how to create a fun and original MMO

a few of you probably know i am thinking up my own MMO, but i got me thinking about what makes a MMO truly fun, and what concepts have been done before.

Do you have any fun suggestions for an MMO(existing or not(or kinda thought up)) or just an idea that 1 MMO has, and you think more should have
post them here






(i might steal your idea though)

 

More of a counter-idea but: Grinding is BAD, the less grinding does the game have, the better. Quests to get x drops with low % of dropping at all are bad too.
Kill x things and get me x stuff are pretty much basics for an MMO, but the x should be kept low and the items should be dropping often if not every time.

 

tha basically excludes world drops, whit what i agree, cause i hate them, they are not based on skill, but just sheer luck

 

Many different travel options. Teleporting, personal vehicle/mount, taxi system, mass transit, that kind of stuff.

 

Creative and varied quests.

Multiple passenger mounts.

Take the archetypes of RPGs to the next level.

 

Good MMO should have

- Decent animation and graphics
- Makes you feel like you are the character
- Makes you feel like you are in that world
- Decent story which is not entirely predictable
- A good engine
- Easy to play and the control interface should be neat and organised

 

try to be al little more specific, or use examples

 

I seriously don't get this irrational hatred of grinding. Grinding is merely, well, fighting. Get rid of grinding and you're basically being pitted up against each consecutive boss, which wouldn't work at all. So, what actually has to happen is not to have as little grinding as possible, but to make combat as interesting as possible. You can't simply get rid of grinding. Grinding, essentially, is the game, as what do you do, or desire to do, in such games apart from fight?

 

I'm not saying that you should get rid of fighting, but grinding as the boring, monotonous part of leveling up. Quests to bring a ton of items (which don't want to drop...), just fighting mobs to get these last experience points, etc. WoW brings it to a new level though. Grinding level, grinding rep, grinding arena points etc.
Of course if the combat was more interesting it wouldn't be as bad, but it's not. Pressing few buttons, more or less in set order all the time (don't tell me fighting trash mob requires strategy in WoW) is bound to get boring.

Compare it with Warhammer. You can start PvP scenarios at level 1 (and yes, your help does matter even at that level) and can level up solely through PvP. Little to no grinding is required to progress.
Now, I'm not saying every mmo should be like that, especially considering WAR is focused around RvR (PvP) and not every game is, but it's an example that it can be done.

 

Actually World of WarCraft had very little focus on grinding for its time. Obviously when you compare it to the most recent MMO's it'll look fairly grind-intensive, but compared to other games of its time, it certainly wasn't. So, no. World of WarCraft does not bring grinding to a new level. There's so circumstance where you have to simply grind to level, the whole reputation system wouldn't work at all if there was less grinding to get exalted, not to mention that you don't even have to always grind as most of the time you can buy items to turn in for rep, and why are you criticising World of WarCraft for having to 'grind' Arena Points' when you then praise WarHammer Online for being able to level solely through PvP, and hence, not have to grind? That's how you get Arena Points, so why do you consider PvPing as grinding in World of WarCraft but not in WarHammer Online? So, in short, World of WarCraft didn't take grinding to a new level, in fact, they actually took a lot of the focus off grinding.

The combat is interesting. Not necessarily due to the combat system itself, but due to the diversity of the classes. There're fast paced classes, slow paced classes, classes with instant attacks, classes with next swing attacks, classes with instant casts, classes with casting times, classes that can fear, classes that can heal, classes that revolve around short term buffs, classes that revolve around adapting to each opponent, classes that kite, and I could go on. If you can't find a class that you enjoy playing, then it doesn't mean that it's not interesting, it just means that it's not your type of game. And again, for its time, and still currently, it's got, and still has, a very interactive combat system.

 

In general, What i like to see is customizability... (if thats even a word)... customizability of character, items, mounts, pets, well... everything really. If its there, You can customize it. I also think an interesting combat engine would go a long way. My example... Left click is [swing weapon]/[shoot weapon] and right click is to bring up your shield or something... Like a 3rd person FPS style, but an RPG... Also the game must have an interesting setting, not just back in medieval times where monsters roamed the lands and wizards were feared blah blah blah... thats boring. There has to be a huge, epic land that not only looks good, but is interactive. Oh and also smart enemies. Not just stupid idiots that run at you at the first sighting, thinking they can take you when your 20 lvls up on them... thats lame. Also some more complex skills... Not just 50 damage to the idiot over there but i dunno more interesting skills... (don't ask for examples as i have none right now)... So yeah that'd be good...

 

@Hex Gore:
Ah yes, my bad. I forgot about some other games (I'm looking at you, MU >.>). I take that back.

As for arena and WAR. I can't speak from my own experience so you have me there, but I've heard many times that arena system ruined PvP in WoW and about grinding points for one set of equipment to another.
It may have to do with WoW's reliance of equipement and (again, from what I've heard) that gear > skill. Someone who wants to have fun in arena would have to first struggle to get good enough gear to gain items that'd make him competetive. If someone enjoys mostly PvP, they'd have to first "grind" through the levels and then through arena.
Unlike WoW, WAR is focused around RvR from start to beginning. What does that change? Where in WoW you have to be high level to participate is a lot of PvP content (it may be different technically, but is it not the case?), in WAR you could go as far as saying that it's all "endgame" (and many do). Of course particular scenarios and such are divided by level tiers, but almost all PvP aspects of the game (save sieges maybe) are available from level 1.

What do you mean by saying WoW has interactive combat system "for it's time"

 

I've heard a bit about the arena controversy, and the main thing, that I'm aware of at least, was that it provides gear that's the equivalent to drops in end game PVE. Firstly, I don't see why this was in fact a problem as the gear is worthless for raiding as it gives all the wrong stats, but the reason it was implemented was so that players could choose PVP as a more viable end game option. Until then players would have basically had to have raided in order to get that level of gear, and the gear they got then would have been useless for PVP anyway. In short, it was introduced to provide end game content for PVPers.

About acquiring the equipment and needing the good gear in the first place, that's not the case. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The system was criticised for being too easy to obtain the gear. People who sucked at PVP could still get the level of gear that the best PVPers used, though it would obviously take a bit longer for them to, simply because of the way the system worked. However in my opinion this is also a pretty nothing issue as if those players suck at PVP, then they'll always have that disadvantage, regardless of their gear, but also keeping in mind that most hardcore PVPers have that same level of gear as well. Basically, the problem was that you didn't need to be any good at PVP to acquire the gear, but that's still cancelled out by the fact that seeing as these people mostly have the same level of gear, it comes down to skill.

I've done a bit of Arena, and despite sucking at it, being the wrong spec, and being put up against players with the best Arena gear while I was still in my pre-Kara PVE gear, me and a mate, who admittedly was insane at PVP and had some great gear, we still had a good few fights. I remember once we, me being a Rogue and him being a Druid, went up against a Priest and Shaman, if I remember correctly, and both with very decent PVP gear. Tried taking out one first and, well, failed. A couple of rounds later we went up against those same two again, we decided to take out the other one first this time, and we absolutely snapped them. Admittedly we lost the vast majority of them, but it was still a heap of fun and I still got a fair few Arena points for that little stint, so you definitely don't have to struggle through Arena to be able to enjoy it, and if I'da continued playing Arena, I'da still been able to get some decent PVP gear. Not that it woulda made much of a difference, haha.

Another issue with Arena would probably be that the classes are imbalanced, and that certain combinations of classes would be more effective than others, but, well unless you're a professional World of WarCraft PVPer, does it really matter? I mean, cmon. It's impossible to perfectly balance not only all classes, but all combinations of classes. In fact, again, in that same stint of Arena, me, still Rogue, and my mate, still Druid, went up against two Hunters. ULTIMATE FAIL, haha! Hunters can tract stealthers, which Rogues and Druids both are, and basically cast sleep on any Beasts, which Druids are. In short, had no stealth advantage, my mate was constantly asleep, I had two Hunters kiting me and presumably two pets on me as well. Can't remember now, it was over too fast, haha. Anyway, yeah. There's a bit of luck of the draw, but seriously, who cares if there's a combination that'll win hands down against you? There are also combinations that will lose hands down against you.

I think you might have a few double standards at the moment. How come you keep on saying that World of WarCraft players have to grind through Arena, but that WarHammer Online get to PVP right up through the levels? They're both PVP, how is one considered grinding, but the other considered as, well, a superior opportunity?

There's still early PVP in World of WarCraft. You can get in a battleground as low as level ten, which you can reach in an hour or so if you know what you're doing. And for those who don't know what they're doing, well they'd need to take that time to be able to learn the ropes anyway, so that's no big loss. Admittedly there's no way to really level up through PVPing, but you can still get some nice gear and perks through doing it, not to mention that there are still some quests designed for PVP battlegrounds. Keep in mind though that World of WarCraft wasn't originally designed to have a massive PVP component, and it was developed later on once it became more popular. That may be another reason why some people hate Arena, because it's shifted focus and the balance of the classes off PVE, seeing as it's obviously now got to accommodate for PVP fights.

Again, obviously there will be some inferior areas of play when you compare World of WarCraft to pretty much the most recent MMO, and a lot of those areas, including things as basic as graphics but also mechanics for new and better spells, a revamped quest system, immersion in the lore, new and more interactive PVE as well as PVP, etc, are said to be improved in Wrath of the Lich King, while still accommodating for those players on old computers, etc, who may not be able to run things like the updated graphics.

I meant that there was a lot less focus on grinding in World of WarCraft when compared to all the other MMO's from when it was released. Obviously when compared to recent MMO's like WarHammer Online there will be a fair bit of grinding, but compared to the other games when it was released, there's still a lot less.

 

so the main point is: include as difersified grinding as possible?

and IHG, i doubt that WotLK will include any low or mid lvl pvp options|

and i have serious doubts about improved quests for WoW, though i would srsly like some big complicated ones in there

 

I didn't say Wrath would include any low to mid PVP options... Almost all that stuff I listed there would only be implemented from about level fifty five to eighty. The PVP was to do with their new battlegrounds which'll include destructible buildings and siege weapons.

About the improved quests, they'd definitely talked about it. From what I've heard it's mainly immersing players in the lore a lot more, so it's not simply kill this many thats, but also includes quests and quest mechanics. In fact, yeah, it was in that BlizzCast or soemthing. Like how they introduced a whole lot of new quest types like bombing runs, daily quests, etc, for the Burning Crusade, they're going to introduce more again in Wrath. Which reminds me, they've also said they've revamped the whole Profession thing, making them more utilitarian and essential, instead of just providing some alright gear that'll get replaced sooner or later. Anyway, that's really beside the point.

The main point is to make combat as interesting as possible. No-one'll care if there's tonnes of grinding if it's fun to grind. Comprende?

 

what i miss mostly in WoW is stuff that isnt purely aimed at supporting your character,b but is there to have fun with, like brewfest for an example

 

How can you miss that? They still have it. Along with all the stuff like the Darkmoon Faire, etc, etc. Also, they are kinda are there to support your character, what with the quests for it, special items, etc, etc.

Besides, isn't Halloween taking place right now? Not to mention they still have all-year-round stuff there to have fun with... Like alcohol and vanity pets.

 

still, i think they should add a bit more like some minigames, or at least some higher level unlockable stuff, just my opinion

it is not a very important element though, but some alternative fun stuff can keep people playing when they are bored doing the normal stuff

they should have made fishing more fun, with maybe a FPS harpoon-firing element

 

They basically do. Think about it, if it was always Brewfest or something, what would make it so special? If the didn't have any alcohol at all, and then had Brewfest for a week, then like, everyone would get drunk, yeah? If they then extended Brewfest to all-year-round, then it'd just be like having the alcohol they have now. It's gotta be limited, otherwise it's nothing special.

Also, there're always quests to do. You don't need a Brewfest or something to provide you with a couple more quests, and there're also other perks as well, like vanity pets, etc, to get too.

Lastly, why do you need mini-games inside World of WarCraft? Why not just play another game? Or have I gone too far?

 

YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR!

the main fun thing about minigames is that you still have the same community. They could also unlock cool customization options like a baseball cap after you play ten rounds of mageball, thus adding to your character.

There shouldnt always be brewfest, i agree, that would unspeciallify it, but there should be some fun non special event stuff as well(unless there always is a special event)