 2004
From: a test tube |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 08:59AM |
Quote: Posted 04/11/06 08:46:09 (GMT) by Gecon
Well, NWN can be used for creating persistent worlds, but not for MMORPGs. The later can handle 10,000 to 100,000 people in one single world. For that you need specifically optimized software and a multiprocessor machine. NWN isn't optimized for that and is AFAIK also not multithreaded.
Well... mMORPG (where m = mini  ). For the purpose of getting story to be a bit more of a focus, mini is probably the way to go. I'd always assumed when people say so-and-so would make a good MMORPG they were refering to the setting and possibly the interface of a game, rather than the story. I suppose Athkatla (sp?) in BG2, with it's many side quests and factions would be a good basis for a m(mini, i tells ya)MORPG. An overarching main quest storyline wouldn't really work.
Thedas might make a great setting for a game like this. At least everyone starts out on the same footing in how much they know about the world, unlike anything set in the Forgotten Realms. |
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Scott Meadows
Senior Programmer
Joined: 09 Aug 2002
From: The Depths |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 02:07PM |
When did people confuse MMO for On-Line Multiplayer.
I am not saying that anyone here is, but I dislike when people try to compare the two.
I feel like I can rant a bit in this thread, hope you don't mind 
On-line Multiplayer games have been around for years.
My first one, that I can recall was back in 1988.
NWN is a great On-line Multiplayer game. When I hosted my own server and 2-6 friends playing on various nights it was fun and everyone understood that if they missed a night then they had to catch up on their own time, we didn't wait for anyone and it flowed quite nice.
We enjoyed a number of the vault modules and everything was good.
It's not like we had this huge pool of people to play with. Everything was controlled and managed by the DM.
Now trying to do that in an MMO would be tough in my opinion.
Now don't get me wrong I like both types of games. I am going through Guild Wars right now and having a lot of fun.
I just wish people would stop trying to compare these two entities. They are different types of games with different types of goals.
(Whew, I feel a bit better now, thx for listening) Edited By Scott Meadows on 04/11/06 14:08 |
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Zelphi
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
NWN 2
NWN 2: SoZ
Joined: 08 Dec 2002
From: Here |
Posted: Tuesday, 11 April 2006 04:30PM |
Rants are good, though better when not directed at people. Yours wasn't, meaning it's just good.
Anyway, there's a difference between having a game that works for multiplayer online, and having a game styled on an MMORPG. Take out the DM control (does this even exist in DA?), and place in a wide expansive world to explore.
There are two styles of MORPG, the party based, and the "party is nice" based, of course there are hybrids in between but that's a design choice.
If the DA multiplayer component was designed as a MORPG that focused on team play - you'd essentiallly get the party based feel of without going through the trouble of actually bothering to play an MORPG.
Some games are actually working towards that feel now.
Phantasy Star Universe and Final Fantasy XII spring to mind, don't think about the later so much, but PSU is a good example.
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Quote: Posted 09/14/04 15:35:02 (GMT) by Darcy Pajak
At this time, I can say that we have no plans to impliment a z-axis in Dragon age.
DA is a 2D sprite based game!
-
Secret of Mana is the precursor to DA! |
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Gecon
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Joined: 01 Aug 2002
From: Germany |
Posted: Wednesday, 12 April 2006 09:26AM |
I know of no MMORPG that FORCES you into parties. If at all, in some of them you are really not that good without a party (for example, Lineage 2), while in others you can level alone almost just as well (for example, World of Warcraft).
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We are such stuff / As dreams are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a sleep. - Prospero, The Tempest, by Shakespeare |
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