- MMO: Massively Multiplayer Online…
- MMOG: Massively Multiplayer Online
Game
- MMOPW: Massively Multiplayer Online
Persistent World
- MMORPG: Massively Multiplayer
Role-playing Game
There are already at least a dozen significant MMORPGs up and running. By the
end of this year, you can add Horizons II, Uru: Ages of Myst, and Final Fantasy
XI to the crowd. But even after that, there's no end in sight. We're in the
middle of an MMORPG gold rush, with companies hurtling headlong into the battle
for your time and, more importantly, your monthly fee. The big question is whether
there will be enough players to go around. Many of these games will be facing
tough odds. In alphabetical order, we offer our outlook for the titles you'll
see coming out in 2004 and beyond.
City of Heroes Developer:
Cryptic Studios Publisher: NCSoft
http://www.cityofheroes.com/
The basics: You're one of the superhuman defenders of the American metropolis
of Paragon City, which has just repelled an alien invasion. Although you can
hang around the city streets to foil minor crimes, the real action is in the
ruined sections of the city, where you'll face aliens, monsters, and supervillains.
There's a faction system whereby if you keep fighting a particular group or
type of villain, they might take on the role of your nemesis and attack you
when you're not expecting it.
A superhero game needs a flexible character building system. In City of Heroes,
you choose an origin, which is like your basic class, then you customize it
by picking superpowers and, of course, a costume. As you fight enemies, you'll
gain experience to improve your superpowers. Characters will have a fluctuating
fame rating determined by factors like how much success they've had and whether
they've caused any collateral damage. As you fight, you get Inspirations from
defeated enemies, which you can spend to boost your powers. You'll also earn
money that can be used to buy inventory items to augment your powers, but the
emphasis will be on your powers rather than your inventory.
The pros: It's a superhero MMO! 'Nuff said.
The cons:
No, you can't play as a villain and PvP is restricted to arenas.
Dragon Empires Developer:
Codemasters Publisher: Codemasters
http://www.codemasters.com/dragonempires/uk/index.php
The basics: Dragon Empires is based on the fiction of Piers Anthony, who wrote
the game's basic backstory in which five empires struggle for control of cities,
each with its own dragon guardian. This idea is used to build the game around
a PvP structure in which groups of players fight each other for control of the
cities. The owner of a city can build new structures to improve it. You can
even engage in economic struggles with other cities.
Combat is built around a stamina management system that should require more
tactics than the standard 'waiting for your skill to refill before you click
on it'. Furthermore, using a skill requires equipping an associated inventory
item. Fighting is encouraged with some innately opposed classes, like the Outlaw
and Bounty Hunter, and the ability to loot some items from killed characters.
Codemasters says leveling will happen quicker to get characters to a point where
they can be competitive in PvP situations sooner.
The pros:
The PvP emphasis.
The cons:
The PvP emphasis.
Dungeons and Dragons Online Developer: Turbine Entertainment
Publisher: Atari
http://www.turbinegames.com/products/index.php?section=dnd
The basics:
This one is being created by Turbine Entertainment, where they're
also busy keeping Asheron's Call and Asheron’s Call 2 online while also developing
Middle Earth Online. The terse press release mentions guilds, territorial control,
and dungeons (we could have guessed that last one). The game mechanics will
be built around the 3.5 edition D&D rules with an emphasis on smaller worlds
of a few hundred players centered around a town.
The pros:
It's about time someone slapped Dungeons & Dragons over an MMO. And
smaller worlds potentially mean more meaningful player interaction with each
other and the world.
The cons:
Will the 3.5 rules really fit well into an MMO, which requires a completely
different type of gameplay?
EverQuest II Developer: Sony Online Entertainment
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
http://everquest2.station.sony.com/
The basics:
Ladies and gentlemen, the MMO that needs no introduction. All Sony
Online Entertainment has to do is release something. Anything. Then - blammo!
- a few hundred thousand subscribers based on the name alone.
Fortunately, there's some potentially impressive new stuff here. First is the
new graphics engine, which uses cutting edge technology for environments, monsters,
and intricately customizable player characters. The sequel is set in the same
world as the original EverQuest, but centuries later, so some familiar locations
will still be around. Among the new additions to gameplay are family connections,
a reworked skill system, level progression that doesn't give the higher level
characters all the fun, character aging, an emphasis on shorter bursts of focused
gameplay rather than drawn out grinds, new PvP rules for non-PvP servers, a
reworked ecological system, spawned quest dungeons called 'pocket zones', interactive
environmental effects, and a naval element.
The pros:
No other MMO has been even remotely as successful as EverQuest. If
that's not a ringing endorsement, we don't know what is.
The cons:
Sony Online Entertainment has to manage to tricky problem of how to
integrate the single most popular and lucrative MMO ever with its sequel. EverQuest
players are a natural target audience that can't be ignored, but Sony obviously
doesn't want players canceling their accounts to migrate to the sequel. Will
their attempts to encouraging players to participate in both games work? Or
will they be just another time sink that separates the elite powergamers who
will keep active accounts in both games?
Guild Wars Developer:
ArenaNet Publisher: NCSoft
http://www.guildwars.com/
The basics:
Perhaps the most notable thing to make Guild Wars stand out is its
approach to minimizing the disparity between power gamers and lower level characters.
The skill system in Guild Wars is built around making difficult choices. Although
you gain skills as you level up and go on quests, your character can never have
more than eight at a time when he goes out fighting. ArenaNet cites Magic: the
Gathering as an example of this model: although an experienced player might
have hundreds of cards, he's just as limited as the new player to using only
a certain number at a time. This also encourages team play, since each additional
character increases the number of skill "slots" your party can use.
Guild Wars is being developed by the chief architects of Blizzard's battle.net,
who've formed their own company. The game's name comes from the option to participate
in structured PvP tournaments where the winning guild controls a castle that
gives them an income bonus. However, they'll have to defeat challengers to keep
control of it. For PvE, you can instantly travel to spawned quest areas. Because
they aren't part of the persistent world, they should allow for tricks like
deformable terrain.
The pros:
No monthly fee! You buy the game and play as much as you want. ArenaNet
says they'll make their revenue over time by releasing expansion packs.
The cons:
While the limited skill slots is an interesting play dynamic, there's
not much of a hook to distinguish Guild Wars from the thousand and one other
generic fantasy MMORPGs.
Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle
Developer: NCSoft Publisher: NCSoft
http://www.lineage2.com/
The basics:
In case you missed it, which you probably did given it's mixed reception
in the US, the first Lineage was a huge phenomenon in Korea, where it was developed.
The second Lineage is almost like an update of the first, with similar gameplay
but dramatically improved technology (the first game used a 2D engine). Lineage
II has already launched in Korea to record sales.
Part of the appeal of Lineage is its simple mouse driven interface, with point
and click interaction with the environment and other characters, and a customizable
toolbar for skills. As you progress in levels, you choose increasingly specialized
classes so you won't be locked into a particular type of gameplay until after
you've played for a while. Social interaction is encouraged with a system whereby
characters gain benefits by pledging to each other. PvP is always an option,
but someone who attacks another character will be open to attack from anyone
else.
The dramatic set pieces that the publishers at NCSoft have been selling are
castle sieges involving players trying to storm a stronghold defended by other
players. Then there are the dragons, a staple of any good fantasy world. In
Lineage II, you can find dragon eggs, hatch them, and raise your very own dragon
to eventually become a flying mount.
The pros:
Millions of people in Korea can't be wrong. Can they? And although
it was a hard lesson, it's safe to assume the US reception of the first Lineage
gave NCSoft some ideas about how to make Lineage II appeal to a wider audience.
The cons:
Yet another vanilla fantasy world is liable to get lost in the shuffle
of vanilla fantasy worlds.
The Matrix Online Developer:
Monolith Publisher: UbiSoft
http://www.thematrixonline.com/
The basics:
Although Ubi Soft has done very little press on The Matrix Online,
you can glean a few details. The game takes place entirely within the matrix,
after the events of the third movie (Spoiler! Apparently Neo doesn't manage
to destroy the matrix at the end of Revolutions!). The setting is a living urban
environment inhabited by neutral NPCs. The combat will involve gunplay and "wire-fu",
with bullet time somehow built into the action. Playing on the movies' concept
of being able to download skills ("I know kung fu..."), players will be able
to acquire skills and exchange them with each other like trading cards.
The pros:
The developers at Monolith have done a consistently bang-up job lately,
turning out smartly written and tightly designed games. The virtual reality
of the matrix is a great concept for an MMO and Monolith has shown they know
how to use a reality-bending license with Tron. Let's just hope they give us
character customization options beyond black leather and sunglasses.
The cons:
The big question is whether this month's Matrix: Revolution will restore
flagging enthusiasm for the franchise after Matrix: Reloaded and Shiny's Enter
the Matrix game. When The Matrix Online actually goes online, how many people
will still care? The Matrix universe will still have its share of rabid fans
-- certainly enough to sustain a modest MMO -- but will there be enough of a
wider audience to make this one of the MMO success stories or just another also-ran?
Middle Earth Online Developer: Turbine Entertain
ment
Publisher: Vivendi Universal
http://www.lordoftherings.com/meo/
The basics:
Tolkein's world, the inspiration for most modern fantasy, is a natural
for an MMORPG. There haven't been many details disclosed about this game since
it debuted at E3 in the form of a demo of a Hobbit shire and a quest in Moria
that ended with the appearance of a Balrog. The Hobbit shire was used to demonstrate
cute little touches like pipe smoking and festivals. The Moria quest was used
to show off how Middle Earth Online will model the moral choices Tolkein imposed
on his characters; in Middle Earth Online, you can find powerful magical equipment,
but you'll gradually skew towards good or evil depending on which items you
use. Players can group into Fellowships for questing and larger Kinships for
social elements like guild housing.
The pros:
If ever there was a foolproof geek magnet for an MMO, this is it.
Even better, Tolkein now has mainstream cred thanks to Peter Jackson's movies.
The cons:
It's tough to know how this game will play when it's done, but the
demo really looked like a mod for Asheron's Call 2, which is one of four MMOs
created by Turbine Entertainment. Can they give it a distinctive enough touch
so that it's more than just a Tolkein mod?
Mythica Developer: Microsoft Game Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
http://mythica.com/
The basics:
This is a Norse, but not too Norse, approach to the typical fantasy
setting. You're a warrior who's been recruited posthumously to return to earth
as an immortal, helping the gods prevent a divine apocalypse. Your choice of
god determines your basic class and skill options. You're an immortal in a world
populated with mortal NPCs who can either worship or fear you based on your
actions. If you choose to help one of the mortal races of humans, dwarves, or
elves, you can further customize your appearances and abilities.
In addition to the wide-open public areas that will have their own sets of quests,
hunting grounds, and dungeons, there are spawned areas called private realms.
But these aren't the sorts of randomly built temporary areas you see in other
MMORPGs. Instead, they're elaborately crafted persistent areas created for a
specific character or group. As you visit them and interact with their particular
storylines, they can change over time. You'll have the option to help the denizens
of a private realm or just plunder them. Either way, these are intended to bring
Mythica a bit of the depth you'd normally only find in single player RPGs.
The pros:
The private realms made for a dazzling demo at E3 and set Mythica
apart from other MMOs. The Norse angle is just enough of a twist to distinguish
Mythica from generic fantasy, but not strange enough to alienate players who
don't feel like playing a Viking game.
The cons:
Will the scripting in the private realms really allow for the freedom
the developers are promising or will it be like jumping through hoops? And can
the developers include enough content to make the private realms meaningful
for power players?
Pirates of the Burning Sea Developer: Flying Labs
Software Publisher: Flying
Labs Software
http://www.piratesoftheburningsea.com/
The basics:
The setting is the 18th Century Caribbean, but with a touch of magic
seeping into the world. You choose your role as a pirate, a military officer,
or a merchant and set out to make your fortune in a dynamic economy and gain
fame according to the reputation system. You'll be braving the perils of weather,
NPC ships, and maybe even a bit of supernatural horror.
Russian developers Akella, who created the Pirates of the Caribbean games, are
providing the detailed 3D ship models that reflect damage during battle. These
models can be customized by players. You can even create your own models and
textures. If they're approved by a peer review group, you can use them ingame
as unique designs or sell them to other players. Later upgrades will add player
avatars (initially you're just playing as a ship), the explorer class, property
ownership, and a crafting system that lets a group of players collaborate to
build their own ships.
The pros:
With its unique setting and lack of static dungeons and content, this
might be a welcome new twist on the standard MMO pattern.
The cons:
The developers at Flying Labs are self-publishing this game. In an
agreement with Valve, they'll be distributing it solely online via Steam. Although
the game is geared to smaller servers with only a few thousand players, will
the lack of retail presence hurt Pirates of the Burning Sea?
Priest Developer: JC Entertainment
Publisher: JC Entertainment
http://www.gamepriest.com/
The basics:
Priest is based on a Korean horror comic set in the American Old
West. Go ahead, read that again if you need to. The story revolves around the
battle between the Catholic Templars and the demonic Heretics to control a circle
of twelve counties in New Mexico that have form a powerful mystical circle.
In the game, the Templars use conventional weapons like swords and six-shooters,
while the Heretics can use detachable body parts to swap out claws and hooks
for combat. Fighting is supposed to be more like a first person shooter than
the click, wait, click, wait of other MMORPGs.
The pros:
A refreshingly unique setting. Someone, anyone, give us a Western
themed game, even if it is spiked with horror!
The cons:
Is there enough of an audience for this or is it just some kooky Korean
thing?
Ryzom Developer: Nevrax
Publisher: Wanadoo
http://www.ryzom.com/
The basics:
Ryzom's intriguing world of Atys is basically a giant plant. It
is an organic planet devoid of innate metal or rock, infused with magical Sap,
divided into the upper level Canopy, the Bark in the middle, and Roots at the
very bottom. Weapons in Atys are made from wood, seeds are money, and many buildings
are grown instead of built. Among the inhabitants are the mischievous Kamis
offering godly magical powers and the mysterious Karavan with their eldritch
technology.
The player comes into this world as one of four races: the desert warrior Fyros,
the carefree island culture of the Trykers, the elven Matis, or the jungle-dwelling
Zorais magicians. Characters advance along a classless system that lets them
alternate among more than 30 different "jobs", each with their own skill set.
The developers at Nevrax want their online world to be shaped by players. They'll
try to do this by emphasizing player guilds. Every player is always a member
of guild, even if it’s just your race's default guild. Guilds have unique advantages,
such as being able to hire NPCs who can teach its members skills. Guild can
also conquer NPC tribes that inhabit Atys's various regions, taking control
of a region to accumulate its resources, which can then be spent building cities.
Furthermore, once a guild has conquered a tribe, they can control it in their
wars against other guilds.
The pros:
The weird funky look and feel you'd expect from a French developer
-- Nevrax is located in Paris -- is very much in evidence here. This could give
Ryzom a distinctive style to sets it apart from other generic fantasy settings.
The cons:
The developers are an ambitious group, but this is their first game
and a lot of the discussion has been theoretical. Also, there's not much of
a hook to set Ryzom apart from other MMOs, which can be the kiss of death in
a field of franchises and sequels.
True Fantasy Live Online Developer: Level 5
Publisher: Microsoft
http://www.xbox.com/en-us/tflo/default.htm
The basics:
This MMO is built around the Xbox multiplayer service, Xbox Live,
which means it will support full voice communication. The world of True Fantasy
is one of those distinctly Japanese anime fantasy worlds, rendered with cel-shaded
graphics, where everyone looks sixteen years old. However, the character models
should evolve to display various states of health and fitness. Microsoft promises
continually new content, but initially there will be four nations, each with
an ongoing storyline that might even include a nation being destroyed or conquered
based on players' actions. Characters can have multiple classes, so you can
play a fighter and a tailor with the same avatar. One of the few odd details
that's been announced is that players will be able to travel using rideable
mounts, ships, and -- get this -- broomsticks. Are they angling for the Harry
Potter fans?
The pros:
The most promising thing about this game is who's making it. Level
5 is an accomplished developer of fantasy RPGs. Their latest, Dark Cloud 2 for
the Playstation 2, was an absolute masterpiece. It played a bit like a single
player MMORPG and perhaps offers a glimpse of what True Fantasy Live Online
might be like.
The cons:
Do you really want other players actually talking to you over your
headset? Also, Microsoft hasn't announced a pricing structure, but it's likely
there will be a charge in addition to the cost of the Xbox Live service. Still,
it should be cheaper than ponying up for the Playstation's Final Fantasy MMO,
which requires a monthly fee as well as the purchase of a hard drive and network
adapter.
Ultima X: Odyssey Developer: Origin
Publisher: Electronic Arts
http://uxo.ea.com/
The basics:
Electronic Arts' long dormant Origin has been busy working on this
MMO, which is more a follow-up to the single player Ultimas that a sequel to
Ultima Online. Much of the game world is built around the eight Virtues, which
are the paths for character advancement. When you begin a character, you select
its race (including pixies, gargoyles, and fuzzy rodents), path (akin to a category),
and discipline (akin to a class). During the course of playing, you can choose
a Virtue. As you go on quests that have multiple solutions, you'll increase
your rank in that Virtue. Maxing out a Virtue will unlock a special power. Any
player dedicated enough to max out all eight Virtues will unlock a slot for
a Disciple character. Disciples begin with special bonuses, they can reach higher
levels, and they can max out all eight Virtues to eventually unlock even more
powerful Disciples. Eventually, a player can attain Avatar status.
The questing system will spawn private zones that are like temporary separate
shards of public areas. Among the loot you can find will be sentient magic items
that can be enchanted with certain Virtues. These enchanted weapons will gain
experience and power along with the player. Ultima X Online's combat system
is based on timing. Rather than waiting on an attack button to recharge, you
have to time it yourself to determine its effectiveness. For instance, when
you're swinging a sword, a left click attacks and a right click improves your
defense. Rapid clicks will have less power, but slower clicks will, of course,
take more valuable time.
The pros:
Ultima is one of the oldest and longest RPG series, while Ultima Online
is one of the founding fathers of the MMORPG. It's about time they're being
updated.
The cons:
The game's best carrot -- becoming an Avatar -- seems to be aimed
strictly at powergamers willing to pour lots of time into multiple characters.
Also, the Ultima series is sort of moribund these days, so will there be enough
new converts?
Warhammer Online Developer: Climax
Publisher: Games Workshop
http://www.warhammeronline.com/
The basics:
The dark industrial fantasy world that began Games Workshop's series
of miniatures will be the setting for this MMO. You choose one of the good races
(you can't play as an evil race and PvP will be very limited). You distinguish
your character by finding training for various skills. The magic system is fueled
by environment-based mana that depends on where you are in the world. As a spellcaster
channels this mana, he takes damage. However, the higher his level, the quicker
the spell is cast, and the less damage he takes. Since magic is an unstable
power, the more spells you cast, the greater chance you have of unleashing some
sort of unexpected chaos.
Among some of the distinct touches in Warhammer Online are light based stealth,
racial languages, and the lack of combat conventions like being able to 'con'
a monster to determine its strength before you enter combat. Warhammer Online
will initially launch in the UK to be followed by a North American release a
few months later.
The pros:
If anyone can capture the dark gritty look and feel of the Warhammer
universe, it's Games Workshop, the company co-creating Warhammer Online who
is also responsible for the original miniatures game that started the franchise.
The cons:
Games Workshop has no experience with MMOs and a lot of the information
they've released is vague and theoretical. Other than the magic system and IP,
there aren't many original selling points.
World of Warcraft Developer: Blizzard
Publisher: Blizzard
http://www.blizzard.com/wow
The basics:
When World of Warcraft debuts -- and given Blizzard's track record
with release dates, who knows when this will be? -- it will offer gamers a chance
to experience a very popular franchise in a new way. One of the most intriguing
things about Worlds of Warcraft is the way it effectively captures the look
and feel of the Warcraft RTSs. Many of the classes and their skills are directly
drawn from Warcraft III: the Paladin, the Druid, and the Mage are all readily
identifiable with their RTS versions. Furthermore, Worlds of Warcraft is built
around an online version of Azeroth, complete with goblin zeppelins and griffons
for transportation, summonable Infernals and Voidwalkers, and a bevy of familiar
locations and characters.
The races they've announced so far are the expected Orcs, Humans, Night Elves,
and Dwarves. There are also Gnomes, bull-like Taurens, and Undead (after years
of bashing them in RPGs, who wouldn't want to finally play as the undead?).
The classes, each with unique skill sets, include invisible Rogues, beast taming
Hunters, Warlocks who can summon monsters, a Warrior with specialized combat
moves, a buffing lighting flinging Shaman. Blizzard plans a Diablo style skill
sets that will let people dramatically differentiate characters from the same
class. Spawning dungeons will avoid congestion and selectable quest rewards
will make it easier to tailor your inventory. Arena based matches limited by
level should make PvP an option even for new characters. And leveling pets should
give it a bit of Diablo II's hireling vibe.
The pros:
If anyone can manage a smooth MMO launch, it should be Blizzard. They
know how to polish games to near-perfection before releasing them, taking all
the time they need to refine gameplay balance and interface issues. And after
years of perfecting battle.net, they know how to manage thousands of people
crowding into their servers.
The cons:
Blizzard has never been known for innovation. Will this ultimately
come across as 'just another MMO'? |
