Dune MMORPG anyone?

shinjuku

Has anyone else ever wanted to play an MMORPG based on the Dune novels? I think there are enough different factions to make it interesting. With a skill system I think it would make for a vibrant economy and community.  The books are so detailed about everything.

Ackbar

It would be so hard to do right i dont think it could be. THe game if it were to exist would be very similiar to eve.

Airspell

Just play that awful game EvE and role play Dune :P

alyndale

I am very, very surprised that this game idea hasn't been attempted as a massively multiplayer.  Seems like a rich storyline too.  I have read the original triology.  It might be that permission would have to be given either from the family of Frank Herbert or the publishing company of the Dune books.

I do agree though, this would be a rich gnere to try as a MMO.

 

Airspell

Originally posted by alyndale


I am very, very surprised that this game idea hasn't been attempted as a massively multiplayer.  Seems like a rich storyline too.  I have read the original triology.  It might be that permission would have to be given either from the family of Frank Herbert or the publishing company of the Dune books.
I do agree though, this would be a rich gnere to try as a MMO.
 

Well of course they would have to pay for the license to make it :P

Kyleran

Originally posted by Airspell


Just play that awful game EvE and role play Dune :P

Great idea.... I'll email CCP and let them know we want sandworms and Freman in the next expansion......

 

Airspell

SWG had an amazing premise and would still make a great mmo. Someone just needs to give me a 100 million dollars to make it and i'll prove it :P

Yukkione

 

A game world that promises more than a couple months of adventure can't be built around a few books. For that to happen it would have to rely on either a very flexible IP, or players that are quite unimaginative and shortsighted. I loved reading the Dune books, but seriously, take away the spice and planetary travel and what do you have? Anarchy Online.... a great game who has lasted 7 years because it's scope extends beyond that of a few books. This is why so many are ultimately finding games such as The Matrix Online and LOTR to be so unsatisfying.

metalcore

Would love a Dune MMORPG.

Can't see how Eve can be used, Dune's story is mostly a ground story. Most characters would be based on Planets unless your part of the Navigators guild. Eve is mostly in space with no ground game.

Airspell

I don't agree with you at all.  LotrO could have been a long haul type of game, if done right. Same goes for Matrix or any other game based on pre existing lore.  The fault lies with the developers. 

  One example, Warcraft, they have books a running story that evolved through games ANd novels and somehow they made a game world that doesnt get boring after 2 days for 9 million people.

 

Raitsesman

wow really has a good lore.unlike most others...

Yukkione

Originally posted by Airspell


I don't agree with you at all.  LotrO could have been a long haul type of game, if done right. Same goes for Matrix or any other game based on pre existing lore.  The fault lies with the developers. 
 

You apparently don't understand how licensing works, or how tightly held most IP's are.

  One example, Warcraft, they have books a running story that evolved through games ANd novels and somehow they made a game world that doesnt get boring after 2 days for 9 million people.
 Warcraft had quite a bit of gameplay mechanics and story built into it. It was designed to build games around.... unlike LOTR and The Matrix.

 

Airspell

  I do know about the copyright owners being very anal about their "babies, but I guess you have a very limited imagination if you cant see the million ways SWG or Matrix could have been done right without tredding on the copyright owners ideas.

 

Warcraft was a copy of the Warhammer universe. A long pre existing world full of lore etc etc...   How exactly was Warcraft built around gameplay mechanics , I'm curious on the details of that statement.  It was one of the first rts games, you collected resources and went over to kill the other base , not that much thought went into it till it became a hit and they started expanding the universe.

 

Take Star Wars for instance, do you realise how huge the universe and the lore is ?  If Lucas was as anal as people think there wudnt be countless novels written expanding on his ideas. Also chewbacca wudnt have died either :P A moon hit him on the head, seriously.

Raunu

Back to the topic and hand. If a Dune game were made they would have to set the game on Arakis. I honestly don't think that the space element of Dune would make for a good game itself or a good addition to the game. The time period would also have to be set quite a while after the books.



I do agree that it has some interesting things to bring to the MMO world, however the whole setting being on a desert planet could turn things boring and have players wanting for a change of scenery. I would love to see the multi-faction PvP system though. Maybe 3 or 4 rival factions that are all competing  for the spice.

Yukkione

Originally posted by Airspell


  I do know about the copyright owners being very anal about their "babies, but I guess you have a very limited imagination if you cant see the million ways SWG or Matrix could have been done right without tredding on the copyright owners ideas.
I never mentioned the Star Wars francise.  SWG was hurt because instead of keeping the game in tune with SW fans and purists,  SOE changed the game to cater to casual types. A decision they now regret.
 Warcraft was a copy of the Warhammer universe. A long pre existing world full of lore etc etc...   How exactly was Warcraft built around gameplay mechanics , I'm curious on the details of that statement.  It was one of the first rts games, you collected resources and went over to kill the other base , not that much thought went into it till it became a hit and they started expanding the universe.
How you misinterpreted what I said about Warcraft is beyond me. Table top games are nothing but gameplay mechanics with a dose of story and lore thrown in.
 Take Star Wars for instance, do you realise how huge the universe and the lore is ?  If Lucas was as anal as people think there wudnt be countless novels written expanding on his ideas. Also chewbacca wudnt have died either :P A moon hit him on the head, seriously.
StarWars is far more expansive than Dune. I'm not saying it's better, but it has much more in the way of places, people and plot variations.

 

Airspell

  Tiny bit ? Warhammer has more lore than most pen and paper games, think you are purposely underestimating it to just make your point.

 Also you are just contradicting your own points. First you tell me how tight the IP holders are,and how it makes it hard to build games on pre existing ideas, then you tell me it was a publishers fault for destroying the game.  Are you saying the Wachowski brothers are responsible for making Matrix Online suck ? I doubt it.

 

  Also you are telling me how more vast and defined the SW universe is. What is the point of telling me that ?  Wouldnt that just mean Dune would be more suited for an mmo because it has less lore hence less constrictions ?

 

Yukkione

Originally posted by Airspell

Airspell, I am not contradicting myself. I said that games built on just a few books or movies end up being shallow and without depth. I never mentioned WOW (Warhammer) as the whole idea behind it is creating games. I never mentioned Star Wars because there is enough there TO create an MMO from. I stated that SWG's failure was not the IP or licence, but bad game design decisions on the part of SOE. (that they regret)

Take Age of Conan...built on a francise of over 30 books, two decades of comics, and a couple films. This is an IP that is ripe for the creation of a MMO based on it's content.

 

Airspell

wtf

Airspell

  Conclusion ?  MMOs by design are in a state of limbo where time doesnt move forward.  Expansions changed that slightly but not alot.  I think one of the biggest changes I have ever seen in a game was UO where the entire world was transformed into a wasteland, but most mmos dont change the core game at all from year 1 to 9, they just add content.  Why would you ask for a conlusion in a LOTRO but you give a pass to games that arent based on famous IPs ?  I dont know about you but I dont see either side really getting anywhere in WoW and they been fighting for some time now :P

ormstunga

I would probably give it a shot, assuming it wouldnt be supreme suckage when it comes to gameplay, and hopefully it would have the 'look' from the movie Dune, not the mini-series 

* Eve is nuffin similar to what Dune would (probably) be, since most of it is ground based like someone already said, mostly focusing on the planet Arrakis. There's almost no spaceflight or battles for that matter.

* Also to the LOTRO bashers (this seems to come up on every thread for some reason). Altho YOU dont like the game and think it's a failure, I'm thinking its really not. For whatever reason you dont like it... pvp, endgame, whatever, it's doing pretty good for Turbine 

Tsolless

Dune would have to be a sandbox (no pun intended) MMO. It could be done.

For those who are saying play EVE... You are a fool. There are pretty much no space fights in Dune. All the times that anyone is in "space" there are being transported by the Guild.

It would be a very political game. There would be a number of ways to do it...

One you could make it so everyone joined a House (similiar to guilds) and they worked together to control a planet or several. Very player run as everyone would build on the planet.

There would be large amounts of politics. Scheming to get ahead. Dune would be contolled by the most succesfull House obviously. The controllers would be the big players in economy.

Economy would be player run as well. Inter Planetary trading as different planets have different resources. Spice would be the biggest factor.

In this way, there would be no levels as such. All there would be would be your House. You could add skills in crafting, politics, etc. etc. These skills would be very decided in the beginning when you choose your race. Fremen? Great at fighting and crafting but they are never going to be ruling any planets.

That would be an amazing game.

Secondly they could make it into a player based game where the character levels up and gets items. Yippeee.

It could be a game that was different from any other game. A political based game that would fit the books and be very open to anything. Or it could be a SWG clone.

crazyiven

 The post was about a game set around the movie dune. And yes I would give it a go, loved the movie.

 

 But most of the post on here, go straight away to how games would work and how they are now. Sense most of you know how games are made how they need to be. What it takes to make a good one, and how it needs to grow.

MAKE ONE

Get together, sit down and come up with an idea that would make a great game. As for me Ill let other people do it, don't care how it gets done. If its good Ill play it. Its just funny that when someone throws out an idea (good or bad) it brakes down to a few people dissecting the world off gaming and tell everyone how it would fail.

 

 sorry even I was off topic

Airspell

I have refined my opinion here it is "Any idea for the background will work if the game is good" 

ormstunga

Originally posted by Airspell


I have refined my opinion here it is "Any idea for the background will work if the game is good" 

I'll second that opinion

ASmith84

i posted a similar post a long time ago. yes that would be awesome. 

tvalentine

well im gonna bump this topic up hopeing it gets more attention......The MMORPG market needs a/more games like this one.