Would an evil MMO be successful? (Poll)

tank017

Simple thought..

 

As we all know,every MMO and pretty much all games for that matter is good vs evil.Where the player is charged to save the world/clan/woman etc..

 

What if there was an MMO made where the player could only play the evil side? Whether it be a Tyrant nation  conquering lands of peaceful people? or a Demonic force looking to eradicate everyone and everything in its path? Or an alien force looking to take over galaxies,world by world?

 

I personally would be interested as it would be an interesting enough of a change.

 

 

TheLizardbones

It is different, but it would have a limited appeal. I think players would take to it like mad, but our capacity to destroy things or to find ways to destroy things far exceeds our ability to build things and follow rules, so you'd have people completing content really fast, only to find out they couldn't really destroy the world and watch it burn. If you did allow that, very few players would get to participate before the world went up in a fireball.

tank017

Originally posted by lizardbones

It is different, but it would have a limited appeal. I think players would take to it like mad, but our capacity to destroy things or to find ways to destroy things far exceeds our ability to build things and follow rules, so you'd have people completing content really fast, only to find out they couldn't really destroy the world and watch it burn. If you did allow that, very few players would get to participate before the world went up in a fireball.

Yeah I can see that..

 

Im not sure how it could be done honestly,but it would be interesting to see how it'd play out.I can see how it could be done in your traditional quest hub,"go kill 10 peasants" type layout.

 

you could pretty much slap that on any theme really.

koboldfodder

City of Heroes had that with their Rogue Island addition.  There were two sides, Good and Evil.  Later, they even added the ability to switch sides BUT still remain the same class.  So you could have the bad guys on the good guys side and vice versa.

 

So, the Good side had missions where they would stop a bank robbery while the Evil side had missions to rob a bank and cause mayhem.

 

But that game was mostly about PVE.

maplestone

You mean one where you play an orc instead of a human?

 

tank017

Originally posted by maplestone

You mean one where you play an orc instead of a human?

 

Thats the easier way to go,but im thinking more in depth than WoW or War.

tank017

Originally posted by koboldfodder

City of Heroes had that with their Rogue Island addition.  There were two sides, Good and Evil.  Later, they even added the ability to switch sides BUT still remain the same class.  So you could have the bad guys on the good guys side and vice versa.

 

So, the Good side had missions where they would stop a bank robbery while the Evil side had missions to rob a bank and cause mayhem.

 

But that game was mostly about PVE.

Yeah I remember reading about that and thought it was interesting.

 

My original thought would be mainly PVE also.Just only being able to play evil factions rather than good.

 

Its a simple thought,but it highly goes against the current grain.

whilan

Originally posted by koboldfodder

City of Heroes had that with their Rogue Island addition.  There were two sides, Good and Evil.  Later, they even added the ability to switch sides BUT still remain the same class.  So you could have the bad guys on the good guys side and vice versa.

 

So, the Good side had missions where they would stop a bank robbery while the Evil side had missions to rob a bank and cause mayhem.

 

But that game was mostly about PVE.

You make me miss City of Heroes again Koboldfodder, that was such a cool concept and well thought out (anger towards NCSoft rising again), I loved those missions I really looked forward to it.

To the OP, you knew or at least should have known I'd make an appearance in this thread, otherwise i'd have to change my avatar

Personal opinion I would play such a game but I think a better one would be a 3 faction system Good fights evil, Evil fights good. Each side wants to win and capture areas because that makes them more powerful, but throw in a 3rd faction of say Chaos, they are only powerful if both sides remain evenly match (both sides have the same amount of places taken) and as one sides starts to dominate they get weaker.

As for a straight up Evil aligned game, totally would play it like above, not sure what staying power it would have as at least according to one metrics from Bioware, when they polled it came out that most of the people prefer playing good characters fighting bad guys, not the reverse, which surprised me considering that was a relatively new thing.

Also I think with regards to what you are talking about, the closest game I know that does this is overlord from Codemasters, where you were just straight up evil, the only choice you had was evil or very evil.

anemo

Considering an MMO involves killing enough things to make the mass genocides of ancient history look like childs play.  I fail to see how this is different than normal

whilan

Originally posted by anemo
Considering an MMO involves killing enough things to make the mass genocides of ancient history look like childs play.  I fail to see how this is different than normal

The intent and motivation? You'd be surprised beyond intent and motivation how good and evil are really not all that different.

spitfire1064

An evil petting zoo!

tank017

Originally posted by whilan

Originally posted by koboldfodder

City of Heroes had that with their Rogue Island addition.  There were two sides, Good and Evil.  Later, they even added the ability to switch sides BUT still remain the same class.  So you could have the bad guys on the good guys side and vice versa.

 

So, the Good side had missions where they would stop a bank robbery while the Evil side had missions to rob a bank and cause mayhem.

 

But that game was mostly about PVE.

You make me miss City of Heroes again Koboldfodder, that was such a cool concept and well thought out (anger towards NCSoft rising again), I loved those missions I really looked forward to it.

To the OP, you knew or at least should have known I'd make an appearance in this thread, otherwise i'd have to change my avatar

Personal opinion I would play such a game but I think a better one would be a 3 faction system Good fights evil, Evil fights good. Each side wants to win and capture areas because that makes them more powerful, but throw in a 3rd faction of say Chaos, they are only powerful if both sides remain evenly match (both sides have the same amount of places taken) and as one sides starts to dominate they get weaker.

As for a straight up Evil aligned game, totally would play it like above, not sure what staying power it would have as at least according to one metrics from Bioware, when they polled it came out that most of the people prefer playing good characters fighting bad guys, not the reverse, which surprised me considering that was a relatively new thing.

Also I think with regards to what you are talking about, the closest game I know that does this is overlord from Codemasters, where you were just straight up evil, the only choice you had was evil or very evil.

lol, I loved Overlord.I thought that game was fantastic.still need to play the second one.

 

Im sure a 3 way faction system alone would draw a lot of attention and interest,thanks to DAOC's success back in the day.

 

That poll surprises me as well,especially when it comes to Star Wars.I thought people would take the Sith above all,at least my friends who are star wars fans did.

 

 

tank017

Originally posted by anemo
Considering an MMO involves killing enough things to make the mass genocides of ancient history look like childs play.  I fail to see how this is different than normal

Different intentions,different goals,different outlook,mood,morals,beliefs

Arakazi

I don't think most people care about the lore or the motivations of there toons. They just want to look cool and if looking cool involves having a pair of horns protruding out your head, and looking very demon like, that's fine. With role players, things are perhaps a little different, but I generally avoid them lest they mistaken me for their runaway minion (long story).

But there is EVE, where everyone is trying to out evil everyone else. A whole gaming culture has risen around the evilness. Spying, betrayal, corpse collecting. I believe that I have several of these corpses in a hanger somewhere. When I feel down and when nothing seems to go right, I dock into a station and stare at them to remember the good times. Then the world seems a better place.

DocBrody

I bet it will turn out in Secret World that we are all evil demonic forces

tank017

Originally posted by Arakazi

I don't think most people care about the lore or the motivations of there toons. They just want to look cool and if looking cool involves having a pair of horns protruding out your head, and looking very demon like, that's fine. With role players, things are perhaps a little different, but I generally avoid them lest they mistaken me for their runaway minion (long story).

But there is EVE, where everyone is trying to out evil everyone else. A whole gaming culture has risen around the evilness. Spying, betrayal, corpse collecting. I believe that I have several of these corpses in a hanger somewhere. When I feel down and when nothing seems to go right, I dock into a station and stare at them to remember the good times. Then the world seems a better place.

Your character sounds interesting.Youre like a serial killer who keeps his victims bodies for trophies lol.

DSWBeef

Ive been saying for years that games dont allow us to be TRULY evil. None of this renegade crap from ME. Im talking about joining the reapers in the destruction of mankind. 

Unknown

One where you are self-interested and greedy could work sure.

 

But true evil where you are utterly sadistic etc, if it was reallisticaly portrayed, would be nausiating to most people.

 

So you could have cartoonish evil (which in general is not very evil at all).  Or you could have a sort of criminallity or amoral side. 

 

The cartoonish evil could work but would ultimately be unsatisfying as it would make all storytelling in the game rather crappy, even if the game had really good writers you can only do so much with what you have.

DamonVile

The sith played dark side ( swtor )was one of the most fun stories I've ever played. It wasn't the comic book destroy everything evil it was the selfish power hungry evil and it worked. If the game didn't just get crappy after you finished the story and actually went somewhere they could of done more on the whole evil thing without being stupid about it.

I don't think the market is all that small for people who like to do bad things or play the bad guy in the pve story. It doesn't have to be the ultimate extreme evil any more than people playing good want to be the ultimate super good guy.

kjempff

Evil is just a term invented by a group to distinguish themselves from what they do not want to acknowledge. By playing evil, You are putting yourself in that group and hence the opposing are to be called bad, and then You are not the Evil anymore.

Chuckanar

I need more input to give an opinion/statement.

What do you consider to be good and what is evil? IE the government has taken to monitor all your phone calls emails online business transactions, financial information etc etc to monitor you and your contacts interactions, is this considered "good" as the politicians claim it to be or is it bad as most civil rights groups claim it to be bad. What is your perception on this? that is one current example of what you may consider good I may consider not good aka evil.

Good and evil are taught at a familial level as well as a society level. So are we talking as white americans ? Italian american , native american or some other cultural basis>?

I cant answer your very broad and general question without more parameters.

 

free2play

If it defined itself for what it was? It would be stable.

It wouldn't break 10 million but there is a demand for the ability to play out that cruel side of people in games. Griefer tactics in games prove it.

 

ElderRat

already played it - City of Villains which was the evil; counterpart of City of heros. We were the super villains robbing banks and giving the superheros a reason to be. I actually liked it far more than City of heros.

Ramanadjinn

i like this poll and i would absolutely be intrigued by such a game, whether the evil faction were the only choice or one could choose good vs. evil.

tank017

Originally posted by ElderRat
already played it - City of Villains which was the evil; counterpart of City of heros. We were the super villains robbing banks and giving the superheros a reason to be. I actually liked it far more than City of heros.

Yeah City of Villians is the closest thing to come to my thought.

 

I liked it better than CoH myself,because for once you could pve as an evil character.

whilan

Originally posted by Ramanadjinn
i like this poll and i would absolutely be intrigued by such a game, whether the evil faction were the only choice or one could choose good vs. evil.

I'm for the later, especially if you start out neutral and can pick through your deeds which side you are on, like said above SW:TOR did this and it was cool. They just didn't go far enough with it I don't think. The single best part I like is influencing other people and turning them to your alignment. However you can go further if the story permits and go the fable way, your character morphs and throw in a little black and white (2 more so) and had territories change to that alignment.

Like i said SW:TOR i believe was on the right track with that sort of thing (they only did average on the MMO bit) but they need to go much further then that did and they needed it so you could actually switch sides, I understand why they couldn't but that would have worked really well and would have been fun, it was in city of X case anyway. Oh well, least they got closer then most with this sort of thing.

Some things I would like to see in such a game

You can influence people (NPC or PC if you want, Age of wushu did this by adding points if you were in a group with a good or evil person)

Your armor changes based on alignment

Towns you take change.

Your features change (again SW:TOR did this, just not far enough really)

The area around you is affected (good grows flowers/ evil makes the area barren)

 

I'm still waiting for a game to do that, until then i have Fable, overlord, Black and white, and SW:TOR.

 

Until though they really push this aspect in MMOs I don't think it will take off to any degree, and you can't really make it just evil imho because I've heard so many times that some people just can't be evil so you would be limiting in that market.  However to a degree such an MMO could be popular just as i stated not sure what the longevity of it would be.