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What book would be a good foundation for an MMORPG?

2

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  • Superman0XSuperman0X Member RarePosts: 2,292
    Watership Down
  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    Pratchetts "Discworld" would work well for a whimsical MMO.

    Flints "Ring of fire" would be interesting as an RvR sandbox.

    Lukayenkos "Nightwatch" could be an interesting base for a modern horror MMO.

    Jordans "Wheel of time" series might work as well, but that one would be easy to mess up. If you do it just right it could be awesome but I just see EA or SOE missing the whole point of the books and make a kill 10 rat game out of it.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    Originally posted by PyrateLV

    DUNE

    But whatever Dev company got it, they would FUBAR it all to hell so its pointless to try

    Hmm, CCP could probably make that one work if they just had money to make it.

  • Overlord_NeizirOverlord_Neizir Member UncommonPosts: 136
    Narnia would make an interesting MMO. Dune would be a really great one as well.
  • HorusraHorusra Member EpicPosts: 4,411
    Originally posted by Loke666
    Originally posted by PyrateLV

    DUNE

    But whatever Dev company got it, they would FUBAR it all to hell so its pointless to try

    Hmm, CCP could probably make that one work if they just had money to make it.

    Yeah CCP has a lot of success getting new games developed....

  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432


    Originally posted by PyrateLV
    DUNE

    But whatever Dev company got it, they would FUBAR it all to hell so its pointless to try


    I feel that way about most "books into MMO" ideas.

    The trouble is that books usually center around 1 or a handful of main characters. That does not translate well into a massively mulit-player design. Books that are more about a "world" would work better, like LotR or Dune. Krynn would be another world worth visiting in an MMOROG setting except there would be thousands of variations on "Raistlin"... Wraist-Lynn, XxRaistlinxX, DarkityDarkDark_Raistlin, and so forth.

    Wheel of Time is indeed an interesting world, but how many players would get to use the "awesome, cool, truly epic" power of Rand, Lews and the Aes Sedai? Personally, I'd love to play a character like Perrin Aybarra with his wolfish abilities. Unfortunately, that is a pretty singular dream :)

    A couple of other books that had good world design would be Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince series and Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. For a futuristic setting, Anne McCaffrey has her Acorna series taking place in space.

    Raymond Feist's Midkemia has a wealth of ideas, as rifts open to different worlds, meaning that there could be literally hundreds (or more) of different worlds in which to adventure in. He has also fleshed out the history fairly well.

    Another interesting world pops into my head: Jane Lindskold's Firekeeper series is full of magic, talents (lesser forms of magic), and history with "Royal" (intelligent) versions of animals.

    And lastly, but not leastly, Elizabeth Moon's world in which The Deed of Paksenarrion takes place could be interesting, too. It is full of history, fighting, and even mercenary companies that could translate well into big PvP battles :)

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 44,060
    Originally posted by AlBQuirky

     


    Originally posted by PyrateLV
    DUNE

     

    But whatever Dev company got it, they would FUBAR it all to hell so its pointless to try


    I feel that way about most "books into MMO" ideas.

     

    A couple of other books that had good world design would be Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince series and Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. For a futuristic setting, Anne McCaffrey has her Acorna series taking place in space.

    I so want to fight threadfall while riding on the back of my blue dragon.

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  • JaedorJaedor Member UncommonPosts: 1,173

    Just about anything by Heinlein, maybe especially JOB
    Dune
    Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
    Wheel of Time
    The Simarillion


    I'd love to see an mmo with lots of humor; some of my favorite times in games are those awesome easter eggs that crack you up.

  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 8,061
    Anything by Brandon Sanderson would make a great MMO, but his new masterpiece, The Stormlight Archive, would be especially good for it. It lends itself to a unique setting, political conflicts, dynamic weather, and faction wars. Plus, it's full of fascinating wildlife and fauna. 
  • cyberpunkhobocyberpunkhobo Member UncommonPosts: 71

    The first thing that popped into my mind when I read this question was the Courts of the Feyre series. I actually had a hard time remembering who the author was because it's been a long time since I read the books. But the world presented in that series has always stuck with me as something that would be a great inspiration for an urban fantasy MMO.

  • Flyte27Flyte27 Member RarePosts: 4,574

    Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms

     

    The Dark Elf Trilogy, Icewind Dale , Chronicles, Legends, and the Elminster books.  I know I read a lot of others I enjoyed as well, but those are probably my favorite.  I always wanted someone to do something with the Chronicles trilogy, but it never happened. Forgotten Realms is probably the richest world in terms of lore, but the current D&D rulelsets aren't as fun as the 1st and 2nd edition.  It's why the video games that are based on them now don't due to well IMO.  They also like to push their current settings on people.

  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432


    Originally posted by Kyleran
    I so want to fight threadfall while riding on the back of my blue dragon.
    I know! That would be sooooo cool!

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432


    Originally posted by Flyte27
    Dragonlance and Forgotten RealmsThe Dark Elf Trilogy, Icewind Dale , Chronicles, Legends, and the Elminster books.  I know I read a lot of others I enjoyed as well, but those are probably my favorite.  I always wanted someone to do something with the Chronicles trilogy, but it never happened. Forgotten Realms is probably the richest world in terms of lore, but the current D&D rulelsets aren't as fun as the 1st and 2nd edition.  It's why the video games that are based on them now don't due to well IMO.  They also like to push their current settings on people.
    Each "new edition" of D&D has been more and more tailored to video gaming. 4.0 was so MMO oriented, even having classes listed as "tanks", "Healers", and "DPS" types.

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • spankybusspankybus Member UncommonPosts: 1,367
    Originally posted by Kyleran
    Originally posted by AlBQuirky

     


    Originally posted by PyrateLV
    DUNE

     

    But whatever Dev company got it, they would FUBAR it all to hell so its pointless to try


    I feel that way about most "books into MMO" ideas.

     

    A couple of other books that had good world design would be Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince series and Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. For a futuristic setting, Anne McCaffrey has her Acorna series taking place in space.

    I so want to fight threadfall while riding on the back of my blue dragon.

    image

    Hellz yea, this would be great. Add the political landscape and the harpers guild...could be great.

     

    DUNE is so obvious but a the same time..it might be TOO complicated for an MMo...all the houses, the guild, the firemen and the sisterhood.

    the legends of Dune series, set when Earth was viable and during the machine crusade could be amazing!

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    www.spankybus.com
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  • rpmcmurphyrpmcmurphy Member EpicPosts: 3,502

    Not sure how well they would translate to an MMO but I'd love to see game versions of

    • The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen.R.Donaldson
    • Riftwar Cycle by Raymod.E.Feist
    • Deverry Cycle by Katherine Kerr
    • Memory, Sorrow, Thorn Trilogy by Tad Williams
    • The Dark Tower by Stephen King
  • steelheartxsteelheartx Member UncommonPosts: 434
    Dragonlance

    Looking for a family that you can game with for life? Check out Grievance at https://www.grievancegaming.org !

  • kinkyJalepenokinkyJalepeno Member UncommonPosts: 1,044

    Saw Dune mentioned a few times - That would be fantastic..

     

    Also the whole of the David Eddings series of books...  The Mallorean or some such..  Cant quite remember as I was a LOT younger when I read them, but did read every series....

  • BladestromBladestrom Member UncommonPosts: 5,001
    You should watch the children of dune tv series if you loved Dune - captures book brilliantly and children of dune book > dune IMHO :) think I have read book about 5 times and watched the series about the same.

    rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar

    Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D

  • ThaneThane Member EpicPosts: 3,534

    one word: blade runner

     

    2 words. now poke em with the soft cushion!

    "I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!"

  • ZutchZutch Member UncommonPosts: 62
    Re-kaunch of The Lord of The Ring online would be cool, Turbine and SOE sucks .
  • jbriskeyjbriskey Member UncommonPosts: 43
    The first law series by Joe Abercrombie
  • DocBrodyDocBrody Member UncommonPosts: 1,926
    Originally posted by Pynda

     


    Originally posted by DarkFail
    50 Shades of Grey

     


    Lol. I second this idea too.

    will it have battery powered weapons

  • Mr_SneakymanMr_Sneakyman Member UncommonPosts: 43

    Was thinking Dune but the guy who said "Devs would FUBAR Dune" is right. I never thought you could FUBAR Star Wars until I played TOR.

    The guy who said "Blade Runner" hit it .. I'd be all over a sandbox Blade Runner.

  • DocBrodyDocBrody Member UncommonPosts: 1,926
    Stephen King -Dark Tower series
  • punkindonutspunkindonuts Member UncommonPosts: 13

    Ideally the MMO has to be set in the universe of the book and not in the storyline of the book to be any good

     

    DUNE 

    Saga Of The Exiles by Julian May

    World of Watches (The Night Watch etc) by Sergei Lukyanenko

     

    Middle earth not LOTR's, a massive book universe wasted

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