Messages

1

Precursors / What do Characters do when Players go offline?

« on: October 10, 2005, 10:20:35 pm »

That would be quite cool.  Corp is getting ready for a major offensive so they rest up to get every bit of an edge they can.  

One thing we have to balance is game time vs real time.  I think in everquest 1 it was 90 minutes real life was one day Norathian time.  Eve online only had a 1 to 1 for a clock, no concept of days or weeks.

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Precursors / What do Characters do when Players go offline?

« on: October 05, 2005, 08:42:33 am »

As long as there is risk vs reward it should be acceptable.  Most games I've played, the community at large hates Bots, scripters, etc...then again, maybe because they feel they are at an unfair disadvantage.  If we had the tools for everyone to do the botting maybe its more mainstream and ok.

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Precursors / Interaction between the book and the game?

« on: October 05, 2005, 08:10:06 am »

A concern I have is that say I put the time into becoming a legenday character and then decide to cash out.  I sell my account on ebay and now some complete cancer to the game as all of these perks.  All MMORPGS have selling of items and accounts, we have to minimize the effects.

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Precursors / What do Characters do when Players go offline?

« on: October 05, 2005, 07:51:11 am »

I would say that only repatitive tasks while logged out are allowed.  Even then its seems higly exploitable/bottable.  It ruins the fun for the average joe if some rich person (in real life) purchaces 5 accounts and just leaves that logged out at all times, completely without risk.  Not that we would mind because thats five monthly fees.

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Precursors / Interaction between the book and the game?

« on: October 02, 2005, 02:54:40 pm »

And anyone who pwns morgul in game gets Legendary status too, by my decree =D

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Precursors / Player Advancement

« on: October 02, 2005, 02:51:49 pm »

WoW and EQ2 both do that with you gain vitality or extra % when you log in and fight.  I am opposed to experience points on all levels because that forces you to grind out for that next cool thing.  Rather then whats above where I could take my sweet time, work in training a skill up while exploring, trading, etc.

I really like the idea of organizations handing out freebies too.  Not only the military but others too (Like Science Corps, etc) and even player corps that pay a fee to allow all members access to train a skill.

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Precursors / Interaction between the book and the game?

« on: October 01, 2005, 09:39:43 pm »

progress should be defined in many different ways.  A smuggler who is damn good at evading people and places, top 1% of the galaxy is definetly legendary.  Leader of the largest player guild in the galaxy, also Legendary.  So the basic idea would have to involve character interaction with the world, not just levels, skills, kills, etc.

If I start the game 6 months after release I should be able, with enough dedication, become legendary before the average joe who signed up day one.

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Precursors / Player Advancement

« on: October 01, 2005, 07:27:11 pm »

Who cares?  They'll be paying the same as a character who is actively playing.  No queue though, we'd force them to do it through the game or possible a website that way we can get news and other items out to them.

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Precursors / Player Advancement

« on: September 29, 2005, 07:27:15 pm »

Basically, the only thing I'm not sure about is how to modify this to fit a whole, "Players focus more on the character itself, and not on levels/stats." scheme of things...

That's the beauty of the system I suggested above, there are no levels, no grinding out killing repatitive mobs, etc.  You learn with your character, you explore, you interact, hell you don't even have to be logged in 24/7 to advance.  However, if you want to be a number cruncher (every game has them) you'd be able to min/max, go right for the best bang for the time.  Powergamers and casual players a like will advance and feel that special bond to their character.  That was my biggest draw to the system in Eve online, I could go on vacation in real life for a couple of weeks to ireland, I came back and my character was better.

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Precursors / Player Advancement

« on: September 29, 2005, 11:49:51 am »

So now that a basic overview is done i have some ideas for how skills, feats, abilities, etc should work.

Advancement could be broken down into 3 sections:

1.) Traits
*  At certain skill point plateus a character is allowed to pick a trait.  This trait would give them a bonus to certain skills.  So every 100,00 skill points i could pick: Excellent Hacker, +5 to all hacking skills or Heavy Hand, +5 to intimidate skills.  Traits would allow characters to becomine extremely personalized and unique.

2.) Skills
* Characters can train skills even while offline.  Skills take x amount of minutes based on the difficult (how many prerequisite skills) and the characters traits.  So, my character who wants to be a money launderer trains Tax Evasion level I.  It takes 2 horus to complete and then I move onto Tax Evasion level II which takes 8 hours.  I then move onto Money Laundering level I which requires TE II and will take 6 hours.  
* The main benefit is for people like me who cant always play but want to improve their character.
* All devices, ships would have skill requirements before being able to sue

3.) Abilities
* Characters can purchase and learn special abilities from NPCs and other PCs.  These abilities would have durations and cooldown times associated.  In my money launderer example, I need an ability to avoid the popo if I get caught.  I find a smuggler/outlander to teach me Beginner Evasion, which allows me once per hour to completely avoid detenction for 10 minutes.

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Precursors / Player Advancement

« on: September 29, 2005, 09:24:08 am »

So its time I start contributing again.....

Player Advancement, how do we keep them coming back for more like a good drug?  I've played pretty much every MMORPG in the last 6 years so I can tell you exactly what I do and do not like.  Let's break this down into phases:

Character Creation - Users should be able to create a highly customizable character (facial features, attitude, etc) and not have to worry about messing up with bad stats.  Everquest had this problem, where if you picked to put all your points into Intelligence as a fighter you were boned for quite some time.  Abilities should not very too much other then by race.  No class choices at creation.

First Days - The first time that User logins in with their new character they should be greeted and offered a tutorial dependant on their race.  Characters should follow the tutoiral to get a basic understanding of the mission system, communicating, fighting, travel, ship systems, etc.  A little taste of everything.  This tutorial and initial system should be downloadable and free...hook the players here, get them wanting more.  It would be important to make them feel involved in the story and want to purchase the game.

First Week - Characters should start interacting with other people, NPCs and start deciding on skills, classes, etc..some kind of a goal for their character.  We should never lock them in to just one though.  With Eve Online I could switch with time to any other role I wanted (from fighter to trader to miner to industrial).  

First Month - Characters might have a list of friends that they've been in contact with and share similar ideals with.  A corporate, group,etc is formed, this bond is often the most important in an MMORPG.

First Year - Character is well established in the story line, player world, and so forth.  He has reach a lot of goals and also set new ones at the same time.  The user has become very attached to his character and would no cherish starting over.

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Precursors / mmorpg design article

« on: August 18, 2005, 09:39:27 pm »

http://www.mmogchart.com/Chart8_files/Subscriptions_9109_image001.gif

current mmoprg trends

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Precursors / Space Flight Controls, and Realism

« on: August 18, 2005, 03:52:46 pm »

I would have to say at the moment flying is pretty, i dont know, unintuitive.  I've tried a couple of times now to master getting near the other ship and flying around it only to get lost in the void or a number of other odd things.

So is the goal to make it really realistic or fun (or a middle ground)?  All of the games I've played in the past were purely on the fun side (x-wing, tie fighter, wing commander series, privateer series, etc.).

topher

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Precursors / Races

« on: August 16, 2005, 09:28:08 am »

Exactly, i was picturing a group of players too working with and maybe some against.  It would be just awesome!!

Can I be a fanboi of our own game?

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Precursors / Guilds, Corps, Player Goverments

« on: August 16, 2005, 09:07:39 am »

Along those lines to we would have notify the user that all submissions become our property and we own them, erm it, forever.

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Precursors / Guilds, Corps, Player Goverments

« on: August 16, 2005, 08:50:21 am »

If we limited it to just planets and just the terrain/structures i would be more accepting of it.  I was just thinking they got their own little chunk of space and good npc it, resource it, and do all of that.  Plus, it's not like every joe can just make a planet/terrain, there is a lot ot that.

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Precursors / Races

« on: August 16, 2005, 08:44:01 am »

I like the idea of more caveman like races that can't even get it up...erm, space fllight.  Maybe allowing the players to help them reach that goal is a plot arch we can use.  

Image this:

A player who likes to explore (we need to make sure we suppor this) finds a planet with no space defenses.  He  enters the planets atmosphere (speaking of which i have an awesome idea for this) and touches down on planet.  He is presented with an alien race that is in awe of his godness and space ship.  The player then can help them gain a spqace program, equipment, so forth and some day make it into space.

A little twist would be that their are a really greedy, warfaring nation and once in space they start an aggressive compain against other planets.

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Precursors / Game Music

« on: August 15, 2005, 05:24:33 pm »

Ask me what any of the music in the last 5 MMORPGs i played was and I'd say I have no clue.  It's the first thing I do when i get a new game.  My wife on the other hand always has it cranked to the max....

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Precursors / Space Flight Controls, and Realism

« on: August 15, 2005, 08:36:07 am »

I like the concept of n00b ships being easier but there would still need to be an override.  The main reason I got interested in this game project was the fact I could actually use a joystick and fly my ship (no other mmorpg space game has had this).  I would hate to buy the game and then have to have the carrot dangled in front of me.

topher

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Precursors / The 3 Paths

« on: August 15, 2005, 08:34:39 am »

There should be no set class/profession/whatever you wanna call it.  In real life I could go from a computer programmer to a male stripper in a moments time (assuming i qualified of course   ).  I'd like to see skills or abilities that I can learn and that way I can do whatever I want.

Keeping it wide open is the way to go.