MMORPG's

[Jadzia]

what's wrong with a good old fashioned single player rpg?

in my limited experience of MMOs, most of the time was doing tedious "find n of X and return to Y in Z" chores, and doing them on my own. If I approached other players, they mostly would be disinterested. It was rare to find someone willing to talk or cooperate, and even then, they would soon log out never to be seen again. It's a strange thing to call multiplayer when it's just others players doing their own thing in the background.

 

[Arrqh]

If I approached other players, they mostly would be disinterested. It was rare to find someone willing to talk or cooperate, and even then, they would soon log out never to be seen again. It's a strange thing to call multiplayer when it's just others players doing their own thing in the background.

That can sometimes be a problem with PUGing it, sure. But if you're in a good sized guild or playing with a bunch of friends it's a different story. And sometimes, PUGs can work just fine.

 

[Rii]

IAL, you'll probably want to check out APB.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

IAL, you'll probably want to check out APB.

Oh my God! You are totally awesome man, you are THE BEST!

I've decided, this is the game I want, this is the game I'm getting. I can't wait for this game. It's exactly what I'm looking for!

 

[Kegg]

what's wrong with a good old fashioned single player rpg?

The cooperative experience, which in your case seems abnormal. Typically in my MMO experience, you group to do quests or dungeons/instances, or PvP, all the time.

It's true that as a soloing experience MMOs are pointless, the fun is in the interaction with a group. Having your guild take down a difficult boss is a very satisfying experience.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

what's wrong with a good old fashioned single player rpg?

in my limited experience of MMOs, most of the time was doing tedious "find n of X and return to Y in Z" chores, and doing them on my own. If I approached other players, they mostly would be disinterested. It was rare to find someone willing to talk or cooperate, and even then, they would soon log out never to be seen again. It's a strange thing to call multiplayer when it's just others players doing their own thing in the background.

Even single-player RPGs that are heavily story-based have this basic "find X, deliver it to Y, use it to kill Z" quest structure, when it comes down to it.

Some MMORPGs are all about co-operative play, and yes, you do need to have a close-knit group of like-minded people sometimes in order to make the most out of it.

 

[Reverend]

IAL, you'll probably want to check out APB.

An urban warfare MMO sandbox with no subscription fee? Sounds promising. Personally though I think a Judge Dredd/MegaCity One setting would be much more fun.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

IAL, you'll probably want to check out APB.

An urban warfare MMO sandbox with no subscription fee? Sounds promising. Personally though I think a Judge Dredd/MegaCity One setting would be much more fun.

There is a fee, but they say it's not going to be like your usual monthly subscription. Whatever that means.

 

[FordSVT]

Some MMOs make you pay for content, which can be just as bad.

"Want access to X levels or X dungeons or X gear? Pay us."

 

[Jetfire]

http://dcuo.station.sony.com/

DC Universe Online looks interesting, but it is only for the PS3.

 

[Reverend]

I have to admit I don't get the logic behind a superhero based MMO. I mean part of the premise of a super-hero is that they're rare and special, so I would've thought it'd all fall apart if you're walking around a virtual world populated almost entierly with superheroes. Who would you be saving exactly? I suppose the same applies to the likes of Star Wars, since 90% of the people laying would almost certainly want to be Jedi.

Settings like the sword, sorcery, elves & orks you get from the likes of Warcraft makes a little more sense in that regard, as a bunch of weirdos with crazy abilities won't look out of place. Similar reason why I suppose a well executed Fallout MMO could work really well, since, by sheer virtue of living in a post-apocalyptic environment everyone is essentially a scavenging mercenary trying to survive in a hostile wasteland.
You can imagine clans of raiders, chapters of the Brotherhood of Steel and various interlinked merchant and mercenary guilds, elowing each other for supremacy.

 

[Kegg]

I suppose the same applies to the likes of Star Wars, since 90% of the people laying would almost certainly want to be Jedi.

Settings like the sword, sorcery, elves & orks you get from the likes of Warcraft makes a little more sense in that regard, as a bunch of weirdos with crazy abilities won't look out of place.

It's the same deal, though. Sure, you're an orc or an elf, but you're not the regular schmoe orc who works on a farm (he's the questgiver to the left). MMORPGs typically cast us as exceptional people, heroes of great abilites, which is why we can slay the dragons all night long.

Jedi was a major problem for Star Wars Galaxies (where it was an unlocked ability at one point), and I think KOTOR will likely be overpopulated with the four Jedi and Sith classes to begin with. That's another issue, though, when one class is inordinately popular it causes server imbalances. As far as MMOs go it's almost always the smart bet to take a less popular class if you want to get groups (though, inversely, a more popular class may be easier to play/more powerful in single combat).

KOTOR's choice to make four playable Jedi/Sith combinations - half the available choices, in effect - is a clear effort to sort of deal with that. Given that two of the remaining classes are basically Han Solo and Boba Fett (smuggler, bounty hunter) they'll probably do okay.

 

[Reverend]

It's the same deal, though. Sure, you're an orc or an elf, but you're not the regular schmoe orc who works on a farm (he's the questgiver to the left). MMORPGs typically cast us as exceptional people, heroes of great abilites, which is why we can slay the dragons all night long.

Sure, but my point was that the world and the backdrop supports that. With a superhero MMO I can't see how it would work.

 

[Arrqh]

I don't see how it's any different at all. The world of most superhero IPs is the same... there's a whole bunch of superheroes against the backdrop of normal people just like how in WoW there's a bunch of crazy awesome fantasy characters against the backdrop of normal boring fantasy characters.

Kegg is completely correct, all games cast us as the extraordinary characters. In MMOs there's just lots of us at the same time. The only trick is to make sure that all classes are fun and interesting with enough diversity to mix things up. I can't see any reason why the superhero genre has a harder time at that then a fantasy one.

 

[General_Phoenix]

Only MMORPG I have extensive experience with was Star Wars Galaxies. I was with that game from June 2003, until the NGE hit, then I never looked back. But I really loved the original sandbox style, and not to mention the huge player community the game once had. Tons of professions, and not just combat oriented ones. The tailors, armorsmiths, weaponsmiths, entertainers, are really what kept that game interesting. The content was very weak, something I don't think ever got better. I also liked the planets, and being able to explore them. And in the early days, with no swoop bikes or speeders, having to walk form Anchorhead to Jabba's Palace was always interesting.

Hated the Hologrind that that game became, with the urge of the developers apparently. I never really took part in the hologrind, I was happy with my Pistoleer/Commando, but once the hologrind started the game started to get boring. Lived throuth the combat upgrade, which most seemed to bail out from once that took place. I liked the huge planets to explore (even if most seemed to get littered with player cities) and never cared for the set path you had to follow on Kashyyyk.

I haven't been bothered to pick up another MMORPG, might check out Star Trek Online. If anything it will tide me over until Star Wars The Old Republic comes out.

 

[Reverend]

I don't see how it's any different at all. The world of most superhero IPs is the same... there's a whole bunch of superheroes against the backdrop of normal people just like how in WoW there's a bunch of crazy awesome fantasy characters against the backdrop of normal boring fantasy characters.

Kegg is completely correct, all games cast us as the extraordinary characters. In MMOs there's just lots of us at the same time. The only trick is to make sure that all classes are fun and interesting with enough diversity to mix things up. I can't see any reason why the superhero genre has a harder time at that then a fantasy one.

I think perhaps the problem is with my own perceptions. I've never played an MMORPG so I don't really know how it all works, but to me a bunch of "heros" in a fantasy setting seams natural. When it comes to superheroes, I tend to see it more as "our" world with a mere scattering of exceptional individuals. At least that's the image I have in my head and though I don't read very many comic books, I do gather that it isn't often the case these days.
I suppose on reflection, a world that has more in common with say The Incredibles, or X-Men than the likes of Dark Knight would indeed lend itself to an MMO setting. I just prefer latter when it comes to superheroes, but then I'm not an MMORPG player and I have Arkham Asylum to keep me happy.

 

[Kegg]

The problem with superheroes in an MMO setting isn't their innumerable nature, it's their individuality. Typically in a superhero universe each superhero has their own name, costume, and unique special powers. An MMO would probably require them to select from a fixed variety of skills (so there'd be a lot of superheroes performing basically the same roles) and the costuming may be gear-oriented like Warcraft.

Not that I've actually played one, or anything.

 

[Arrqh]

I just think of it like those JLU episodes where they have a whole bunch of heroes working together... all you need is enough class and equipment customization to give a feeling of uniqueness and there's no problem. I haven't played any of them to any real degree either, but I know that City of Heroes has a pretty good following and Champions Online had a lot of issues, but I don't think any of them stemmed from the fact that it was the superhero genre.

 

[judge alba]

IAL, you'll probably want to check out APB.

An urban warfare MMO sandbox with no subscription fee? Sounds promising. Personally though I think a Judge Dredd/MegaCity One setting would be much more fun.

If they did a JD setting I'd be in there like a shot love good old JD and friends.

Did a few free online rpgs awhile back unfortunatly never really stuck them out seemed to take for ever on a couple to level up to a decent level with out being taken out by a level 42 warlock so easily. Were fun though might take one up again, not sure about paying a subscription just yet

 

[Gryffindorian]

http://dcuo.station.sony.com/

DC Universe Online looks interesting, but it is only for the PS3.

Oh, yeah, almost forgot about that one. Will they ever release the game sometime during this century?