Perhaps a Iron Kingdoms/Warmachine MMO would be cool, or just something steampunk for god sakes! ....or a Ghost in the Shell style MMO. Cyberpunk wouldn't be all that bad either
Forgotten Realms - but not in a tradition DnD sense. Bring the deep, deep, deep history/lore and the wide variety of race and make it a completely skill based game.
Golden Compass - I'm not sure how it could be pulled off, and there's really not enough lore/backstory to the game, but if Pullman could flesh it out some... It'd be amazing. Imagine traveling to Svalbard to make council with the Panserbjorn for the Masisterium. Or meeting running over the rooftops of Oxford. Or, or, or, or... AHHH.
*drools*
(edit: said classes not races :$)
(edit squared: I'm also retarded and 1) didn't realize this was an old thread and 2) have already posted in said thread -_-;)
Forgotten Realms - but not in a tradition DnD sense. Bring the deep, deep, deep history/lore and the wide variety of race and make it a completely skill based game. Golden Compass - I'm not sure how it could be pulled off, and there's really not enough lore/backstory to the game, but if Pullman could flesh it out some... It'd be amazing. Imagine traveling to Svalbard to make council with the Panserbjorn for the Masisterium. Or meeting running over the rooftops of Oxford. Or, or, or, or... AHHH. *drools* (edit: said classes not races :$)
I just believe the hardcore dnd fanbase would have a hard time grasping a Forgotten Realms MMO that is not based around a D20 system with classes and levels. I personally would not mind a dungeons and dragons Campaign setting in an MMO with out the d20 mechanics attached.
Screw IP. Give me an original setting that can stand on it's own.
EverQuest, Asheron's Call, EVE... these are truly unique settings, and are/were successful games.
Even WoW was built on an IP. Even though it was Blizzard's OWN IP, the WarCraft series was a well established IP before it became an MMO. Same with Ultima Online.
I much prefer the dev's to not have even the slightest notion lurking in their subconscious that, "Oh, well this IP is bulletproof, so I think we can ship this pile of crap and just patch the hell out of it!"
MMO's based on an IP generally, I said GENERALLY (i.e. not always, so don't go giving counter examples. I KNOW they exist), tend to be the more cookie cutter games like LoTRO, WoW, EQ2, etcetera. Even if they "innovate" in one or two areas, largely they tend to be pretty run of the mill.
You also have to understand that all of this is coming from someone who's perspective is that of one who has been playing online multiplayer RPG's since the time of MUD's. I played EQ, and AC back when they were brand new games, after I was done with the MUD. The big three were AC, EQ, and UO. They, all three, were very different games. Now, 90% of all the MMO's have branched off the EQ paradigm (including WoW) while, for the most part, "taxonomic" derivatives of the other two have largely avoided the spotlight with a few rare exceptions. As such, the safe bet is the following:
-1. Pick a good IP. "zOmg! Let's make a Castlevania MMO!" (Random, I know. Hehe)
-2. Pick a well-tested design, because the people who OWN that IP, EXPECT a successful game! "zOmg! Let's make it like WoW, except we'll add in [Concept, X, Y, and Z]"
-3. Market the differences with trumpets, fanfare, subliminal messaging, and moonverstising.
-4. Ship a barely playable product which fans of said IP will snatch up, and hopefully tolerate long enough for you to:
---A: Patch it in to a decent game.
---B: Patch it in to oblivion.
---C: Not bother patching, they made enough money selling boxes.
people say stuff like Pokeman but I think the reality is pokeman fans won't be PC fans. In fact, it could be argued that the most successful mmo ideas is those that appeal to 'PC Geeks' as they make up a core audience type thing.
Comments
Perhaps a Iron Kingdoms/Warmachine MMO would be cool, or just something steampunk for god sakes!
....or a Ghost in the Shell style MMO. Cyberpunk wouldn't be all that bad either 
Forgotten Realms - but not in a tradition DnD sense. Bring the deep, deep, deep history/lore and the wide variety of race and make it a completely skill based game.
Golden Compass - I'm not sure how it could be pulled off, and there's really not enough lore/backstory to the game, but if Pullman could flesh it out some... It'd be amazing. Imagine traveling to Svalbard to make council with the Panserbjorn for the Masisterium. Or meeting running over the rooftops of Oxford. Or, or, or, or... AHHH.
*drools*
(edit: said classes not races :$)
(edit squared: I'm also retarded and 1) didn't realize this was an old thread and 2) have already posted in said thread -_-;)
I just believe the hardcore dnd fanbase would have a hard time grasping a Forgotten Realms MMO that is not based around a D20 system with classes and levels. I personally would not mind a dungeons and dragons Campaign setting in an MMO with out the d20 mechanics attached.
Screw IP. Give me an original setting that can stand on it's own.
EverQuest, Asheron's Call, EVE... these are truly unique settings, and are/were successful games.
Even WoW was built on an IP. Even though it was Blizzard's OWN IP, the WarCraft series was a well established IP before it became an MMO. Same with Ultima Online.
I much prefer the dev's to not have even the slightest notion lurking in their subconscious that, "Oh, well this IP is bulletproof, so I think we can ship this pile of crap and just patch the hell out of it!"
MMO's based on an IP generally, I said GENERALLY (i.e. not always, so don't go giving counter examples. I KNOW they exist), tend to be the more cookie cutter games like LoTRO, WoW, EQ2, etcetera. Even if they "innovate" in one or two areas, largely they tend to be pretty run of the mill.
You also have to understand that all of this is coming from someone who's perspective is that of one who has been playing online multiplayer RPG's since the time of MUD's. I played EQ, and AC back when they were brand new games, after I was done with the MUD. The big three were AC, EQ, and UO. They, all three, were very different games. Now, 90% of all the MMO's have branched off the EQ paradigm (including WoW) while, for the most part, "taxonomic" derivatives of the other two have largely avoided the spotlight with a few rare exceptions. As such, the safe bet is the following:
-1. Pick a good IP. "zOmg! Let's make a Castlevania MMO!" (Random, I know. Hehe)
-2. Pick a well-tested design, because the people who OWN that IP, EXPECT a successful game! "zOmg! Let's make it like WoW, except we'll add in [Concept, X, Y, and Z]"
-3. Market the differences with trumpets, fanfare, subliminal messaging, and moonverstising.
-4. Ship a barely playable product which fans of said IP will snatch up, and hopefully tolerate long enough for you to:
---A: Patch it in to a decent game.
---B: Patch it in to oblivion.
---C: Not bother patching, they made enough money selling boxes.
people say stuff like Pokeman but I think the reality is pokeman fans won't be PC fans. In fact, it could be argued that the most successful mmo ideas is those that appeal to 'PC Geeks' as they make up a core audience type thing.