Ramblings of a depraved gaming madman or pure genius? You decide.

Ok, so there is a lot going on in the MMO industry these days, it seems that devs are finally starting to realize that the current line of MMO design thought isn't working.

If I was a dev (and I'm not and far to old and indebt with too many kids to be switching careers) here are some of the things I would look at changing.

Classes

Classes are one of those things that devs are sticking to like like super glue. I ask myself "why is that?" The only real reason I can see is because they are "easy" and the community is more then willing to except them. But what "classes" really do? Well they are basically are restricted skill set. They make it easier for a dev to balance against other classes. By confining a person to a specific role, it makes it easier to design. The MORE restrcted the role, the easier to make. I think we see this idea in just about every MMO.

So what is the alternitive you ask? Obviously a skill based system. Using an optional "profession" so that you get an idea for the opporating framework is fine but after the initial creation the player should be able to pick and chose HOW THEY WANT TO DEVELOPE THEIR CHARACTER THEMSELVES. The only MMO's I have seen that successful do this are Asherons Call, EVE and pre-NGE SWG. All very successful games in their day with EVE still going strong.

Levels

Whats the first thing players want to do when they see levels? Get past them. Finish them. Get to the cap. For some reason CRPG players seem to think that there is some sort of reward for finishing levels in record time. MMO devs have accomidated this thinking with easier and baser point grinds. If the object of the levels in the players mind is to finish them and get them out of the way, why have them? Several companies have even indirectly acknoledged this with the idea of "free levels" namely Mythic and DAoC and now WoW with its refer a friend program. Whats the message? "We know leveling is dull so we will reward you with the ability to skip it". Hows that for a kick in the eye?

Levels are the root of all evil in MMO IMHO. Everything from pointless level & faction grinds, power leveling, botting and farming. ALL of it is driven by levels. In fact at this point, I cynically doubt you could take them out as the MMO community would collapse into arachy and chaos without them.

Raids

Now the idea of the Raid was started by SOE in EQ. The most despised MMO maker in the genre and yet the player community has latched onto this convention like a drowning man does to a life preserver. Devs have followed suit. Now I have no idea how many people in MMO's actually participate and better yet, how many actually enjoy "raiding" but I do know that it does not get a whole lot of love in public.

Even the simplier games like WoW have come to realize the flaws of this system reducing both the amount of people required and the time commitments.

Whos brainchild was it to make these things for 40 people anyway? What sort of arbatary off the cuff number is that? Why is it so restricted and more importantly why is the concept of good content reserved for the upper tier "levels" anyway?

And probably the most obvious reasoning why its a bad idea...because its an SOE concept. Come on people, why would anyone stick with an SOE idea?

MMO's should have fun, meaningful and challenging content throughout the entire game.

But again, why do that when you only need to worry about the last "level"?  Makes it easier for the devs. Add in a single raid dungeon and "oh look, we have challenging endgame".

ENDGAME

A curse on the dev who came up with that! In the beginning MMO's were virtual worlds that players had the freedom to play and do what they wanted at anypoint (mechanics allowing them to become better / more proficient over time) Non-linear gameplay was what MMO's were all about vs the linear gameplay of most other games. Now however MMOs have turned on a dime and in some cases are MORE linear then even console games.

Again IMHO this is just done for ease of design nothing more. Why bother with deverse gameplay when you can ramrod a player into a class with a linear level progression path and the illusion of the "most fun and reward" at the end?

Summing it up...

The core issues with MMOs as I see it is devs taking the easy route of design and the players totally buying into their laziness and allowing to continue.

The next time you see a game releasing look for these things and ask yourself...self, do I really want to do this again????

Why? Well because it's my opinion, damn it!

Dungeons and Dragons Forgotten Realms

Why? Well first off because Turbine completely f**ked up their shot at D&D.

Second, if you are going to do a fantasy game, do it right and go with the definitive classic RPG definition of a fantasy setting. There is so much lore and material to draw on for this, it's not even funny.

Traveller

Geez, it boggles the mind that no one has tried to do this. Traveller is the last word in a comprehensive Sci-Fi setting. Over 30 years of background material exist for Traveller. 

Really the only thing that could hold it back would be an inept dev team that is only able to write "kill 10 rats" type content. Hear that SOE, stay away!

World War III online

Take a fictional country, add in some armies and set them lose. WWII online was an interesting idea but lets face it, its archaic old and so much more can be done with current technology. Imagine something with the CoD4 engine. WWIIO had some great ideas and scope of play that was awesome but something that would do justice to the genre needs to be made. IMHO, the FPS simulator "ArmA" or the tank simulator "Steelbeast Pro" best exemplify this.

Western online

An untapped wealth of gaming. There is so much you can do with this setting, its not funny. Bounties, tavern fights, wagon trains, building towns, robbing banks, robbing stage coaches, forming posses to run down the bandits, cattle rustling, searching for gold, gun fights....on and on...

edit

Steamboats, gambling....omg, does it end?

Day of the Dead online

We need another fantasy MMO like I need a hole in my head. Zombies and the entire Zombie sub genre are about as different as you can get. The end of the modern world by being eaten by the undead.

I watched an interview with George Romero once and he said that the movies are not about the Zombies at all, they are about how stupid humans react and how we cling to our old ways and selfishness in times of dire crisis. You can replace the zombies with any disaster....that's what his stories are really about.

What better place to demonstrate that then in the ultimate "how people behave simulator" online games? Of course many of the things most MMO's would require would need to be deliberately left out to simulate the isolation and feelings of hopelessness that this genre inspires like...general global chat channels, local only, no towns...undead would need to over run anything that players start to congragate at, no LFG, isolation is the key here. Overwhelming odds at every turn. Very limited resources. Open FFA PvP. 

Survival would be its own reward.

Just some thoughts on a Sunday morning....

The MMORPG frontier is still wide open to explore. Lets hope that in the future someone with a tiny bit of imagination takes up some of these challenges.

I'm reading alot of stuff lately about whats good and bad. Generally I am highly critical of new MMORPG's but that doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to some games myself.

Here are my 3 games that IMHO feel will work out.

WARHAMMER

Why? well of course I'm a big fan of the overpriced table top. Although I haven't actually played it since the late 1980's I still enjoy the world they created and that inspired the Warcraft series.

I also really enjoy PvP. Nothing has disappointed me more in the last 4 years then the endless parade of pointless PvE grinders that have entered the market. Now cudos to DDO in regards to content because the content in that game is actually pretty good, I really enjoyed the dungeons( to bad they left out the rest of the world) but unfortunately most games have gone with the old and tired "kill 10 rats" then "raid" endgame. Its a pretty sad state of affairs in MMO's. IMHO PvE needs to be strong, indepth, have impact and be compelling, so far in the last 4 years it has been anything but. What does that have to do with WAR? well nothing, just a little rambling. (its good for the soul)

Star Trek

Why is that? Crypic is making it and well, they make very good games. City of X is probably one of the better MMO games out there. The Star Trek universe is so fleshed out its not even funny. There is a damn book out there that teaches you how to speak Klingon for Pete's sake!

I know I almost always say that IP's and MMO's don't mix but in this case I make exception.

Details are still sketchy but we know that there will be full customization, starships and planets to explore. STO could provide a great PvE experience if done right. If it ends up being some trash like "beam down to the planets surface and collect 10 space rat tails" I am so gonna kick myself for having any faith in an IP.

I'll give Cyptic the benefit of the doubt.

Fallen Earth (baby!!!!)

My underdog pick. Whats there not to like? Road Warrior-ish style world but with mutants, Zombies and things with big nasty teeth. It has an indepth faction system and PvP with impact. Vehicles and vehicle combat and lots of bizzarre looking PvE, FPS style combat, skills and crafting based items & economy.

I'm just hoping that this small name company can pull it off. I'm cheering them on.

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Some other things that look interesting but I simply will not have time for if these other games launch.

Could be Guild Wars done right for an MMOer. Not that GW is bad but its not made for MMORPG players, its made for FPS minded players who like capture the flag.

GW2 looks like they are going to build on what they have done with GW and bring the world to life rather then just instanced and town lobbies.

Earthrise

Looks interesting although its similar to Fallen Earth. If that game falls through and ends up garbage this will be my backup. Full PvP, player impact on the world, no classes and many other things  MMO players are looking for.

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Last but not least

Something to watch

Now I hate SOE. They have this incredible talent for making sh*t quality games. I wouldn't pre-order a game made / published by them if you put a gun to my head. (ok, well maybe I would in that case) In fact I wouldn't pay retail for anything they make, I'll ebay before I do that. I got Vanguard for 7.99.

Anyway, The Agency looks cool. Yeah its a bunch of maps / Guild Wars style play but its got style, I mean who doesn't like the whole spy thing? I will be keeping an eye on this one.

I'm not holding my breath, SOE will f**kit up.

Character Name
-Thorgrath
Class
-Paladin
Adventure level
18
Diplomacy level
4
Crafting level
10
Harvesting level
215

Guild
Arisen
Server
Seradon

*(optional) Tell us a bit about yourself (the RL person)
-20 year old college student majoring in computer science. I've been a mmorpg gamer since 1998 when Nexus:TK was released. I've played it all from UO to present day Age of Conan.

Given Vanguards huge variety of races and classes, tell us how you picked your particular character & class and why.
-Well I went into this game really wanting to play a tank. I previously came from world of warcraft where I played a druid, and I just wanted to shift from healing to tanking. I went with dwarf because of their racial ability and their racial attributes.

What is it that drew you to Vanguard and how long have you been playing?
-I have been reading a lot about vanguard and the challenges the game developers faced. I was very hesitant to purchase the game given the issues in the past people reported about. I love large immerse mmorpgs where players can literally get lost, and trust me in my one month so far I've gotten lost a few times. The game offers a lot of exploration and fun grouping encounters.

What sphere to you enjoy the most in Vanguard? (adventure, diplomacy, crafting)
-Currently right now I try to mix it up and play adventure and crafting simultaneously so I can craft my gear for my level. I tried to get into diplomacy a little, but it felt like I was wasting too much time talking to npcs and not enough time actually doing stuff. I'll probably pick up diplomacy later on.

Vanguard leaves a lot of room for different play styles, very thing from soloers to raiders, what is your preferred play style and why?
-So far I solo a little, but I group as much as possible. I built my character with a lot of constitution so I can tank in dungeons. My first dungeon, Khegor's end, I started tanking at level 13. The game puts you right into group content and it's really fun and challenging. I really want to get into raiding, so I've been talking with some more experienced players on how to get involved in that.

What do you enjoy most about your class?
-Paladins are basically sword/shield tanks of vanguard. They get the nice group buffs, small heals, and tanking abilities. I love feeling like that guy who's charging in to battle. The paladin has tons of skills that compensate for the lack of 2handed dps like shield bash or whatever.

What would you change about your class if you could?
-Some of the skills seem pretty ambiguous right now, and don't seem like they are really needed or do much. I'd probably go through all the skills and revamp them or add some use. Like for example devout foeman, I'd keep the 100% chance to block, but I'd also have it increase your defense by 2-5% for 15 seconds.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in trying your class?
-Paladins are not like world of warcraft paladins. We're tanks. We have small heal spells and group buffs, but we're mainly tanks. The first few levels might seem a little bland because you don't have your skills yet, but once you start getting more and more stuff your class will start to come alive.

Of the places / areas you have visited in Vanguard what are your favorite?
-I like running around in vanguard trying to see stuff far in the distance and tell myself I'm going to go there someday. So far, I really like how the dungeons are setup.

Are there any particular favorite adventure sessions or quest you would like to share?
-Like some of my previous answers I like the group quests and dungeons. Doing the same old solo quests gets pretty boring after awhile. Vanguard did a really good job by making group content for leveling as well as loot.

Do you own a house? If so, where is it and what type is it? What do you enjoy about it and what would you change about housing if you could?
-I don't own a house, but I'd like to someday.
Do you own a Ship? If so what kind is it? What do you use it for?
-I plan on getting a ship before a house and just running around the world with it.

What sort of mount do you own?
-So far I have the basic level 10 mount. That's right I said level 10 to all you new players. Vanguard starts you off right away with a mount because the world is that big. You get to trick your horse out with saddle bags, tacts, bardings, etc.
What would you most like to see added or changed in Vanguard?
-I'd like to see more and more group content added. I'm sort of sick of solo mmorpgs where you never see anyone else.

Vanguard Player Profile - Rikoo

Character Name: Rikoo Rakoo

Race: Raki
 
Class: Ranger

Adventure level: 30. (And staying 30, on purpose.)

Diplomacy level: 3

Crafting level: One of my characters is like level 19 crafting.

Harvesting level My total is like 390? I forget off hand.

Guild: None, and will not join one. Nothing against guilds. Immersion Rules, that's all.

Server: XETH baby!

*(optional) Tell us a bit about yourself (the RL person):

I am a 34 year old kid that refuses to grow up. I have a wife and 4 wonderful fur kids. I play drums and do art. I have traveled with my old band all over the US, and will do more touring soon. I am a big dork, but I am also a black belt in Karate.

Given Vanguards huge variety of races and classes, tell us how you picked your particular character & class and why:

The Raki are cute, but not in a "WoW Gnome" type way. I liked their racial ability of a bonus to run speed. I picked a Ranger because I like to solo and I like ranged combat. But, I learned later that (my favorite description) ranger ins Vanguard are Aragorn rangers, NOT Legloas Rangers.

What is it that drew you to Vanguard and how long have you been playing?

What drew me to it? It was cheap, as in 20 bucks. I had it on my Station Access so I figured I would stop reading about how the game had such a horrible start and would just give it a try. I'm glad I did!!

What sphere to you enjoy the most in Vanguard? (adventure, diplomacy, crafting)

Exploring and trading, if those were spheres. Other than that, adventuring.

Vanguard leaves a lot of room for different play styles, very thing from soloers to raiders, what is your preferred play style and why?

Oh boy, long story here. I play "Immersion Project" style, which is a rule set I made for myself that puts certain, more realistic boundaries on my character. For example, if he dies, he's dead. Period. I might even go so far as to delete the character.  Also, I only use certain forms of "normal speed' travel. It has been so much fun it drives me CRAZY. lol

What do you enjoy most about your class?

His survivability. he can live on his own in the woods forever. He can forage his own food, his own arrows, and can get away from a pinch anytime. He's just an everyman that kicks ass.

What would you change about your class if you could?

Hmm, I'm not sure. I love him the way he is. I am glad he is not a typical "hunter" class. I guess I would give him a ranged auto attack, but that's so minor.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in trying your class?

Play them till at least 15 before you decide. Also, always always shoot from stealth!

Of the places / areas you have visited in Vanguard what are your favorite?

Hmm, I love the docks at New Taragnor. They just seem to bustle, and they FEEL like a giant cities docks. Beautiful, too, especially at sunset.

Are there any particular favorite adventure sessions or quest you would like to share? 

I have the most fun of my life every time I log in, seriously. The way I play has brought out the most of this game.
 Oh wait..there was this one quest I did to help out some lil ghost, and the lil ghost told me to sneak into this giants lil hut and to steal something out of the giants lil (huge) chest. I snuck up in Stealth and slipped down a hill only to find the giant standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I could hear him breathing, and he stood there forever, with lil question marks floating over his head. (The mobs do this when they might be sensing you are near.) I was literally so scared my hair on my arms stood up. It was brilliant!

Do you own a house? If so, where is it and what type is it? What do you enjoy about it and what would you change about housing if you could?

Housing is AWESOME. I own one on Conner's Retreat, with my own private beach! There isn't much I would change about the housing, but I would add some things like more seating, more mini-games, etc. Oh, and windows that actually open and close. I'm a girl like that.

Do you own a Ship? If so what kind is it? What do you use it for?

It is a beautiful green Caravel, given to me from a friend of my characters family. Seriously. I got a letter from this person and they gave me this whole back story of about my father and a debt they were re-paying, in the form of a boat. I was sooooo excited. I use it every day for my shipping route. I only travel by boat, foot, or horse.

What sort of mount do you own?

My brown horsey. His name is Royal. I have always used the same dark grey horse, but just upgraded his "class." I am going after my Shadow Hound, but honestly it doesn't fit my character to have one and isn't that much more of a mount. So I am staying with Royal.

What would you most like to see added or changed in Vanguard? 

The largest ships in the game are due for release soon. They are about 4 times the size of my ship but have a cabin that you can decorate!! I would love to see them along with actual boat storage.

Beau

Vanguard Player Profile - Balakor Halasin

Vanguard Player Profile
 
Character Name - Balakor Halasin

Race - Thestra Human
Class - Ranger
Adventure level -14
Diplomacy level - 6
Crafting level - 8
Harvesting level - Lumberjacking 126/ Qarrying 111/ Harvesting 171
Guild - Nasty Habits
Server - Halgar
 
*(optional) Tell us a bit about yourself (the RL person)
Active duty Air Force NCO currently stationed in Germany. I've been playing MMO's for about 8 years starting as a Planetside beta tester and my first full up MMO, Earth and Beyond.  Since then I've played EQ2, SWG, EVE, Horizon beta tester, Lineage 2 beta tester, City of Heroes, LOTRO, DDO, Saga of Ryzom, Matrix Online, WOW, EQ, DAOC, Guild Wars....basically darn near everything.  
 
Given Vanguards huge variety of races and classes, tell us how you picked your particular character & class and why. 
Class was really not a difficult choice. I have always enjoyed the Ranger profession in all MMO's, exploring the world and spending days in the field hunting, so naturally I picked Ranger right away. Race, however, was a different matter. Originally I started with a Wood Elf, figuring Wood Elf and Ranger just went hand in hand. I was enjoying his progression when my wife decided to give Vanguard a shot and went straight for the human class. After many attempts of trying to coax her into the Wood Elf race, I surrendered and moved to a human Ranger. I'm enjoying it, but every now and then will sneak back to play the Wood Elf for a bit.
 
What is it that drew you to Vanguard and how long have you been playing?
I've only been playing Vanguard a few months. Several things drew me in though. First, just the sheer size of the world. I have never seen a world this big before. In SWG, I used to love running on foot all over Tatooine, hunting creatures in the hills and dunes for weeks before returning to the cities to sell my goods. Vanguards land masses puts SWG planets to shame. I have had a blast trying to explore every nook and cranny of the world so far. 
 
The second thing that drew me in was the amount of professions and different skills each player can work on. Tired of Adventuring for the day/ Switch to crafting or harvesting or go find some NPC's and work on your diplomacy skills. There is always something to do.
 
The third thing that I love is that this game helps you a bit, but doesn't hold your hand. You have to really pay attention to the quests and ensure your gear and teams are prepared for the adventures. Running in hacking and slashing doesn't cut it.
 
What sphere to you enjoy the most in Vanguard? (adventure, diplomacy, crafting)

Right now I'm really enjoying the Adventuring side of the house. It lets me get out into the world and explore. Diplomacy is fun as well and reminds me of a different version of Legends of Norrath (except its free ! :) ).
 
Vanguard leaves a lot of room for different play styles, very thing from soloers to raiders, what is your preferred play style and why?
 
Soloer definitely. I enjoy getting out into the wilderness and just look for those odd sites or landmarks. Also it helps with questing and hunting when I get into groups in areas I have explored. if they don't have a clue where to go I have usually been there and can guide them right to it. I try and bring folks out on my treks, but they tend to miss cities after awhile.
 
What do you enjoy most about your class?

The freedom to explore a vast world and survive on my own, as well as help in a group. I can pull individual enemies to the group from a longer range, root them down for the tank or hide and sneak up behind them for a surprise attack.
 
What would you change about your class if you could?

Not real sure yet, I'm still to new to the game and low level to really have an idea of what he may need changed.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in trying your class?
 
Patience, it takes some time to get used to playing Rangers, or any character in Vanguard. If you are used to the quick paced leveling of other MMO's it may get a bit frustrating. Take your time, learn to evaluate your targets and from what I've experienced, you are great vs. 1-2 targets. Anymore then you need to run, and there is no shame in that.

Of the places / areas you have visited in Vanguard what are your favorite?
 
Themwars Shield. Nothing really special about it, its just a cool looking place and a good jumping pint to more rugged areas.

Are there any particular favorite adventure sessions or quest you would like to share?
 
No real favorites so far, i'm still rather new to Vanguard. however one particular session that made me like Vanguard even more was my first trip down to the RiftSeeker cave. We had a quest to enter the cave and enter a portal for a series of quests. well, we get down to the portal entrance, but have no clue how to get in. We walk through it....nothing happens. We jump, stand in it, etc...nothing. We reread our quest and it mentions nothing of how to enter. As we are talking to each other a non aggro NPC walks right to the front of the portal, looks at our groups, shrugs and says a strange saying.
 
Pop, he disappears.
 
Suddenly the lights clicks on and we all say the same words. Pop, we are in the dungeon.
 
4 days and many, many deaths and alot of swearing later we finish the quests and head out.
 
And that was just a level 10 cave.

Do you own a house? If so, where is it and what type is it? What do you enjoy about it and what would you change about housing if you could?
 
No, not yet. But I am trying to level my crafting up so I can support the creation of our guild house.

Do you own a Ship? If so what kind is it? What do you use it for?
 
No, no ship...yet

What sort of mount do you own?
 
A sooty brown horse right now. Its hard to believe that I already can buy and use a mount at this low of a level. Its great.  I'm working towards getting my city faction pet as well, but that may take a bit. Oh, and you can rent flying mounts for 25 copper, how great is that. You also have total control over the flying mount. Direction, how high/low they are and actually having to "launch" them into the air to get them flying. Its a blast!

What would you most like to see added or changed in Vanguard?
 
Better Guild Management tools. SOE, if  you are reading this, take the EQ2 guild management tools/functions and plant them in Vanguard. It desperately needs them.