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Mechwarrior? Robotech? Transformers?
Waaaghlord
Member Posts: 3
With the ever growing number of MMORPGs these days I'm curious as to why no attempt (publicly at least) has been made to bring the Mechwarrior, Robotech or Transformers franchises into the fold... Without putting a lot of thought into it (and maybe that's my problem) I would think any of these franchises being made into even a semi-enjoyable MMORPG would be quite lucrative financially.
Now, I've only played / tried a small number of the more popular MMORPGs -- currently active in WOW only -- but it would seem to me that EVE Online would be a good model for Mechwarrior. I cannot think of anything that would be a good model for Robotech or Transformers. Plus, I suspect (although I don't know the first thing regarding modern day programming), Robotech and Transformers would be the tougher franchises to create simply because of the changing shapes, and subsequent uses of those shapes, of the mechanical constructs.
Anyone have any thoughts on any of these franchises being made into an MMORPG? Has anyone ever heard any rumours concerning the above franchises being made into MMORPGs?
Cheers!
Comments
I am partial to Robotech. I think a game based on the aftermath of the Invid Invasion would be awesome or even during the war. After the war ends the story is pretty much wide open.
The scope of Robotech or Mechwarrior is pretty large and I don't think Devs today are up for something like that. Transformers...seriously? nah.....
Of the three, I think at one point someone was making a Mechwarrior game but I'm not sure whatever happened to it. It was a small company, and it probably didn't work out. Maybe someone has some info on it.
The answer is obviously Armored Core. Since 1997, my friend has bought every Armored Core. My friend loves mechs. I do not favor mechs but I still like them. I have played quite of few mech games with him and I would have to say Armored Core beats Robotech, Mechwarrior, and Gundam (never played a transformers game).
armored core aint much, play chromehounds n then tell me ac is good...
a) the Blizzard/Activision merger
b) Blizzard stating a new MMO based on an existing world (correct me if this is wrong)
c) Activision's most heralded work being the Mechwarrior series before the Microsoft buyout of the licence
d) Microsoft effectively losing the earning potential on an unused asset, any accountant would want them to either use it or dump it
e) ???
f) World of Mechcraft
Mechwarrior is part of the battletech universe... do you guys have any idea how HUGE that universe is? for a dev to start making an MMO in that world, he will need alot of rights, alot of attention to details and will have to make everything perfect or else, the game will die on the spot.
A veteran mechwarrior pilot knows how a madcat reacts :P
Gundam ... well you have EXTEEL by NCsoft. (one of my favorit game btw)
Robotech ... I don;t know much about that.
The closest you will get to Robotech in an mmo is the new game Flysis, the old game was Space Cowboy Online. Gameforge now owns the rights to the game. Flysis has all the updates and patches and so on that gala's SCO never got put into the game. Flysis makes me feel like im in the last saga of Robotech, the next gen or Monspeeda in japan. Flysis is in beta atm that anyone can join in on and there will be a char wipe in a week or so. The game will go open beta with no char wipes.
Flysis youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X05aZngUeQI
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAlgFqW11bk&feature=related
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3e7ZhNHPeQ
Just to warn you, the game is a grind after level 50 if you dont group up. XP and item drops are higher if you are grouped up. There are 2 factions BCU and ANI, ANI is way over populated all the time and prices are lame as WoW on the ANI side.
A - Gear: The tank
B - Gear: The bomber
I - Gear: Hit and run
M- Gear: The healer buffer, much like a paladin in PvP... My fav gear
.
a Mech war MMO....
well so much for starting a family by the time I'm 30...
Mircosoft brought Mechwarrior to beta 1 or 2 a mmorpg a long while back and scrapped. Microsoft has no guts for mmorpgs , they keep scrapping good games.
Square had Front Mission Online , was very well done, I played it for a few months before it was scrapped. Front Mission had alot going for it , but Japanese fans didnt like it and Square put zero effort into keeping it together.
Microsoft owns most of the titles for pen & paper Mechwarrior , Shadowrun , among others that does nothing with them. All attempts to get access to Battletech vast libaries have been met with silence by microsoft.
I don't mind saying that a Mechwarrior/Battletech (any era) or Robotech MMO ...as long as they got the UI, combat systems, and difference of experience overall between in-mech and out-of right....would SPANK all.
I used to run a hobby store in a major metropolitan area. Aside from the Warhammer fantasy, 60k, and like stuff, Mechwarrior/Battletech was the fastest selling item we had. And I mean we went THROUGH a shipment in a hurry. Robotech..well hell, tell me that the experience of working with a VF-1J Super Veritech or a VR-52 Battler Cyclone wouldn't be sweet in either PvE or PvP. I'd be all over either of those in a second.
Transformers...meh..not my style. That and I don't think it's got the mass market appeal that the other two would have. Regardless of the fact that it's more precient.
Yes, I have anger issues. They taste like chocolate bunnies.
Macross pls! (Macross = Robotech)
Trying to work out if they have the same 'sim' feel of Mechwarrior which would just blow everything away.
Also found a section on MMORPG http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/forum/817 even though it doesnt come up on the dropdown list of MMOs.
The creator of Shadowrun and Mechwarrior (as well as other titles) has teamed with a company named "Smith & Tinker" and has purchased these licenses back from Microsoft here is what their website says:
"Smith & Tinker is pleased to announce that it has licensed from Microsoft the electronic entertainment rights for Mr. Weisman's previous creations of MechWarrior, Shadowrun, Crimson Skies and the other properties of the FASA catalog. We're not quite ready to announce our plans for each property, but please be assured that our goal is to surprise and delight old fans, while welcoming new fans to these fantastic worlds. "
Speculation and rumors point toward the MMORPG market. So the news looks good for fans of these licenses.
I'd love to see them all, but each would have a different implementation.
Robotech would be more focused on the pilot then the mecha. If anyone has read the Palladium RPG books, there were times where different classes had access to different types of kit and performed some missions without any mecha at all. There were also other aspects to the game beyond simply shooting stuff and changing into cool different modes (depending on the mecha of course).
In Robotech, I'd like to see:
- Customizable Mechs.
- Cybernetic implants. (come on! who DOESN'T want to look like Breetai?)
- Being able to play on any of the sides (Invid, Robotech Masters, RDF/REF, Southern Cross, Haydonite [from the new Shadow Chronicles])
- Player housing. Fast cars. Motorcycles. Secondary classes. Being able to just...hang out! With games out there like Second Life, why are these MMORPG companies not providing facilities to take care of raiders, gamers, casuals and simply people who want to get online? Stuff to do other than level. The more a player is involved in a game (housing, tech contributions, etc) the least likely they are to leave it.
In Transformers, I'd like to see:
- Upgradable bodies IE: Upgrades, leadership matrixes, etc, etc.
- Changing your alternate mode. Who wouldn't want to be able to change things up?
- Not just focused on Earth. Lets take it to space, on other planets. It's a big galaxy out there!
- Switching factions. Nuff said.
If done well, mechwarrior would be the game i would most like to see online again period. Played it from P&P all the way through to mech 3 on the zone, and 4 on ladder servers. It is a great series. marauder was my all time fav. didn't use it on line much but still aways had one .
Mechwarrior.
With the following features:
- 100% looting
- FFA PVP (I want to be able attack my own team members if I want to)
- Avatars (who can exit their mech and walk around)
- Housing
- No instances
- An economy without "universal auction-house" systems, but instead with many local markets someone has to travel to
- Good AI including roaming mobs who don't stay in one spot forever
- Destructable and constructable persistent environments
- No levels (just skills)
- Skill atrophy system (like the old UO, where skills degrade if left unused)
- No classes (I want to play however I want to play without having to delete my character and start over if I want to change how I play)
- No mandatory "quest-grinding" before the game becomes fun
- No "insta-travel" options
- Market supply and demand should be player-driven. Items shouldn't just magically appear in the market as game "spawn" items.
- Tactical factors such as high-ground, wind, fighting into the sun, no satellite imagery on cloudy days/nights, infra-red imagery, fatigue and hunger, etc.
- villages, counties, cities, and metropolises with player-run management such as Mayors, Governors, Sheriffs, and civil leaders who can manage the economies, police, armies, taxes, and infrastructure of the region. (this includes creating "kill-on-sight" lists and decisions about which resources are government-subsidized so people don't have to farm so much of them, and how much money will be spent to maintain infrastructure vs defense forces, etc.)
- Leadership can be voted into power, but also overturned in an internal coup of force.
- Reputation system based on your behavior, and which dictates how guards treat you and if you are classified as a 'free kill' for others or even allowed in 'civilized zones'
These would be great steps towards making a player-driven, fun game full of "chance-encounters". There would be "supply routes" and fights for resources and people ambushing others at houses, and real reasons for people to bring resources to the marketplace, etc. There would also be teamwork and reasons to band together against the enemy, and have large-scale battles and patrols.
- Phos
There is also a Robotech MMO in the works by another independent group, using procedural programming I believe.
Sign off,
Hamilton
Good lord I hope not, I'd really hate to see what they would do to that IP.....