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Which books have best MMO potential
Wardden
Member Posts: 119
I remember a thread on here concerning movies that would make good MMO's a while back, now I was wondering what books you guys think would make good games.
Personally I would love to see Robert Jordans Wheel of Time series turned into a MMO, the only game I have even seen based in this world was a very mediocre might and magic type first/third person shooter.
This is a well developed, interesting world, which has a magical system that offers some interesting options as far as game mechanics go.
Thoughts, opinion, your own suggestions 
Comments
Wheel of Time is my favorite fantasy series, but I think it's a better RPG than MMO. Unless you're able to play one of the key characters, I don't think the story would be very entertaining. Spellcasters are far above anyone else in power. I just don't see how the story would work inside an MMO framework. I suppose they could trivialize them the way LOTRO did or the way SWG did with jedi.
I don't think MMOs lend themselves to the singular scale that most novels follow. There is no protagonist in an MMO (EDIT: or rather, there are thousands of them). Games like EQ & WoW succeed because their lore was created for a game. Games like SWG and LOTRO have difficulty because they're constrained by the world they try to replicate as well as people's high expectations.
Maybe something like classic literature and mythology. Along the lines of DAoC.
If it were possible though, Jordan's Wheel of Time would be my choice as well.
MMOs Played: EQ 1&2, DAoC, SWG, Planetside, WoW, GW, CoX, DDO, EVE, Vanguard, TR
Playing: WAR
Awaiting 40k Online and wishing for Battletech Online
Percy Jackson and the Olyimpians. Play as a demi God. Pick you parent then go.
Also the demonta series it would be more LOTRO in that you would be the good guys fighting the demons.
Cant think of any others right now. Maby one based off a horror book drop you in a world of zombies. Be human or zombie wouldnt lend itself to a rpg aspect but would be a fun run-n-gun game.
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Well, there is a few that would be a lot better than WOT.
"A Game of throne" would be excellent for a mmorpg, lots of intresting factions, tournaments, intrigues and so on.
Ed Greenwoods "Forgotten realms" is on my top list, I hope thats what Bioware is working on.
"The nightwatch" by sergei Lukyanenko would make a wonderful darkhorror story.
There is some talk about a "shadowrun online" based on the tabletop, that would be awesome. Or a mmorpg based on William Gibbson.
I would also like to see some version of of Horror game with aspect from Stokers Dracula, Shelleys Frankeinstein with a bit of Sherlock Holmes, some Victorian style Gothic Horror.
I wouldnt mind a mmorpg based on Kevin Simbiedas pen and paper RPG "R.I.F.T.S" either.
Maybe the Battletech/Mechwarrior universe. They have lots of novels and tons of source material. It's also mass scale with huge armies and lots of factions.
MMOs Played: EQ 1&2, DAoC, SWG, Planetside, WoW, GW, CoX, DDO, EVE, Vanguard, TR
Playing: WAR
Awaiting 40k Online and wishing for Battletech Online
The Chronicles of Narnia. Narnia itself isn't that great, but Lewis mentions multiple dimensions, giving developers much flexibility.
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The notion that graphics, or anything else for that matter, are anywhere near as important as gameplay/fun is so utterly ridiculous that anyone who shares such a view should be placed in an asylum.
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Raymond E Feist - riftwar/serpentwar sagas, magician is one of the best books i've read. but i doubt it will be made into a mmo, if it were, it would be watered down for one reason or another. it would never be able to capture the world as well as the book. so in all honesty i rather the devs come up with something original(even if its less inspiring) than butcher a fine book.
sci-fi: saga of the seven suns is a fairly rich universe, the story and characters are quite straight forward so it could make translating it into a mmo a bit easier.
many ideas are inspired by books albeit watered down, simplified worlds. games (even single player) have a long way to go before they can even begin to approach the amount of depth given in books. look at the type of games, mostly shooters and some remake of another vanilla rpg. i might be a bit jaded but the games are just not very inspiring and rarely do i bother to finish a game nowadays.
I'd say Lord of the Rings is the best IP for an MMO. Too bad LOTRO doesn't suit my style, and remains to be a bit incomplete.
Cant really think of anything else...
Lumley's vampire world trilogy would be a great setting.
Blood Brother's - the Last Aerie - Bloodwars
even has expansion options to the future earth via the gates to earth in about 2050 AD so would have some nice fantasy stuff but also access to things like shotguns etc.
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
oddly enough a harry potter MMO would be sweet, sounds kiddie but wh owouldnt wanna learn magic and fight giant creatures in a massive castle school filled w/ secreat rooms and such...i though i read somewhere they might of been working on one possibly....hmmm...that would be kool
The Inheritance Trilogy with the books Eragon and Eldest in it i thing would be a good place to set a mmo, would be similar to lord of the rings but with a few significant differences.
I thought Harry Potter was bad until you mentioned Eragon... come on! Really?
How about the Shannara series? The Belgariad? Dune? Anything but Potter and Eragon.
EDIT: Maybe as an RPG/Adventure which Potter has already been made into for consoles.
MMOs Played: EQ 1&2, DAoC, SWG, Planetside, WoW, GW, CoX, DDO, EVE, Vanguard, TR
Playing: WAR
Awaiting 40k Online and wishing for Battletech Online
dont remember the exact name of the book but think it was the "Cloudmage's" or something.... there where a bunch of stones that all had different powers from shooting bolts of lightning to summoning dragons to finding lost items >< auther really created a interesting world that would lend itself good to a mmo i think.
I'd love to see an MMO set in the world of His Dark Materials (The Golden Compass).
There are an infinte amount of possiblities using that universe. Personally, I'd want to start somewhere in Lyra's world with a Daemon of my own, and the ability to do whatever, wherever. Find passages into other worlds/dimensions, battle specters, fly with the witches of Svlabard. Fight or negotiate with the Panserbjørne. I think my meaning is clear
But it'd have to have some sort of 'personality' test at the beginning of character creation so everyone isn't running around with a Lion/Snow Leopard/Wolf daemon.
On the other hand, it might make a better single player RPG.
GRRR
The Songs of Fire and Ice series by George RR Martin as mentioned by somebody else already in this thread.... without a doubt would be an amazing book to MMO port.
The way I'd have it: Two factions - Stark and Lannister. 'Good' and 'Evil', though not quite with that much of a distinction... Choose from one of the major houses under each faction, and well, you're at war. It would be a mix of DAOC's RvR and EVE Online's sandbox PvP. Two realms against each other, in full out open war, but, players can play as sort of 'pirates'... like bandits and outlaws... attacking whoever they happen to come across...
So, there's sort of three factions... Stark ('good'), Lannister ('evil'), and...Pirate (hostile). But wait, there's one more. You can also opt to go and join the Night's Watch, sort of the neutrals, who dont really pvp much, but participate in intense PvE against the hordes of Others and Wildings. I'd see it like Tabula Rasa is trying to do with the Bane. Players team up to defend the land on control points, against the enemy npcs.
The perfect blend of PvP and PvE to appeal to all types of players. Siege Warfare if you want it. Full, open PvP if you want it. Intense PvE cooperative raids if you want it.
Would be an incredible game, IMO, but... thats just IMO and that is why I dont see it ever actually happening. Even if somebody does end up making a TSOFAI (or is there a different acronym?) game, I dont see it ever playing out like that. Just saying though, would be cool.
However, I am sick of fantasy games and would really like a Sci-Fi game... So, in conclusion, I will say....Robert A Heinlein's 'Starship Troopers'. Though, that would end up based more on the movie than the book.
My choices would be: A Forgotten Realms MMO (as suggested by Loke666) and Battletech/Mechwarrior (as suggested by Dreadlich)
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I dunno a Hogwarts MMORPG might be pretty fun. Lots of potential there for a fun game if done right. OMG want to talk about a WoW killer. An HP MMORPG would crush...yes crush WoW like a little bug on the ground. The thing is it would have to be done right and I seriously doubt there is a gaming house anywhere that could do the HP IP justice.
I dunno but I think a good Louis La'mour based western MMORPG might be worth a look at, though it would be hard to do because I don't wish to play a game where I might be forced to kill native Americans(that would totally suck seeing as how I have some Cherokee blood in my veins).
Book based...maybe the Dark Sun Trilogy.
I wouldn't mind seeing a Mechwarrior MMO that would be a lot of fun having your own mech, pilot, companys ect. Has a lot of potential with many worlds and every concieveable type of terrain and climate to fight in.
Battletech will be great. 5 factions and the empire, then the outer clans. Lots of types of mech, armored vehicles infantry. LAM (Land and air mechs), air forces, jump ships and drop ships.
How about Dune? We have the empire, the Atreides lots of planets, lots of plots and conspiracies.
Forgotten realms is definitely a thumbs up, hmm, have we seen too many elves, dwarves and orcs passing through our monitors lately? Can I see a laser gun instead of a composite bow please?
Jerry Pournelle's CoDiminium Universe, and more specifically his collaboration with Larry Niven, The Mote in God's Eye.
Sprawling Galactic empires, multiple factions, first contact, wars etc.
World War Z would be a neat basis for an MMOG too, I think.
best mmo would be using the palatum pencile and paper RPG system you would get 5 or 7 great mmo from them they have robotech tmnt and a fantasy book and the system you can transfer your character to any game oh yeah ther was rifts and there was a horror game to so you would be able to play one character in all of the mmo made with that system now tell me that would not be great get board playing tmnt mutants port him to roboteck take out some zentradi for a few weeks then take your character and go slay a few dragons in there fantasy and so on and on you get my point
Battletech will be great. 5 factions and the empire, then the outer clans. Lots of types of mech, armored vehicles infantry. LAM (Land and air mechs), air forces, jump ships and drop ships.
How about Dune? We have the empire, the Atreides lots of planets, lots of plots and conspiracies.
Forgotten realms is definitely a thumbs up, hmm, have we seen too many elves, dwarves and orcs passing through our monitors lately? Can I see a laser gun instead of a composite bow please?
Really, who cares about your stupid epic armor? Check out my new Atlas or Dire Wolf! How's that platemail handle PPCs?Anyway, yeah, Battletech isn't all about the mechs though. There are lots of jet-packing infantry, many variety of armored vehicles and aircraft. Relatively little space activity, as most battles are fought on the surface, so that makes it easier for the game designer.
MMOs Played: EQ 1&2, DAoC, SWG, Planetside, WoW, GW, CoX, DDO, EVE, Vanguard, TR
Playing: WAR
Awaiting 40k Online and wishing for Battletech Online
I think the TSR DragonLance series would make a Great MMO.
I also used to code on a MUSH (man, am I dating myself here) which was based on Meleni Rawn DragonPrince series. As far as MUSHs went at the time, we were doing well with population and fun
Torrential
Torrential: DAOC (Pendragon)
Awned: World of Warcraft (Lothar)
Torren: Warhammer Online (Praag)
I never thought of it but rift wars would be a great MMO setting with the two factions already established and a lot of source material for the combat mechanics
Also in regards to the person saying users of the One Power are to powerful in WOT, Matt and Perrin seem to do well with out using the one power, Imagine playing as a maiden of the spear or a hunter for the Horn, yes the One Power is powerful but they could easily adapt many of the none spell casting characters into what I feel would be fun and viable play classes
That was my response to the what movie would be a great MMO and if you add the material from the second and upcoming third book it could be great, Imagine in flight combat from dragon back!