A new mmorpg
by Josh Sayre · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 01/16/2006 (3:53 pm) · 45 replies
What about a space mmorpg?
Reply your ideas for a gigantic huge... massive galaxy for you to roam free!
Reply your ideas for a gigantic huge... massive galaxy for you to roam free!
#42
and i guess i didnt think about the people that play player verse player on the rpgs (i'm dont really play them but i would still assume a higher level character (with more combat options) would be able to beat a lower level character even with a really nice weapon (if the game is balanced well)... but like i said, i was thinking more along just the basic player vs NPC part of the game.
03/12/2006 (1:05 pm)
I was refering to City of heroes (for a game that restricted where you could go) [they may not have this anymore, but i dont play now so i dont know]and i guess i didnt think about the people that play player verse player on the rpgs (i'm dont really play them but i would still assume a higher level character (with more combat options) would be able to beat a lower level character even with a really nice weapon (if the game is balanced well)... but like i said, i was thinking more along just the basic player vs NPC part of the game.
#44
In regards to "twinking" a low-level character with high-level gear: if the developers felt that it would not imbalance the game, I believe they would allow it, which may be why a lot of games don't allow it (at least not on the level that it sounds like you're describing). That being said, I don't necessarily think twinking is a horrible idea in itself, but I believe that MMOs (to use a cliche) aren't about the destination, but the journey. I think the idea is to exist and participate in a perisistent world, not just quick, instanced deathmatches. Not only that, but when you play an RPG, you're playing the role of your character. Your character has his own skills, independent of yours. Maybe I have a different idea of what playing a "role-playing game" should mean, though. If all a player really wants to do is jump into an MMORPG as a brand new avatar and get loaded up with end-game equipment, I think he's probably playing the wrong game. Just like if he loads up Solitaire wanting some hardcore PVP action, he's playing the wrong game.
I agree that a player shouldn't necessarily be restricted from certain zones based on things like level, but at the same time, while you might want to walk into, say, Tanaris (in WoW) at level 1, it will be nothing short of quick, repeated death (if you were unassisted, that is). Should you be restricted from doing it? No. Would it be a good idea to stay out until you have at least a moderate chance of survival? Probably. I guess I'm just saying that, yes, you are paying for access to "the game" as a whole, but as your character progresses through the game (via levels, reputation, etc.), he gains access to the content that is appropriate for him, be it equipment, skills, or zones. As Graham mentioned, I too have seen plenty of players that were too low-level for a zone begging for help to recover their corpse, kill a monster, etc. For zones, WoW allows virtually unrestricted access. CoH, like Brandon mentioned, denies access based on level, but that's also sort of a story element. You have guards at the various gates that are preventing you from entering a zone. It's not the same as some invisible force that just won't let you in without an explanation.
Regarding dying....man, dying is something that is just taken too lightly in games these days. I know the whole point is to keep the player's interest and momentum going, so death is not meant to be a permanent thing. Years ago, playing PnP D&D, if you died, you were dead. End of story. If the other players wanted to try to ressurrect you somehow, they had to find a legitimate way of doing it (priests, wishes, etc.). I've been trying to come up with a new "death" system, but it's hard for me to not just want to let characters die and be done with it. Maybe it would encourage players to be more careful? I still play WoW, and even though death is somewhat trivial, I absolutely hate dying. I have more than my share of characters (which might be why I still don't have a level 60...), and each time I make a new one I tell myself "Ok. This one here? He's not going to die. I'll take things slow and never get in over my head." ....It never fails though.
Anyway, I'm certainly no expert, but you have my 2 cents.
03/28/2006 (1:24 pm)
I realize this is a little late in the game, but I wanted to comment on the later discussion topics.In regards to "twinking" a low-level character with high-level gear: if the developers felt that it would not imbalance the game, I believe they would allow it, which may be why a lot of games don't allow it (at least not on the level that it sounds like you're describing). That being said, I don't necessarily think twinking is a horrible idea in itself, but I believe that MMOs (to use a cliche) aren't about the destination, but the journey. I think the idea is to exist and participate in a perisistent world, not just quick, instanced deathmatches. Not only that, but when you play an RPG, you're playing the role of your character. Your character has his own skills, independent of yours. Maybe I have a different idea of what playing a "role-playing game" should mean, though. If all a player really wants to do is jump into an MMORPG as a brand new avatar and get loaded up with end-game equipment, I think he's probably playing the wrong game. Just like if he loads up Solitaire wanting some hardcore PVP action, he's playing the wrong game.
I agree that a player shouldn't necessarily be restricted from certain zones based on things like level, but at the same time, while you might want to walk into, say, Tanaris (in WoW) at level 1, it will be nothing short of quick, repeated death (if you were unassisted, that is). Should you be restricted from doing it? No. Would it be a good idea to stay out until you have at least a moderate chance of survival? Probably. I guess I'm just saying that, yes, you are paying for access to "the game" as a whole, but as your character progresses through the game (via levels, reputation, etc.), he gains access to the content that is appropriate for him, be it equipment, skills, or zones. As Graham mentioned, I too have seen plenty of players that were too low-level for a zone begging for help to recover their corpse, kill a monster, etc. For zones, WoW allows virtually unrestricted access. CoH, like Brandon mentioned, denies access based on level, but that's also sort of a story element. You have guards at the various gates that are preventing you from entering a zone. It's not the same as some invisible force that just won't let you in without an explanation.
Regarding dying....man, dying is something that is just taken too lightly in games these days. I know the whole point is to keep the player's interest and momentum going, so death is not meant to be a permanent thing. Years ago, playing PnP D&D, if you died, you were dead. End of story. If the other players wanted to try to ressurrect you somehow, they had to find a legitimate way of doing it (priests, wishes, etc.). I've been trying to come up with a new "death" system, but it's hard for me to not just want to let characters die and be done with it. Maybe it would encourage players to be more careful? I still play WoW, and even though death is somewhat trivial, I absolutely hate dying. I have more than my share of characters (which might be why I still don't have a level 60...), and each time I make a new one I tell myself "Ok. This one here? He's not going to die. I'll take things slow and never get in over my head." ....It never fails though.
Anyway, I'm certainly no expert, but you have my 2 cents.
#45
03/28/2006 (1:39 pm)
Thats a very interesting view. Some MMOs I have play have restricted you to only one char a server. At first I thought man how cheap why would they do such a thing? It put a larger amount of in game responsibility. With the PVP system the way it was you need to watch out for who you made upset are you were going to get robbed. As far as deaht goes I don't think I have seen any game that did anything to permant except for droping something important. In UO you became a ghost. Perhaps in a hack and slash game you could be a ghost for a limited number of days and if someone did not res you welp time for a new character. Of course this would suck for people who don't travel in groups or dont like the team work aspect of MMOs but it would be a way to make death more perm and yet get the player the 'game' feeling by allowing him to escape it. 
Torque Owner dienasty
and i guess i didnt think about the people that play player verse player on the rpgs (i'm dont really play them but i would still assume a higher level character (with more combat options) would be able to beat a lower level character even with a really nice weapon (if the game is balanced well)... but like i said, i was thinking more along just the basic player vs NPC part of the game.