[gameprogrammer] Re: MMO Idea

On Fri, 2005-12-16 at 01:11 -0500, Laurence Grant wrote:
> Thanks to Bob Pendleton for pointing out the fact that I posted a
> request for help under the subject “3D C++/DirectX programmer wanted”
> but I didn’t really spend any time discussing my vision and how I
> believe it differs from any other MMOPG out there.  Therefore, I
> thought it appropriate to spend some time presenting this.  Since we
> already have the “MMO Idea” thread, I’m using it instead of the thread
> I started.
> 
>  
> 
> To start with, my frustration is that just about all the commercial
> MMOPG’s are the same thing.  The graphics are a little different, some
> might be space based, and some fantasy, but the basic game play is
> still similar.  
> 
>  
> 
> There are many discussions about point systems and leveling, but
> before I get into that I want to talk at a higher level.  They call
> them Massively Multi-Player, but what do they really mean by this?  I
> don’t believe any of the games available today are massive by my
> definition.  Now before you go jumping down my throat, let me explain.
> How do most of the MMOPG’s start?   You begin with a character, pick
> your race and profession and start training.  In the beginning your
> training is more or less as a single player.  You might see hundreds
> or thousands of other players and except for some chatting, most of
> the game play in the beginning is as an individual.
> 
>  
> 
> Then you level up to the point you can’t do it all alone, so here
> comes the multi-player aspect where you team up with 10-15 other
> players at a similar level and play as a team to battle NPC’s and
> monsters.  Please tell me how this is different from playing a normal,
> non subscription multi-player game?  Ok maybe the persistence is
> different in that your character does evolve, but really, can this be
> classified as massively multi-player?  Most of these games go on like
> this for the duration of the game.  You are always striving to better
> yourself, but in the schema of the game, you have very little effect
> on the universe at large, and most of what you do has no impact on
> those around you.  This isn’t very conducive of a massively
> multi-player concept.
> 
>  
> 
> Furthermore, the main genre is usually focused in one area.  Everquest
> for example is an RPG centric game, whereas Planetside is more of a
> FPS or Third Person Shooter.  If we stop and ask why historically
> games are single genre we can say it’s because the single player
> market is trying to appeal to the largest audience for each genre, and
> there are more people playing RPG’s than playing RPG and RTS both.  So
> as you add more genres to a single player title, you decrease your
> potential market.  The same can be said for an online environment, if
> every player has to participate in every genre, but if that were the
> design in a multi-player system, it would be a bad design.
> 
>  
> 
> My vision therefore is for a mutli-genre environment, where the focus
> is not on the player and not on leveling the player, but on the team,
> clan, or I prefer corporation you are affiliated with and how working
> together you can level the corporation, thereby enhancing your
> personal experience with the rewards of a larger corporation.  
> 
>  
> 
> I want players to improve with time for the things they spend time
> doing, but I don’t want players to be locked into a specific category,
> or to focus on leveling.  I want players to be excited about getting
> armor upgrades, vehicle upgrades or weapons upgrades, and in order to
> do that they need to make their company more successful.  If they
> start losing or sacrificing themselves haphazardly, this will cost the
> company and have a direct impact on their success.  I don’t want to
> see teams of Red Green and Blue, with hundreds of independent squads
> running around doing their own thing.  I want to build a corporate
> enterprise.  If the corporation has to assign people to manage
> resources and build vehicles, then there are only a limited number of
> vehicles available.  If you as a pilot/driver keep losing your vehicle
> because it gets destroyed, there might not be any more for you to
> replace, and you management might decide you aren’t cut-out for a
> pilot and demote you.
> 
>  
> 
> Imagine as the President or CEO that you want to build a space fleet.
> To do this you’ll need to grow your resources.  You’ll need a team of
> people to manage the resources (RTS) style.  Now that you’re
> accumulating resources, not all of them will be adequate for a space
> fleet, and some resources might not be mine-able in your current
> surroundings, so how do you get what you need for a space fleet?  Your
> RTS guys can buy, trade, sell the goods being produced to get what you
> need.  As you acquire more resources though you’ll be vulnerable to
> attack or theft, so you need to build up your defenses first.  Here
> you might train combat troops (FPS/3rd) to protect the resources.
> Next you realize there is a particular material you don’t have and no
> one will sell it to you.  Do you try and take it?  Maybe you need a
> scout to do some reconnaissance on the other companies.  Check out
> their defenses and determine what it’ll take to defeat their systems.
> Will you send in a spy to sabotage or just go brute force?  If your
> mining isn’t going fast enough maybe you’ll need to get some players
> to mine for you (SIM) style.    
> 
>  
> 
> As a newbie you might want to fly a $15 Million dollar space fighter,
> but your corporation might think it better to have you haul materials
> around in a cargo carrier until you gain some experience, but it’s all
> for the corporation.
> 
>  
> 
> You see, unlike other games, these are predefined missions or NPC’s
> running the corporations.  These are real people trying to grow a
> virtual business and in the process hiring other real players to carry
> out different tasks and work their way up through the ranks.
> 
>  
> 
> Imagine a player in-game walking into a building, walking up to a
> computer station, sitting down at the station and having the view go
> from a FPS style to an RTS style god view of the area just outside the
> building.  You choose construction options from the controls and begin
> construction of a new weapons plant.  You then exit the console back
> to FPS view, walk outside, and see the building being constructed
> before your very eyes.
> 
>  
> 
> I won't have leveling, at least not visibly.  Internally players will
> improve their skills with practice and repetition, but they won't see
> it directly.  No game today does a good job at having players affect
> other players.  You might hunt with a party of 10-15 players, or you
> might enter a PvP area and fight individually, but that's not
> massively multi-player.  My vision is more of a corporation making
> money, managing resources, building facilities, compounds, vehicles
> and weapons, training an army, marines, pilots, specialists, and
> engaging in various types of corporate and gorilla warfare.  In my
> vision players will have different responsibilities to their
> corporation and it's only as a well oiled machine that the company
> will thrive and players will achieve goals.  
> 
>  
> 
> This is my vision for the “Holy Grail” of Games.
> 

Oh my. I have already played that game. I am still playing it. It is
called "real life". Seriously, the last thing I would ever spend time on
is a game that simulated corporate life in the modern or future world.
In the game you just described the *only* role that is worth playing is
the role of COB/CEO. I can not imagine anyone being willing to sign up
to play any other role. 

There are many reasons why games are the way the are. One is that people
*want* to be self reliant individuals with personal accomplishments. The
other is that people with enough scope of imagination to create a new
fantasy concept only come along a few times in a generation.

                Bob Pendleton

>  
> 
> Thanks, 
> 
>  
> 
> Larry “QUAD” Grant
> 
>  
> 
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>  
> 
> Feel free to reply, or if you want to consider joining contact me at:
> 
>  
> 
> larrygrant@xxxxxxxxxxx
> 
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> 
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> 
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> 
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> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 
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