Most of the MMORPG currently online have a real loss of fun gameplay. I'll explain what i mean: *many are simply hack'n'slash (Lineage for example) so they are monotonous, munchkinous and STOOPID *the ones that are NOT hack'n'slash (UO for instance) have still monotonous tasks like wood-cutting, forging items etc - not much fun either *the quests are almost all standard and have no interesting idea in them So I wonder: could there be a MMORPG with a more fun and interesting concept inside? Submit your ideas!

UO is still hack and slash, it just happens to have some other things tacked on - note that the player interacts with these other activities in the exact same fashion however (click (or drag required elements), wait for result). What you need is to actually vary what the player is doing, and make it interesting.

And there are an almost infinite list of possible different gameplay mechanisms you could use really, just take anything that works on a smaller scale, and adapt it for the multi-user environment. Personally, I'd like to see more attempts at MMO games of a genre other than RPG. Gotta go, I'll come back and rant more later.

Some things to try to possibly achieve some variation, and a little discourse on each:

1. Give players direct control over combat in a more detailed way (as in a beat-em-up for example).

This would definately lessen the hack'n'slash feel of the game, but the major problem is latency. As a general rule, data from the client can't really be trusted in an online game, and this means that most if not all of the calculations need to be performed by the server. This would mean sending every single keystroke to the server for processing, and in a time-critical task such as combat, the smallest amount of latency could easily put off players, or even render the game unplayable. Also, additional bandwidth would be used (as opposed to the click to initiate combat model which is currently popular).

2. Make smaller scale changes to the current combat system, such as allowing players to target a specific part of the oponents body.

This to some degree sidesteps the issues listed under item #1, but also is a lesser improvement.

3. Vary the setting used.

While really more of a cosmetic change for than anything, this could alter the feel of the game significantly if used correctly. Most current CRPGs use fantasy settings based on medieval Euoropean style setting. How about some eastern settings (as in the popular Prince of Persia for example), or the present world, or the future. Cyberpunk is also quite popular, but doesn't seem to have been tapped a great deal in the MMO market. This would mean changes to the items, world, characters, skills, and even sounds. Not really a gameplay change, but it would at least provide a change.

4. Make an MMO game of a type other than RPG.

This obviously, would have a massive gameplay impact. The most readily feasable gametypes at first thought are probably top-down shooters (see Subspace/Continuum), FPS (see Planetside), or RTS (no current example springs to mind).

There are already a few out there, and more being produced, but they're far outnumbered by the amount of people trying to make MMORPG games - why not try to tap this market, and make something a bit different.


Even better, how about we stop trying this whole MMO thing and make some fun games on a smaller scale - it's a lot easier, and there's still a lot of room for different ideas and implementations of concepts.

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Original post by Sheeva_ So I wonder: could there be a MMORPG with a more fun and interesting concept inside?

Yes, but when you take away the 'RPG' element it's not an MMORPG any more.

Look up A Tale In The Desert or Eve Online.

well the opensource project i have just started planning (on sourceforge name: Vientera)
It is a MMORPFPS so they can do all the usual MMORPG tasks but for the combat its in a first person view making it more interesting. Also it wouldnt be set in medievil times it would be in space on a different planet.

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Original post by CrystalMagma so they can do all the usual MMORPG tasks

Would these also be carried out in a first person view? Some things could be tricky to implement from 1st person perspective, but it strikes me as somewhat clunky to have the view changing often (not that it can't be done well, but tricky).

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Original post by Sheeva_ Most of the MMORPG currently online have a real loss of fun gameplay. I'll explain what i mean: *many are simply hack'n'slash (Lineage for example) so they are monotonous, munchkinous and STOOPID *the ones that are NOT hack'n'slash (UO for instance) have still monotonous tasks like wood-cutting, forging items etc - not much fun either *the quests are almost all standard and have no interesting idea in them So I wonder: could there be a MMORPG with a more fun and interesting concept inside? Submit your ideas!

Well as far as it goes I certainly agree with the fact that most MMORPG's to date have been rather same-ish but not all..

There are certainly a good number of MMO developers who r doing something different..

This being one of them:
http://www.cityofheroes.com/features/index.html

And there are quite a few more MO games that are far from the norm:-

- Iron Phoenix (Xbox)
- Phantom Dust (Xbox)
- The Sims Online (PC)
- The Matrix Online (PC)
- Star Wars Galaxies (PC)

Bottom-line, The innovation is there, just not enough of it at the moment to create as much variety within the genre as there is in lets say 'action-adventures' for example..

If there was a dynamic aspect, something new to rpg in general, instead of just pushing the rpg to the Internet and translating it into a MMO, that would create a stir.

Say for example that the designer was going for as dynamic as possible in the game. He makes spell casting dynamic by letting players choose: premade spells or custom spells. The custom spells are rendered dynamically by interweaving the traits the player chose, ie "A holy attack spell that regenerates my hp and removes so and so problem".
He can make many other things dynamic in this fashion, both technologically and through tangible means. The player designs his own spell, and he/she gets to see a rendering that is specific to his/her spell, as in ONLY that spell configuration creates that render.

As computing power increases, game play will eventually become dynamic in it's own right. If you are just starting, it's an RPG. But if you've been playing for six months and you're now a Level 58 Warlock, King of Albertni, it becomes an RTS based on the fact that you control your kingdom. The RPG aspect is definitely still there, but it's taken a backseat to the new game play.

Games like this are beginning to be somewhat possible, and if you don't think RTS is fun, you don't have to play the game as an RTS. Persistent MMO games will one day encompass all genres, and you just need to wait.

For a view of where I got this sort of idea, read "Tom Clancy's Net Force: The Deadliest Game". It may be fiction, but I believe it is an accurate representation of the MMO of the future.

-Mennez

Fresh ideas in MMORPG? I suppose my Story Telling and Investigation ideas could be applied.

If you're willing to strike the first "M":

One of the things I'd hope to do with Crossroads is create something closer to the experience of tabletop roleplaying. IMO, there's really nothing like having a human mind behind your plots. My ideas are still fairly nebulous, but here's what I've got:

Players can apply to become GMs, by submitting a write-up of a plot they'd like to run. This write-up should include the expected duration & scale of the plot, the powers and assets that would be required to run it, as well as the nitty-gritty details of the plot itself: What are the inciting incident(s), what sort of PC reactions does the GM expect, what leads are provided to the PCs (if necessary), what potential paths might the PCs take, and what potential outcomes are provided in the endgame. If the admin(s) in charge of approving GMs like the plot, they'll give the player (temporary) GM power. The GM then sets things up. They can create NPCs, land, objects -- whatever the plot needs -- or OOCly recruit players to play roles, allow plot-related events to happen on their land, or even provide custom plot-related art assets. Then the fun begins, as the GM sets events in motion through the action of NPCs, collaborating PCs, or by directly affecting PCs or the world. PCs get involved, the GM tries to keep things going smoothly, and eventually the plot comes to one of its potential conclusions.