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Stargate Worlds: Mini-Game Design in Stargate Worlds
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
Steve Williams of Firesky, the company creating the MMORPG Stargate Worlds, writes this dev log on the game's official page which highlights mini-games in the upcoming MMO.
My name is Steve Williams, and I am a MMO gamer and also a casual gamer. Give me an MMO, and I’ll play it. Give me a simple Flash game and I’ll play it. Wouldn’t it be fun if someone could mix the two flavors together and make a peanut butter cup of gameplay that would satisfy both MMO fun and casual fun?
So let’s talk about what mini-games are doing in a self-respecting MMO like Stargate Worlds - let’s talk about putting the peanut butter into the chocolate and making something tasty.
Since time immemorial, or at least the past few years, MMOs have focused upon two things: Killing stuff (and getting their loot) and making stuff for people to go kill stuff (and get their loot). As building games goes, that’s a pretty good spread of features, and it’s not too hard to make that work.
Read it all here.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
*gives standing ovation to the idea of puzzles to solve* Yay. I've never understood why this wasn't part of the MMO games in the first place. I used to play Dungeons and Dragons and Vampire the Masquerade on tabletop and always thought THOSE were role playing games (like MMO's are meant to be) where the most fun part was ALWAYS solving the puzzles. Role Playing games aren't supposed to just be hack n' slash.
mini-games can be good to kill time waiting for buddies. But MMOs these days is all about rush, exploit and read levelguides so you can do endless high-end raids to get a pair of new boots which will have a hugh impact how your 1vs1 pvp combat will end.
Which Final Fantasy Character Are You?
Final Fantasy 7
I enjoyed reading that and it sounds interesting. I'm still looking forward to SGW.
so...
Looking forward to the mini-games. They've been sorely missing from MMOs.
Until you cancel your subscription, you are only helping to continue the cycle of mediocrity.
I would love to sit down in a tavern type setting and play a game of chess or something. It would be a great way to pass the time waiting on a raid!
This would define each class as well. A soldier type that's primarily about blowing stuff up wouldn't be a hacker, but a scientist or archaeologist type would solve problems another way instead of just blowing stuff up. Regardless of how linear the overall game progression will be, just adding more options to game play roles will help people in their experiences in all games.
-- Brede
They can add some old games like asteroids, tetris with an highscore...there will always be nut jobs spending our playing those instead of the actual game, trying to be god knows what highscore:)))
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. A. Einstein
I never appreciated mini games in mmo's and played them only when there's really _nothing_ else to do. But well, every addition to Stargate worlds that makes it look complete is welcome
Minigames that are part of the storyline and are built into the MMOG in question are fine and can enhance the game. Minigames like the card games in Everquest 1 and 2 are stupid and detract from immersion of the MMOG when they are a separate entity.
well i don't actually care if they integrate well or now into the storyline i only care that when i get bored and its too early or too late to go outside for a beer to have something to do in the game. I wouldn't mind some minigames a la Kotor.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. A. Einstein
If you are bored with the MMOG then the MMOG sucks. No mini game will change that. The point of playing a MMOG is because you enjoy it. Adding a separate mini game within the MMOG because some aspect of the MMOG in question is boring is a retarded way for the developer to enhance the MMOG.
If you are bored with the MMOG then the MMOG sucks. No mini game will change that. The point of playing a MMOG is because you enjoy it. Adding a separate mini game within the MMOG because some aspect of the MMOG in question is boring is a retarded way for the developer to enhance the MMOG.
dont get offended but you replied just for the sake of replying. Anyone knows that in any mmo no matter how much you like it there are a few moments when you are bored...especially at the end lvls..or just having a bad day. You just sit around chatting and wantig to do something but you are not in the mood for farming, raiding or other staff like that...or when trying to sell something fast coz you lack the money for something. I think this happened to almost all of us more then a few times. Those minigames might come in handy in those moments
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. A. Einstein
Steve starts off with a statement I agree with: give me an MMO and I'll play it, give me a simple flash game and I'll play it.
Now I don't necessarily agree with combining the 2 as I play both in totally different settings. MMO's I play at home when I have the time to sit down and enjoy the experience, flash games I'll play either at work when I have a few minutes of idle time or at home when I don't want to log into my MMO but just want some short fast fun. So the idea of playing through a mission to then have a mini game at the end doesn't really appeal to me.
On the other hand if you create a flash game that affects your MMO caracter without having to log into the MMO itself I would be interested. It would have to be something that you can do offline that doesn't affect the world as a whole at the time because you aren't actually in the game so should not affect it that way.
Crafting comes to mind. If you have all the items you need in your inventory/bank/.. and then get to play a flash game similar to something like EQ2 did to combine the items. Maybe something to do with skills where you play a flash game that improves your 2-handed weapons handling.
I support Belgiums efforts to get noticed ... at all.
If you read the entire story, it really sounds more like involved puzzles within the environment of play, not what I would typically call a mini-game, but I guess technically it still is. I don't think he means games where you just pull up a window and start playing but more like a game where once you've killed a villain in a particular scenario, you need to disarm a bomb from destroying the city above...that kind of mini game.
At least that's what I'm hoping he means, because that would make the game tons more interesting and challenging. To each their own of course, but I'm rather tired of the hack and slash and level in games. I grew up on Beyond Zork, a text game that took 5 years of my childhood to finish with intense puzzles, using my mind to visualize the environment, and deep thinking. I still to this day have not found a game I would be willing to play that long. But like I said, to each their own.
With this strategy, I believe they will be opening up interest in the game to a lot more people (perhaps dare I say the older ones who are really more interested in a thought-provoking challenge). And by this I have dated myself and am proud to be an oldie who still plays games.
I don't think they can go wrong with this approach since it doesn't seem like the puzzles will be required for those who don't want to do them. Having said that, I still enjoy some grinding, so I would like to see a balance of maybe 70% grind, 30% mini-games, and that might even be conservative on the grinding.
I look forward to playing this game, enjoying it, and leveling like I did back in EQ. Nice and slow and enjoy the exploration. I really hope it lives up to my expectations because I suspect it will be the last mmorpg that I play unless the genre goes through some radical changes for the better.
more and more details.
nice nice nice i wanne play this game !!!