MMO Primer

gunsmack

Thought this would be an interesting discussion. I am in school to be a game developer (computer science/interactive media double major) and I am working hard to go into MMO development. I wanted to ask you guys what MMO[s] someone like me should play to understand the catagory better. In otherwords what would your MMO primer be?

To clarify I do play MMO's fequently but I didn't wanna tell you which ones because it would influence the discussion and resoning behind each choice. :-)

Wickedjelly

None...if you're already playing the genre then you know the basics so why stick with any one game or select games or concepts? Frankly, I think the more the better so you can see for yourself what works or doesn't work.

...and since you're playing them you can tell yourself what you think downright sucks or is fun as hell.

One of the main problems companies have right now is using a select few games as their model.

 

Rallycart

Another problem with your plan is that you say you want to be a developer, and yet you expect to actually shape the game. Developers are often stuck doing what the game director and lead designer tell them to do, and have very limited amounts of input. So, you could research all you want, but at the end of the day, if it is not your own personal MMO, you will just be a programmer. Sorry.

tubelight

You only need to play a handful of MMO's to know what every other game out there is like. For PvE scenarios pick LoTRo or WoW, for good sandbox games pick EVE, which would also double as a good way to learn how economy works in an MMO.

 

But frankly if I were you, I would just ditch all these age old limitations and try to come up with something creative and different. it doesnt have to be 200 unique and never before seen features, it only has to be 10 unique but important features that make up the game.

Jerid13

Be Origional don't play any MMO's to get a feel for the genre, just think what kind of online multiplayer game would you like to see made and then think about how you could go about making that happen.

Basic thing to think about are:

Economy

Player base ( How big do you want your server?  100 people per server or 10000?)

 

Quest style  (If you make quests that important in your game even can be an option)

 

Art direction (Some people didn't play certain games merely because they hate how they looked, while the reverse is also true)

 

Death    (When you die do you lose exp?  Does your gear lose durabiity? What kind of punishments are there for dying? 

 

PVP  (What PVP ruleset or will there be PVP at all?  Open loot? Open PVP?  No loot?  any benefit from killing others?)

 

Factions?  (Do you want them? How many?)

 

Classes and Races  (This is a good way to set your game apart if you think up something new in this category)

 

Crafting System ?  (Do you want people to make the best gear?  Do you hate crafting?)

 

Monsters   (How many what kind where and how hard are they to kill?   Have a lot or a little depending if your focus is on them)

 

These are just some examples of generic categories that I've encountered throughout playing MMO's that I would think about if I were to make one.

 

Hope this is helpful

 

Edit:  HOW COULD I FORGET?!?!   The 4th pillar  "STORY"

 

(yes this was sorta a joke on TOR, its just annoying to me they act like they are the only people to focus on the storyline in an MMO...  My point is, be like them Focus on storyline and you'll get alot of interested people.)

Harafnir

Ok.

Everquest and Ultima Online. To see the beginning of the booming market. everquest because it is the basis of most games today. Ultima Online to see a different approach based on one of the most succesful RPGs of that time. Also to see the beginning of level versus skillbased before developers learned their lessons (which is both a good and a bad thing)

Then Anarchy Online is important. Because it used a levelbased freeform skill system. You can see the classes and what they do, you can see the levels and what they do, but you know very little about the actual character, since the player can create any sane or insane combination he wants. AO is extremy important to see how freedom can work in a constricted environment. 

EVE. seriously. Noone should ever become a developer without knowing EVE. It is THE game that shows how somehting can be done without any influences from the current market. It is created from scratch with close to all original ideas and if anyone want to become a future developer there is one thing they should learn and that is "have original ideas" The copies of other games are killing the genre and all interest in it.

SWG, both concepts. Freeform universe with a plethora of things to do, one in skillbased form, one in levelbased form. Both have their lessons, none is perfect. But you will get a grasp of how you build a universe and not a playground with A to B mentality.

After that... Close the MMO experience book, loock it into a closet and never open it again and for gods sakes have an original idea of your own. No sane person want to pay extra cash monthly to play a game with less originality and freedom than a simple singleplayer games thats free. Of course, except the 14-19 year olds that just found out about this genre and have no experience other than stories. They would find any piece of amateur junk amazing, since they have never seen anything like it before. But even they grow up.

Jerid13

After that... Close the MMO experience book, loock it into a closet and never open it again and for gods sakes have an original idea of your own. No sane person want to pay extra cash monthly to play a game with less originality and freedom than a simple singleplayer games thats free.

 

^^^^  THIS I ENTIRELY AGREE WITH!

Well put!

Wickedjelly

Eh..I don't-least not entirely. While I'm not a huge fan of most of the recent mmorpgs there are some that have at least shown some interesting concepts or improved upon ideas of the older predecessors. I don't think it's fair to dismiss them all entirely or that they all fit into his definition.

Still, to each their own I suppose

 

Jerid13

You can ALMOST break down all MMO's back into the origional EQ vs UO rivalry.

UO was Sandboxy and EQ was linear.

The fight continues to this day.  Many ideas have sprung forth from other MMO's that add to these basic principals but they don't CHANGE their nature, they just enhance them.

 

Wickedjelly

Of course not, no matter what type of game you create it's probably going to either follow a sandbox, themepark, or linear concept but some of the enhancements made over the years do make for a much more enjoyable experience least from what I have seen.  Hence the reason I say they shouldn't be discounted entirely.

Although I do agree with trying to create something original rather than following the status quo.

Czzarre

I would also add that MMO players are now a diverse group of individuals. For far too long many regard the player population as a single group with a small frame of wants in their gameplay.

Success can be achieved by  identifying your niche, excelling at it, and provide solid , reliable communication with the playerbase as what your game will and will not do. PLayers will respect any company that comes out and says "Hey, we do <this>, and our game may not be for <X> or <Y> type players".

gunsmack

Thanks for the awesome advice guys! I am ashamed to say I haven't yet played EvE :-( or EQ. I definatly agree with the creativity aspect I do hope to push the MMO indsutry forward by trying (in school and my professional career) to head projects or work on projects that deliver something new.

To calify game developer is a broad term, I suppose I would technically be a designer which allows plenty of creativity even at the world builder level (the computer science aspect of my degree is so that I have more of a complete rounded view of the game industry and all the technical restraints) .

I do absolutly want to have my own opinions to answer some of the questions, but I do beleive it is important to study what worked and that was my purpose for making the thread.