MMOFPS/RPG

Narishma

Many gamers today seem to think that the idea of an mmofps is unfeasible. Turned off by previous attempts at games like Unreal Tournament or Counter Strike; multiplayer games that are certainly not newb friendly, with hardcore player bases unlike anything seen in any other genre. Trying to get a single kill as a new player in UT can take hours, the feeling of empowerment from owning computer controlled characters in the offline mode gets squashed as soon as they spawn in a multiplayer match. Their ego continuously takes a beating map after map, until finally they quit playing due to frustration. The players that continue to play are those lucky enough to find a server with players of a similar skill level. Finding servers with new players can sometimes mean a few among thousands.

 

The players that continue to play eventually raise their own skills to that of the other hardcore players, and the process starts anew. I myself went through this process, and I have to retrain myself whenever I stop playing for a few months. Skill in an fps game is a very real skill, and you lose it over time. It can be compared, realistically, with character skill in other types of games. Add points to your dexterity attribute in many rpg's and you become more accurate with your weapon. Gain more hit points and you die less. Practice fragging in any online fps and you will become a better player. Your aim will improve, and you will certainly die a lot less.

 

Also, like in many other types of games, players need to develop their own play style in an fps. Know your weaknesses, and play your strengths. Devise strategies and cunning maneuvers, out-think your enemy. Most of all, be prepared to die, you will fall to the same tricks and strategies you use on your enemies. Traditional mmo games rely on players devising skill combo strategies, timing moves in order to best your opponent. The same can be said about fps games. Tossing a grenade to flush an opponent into your line of fire, or tossing one, then another to intercept the player as they move. Success in fps games is all about predicting an enemies movement, and keeping your own movement unpredictable.

 

I'm going to rundown a few ideas that have been bouncing around my head tonight. Ideas, in my opinion, that would make a good MMOFPS/RPG. We have seen mmofps games in the past. Planetside was a blast in its heyday, and while I haven't personally played it, Ive heard Neocron 2 was enjoyed by many. However, I have yet to see a true massive first person shooter combine with the aspects that make an mmorpg great. Also, before anyone tries to rebuke me here, Tabula Rasa is not an fps, and HGL is not a true fps either. Damage and accuracy in these games is defined by dice rolls rather than player skill. Besides that, while Tabula Rasa can be quite enjoyable, its massively multiplayer aspects are severely lacking. Rather, it plays like a cooperative single player arcade-style third person shooter with multiplayer mini-games. A strong foundation to be sure, but not enough mmo to go with the rpg.

 

So to start.

 

First, think tactical instead of arcade. Unreal tournament is a great game, and I think it could make a fun mmo (think Huxley), but today I'm talking tactical. Instead, think about the play style in CoD4 multiplayer. Players can crouch, go prone, and lean around corners. You cannot jump impossibly high or run at impossible speeds, forcing players to take a more strategic approach to the way they play. You still get crazy people that run out into the middle of the field guns blazing, of course, but they soon realize that their deaths vastly outnumber their kills. Class balance comes through differences in bullet damage, rate of fire, and projectile speed. Damage done is based on where you hit your target. If you shoot a player in the head as opposed to say, the foot, the damage done is vastly different. Keep in mind that there are no dice rolls here, and the computer isn't assisting you with your aim. You cannot lock targets and your reticle isn't "sticky."

 

Now, take the gameplay described above, and apply it to an enormous, persistent world. Those of you that have played Crysis will know what I'm getting at here, but even that would be too small for a persistent online world. (Please don't think of the system requirements for Crysis. I am merely using the world itself as an example.) Even the destructible environments could be implemented, to an extent. While an environment as interactive as that found in Crysis may not seem feasible in an online persistent world today, it could be done in the future. Destroyed trees and other foliage could grow back, destroyed buildings, guard towers, or entire towns could be rebuilt. What would be a better motivator to raid an enemy factions villages or bases than total destruction? NPC's could automatically begin reconstruction, or, in the case of player built and maintained cities, the players. Raiding enemy territory would take on a whole new meaning!

 

Of course, you can't have a huge world without some form of transportation. In a futuristic, (or modern) setting such as this, horses or other squishy mounts would be unrealistic. That leaves us of course, with vehicles. Vehicles, in turn, would lead to vehicular combat. Again, I'll use Crysis (or Battlefield, if you prefer) as an example. Remember driving the tank around the island? Crushing trees under your treads as you plowed across the landscape? Driving the tank in Crysis made you feel truly powerful, but it still had its weaknesses, just as every vehicle has its own strengths and weaknesses. Where a humvee felt quick and somewhat agile, you felt like hitting a tree would send you through the windshield to splatter across the beautiful foliage. In the tank however, you found yourself trying to hit the trees, just to watch them fall. How would one obtain a vehicle? I think a pre-set level or rank would be a must, if only to keep lower level players where they belong. (If only to keep them around players of a similar skill level, in turn keeping them from becoming frustrated with the difficulty.) Summoning a mount in traditional mmos consists of using an item in your bag, and a similar system could be used for a modern, mmofps. Consider a radio item, and among its uses is a command to call in transport. Your vehicle, if you own one and it is not too heavily damaged, is brought to your location via some form of air transport, which either drops it with a chute, or via cable. When you leave your vehicle, a timer starts. When the timer runs down, air transport would once again arrive and pick up your vehicle. This would keep vehicles from becoming lost and/or cluttering the game world.

 

This is where an iffy play mechanic comes into play. In planetside, players could hack into and take control of opposing factions vehicles. I propose that the same could be done here, even though vehicles would not be nearly as disposable as they are in PS. Lets say that "summoning" your vehicle takes around 30 seconds to a couple minutes. After all, you cant expect to radio in for transport and have it drop on your head that very second. Now, while in your vehicle, it can only take damage. It cannot be stolen or manipulated in any way beyond damage. When you leave your vehicle, there could be a player-set time limit that has to be reached before an aircraft decides to retrieve your vehicle. Players hopping out for a second to check something out wouldn't want to wait for transport a second time, however, enemy factions could use this time to hack your vehicle, if they chose. This would create a little indecision between impatience and fear of losing the vehicle. While I'm not sure if I have explained this idea very well, I'm sure it could be implemented in a fun and productive way.

 

One of the biggest issues that players have with the idea of an mmofps is a lack of skills. Having cool skills makes combat fun, so it goes without saying that skills would also be important to an mmofps. All they take is a little imagination. Ever been on the receiving end of a flash or stun grenade in CoD4? A smack with the stock of an assault rifle could end with the same effect. You could get skills to sprint for longer periods of time, or hold your breath longer for steadier sniper shots and underwater activities. Throw grenades farther, and walk quieter. Apply camo paint to exposed skin, catch your breath faster after sprinting. Hear an enemy coming? Using the ability to hold your breath for longer could help keep you hidden, by stopping sound of your breathing. But watch out, hold your breath for too long and the enemy will hear you gulping for air like you just ran the mile in high school. Take a driving test and pay for your first vehicle, and unlock different vehicles over time.

 

Hit points would be a thing of the past. All players, new or three year veteran, would have the same amount of health. Dead? Have the medic break out the paddles, its zappy time. A bullet in the leg might cause a player to limp, and render him unable to sprint until a bandage was applied or a medic healed it up. A bullet in the arm? Its a little hard to pump that shotgun with one arm hanging useless at your side, better pull out that sidearm. Bullet in the brainpan? CLEAR! Zap. However, in a game such as this, a death penalty of some sort would be a must. We want strategy here, not players running like a half crazed herd of cattle, fearless. What would be an acceptable, yet severe enough death penalty?

 

Stamina would be a must. If only to keep players from unrealistically bunny hopping everywhere.

 

Now, Crafting. Many people think fps and don't think that any kind of crafting would be remotely possible. I, on the other hand, see an mmofps as the ultimate crafters playground. Imagine the possibilities! Not only could players craft weapons, weapon addons, armor, grenades and other miscellaneous items, but vehicles and everything on or in vehicles as well. Crafting would be done in a machine shop for the most part. With mills, lathes, robot welders, etc. Craft silencers, laser sights, red dot sights, forward grips to reduce recoil, lighter stocks... the list goes on and on. Crafting swords and axes was just the beginning folks, get ready for some real options. The best part is, all of the different weapons and weapon add-ons that could be created would have real world effects. For example, a lighter stock on a rifle causes more recoil, but you could maybe hold it steady for a greater amount of time, and hold more weight in loot. A Foregrip would reduce recoil, at the cost of using a different under-mounted add-on, such as a grenade launcher on an assault rifle for instance. Laser sights might make it easier for you to aim and shoot (not synthetically, remember... no computer help with aiming) but as a sniper it may serve as a warning device for your enemies. (Dude, theres this red thing on your forehead!) Weapon systems on vehicles could be swapped out and upgraded. Armor plating could be added at the expense of speed, or subtracted for the opposite effect. Entire vehicles could be created from scratch. As for professions, think Gunsmith, Armorsmith, Mechanic, Chemist, etc. Maybe even a profession for civilian clothing. The amount of crafting that could be done in an fps is staggering.

 

Like raiding? Picture a raid instance set up like a single player level in CoD4 (notice a trend here?) optimized for a group. Now that would be some fun raiding.

 

Now, everyone may not agree with me here, but I find it hard to believe that a game such as this would not be enjoyable. Some of my ideas might seem a little "out there," but I haven't slept in a while. My basic idea here is sound. An mmofps/rpg would rock my socks.