I know what I expect of a MMO and just out of curiousity, what does everyone else expect of a MMO?
Not just a Fallout or some other title.

What I am asking is

Just what is a MMO to you?
What do you want a MMO to be or accomplish for you? (no matter what the theme or world)
What (or Why) are you drawn to or into a MMO?

Thanks

Dave Chase

ffa servers with griefing/camping make an mmo to be a real mmo and not just a wow clone

I am the Formless in all forms.Strenght si the only measure ,all things can be resolved with violence and blood share.

Massive amounts of people playing and working together in a largely player-controlled world.

1. ffa pvp. a free world, with no insta-kill guard system. Should there be a newb-safe-zone, don't allow it to be completely safe from would be pkers/griefers/thieves/etc.

2. FULL loot with NO "blessed" items.

3. Allow clans/gangs to seize control of areas of the world. Ofcourse, the would have to defend this should another clan decide that they want it. Guard free cities would work well here.

4. ABSOLUTELY no universal banking. A dynamic trade system would be incredibly valuable to this mmo especially.

5. No teleportation, unless the player is dead. In the v13 universe this makes no sense imo. I'd suggest a bindstone kind of system that players have to bind to before they die.

6. No carebear servers for people that are afraid of dying and losing their stash of radaway and favourite leather jacket.

Basically pre-trammy UO with less babying in the starter towns and a wicked post-apocalyptic setting. Then when the people whine and complain because their house key got stolen, tell them to post on the carebear forum so the rest of us have something to laugh about when we're not in the game.

For me an MMO must have all of the following:

It must be massive, and I mean HUGE. The world has to have a lot of content to explore, and much of which you will not even see unless you TRY to find it.

It must be multiplayer, this means that groups of people need to be able to communicate and work together towards a common goal, or compete against each other for some sort of reason. Or both.

It has to be online. I get tired of running punch cards to computers downtown every time I get a new loot item, I want ONLINE access.

Totally agree.

I would also like to see the storyline meta plot gradually developed from info you pick up doing other quests, not a 'follow the quest chains from zone A to zone B to zone C' type play experience. When you have got enough info you can sort the clues to find a certain person and get the 'official storyline' meta quests. Or you can miss it altogether and still feel immersed in the world.

Fully customizable UI. Addon support.
Gameplay > graphics. If the game plays well, and things are scripted, and mesh smoothly together it can look like Fallout 2 for all I care.

I also want to be able to chill and maybe (just maybe ) RP a bit. Shoot some pool in a bar, hire a lady for the night, get a tat..and so on

I think it would be awesome if it was possible to build houses, not like buy a house from an NPC and place it on the ground where you'd like to, but gather materials from players who learned how to make bricks or wooden material or something, gather scrap, and combine it to make a shed/house, and it should be possible to "upgrade" it by adding more (advanced) materials.
And it should be possible to create player cities and stores, so that someone chould have a store and a house combined, and their part in the game would be maybe selling loot they found, but selling it from their own shop, not an auction house like in wow, and not only face to face trade.If they had stores they could have their items on display, armors could be placed on racks etc.
And player cities should have the opportunity to create walls around the city, or some kind of defense, like Junk Town in Fo1, and when you upgrade them many times it could end up like the walls of Vault city
So when you start a new character and advance do quests and earn rewards that could be either caps or other currency or items that you sell then you could join a clan/guild and your guild would build a guild town that was open for other players so that people from different cities could trade with each other, and maybe it could be a NPC caravan that made a route between different cities all after how they stats popping up in the wasteland. they could sell water, because it should be like when you travel in the dessert for a long period of time you get fatigued and need to drink water, so healthier water is more rad free then other types of water, like those guy in MadMax Beyond Thunderdome, some guys in Barter Town walks around selling water, with rads in it! PC specs:
CPU: Intel i7-920 @ 2.66GHz
RAM: Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1333MHz CL9-9-9-24 (12GB)
GFX: Gainward Radeon HD 4870X2 2GB
MB: Asus P6T Deluxe V2, X58
GPU: Corsair Power supply 750W Black
Case: Antec Twelve Hundred
Monitor: BenQ 24" E2400HD

Not to be too much of a pain but the question is what makes a MMO a MMO.
Not what you would like to see as a detailed option in the game.

Slight difference but an important one.

So Blodbad, what makes a Massive Multi-player Online (MMO) game a MMO in your opinion?

For example for me,

I like large amounts of players from all over the world
I want a world and background that I can
1) interact with as much of the enviroment as possible
2) grow and develop my character in some manner
3) watch as the world changes and grows (or at the very least adds things to keep from being stagment)

That is what I think a MMO is.


I want a group or company that runs/controls the MMO to be one that
1) is in it for more than just making a buck or two (though important to make money in any business, I don't want this to be the sole reason for the game
2) listens to its fan base and only makes changes that make sense and keeps the players coming back for more (no changes for the sake of changes)
3) has a long range plan of advancement possibilities for the world/game.

Dave Chase

Yeah I kinda noticed I were of the theme after writing a bit, but since I was about done I figured it was okay

what makes a mmo a mmo:
I need a really huge open world, so that i can walk for many hours and still experience new places, it need to be caves to explore and they must be deep into the ground. It must be possible to walk over all mountains.
it must be possible to change the world, and your surroundings after doing a lot of quests. and surroundings should change as well, as in nature, like it should rain, and snow and grass should grow and die.
Its also important for me to have a lot of players to interact with PC specs:
CPU: Intel i7-920 @ 2.66GHz
RAM: Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1333MHz CL9-9-9-24 (12GB)
GFX: Gainward Radeon HD 4870X2 2GB
MB: Asus P6T Deluxe V2, X58
GPU: Corsair Power supply 750W Black
Case: Antec Twelve Hundred
Monitor: BenQ 24" E2400HD

Make most content, and I mean, MOST to require grouping of some kind. You can't get very far in life without massive amounts of interaction and help from other people.

Huge world, so huge that most of it you will never encounter if all you do is the basic quests, get out and explore the world.

The ability to change/affect the world around you in substantial ways *over time*. Nothing happens over night, but change does and should come with player interaction.

MMO to me:

-Great focus on interaction, communication, character development, accomplishment and teamwork.
-Multi-genre encompassing play style/ quests. (Not just collecting items and killing foes)
-Sandbox elements (Playability outside of the quest, combat, grinding, item slog)
-"Real world" consequences to actions, group associations, player decisions.
-Persistent, evolving game world.
-Multiple faction association, alliances, networks.

I believe MMO's should be immersive, highly interactive, and cooperative. It would be neat if in FOOL, there could be skill specialisation, such as in Fallout:Tactics -> medics, drivers, diplomats, engineers, which can take on in-game world jobs and responsibilities within their clans/tribes. Ex: Class leveling and Character leveling involving cooperation in tasks to build towards a greater goal for the team/clan/tribe.

i thought about it and: the game has to be finished.

not like bug free finished, but content finished.

most every mmo out there isn't "finished" its like 70 - 90% complete and then pushed out the door as soon as its "functional" with the excuse of "we will patch in the last bit of content latter" tacked on with a post it note.

then the note falls off and everyone seems to forget that the damned thing isn't "done".

thats what kills mmo's for me, they are great till you hit the point when content development stopped, pvp gets tacked on, and then the most stable build is shipped. hay, "OC" ..... i got something for ya right here! _|_ (^.^) _|_


"MMO-RPG" = "Mass Market Oriented - Repetitive Profit Genera"
- damned things still svcked me in ...

No full loot and no dafe zones

I am the Formless in all forms.Strenght si the only measure ,all things can be resolved with violence and blood share.

So, any game that has no full loot and no date zones is a MMO to you?

The question of this thread is not what you want or like in a MMO. It is what makes a MMO in your mind?

Or put another way.

What is a Massive Multiplayer Online game in your view?
(Asking about any and all games not just a Fallout type genre game.)
(Please see some of the other responses to help clarify what the question asks. )

Thanks.

Dave Chase

I expect massive multiplayer action that can take place online!!



On a more serious note... I would like:

- Joinable Factions
- A huge environment in which I could explore and discover loads of stuff.
- SPECIAL System to be included and maybe even improved / expanded on
- Karma System to affect the NPCs around you etc

And more! War... War Never Changes...

big world .... online ... other people ... blah, blah, blah.

all that is a given with a mmo, but with all the "liberties" that have been taken with post launch patching most game that are labeled as a "mmo" arnt actually "mmo's" ... hell they arnt even games, there just unfinished products.


like windows vista, only they "kinda-sorta" have a function. hay, "OC" ..... i got something for ya right here! _|_ (^.^) _|_


"MMO-RPG" = "Mass Market Oriented - Repetitive Profit Genera"
- damned things still svcked me in ...

massive means MASSIVE! BIG! PLENTY! a game where thousands of people that could see each other, not like other "mmo" right now where there are alot channels in a server,
when i called a friend:
me: lets meet up at "city1", near "npc1"
friend: i'm here at "city1 npc1"
me: you might me on a different channel <-- this totally svcks...take note that this is a friend, how will i make friends if i cant see my own personal friend? then they call this mmo, unlike the old mmo i used to play where we could easily meet up and i could easily look for my new friends
server with multiple channels <-- total failure

what is mmo all about:
1. community, this is the main difference between a single player and a multiplayer. you play with other people
2. uniqueness, im playing with thousands of people, i want to be unique! looks is most important, we dont look the same even if we are the same race same class same job, though we may be similar, i once played a game where i saw 10 warriors like me and they all look totally 100% like me, i quit the game imediately. we were like clones.
3. flexibility, open world, uniqueness, stats, i want to have my own build, flexibilty in items and weapons, not because im a marksman, doesnt mean that i cant use swords, daggers and be limited to guns and bows, but yes ofcors a warrior would be better on swords and melee weapons but doesnt mean that all he can have.
4. clans, guilds, gangs, groups. there is community there is friendships and ofcourse there should be groups, guild wars is fun, guild quest is fun too. how bout a group of groups making a larger group, a own faction is also nice i think
5.territory, turf. ok there is guilds, and there is the world, now i want a territory, i piece of this world, where me and my friends can call ours. i have a territory others want a territory too, territorial war!
6.economy, ok i have a territory i own this city, why would others have a interest in my city, my city is rich! since its rich it have better facilities, but get attacked more often due to these fact so defense should be strong too
7. balance, each character build has its own strengths and weaknesses, small level gaps dont affect much although ofcourse they would but not that much where i cant beat a level 40 because im level 38 even i have better items.
8. competition, i want to be better than the rest, everyone wants to be better than the rest, i want to be better than the better
9. endless, easy to play, easy to understand, hard to master, i never get my characters max its endless, i never get tired of making it more and more powerful, i never get tired of playing this game!

i'll add some more ideas when it come to my mind. i would love to see myself playing on the wasteland with thousands of other players, where when they see my character they'll know its me without looking at my name. this would be a dream come true! i am a great fan of fallout 1 and 2, i just love the tactical view, i played 3 but it didnt appeal me as much as fallout 1 and 2. good luck!

Everquest Pre Luclin was my ideal MMO.

1. Challenging Dungeons - Kaesora, Seb, Chardok, Hole, Splitpaw, Blackburrow, Befallen, Some for every level, in every starting town.
2. Variety of game content. Group, Raid, Solo, Heavy PVE, with option of PVP.
3. No auction House. People HAD to interact with other people in order to buy or sell. EC Tunnel was the place to be, not because some devs told people to go there... Its social gathering that players created. If computerized marketplaces are required, then would have to be player driven economy system similar to EVE. (as close to eve as one can get).. markets are regional, its not an auction, prices are fixed.
4. Questing Not Essential. Exp came from kills, not from running circles, handing slips of paper, or gathering trash. Quests were there for loot, unique items not dropped by mobs. Epic quests, armor sets, etc.
5. Need to feel populations. Worlds left wide open, on an open map, spread out players too much, and leave world empty. Fewer towns, limited hunting ground options. Bring people together, give them reasons to group and encourage socialization.
6. Personalization of characters. Skills, spells, armor, as well as overall appearance. Allow people to express themselves through their characters, and they will be more attached to their characters. They will feel more pride in accomplishments.
7. People.. Plain and simple. Populated worlds, social interactions, and reasons for being with those other people.

I think what makes an mmo an mmo is individuality and the assumption that the playerbase wants to at least interact with several other people at any given time while they're online. Whether it be running into friends in a crafting station, or teaming up with a random stranger to take care of a mutant, what-have-you.

By definition most mmos have an inherent grind to them; I'd like to see V13 veer away from that and try to go for a less grindy game while still having viable timesinks.

1) A vast world with different area's and factions to rule them.

2) A balanced but fun combat system, it must feel like fluid, this also relates to the UI (open source/modifiable) which needs to be rly integrated in the game and not feel like something outlandish.

3) A social community made up by players and devs that can interact without restrictions. This also means a forthcoming dev/game support team that listens, participates or relates to player in -and outgame initiatives and activities.

4)Original canon (no issue here i think, cuz fallout lore should provide enough main and side stories)

5)A graphic engine that can be upgraded and works well with supplied game apps.

6)a good player loot system and item database that gets new items added frequently.

7)a finished game before launch. There should be no time limit making the game, make it till its right and publish it. This also means no compromises in creation of content. Its some kind of some tragic hype among game developers to release half finished games and release.

8)Multiple ways to reach a goal, may it be in lvling, crafting, pvp combat.

9)Dungeons and raids, they are rly fun and good for your social life... hahaha!

10) One thing i rly like is when you can see in a game that the devs actually thought about something and created some original game systems. Something that really makes the game stand out.
for instance: Lotro has a rly good housing system, instanced neighborhoods with customizable houses and faction houses. I loved it when i slaughtered some huge squid like monster with a group and got a trophy to put in my house (a barrel with moving squid tentacles in it)! And the matrix online had an ingame music player which also loaded internet music streams and playlists, that way you could listen to an mxo dedicated station or switch with music while playing.

11) Good character animations and sounds, may it be fighting styles or emotes, it just needs to come natural when you play the game. I don't want to click something and have some woody figure pose and a sound that doesn't relate.

12) Of course good endgame, but the way to the end will be much more important as you may want to lvl multiple characters. If you start to get bored before you even reach lvl-cap, the game is flawed.

All in all I care a lot about flow, when you play a game it needs come natural in all aspects, from logging in to being engaged in heavy combat situations or crafting something useful. Basic game systems with a far reach and mod-factor, compliment a good MMO There can only be one Highlander!