Ok, as the stickied thread suggested, I want to make it clear that this is all theoretical and I just want to discuss the idea, and the possible mechanics behind, a Monster/creature capture/companion-type MMORPG. And yes, similar to how the pokemon RPGs are.



I'm not a professional and I've never written any type of game proposal, so I'm sorry if my post is sporadic.


The idea is to have an MMO where players take the roll of a person starting on an adventure in a world full of wonderful, amazing, and unique monsters/creatures that they can fight and tame. The game would be aimed at an "older" audience. That is, 16+ in age (rather than the 13+ that most MMO's go for). The game would be in 3D and contain many elements that would exist in sandbox-type MMO. But, it would not be a sandbox at all, only include some systems that would and could be considered sandbox. The game would be in first-person

The game world would be large enough to support large numbers (at least 1,000) of people at once, without making the world seemed crowded, but not empty. Large portions of the world would be considered "wild". The world would have many areas where dramatic shifts in the land and climate are evident (such as a snowy/ice regions, fire/magma regions, caves/earth regions, etc...) where different, specialized types of monsters can be found.

The game would have few NPC cities, and support and encourage the creation of player-run/owned cities. There would not be an emphasis on crafting/architecture, and creation and building of these cities would be accomplished by collecting resources in nodes/from monsters out in the wilderness and turning them into a machine or NPC. Different structures for different purposes can be constructed. Such as a guard station that produce NPC guards/monsters to fight off enemies. Or towers that send out signals that repel wild monsters from entering the city.

Capture, storage, and release of monsters would be handled by a single, hand-held device. You would be limited to a few (3-6, maybe dependent on the size/strength of the monsters) monsters in your device at a time. To capture over the limit, you would need to purchase special data chips that can be inserted into the device, and later be turned in at special Computers throughout the world (in NPC towns/stations or player cities/homes) until you decide to transfer them to your device (also handled at these computers).

As a tamer, you would be responsible of keeping your monsters fed, watered, and healthy. Failing to do these can hinder your monsters ability to fight, or even in extreme cases, cause them to flee or die.

Combat/battles would be handled in real time instead of in a turn-based system. You would either take control of your monster and fight in fps-style, or point-and-click and give your monster commands via hotkeys. To use items on your monsters in or out of combat, you would need to be in a certain range of your monster, which has the potential to cause you harm. While you cannot be directly attacked by a monster owned by a player (but you can be attacked by a wild monster), you can be caught in the cross-fire and be caused damage if you are not careful. Monsters will be type/element based, with strengths and weaknesses towards other monster types. If all of your monsters are defeated, your "device" will activate and automatically teleport you to the nearest safe-place (often a city), and consume one power cell. If all powercells are gone and you have no more, you will instead faint, which gives the opponent (if a player) the ability to take all of your belongings, including your monsters.


Over time, monsters will accumulate fatigue. If a monster is not allowed to relieve or rest off the fatigue, they have a chance to die if they are defeated in a fight. Fatigue also makes the effects of hunger or thirst more extreme.

Monsters will be experienced based (that is, the more they use an ability, or fight, the better they'll get at it), and tamers will be leveled based (Tamer levels) advancing in tamer levels allows you to be more efficient in all task related to monsters, and allows you to better assess the skills and abilities of your own monsters, and opponent monsters. It will also allow you to accomplish other things, such as train monsters better and faster, "Observe" and learn techniques used by other monsters and be allowed to teach them to other monsters, and take better care of your monsters.

The game will be split into two major factions, consisting of smaller, player-owned factions. The two major factors will be locked in a battle that can affect the NPC towns, populations of the monsters in the wilderness, and resources available in the world. One faction supports the caring for, and life of monsters. The other faction supports the owning/dominating of monsters, and support kills opponents they defeat. (it is possible to kill a monster in the wilderness, but no extra exp or anything is gained from it, except possible access to resources not otherwise obtainable).

Tamers will remain faction-less until Tamer level 30-50 (with a maximum of 100 tamer levels), at which point they will engage in a quest-line to be taught about the two factions and have the choice of choosing one.

Player/faction owned cities can only be placed at pre-determined locations. Factions will take turns attacking/defending three times a week. Faction A will get 1-2 hours to attack faction B's cities, and faction B will get 1-2 hours to attack faction A's cities. Taking of a city is accomplished by destroying a cities Data-tower. Once a data-tower is destroyed, the player faction (as well as the Major faction) take control of that city. Owners of player cities can also set taxes on the stores in the city, as well as place player-vendors and control other economy-related systems within the city.




I know I haven't written much, but I'm going to stop it here and either continue by editing this post, or posting in reply, when I've gotten a bit of feedback.


What do you guys think so far? What do you think needs to be added (just to the parts that I've talked about so far, but also what ever else you think may need to be added. Keep in mind I still have a lot more ideas)? Anything need to be taken out? Something need to be described more (I know there's a lot of this needed). Anything of that sort would be appreciated.

Even though this idea may never be used, I still find it enjoyable to discuss it, and figure out how it could be done.

Like I said, I'm a complete novice when it comes to this, so I have no idea what kind of limitations there would be, what programming language(s) would be best, what kind of hardware would be needed to support and develop this (even tho this is just a theoretical idea, I'd still like to know/discuss these aspects, too), so any information on that front would also be great.




Thanks for reading.

Anyone willing to give feedback? (Don't worry, I'm patient enough to wait, just showing that I would really appreciate it )


I've typed down more ideas/concepts in Word, but would like to get ideas and feedback on the stuff I've posted so far before sharing them.

But here's a little bit more info on how I would like the game to be.



I'd like to have the world very large. Large enough that people will think it's vast, but not so big that people feel that it is empty. I'd like it to be seamless, that is, no load screens except in special places (like when using some sort of instant-travel vehicle, or entering the game). I'm not sure how this would work, but would a "load as you go" type-thing work? That is, parts of the game world would load as you move around it. I know it's possible to have (mostly) un-instanced worlds, as I've seen it in games before. But I suppose this would be limited by the engine that is used (are there any pre-made engines would there that could support my ideas? Or would one first have to be developed?) and the hardware for the servers.

I'd also like the graphics to be highly realistic. To look serious. Most monster capture games go for a cartoonish/cute look (Cardmon, pokemon, digimon, etc...), but I'd like the game to take place in a world that looks as real as it can. I understand that this would have to be limited to a point due to it being an MMO and having users with a wide-range of different PC specs. But I'd still like to have it as good looking as it can be.

Also, I'd like there to be certain aspects of the game that can be done and accessed via a web-browser. So that people away from home, or on a lunch break, or something similar, could still enjoy the game. This could be something like being able to talk in World-wide channels, or guild channels, having mini-games that can be played using in-game currency. Purchasing items from an auction house, or selling items on an AH from your bank/inventory. Feeding/taking care of your monsters (just basic stuff, I'd like a majority of the monster stuff to take place in-game). Stuff like that.


As to how the game would make money, I'd like to have it pay-to-play, with a cheap monthly subscription, with the option to buy day-passes, as well. These day passes would cost more than if you had just payed for a full month of gameplay, but would be good for people who couldn't play all month. If you planned to play every day for a month, paying the monthly fee would be cheaper than just buying a day pass.

Also, there would be an item mall. The item mall would not have any items that can directly affect gameplay (except maybe skill/stat resets for tramers), and would mostly be cosmetic items for monsters or tamers (clothing, hair styles/colors, useless accessories like bows, collars, etc..), as no one (except people with a lot of spare money, which isn't as common as it should be) likes a game that makes you OP if you buy from the item mall.




Some more random ideas/wants:

I'd like there to be a lot of animations. Stuff like people/monsters breathing. trees moving, flags waving (which brings up artificial/simulated wind/weather, which I would like to have if possible), cloth simulation (realistic moving clothing). Random animations that monsters will due depending on their mood, strength, hunger, etc... I'd like the animations to be realistic, too. A game that I think did animations well was Star Wars Galaxies. It's a bit dated, but I remember the animations being really good (in my opinion. I know there are probably other MMOs that have done it better), and there were a lot of them. From emotes, to dancing/playing instruments, to just standing around and breathing or running/walking. (to clarify, I'm talking about pre-NGE SWG).

Like I said, there's more ideas I have, I'd just like some feedback before I post them.




Also, I'd like to make it clear that this is just an idea/concept for fun. I understand that it would take a "dream-team" of developers, millions of dollars in backing, and other stuff I do not have access to, to accomplish a game like the one I'm thinking of. This is all just for fun.


Edit: fixed a few typo's

You definitely have an interesting idea on your hands, but it seems a bit scattered and most definitely ambitious.

I think the big thing you need to do right now is focus on the most important aspects of the idea and get them as solidified as possible before you start spit balling all the bells and whistle features onto your idea. Stuff like graphical power, animation, and payment systems can all wait until you've worked out the core of your game. (unless the point of the game is to make money)

So figure out what is the most important bit (story point, game mechanic, or specific experiences) that define your game and latch onto that conceit with a deathvice grip. That way, when you think of new or cool features, you can compare them against your conceit to figure out what fits your game, what can be made to fit, and what really doesn’t fit at all.


Anyhow, onto what you’ve proposed. So what stands out to me is the sort of pokemon nature of the world except taking place in a territory war. An involved monster taming system and a city/territory building system seems like an awkward mix to me. One appeals to the sort of team building sports idea whereas the other appeals more to the businessy commodity management side of gaming.

You could maybe have some monsters with combat purposes and other monsters with civic/domestic purposes (resources harvesting, construction) and perhaps some monsters with applications in both fields. The domestic monsters could then be a resource of their own that must be captured and warred over thereby linking the monster wars with the city building feature.


My big worry is how you will determine the weight of your monster care and the cost of waging war. Spending time caring for and training your monster can add a personal connection to your personal team, but losing them in battle in the wilds through constant battle will either get taxing and shallow, or discourage people from going into PVP areas.

It would probably help to determine which game is more important to you and build the rest of the game around it.

Nice idea I've only read snippets, sorry, but it sounds pretty much like the Persona MMO. Have you played that one before? If not, try it deffinetly, as it may give you an overview of how a monster catching/training game might look. There is a lot of room for improvement for that game (it's really boring after the first few catches), so you could research what they did good and what went bad.

IMO such a game would be capable of creating a deeper bond with the player, as this is not only about a character - the mosters are perceived more as pets and most of us really love em In WoW I was more attached to my cat than the avatar actually. Persona also gave me that feeling of "being proud of my pokemon" and caring for it was fun, gaining it's appreciation and all. But that game just had an air of stiffness... And not much to do in it >.>

I have a pet monster tamer/breeder MMO design I've been working on, but it's almost the opposite of what you're going for here. I wanted to go for a catch-em-all dynamic, rewarding the player for owning one of every monster in various sets, and with some types only being obtainable by breeding. I like pet monster games with tactical combat like Eternal Eyes, so that's how the player fights with their army of monsters, both pvm and pve. It's not the primary combat system of the game though, since capturing monsters is optional. Monster capturing is done in the main combat system where the player's humanoid avatar fights. Players each build up their own estate like in A Tale In The Desert (this part of the game is mainly about crafting), but there are no player-created cities. Instead the game has a central main city available to players as soon as they complete the tutorial level, this main city is the pvp and minigame hub. On top of all that there is a dating sim reputation/faction system of relationship building with the NPCs in the game.

I like the idea of having monsters be used for other purposes than fighting.



The reason I want city building/territory control in the game is because I've always been a big fan of sandbox games. I want monster capture/fighting, but I don't want that to be the only thing in the game.

I want to give the players of doing nothing but keeping a cute-looking monster that can sing and socialize all day if that's what they want to do. I want them to have the option of using a monster that can breath fire to cook if they want to do that and not fight at all.



Now that I think back, I'm not 100% sure on the war/territory control thing. It'd be nice to have that, but if I have that, it'll make people feel like they need to fight. I'd like fighting to take a back-seat, or something to do for fun kind of thing. I posted my idea for the "history" of the world in the game story section :S I may have to change that sometime soon after I've thought it out more.



Also, I don't want the world or the concept to feel like pokemon. To me, Pokemon is a bit cartoony, because it was made to be a kids game and a cartoon for kids. This game I want to have be aimed at more mature audiences. Which is why I want the game world and the monsters to look as realistic as possible.



What are some things you think I should focus on before I get into all the other "fluff" stuff?



Also, do you guys have any ideas on how the monster battles could work?


I don't want them to be turned based at all. I want them to be "Action-packed" Something that the "Tamers" need to be focused on and active in from start to finish. I think having the battles happen by having the players jump "into" their monsters when they enter a fight and control their monsters from a first-person aspect would be neat, but it would probably be hard, and may not be possible due to technology restrictions.

So I'm thinking a "point-and-click" type of combat is the way to go. With a hot-bar that pops up containing your monsters abilities and different commands (Like defend, attack, etc..) whenever one of your monsters is out.

One of the things that I do not want to have in the game (even tho this game will never become a reality ) is having monster punching each other from 15-feet away, or being inside each other, or having their fist go inside them. Basically, I want the monster fights to look good, and I want the monsters to be solid, so you don't see that annoying stuff. Would this be something that would be impossible to do?


Tho, here I go, going on about stuff like this before I even have the basic concept complete. :S I'm not sure which stuff I should concentrate on first. I guess stuff like the basic concept of the game, a bit of the game lore, but not sure on what else.



Also, thank you all for the replies

On top of all that there is a dating sim reputation/faction system of relationship building with the NPCs in the game.

Something I've always wanted to see in a game is NPCs that can really be interacted with. Like if you shop at one NPC store a lot, and if you're friendly towards the NPC that runs the shop in your conversations, maybe that NPC would offer you a discount, or a special item that it doesn't offer to just anyone. And if you were nice to other NPCs that the NPC shop owner likes, he'd like you even more. And if you were friendly with an NPC he didn't like, he'd not like you as much. Stuff like that.

I liked the marriage/relationship system in the Fable games (especially in Fable II. Haven't really tried Fable III yet so I can't comment on how it is in that game). I'd thing it'd be neat to have something like that in an MMORPG would be amazing. Where NPCs would react and treat you different depending on how you talk to them, what you say, what you do around them, if you have your weapon out, what you're wearing, etc...


And the possibilities for random quest/missions/stories to spawn because of the relationships you make with NPCs would make from some great fun. Like maybe a shop owner you're friends with has been getting trouble from some punk who lives somewhere in the city, and he ask you to go have a word with him. Or maybe people who are friends with the punk could be given quest to go give trouble to the shop owner. Stuff like that. Missions only available thru the relationships you form with NPCs. You wouldn't be able to have access to both quest, because if your friends with the punk, the shop keeper wont like you, and the other way around. And, of course, a shop keeps would remember your prior friendship with the punk, so even if you stopped being his friend, it would take you a long time to gain back the shop keepers trust if you decided to change your ways.

Honestly, I don't see how the city-building really mixes with the monster-catching...maybe you're having a case of feature creep with that part? Trying to mix both of those together might make for a hard time.
Also, how would NPCs like shopkeeps make their way into player-built cities, and how would you set them up to have quests like you explained in your last reply?
I just imagine the cities made by players would be deserted if there are no traders or other services there.
The two aspects of monster-catching and city-building just don't seem to mingle in my opinion.