How would you end an MMO???

DocZ

Just a question but if you were a developer how would you end an mmo? With so many mmorpgs comming out with sequels or being spent off of other stories how would you end a mmo if you knew you had a sequel comming?

Just have it die out?

Go out with a big war that leads to the next version?

 Have the story lead off into the next as a continuation?

or just something totally different

Kyleran

In a 'Cataclysm' 

eyeswideopen

Turn off the server, shut down the forums, and watch the internet explode. While drinking a beer.

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

setilight

 

From a comercial point of view, a company wouldn't let actually shutdown a game that still had a lucrative player base, so it would surely pick the "Let it die out" option.

 

From a "what would be the most fun" point of view, an all-out war event, with permanent death to the players would be awesome!

syntax42

Originally posted by setilight

 

From a comercial point of view, a company wouldn't let actually shutdown a game that still had a lucrative player base, so it would surely pick the "Let it die out" option.

 

From a "what would be the most fun" point of view, an all-out war event, with permanent death to the players would be awesome!

Tabula Rasa's ending comes to mind...

slessman

I believe I have responded to a topic like this in the past. I think that if I were a game developer and I had my own MMO I would start to incorporate some of the changes that were going into the sequel into regular game play. Give the current players a taste of what they can expect from the new game and then when the sequel is finished let the original end about a week later so players can make the transition between games and then just shut it down.

khirmell

I will end it with a huge in game event hosted by the developers, admins, and the GMs to make the players feel better when going to the next expansion and to resolve the old one. This way players will be excited for the new patch and at the same time loads of fun (That is what gaming is about, having a great time).

ctshame

I'd schedule a really big secret event and tell everyone that the event is going to be taking place in a certain city and that it will be taking place during the peak of the day when the most players are online and right when the event is supposed to start i'd pull the plug.

;P

Morgaren

Originally posted by ctshame

I'd schedule a really big secret event and tell everyone that the event is going to be taking place in a certain city and that it will be taking place during the peak of the day when the most players are online and right when the event is supposed to start i'd pull the plug.

;P

 If its a secret you couldn't tell anyone...

that was mean I know what you meant.

I'd have some super powerful psycho summon ameteor to destroy the world and let everyone watch as it gets bigger int eh sky until BOOM!!!!!

screw holy.....

cloud8521

Make a new dlc, where you must take on the appocolype. of course by the end everyone will lose :P

kvfnaTTD

I think a mmorpg shouldnt be ended coz we cannt end players' dreams.If I wanna fill some new idea to the game I will try new dlc but not a sequel.Obviously we cannt plan it so long as wow.In that case,I will find a way to keep something into the sequel.

Panther2103

If I were a company with multiple games, I would offer a free copy of one of our other games, plus a little free time to go with that, to the players who still currently subscribed to the ending MMO. I only see it fit that something like that would happen since nobody likes to be left empty handed, and getting a free game isn't bad.

skeaser

I would release every raid boss on a rampage across the land and rain fire and brimstone upon the cities and villages. I would strike players with an uncurable plague that spread from person to person. I would also change the in game music to Justin Bieber and make all players do the Carlton dance.

mmoguy43

I would make it very different. It would sort of be like an experiment where the players are the guinea pigs. Each week I'd try out different things like turn on perma death, turn on ffa pvp with safe zones, no safe zones, then turn the world and its npcs against them, or even give a few players GM powers to summon stuff or created their own events. You know all that forbidden stuff that you can't do in just any MMO.

aleos

with a New Game Experience.

cloud8521

Originally posted by aleos

with a New Game Experience.

..... what?

pye088j

Release of all the end game raid bosses into the open world, MAss hysteria with NPC´s in town and so on. Complete madness has my vote

Beermangler

Here's my idea:

Towards the end-game, start a solo-quest that will eventually kill your character in a rather epic way - battle, boss fight where you both die heroically, aerial/ship battle, gunfight... anything worthy of a good 70's western movie ending. 

 

Then you cannot choose that class/race combo for your next character - ever -; instead start off with a set of augmented base stats / skills / abilities. Like the remort in MUDs. 

aleos

Originally posted by cloud8521

Originally posted by aleos

with a New Game Experience.

..... what?

With a New Game Experience.

Nizur

I think something like The Nothing from the Neverending Story would rock. An unstoppable, black cloud of nothingness that literally tears everything apart.

Foomerang

One day, you will log into your favorite mmo and there will be a screen shot of your character giving a thumbs up to the camera.  at the top of the screen it will say "thanks for playing!" while the ending theme song to karate kid loops over and over.  

sulthar

Originally posted by aleos

Originally posted by cloud8521

Originally posted by aleos

with a New Game Experience.

..... what?

With a New Game Experience.

 ..... what?

aleos

Originally posted by sulthar

Originally posted by aleos

Originally posted by cloud8521

Originally posted by aleos

with a New Game Experience.

..... what?

With a New Game Experience.

 ..... what?

With a New Game Experience.

cloud8521

Originally posted by aleos

Originally posted by sulthar

Originally posted by aleos

Originally posted by cloud8521

Originally posted by aleos

with a New Game Experience.

..... what?

With a New Game Experience.

 ..... what?

With a New Game Experience.

....what?

Talin

Ending a MMO is a sad day. Not necessarily because it has to end - all good things must someday - but because of the reason and usually the terms around it ending as well. Everytime a favorite show of mine has ended - going back to Angel/Buffy back in the day through to Heroes and Lost this year - the ending has felt forced and somewhat unsatisfactory. The same with literary series that span extended volumes. You grow to appreciate the characters, the world, and the experience, and no ending will close things out in a way that every fan will appreciate.

Just as most MMORPGs have a backstory leading into the world, I think the writers should invest time into thoughts for an endstory. This allows a creative process to occur during the brainstorming lifecycle of the game and not when the game is on its last legs financially. At the end of a game, either the heroes should win, or they should lose, and it would be amazing to culminate this in a series of live events (either on all servers simulaneously or server-by-server). Just shutting down the servers on a date/time with no fanfare is ending not with a bang, but with a whimper.