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Single Shard PVE world with epic travel and exploration - Do you want a world or a game?

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  • EronakisEronakis Member UncommonPosts: 2,248

    Originally posted by Vocadi

    This is an interesting topic and everyone has very valid points. I feel that there definitely needs to be a balance. Exploration and a sense of wonder at a new environment can only go so far.

    For example, you go on a trek up a mountain path that could take 45 mins in real time but now your in the middle of no where, your phone is ringing, dinner is ready, dog has to pee whatever and you have to log out.

    Was there a sense of acomplishment for that 45 minute walk? Did you find any cool creatures or hidden treasures. Did you see a nifty old ruin that needs to be explored later on? These are all things that need to be considered. Because just walking or travelling long distances to get from point A to point B with few breadcrumbs in between can get old fast.

    I recently installed EQ when it went free to play. Decided to check out Highpass hold, so I ran from Qeynos. I forgot how long it actually took to travel on foot anywhere. Almost two hours later I reached my destination. Back in the day, I don't remember the huge zones and all the travelling to be a big deal and in fact I recalled the  zones fondly in EQ. But times have changed for me and I no longer have time to spend hightailing it from here to yonder. 

    So, I guess really my point in this is exploration is key, but how its implemented is even more important. Just as in grinding a level fighting mobs is a reward for that time spent, so to must there be equal and tangible reward for time spent travelling and exploring. I feel that the act in itself cannot sustain interest.

     

    If this idea I have suggested in the OP can be plausible, then the mind set of players of traditional mmo's would have to go out the door. The whole landscape of gameplay would have to change. In some cases on what you've described here would happen.

     

    The quest mechanics would have to change from tasks to actual quests. Epic travel would be there, but there has to be some kind of incentive for "epic travel". And to give those incentives they have to derive from quests, which would really be an adventure. They would be scripted events that would happen during "epic" travel that will act as checkpoints in order progress the quest line.

     

    I have three different ideas for quest mechanics that could help compliment this issue and might make more sense for questing in general. I see quests acting as chooise your own adventure books. Minor checkpoints lead to a climax and that climax is where the player has to choose what path they take. The choice after that climax would be final. After each climax you would that reward. There are Distinguished quests, Discover Quests and Missives.

     


    • The distinguished type is one continuous quest line that you will start at certain levels depending on the choices you make at character creation, such as racial and class specific quests. These distinguished quests come to an end when your character has a revelation of the central story art what ever distinquished quest there is. These will usually last until end game. The other distinguished quest you will get a little later on in levels that will tell the lore of the world and continue the main plot that is currently taken place. Distinguished quests rewards players with new race or class specific epic items, new materials or designs for crafting classes, ect. These quests will use the whole world.

     


    • The discover quests are types that are scattered out the world which can be hidden as well as un-lockable depending on the route of progress you have with your distinguished quests. (Usually find discover quests through exploration) Discover quests can be distinguished by using the continual choose your own story adventure apporach or simple just missive quests. Discover quests rewards players with new types of materials for crafting classes, and rare items that are unique to the game world. These quests will also use the whole world.

     


    • Missive quests will be the traditional tasks quests that are only limited to that zone they are found in. Most missive quests will be found in cities. Missives are quests usually static and may be repeatable. Missives may also be influenced and player made items as well, by adventuring and crafting classes. Rewards for missive quests are usually compensated with currency, different types of gems, and can create a friendly bond between you and that NPC which could unlock a new quest.

     


    I hope this helps and would be a new interested idea to negate this issue.



  • maplestonemaplestone Member UncommonPosts: 3,099

    Originally posted by Loke666

    The reason that it is so hard to make a game like that today is that modern graphics takes a lot more work than the graphics of the late 90s and unless you copy paste  the same stuff over and over everywhere a game like this with modern graphics would need a huge budget.

    I would point out that minecraft has sold more copies than SW:TOR.

    (I admit it's not really a fair comparison because the business models and prices are completely different, but I think it's enough to justify saying that graphics aren't everything when it comes to worlds; I'm also not saying MMOers should rush out and get minecraft - it's not a competitor for MMOs, just something I like to point to as a proof-of-concept of a completely different way of thinking about maps and resources, the road not taken)

  • VolkonVolkon Member UncommonPosts: 3,748

    Just reading the OP made my computer grind to a halt.

     

    You'd either need to have a very static, boring traditional world or the performance issues would be insane.

    Oderint, dum metuant.

  • EronakisEronakis Member UncommonPosts: 2,248

    Originally posted by Volkon

    Just reading the OP made my computer grind to a halt.

     

    You'd either need to have a very static, boring traditional world or the performance issues would be insane.

    I was talking to a friend in IT last night and he said that with today's technology it could work if 15-20k player capacity. If it goes over that shouuld expect performance issues and servers would shut down. My intent was to try and veer off that multi server path so all the players can get the same experience. Well if we lived in a perfect world this could happen. Unfortunately if this were to become a reality then a multi server would be the only possible outcome to have this big of a world that is seamless.

  • EronakisEronakis Member UncommonPosts: 2,248

    To just humor me, what would be some places of interest on the map if you was able to play in this world?

  • ToferioToferio Member UncommonPosts: 1,411

    To OP; just a kneejerk reaction but I personally dislike patchworks worlds, where all biomes are squuzed into one landmass. Splitting them up seems more natural and interesting. I dont really see why you are against having seamless zones splitted up between different serverclusters. I doubt we will see tech capable to host a seamless world without nodes any time soon.

     


    Originally posted by Myrdynn

    I dont understand how games that were being developed circa 1995 specifically Asheron's Call could have a completely open world, yet 17 yrs later we still dont have another

    One reason may be that the tech supporting the game doesnt advance as fast as the mechanics/visuals. 

  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247

    Originally posted by Toferio

    To OP; just a kneejerk reaction but I personally dislike patchworks worlds, where all biomes are squuzed into one landmass. Splitting them up seems more natural and interesting. I dont really see why you are against having seamless zones splitted up between different serverclusters. I doubt we will see tech capable to host a seamless world without nodes any time soon.

     


    Originally posted by Myrdynn

    I dont understand how games that were being developed circa 1995 specifically Asheron's Call could have a completely open world, yet 17 yrs later we still dont have another

    One reason may be that the tech supporting the game doesnt advance as fast as the mechanics/visuals. 

    That's a good point. You could probably do some truly amazing stuff in a game world with AC's system and graphics requirements. To go to the extreme, look at Minecraft and how much of the world you can render and terraform in real time in a multiplayer environment.

    There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
    "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

  • EronakisEronakis Member UncommonPosts: 2,248

    I think that a main reason why I hated this idea to work was to have players experience a world all at once. Where the players would be the prime influence on the world. The players will either get massive rewards or reprocussions based on their decision making as a world of players. World events would be a major factor of gameplay which would lead the world on the path of becoming better or worse.  I suppose it could still work with multiple servers and the world events would have to be triggered at the same time.

  • nariusseldonnariusseldon Member EpicPosts: 27,775
    Game, of course.

    That is why i am having loads of fun in D3.
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