Damn I missed the deadline, as only today I was alerted to this topic. I have been writing a PDF for Eve Online, and it isn't finished but close. It is *LONG*. I will add a link to my submission (even though it'll be too late) in 1-2 weeks, as a PDF. Remeber, it is strictly about Eve Online but many points in it impact in full on MMORPGS in general.
Yah I know, most Eve players are cultistly opposed to anything that changes *their* game.
Things evolve fast in the 21st century - The old paradigm of quests, scripted content, huge 3D realms is only 3 years old and now it feels stale already. It's the reason I wont bother with Middle Earth or any other cheap-ass copycat of WoW.
The new paradigm is just around the corner; one company will implement new stuff and then all will. The suggestions I can make from my airchair are:
1- persistent, procedural content. A quest in a world should not be a seperate entity but an emergent property of a living world. For example: in a village is an (NPC or PC) tradesman. He has a surplus of sacks of wheat. You can buy it cheap. Then travel, escorting a bunch of NPC's with a wagon, protecting them, to a place where wheat is expensive. Sell it. If this makes players rich, accept it as game makers.
2- Second Life style user generated content: In wow terms; allow players to create an armor, attribute magical qualities to it as desired, pay for it in materials and gold. Likewise, allow players to design an instance, have it tested off-grid and if its found cool, implement it in world and PAY THE CREATOR real world money.
3- Not linear power increase with levels: instead increase specialization. In this paradigm a level 70 character doesn't necessarily win from a level 30 character; all top half level characters should be roughly comparable in combat power; however they can shine as part of a team; for instance an avvie may be specialized in sniping, or short-range teleports, or empowering spells by long-duration casting, etc.
4- create persistent, emergency, procedural limits to level. In wow paradigm this would mean: all characters can become level 50 easy; increasing from 51 tot 100 takes steadily more bizarre effort; for instance to attain level 80 as a necromancer (or whatever) you must have studied in a temple of bones. Only a guild can create a temple of bones, a series of quests, escort quests and resource gathering (and building!) that takes maybe a month player time. Then the guild can ask money if others wanna learn in the Temple of Bones. Emergent economy, scarcity, supply, demand.
5- allow players/guilds to create building property. Introduce RTS elements. You dont HAVE to to play the game, its just an option. Low level structures are farms; one or two characters can run a simple farm and make money and goods of it. You can create a mine by finding a randomly emerging mine icon on the site of a hill. Then you can create a smeltery, and a watchtower, on 'building' icons. Building takes time; you need to ferry in NPC's and you can see them walk around in animations, the building slowly emerging. Not having enough nails will impair building, so running a mine would take efforts of several players. Highlevel player-owned buildings and structures would be key for factional wars. It would tie players to the game for longer terms.
6- more more more; WAY bigger lands, higher polygon characters, more than 2 factions, more facial features.
7- Changing lands; if the undead own a land, the land starts to look grey, mottled and blasted. If the elves own a land, trees emerge. If the halflings own a land it becomes placid and demure.
8- Monster effects: a dragon can wander. If it settles in an area it will have effects. You may be able to ally with a dragon, fwiw, or any similar monster. Dragons deplete livestock and may blacken and scorch a land. Dragons have effects on economies. Likewise, having lots of lifestock may ATTRACT monsters.
If you like these ideas - game companies can hire me ! dagonweb(at)gmail(dot)com.
MicroWarpCast interviews EVE lead game designer Noah Ward
Oct 29th 2009 10:46AM (Massively)http://members.ziggo.nl/dagon/eve.pdf
Please don't bother flaming, I am too busy with another project to read any comments. Mail me for feedback.
Redefining MMOs: Have your say
Oct 8th 2009 4:32AM (Massively)Yah I know, most Eve players are cultistly opposed to anything that changes *their* game.
Kathryn Lyn, Video Game Player -- Hot Girl, Cool Job
Dec 18th 2008 3:03PM (Asylum)But she is nothing to my classmate, julia, who is a video game DESIGNER.
http://student-kmt.hku.nl/~julia/
That pic on her site doesn't do her credit. Why not email her and invite her for a photoshoot.
Why are people leaving WoW?
Jun 15th 2007 5:47AM (WoW)The new paradigm is just around the corner; one company will implement new stuff and then all will. The suggestions I can make from my airchair are:
1- persistent, procedural content. A quest in a world should not be a seperate entity but an emergent property of a living world. For example: in a village is an (NPC or PC) tradesman. He has a surplus of sacks of wheat. You can buy it cheap. Then travel, escorting a bunch of NPC's with a wagon, protecting them, to a place where wheat is expensive. Sell it. If this makes players rich, accept it as game makers.
2- Second Life style user generated content: In wow terms; allow players to create an armor, attribute magical qualities to it as desired, pay for it in materials and gold. Likewise, allow players to design an instance, have it tested off-grid and if its found cool, implement it in world and PAY THE CREATOR real world money.
3- Not linear power increase with levels: instead increase specialization. In this paradigm a level 70 character doesn't necessarily win from a level 30 character; all top half level characters should be roughly comparable in combat power; however they can shine as part of a team; for instance an avvie may be specialized in sniping, or short-range teleports, or empowering spells by long-duration casting, etc.
4- create persistent, emergency, procedural limits to level. In wow paradigm this would mean: all characters can become level 50 easy; increasing from 51 tot 100 takes steadily more bizarre effort; for instance to attain level 80 as a necromancer (or whatever) you must have studied in a temple of bones. Only a guild can create a temple of bones, a series of quests, escort quests and resource gathering (and building!) that takes maybe a month player time. Then the guild can ask money if others wanna learn in the Temple of Bones. Emergent economy, scarcity, supply, demand.
5- allow players/guilds to create building property. Introduce RTS elements. You dont HAVE to to play the game, its just an option. Low level structures are farms; one or two characters can run a simple farm and make money and goods of it. You can create a mine by finding a randomly emerging mine icon on the site of a hill. Then you can create a smeltery, and a watchtower, on 'building' icons. Building takes time; you need to ferry in NPC's and you can see them walk around in animations, the building slowly emerging. Not having enough nails will impair building, so running a mine would take efforts of several players. Highlevel player-owned buildings and structures would be key for factional wars. It would tie players to the game for longer terms.
6- more more more; WAY bigger lands, higher polygon characters, more than 2 factions, more facial features.
7- Changing lands; if the undead own a land, the land starts to look grey, mottled and blasted. If the elves own a land, trees emerge. If the halflings own a land it becomes placid and demure.
8- Monster effects: a dragon can wander. If it settles in an area it will have effects. You may be able to ally with a dragon, fwiw, or any similar monster. Dragons deplete livestock and may blacken and scorch a land. Dragons have effects on economies. Likewise, having lots of lifestock may ATTRACT monsters.
If you like these ideas - game companies can hire me ! dagonweb(at)gmail(dot)com.