Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
A game to follow in the footsteps of SWG.
PocketPower
Member Posts: 4
First, let me introduce myself.
I started playing SWG from day one, I remember buying the game from Dixons in the UK and rushing home to get it installed. The development team produced something truly unique in SWG and I haven't seen anything to compare to its in depth sandbox gameplay. It's the only Star Wars that has succesfully recreated the atmosphere of a Star Wars universe.
I stopped playing SWG before the much criticized and controversial updates. When I came back to the game it was a relic of what the game was upon release.
When I heard about the development of The Old Republic I was expecting a replica of SWG but with a much more fluent combat system (as Bioware are particularly good in this area). What The Old Republic turned out to be was Knights Of The Old Republic in a MMO setting. The lack of crafting and skill trees is disappointing.
However, The Old Republic is a great game in it's own genre.
The Important Bit -
At the present time I am a Lucas Film licensee. I have a licensing agreement which allows me to produce Star Wars products for the UK within a certain area (my licensed area is toys and collectables). My products are in the prototype stage and unfortunately I cannot disclose any information yet, but you will see them in the first quarter of 2012.
You may be thinking "well, just because you have a license doesn't mean you can reproduce SWG". Very true, the only people that can replicate SWG are SOE and LA, but that ship has sailed and I don't think it will be back in the next 5-6 years (if at all).
So, I have a question for you SWG fans.
If the core features of SWG that we all love could be implemented into an Ultima Online style game (same graphical viewpoint), would you the fans consider this to be satisfactory?
I am open to all comments, please feel free to post but please try to stay on topic (e.g, would SWG work from a different graphical viewpoint)
Comments
No.
Let it die. SOE couldn't keep it running, you and your toy license will fare no better. You're trying to combine 2 of the oldest games in the genre...why the hell would you do that? Move on. Let it go. Develop new.
I'd certainly give it a go.
What about Archage? I've always seen that as a sort of hybrid, just upgraded and newer.
-----
The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.
Are you talking about fantasy or sci-fi. The crafting system with harvesters fit better into a sci-fi setting imho.
Concept sounds interesting. But I really prefer 3D nowadays. Not that I have high graphics requirements beyond that. I just dont know if I want to go back to Ultima graphics.
Why are you mentioning my toy license? I only put it in the post to show that I have a foot in the door with Lucas Film/Lucas Arts. SOE had a much more in depth and graphically intense game that requires huge amounts of programming and modelling. Something more simplistic but with the core values of SWG could be very popular.
Two of the oldest games in the genre and two of the most revolutionary. By combining the two surely it's possible to produce something that is even better than the originals they were based on. Also, the new games such as The Old Republic require PC's in the higher end of the market. The beauty of Ultima Online is that graphically it's less intense which may appeal to a broader audience. A bigger audience could mean more subscribers which means more populated servers.
Don't think that I'm trying to be some kind of internet saviour here. Most games developers at the moment (especially those with licenses like Star Wars) are pursuing the theme park style of MMORPG because that is where the cash is. People do want very glossy 3D action fests such as The Old Republic.
However, I'm pretty sure that there is a large market for a more graphically simplistic game which contains the detailed core of SWG. Taking things back to basics isn't necessarily a bad thing.
In terms of graphics, it would have to be more detailed than Utlima Online but the viewpoint would be very similar.
I think if your toy line does well you can get the money you need to at least start up a company that can develop mmos and do it on a 3d plane. I would not be in a rush to do this one, super develop that line of yours and make as much money as you can and try to get some real funding for an mmo. Hell if anything start developing your own toy line along with your SW stuff for your mmo (If you don't have any ideas yet, I do, and would love to talk with you)
Any mmo worth its salt should be like a good prostitute when it comes to its game world- One hell of a faker, and a damn good shaker!
Creating a game from scratch without a programming team is a monumental undertaking. I know of a company that already produces sandbox sims and they are very good at what they do. I'm approaching the company as we speak but I don't think they have the resources to produce a 3D based game such The Old Republic or SWG. However, I believe they could easily reproduce something closer to Ultima Online within a suitable time frame and budget. There's also the complication of licensing. Would LucasFilm issue another license on the back of The Old Republic? My heart says yes but my brain says no.
I would like nothing better than to have a go at reproducing my own SWG clone, but I don't think I'll have that kind of capital any time soon.
I think you'd be better off burning your money than to try to recreate the past success of games from a decade ago.
No matter how great your game is, who wants to play a 2D version of SWG?!
And YOU brought up your toy license. I merely replied referencing it - I surely wasn't mocking it. You'll be a rich man soon - the Star Wars license is the closest thing to a money press this world has ever seen.
Better idea - go straight to tablets and make it a mobile app/game. <--- that's $ right there
No Star Wars needs a FPS pew pew game front like PLanetSide to truely win.
A 2D isometric game would fail big time.
I tend to agree, but it depends on how much you tweak it. Instead of the Engineering skill line building harvesters, you could have the Merchant skill line hiring various size bands of dwarves/gnomes/whatever to mine or farm for you.
As far as I am concerned, the closest thing coming down the line to something hardcore SWG fans might like in terms of gameplay is The Repopulation. http://www.therepopulation.com/ SWG, along with several older MMOs are heavy influences on this game.
If you are asking if I would play an SWG game where the visuals/POV are similar to UO or Diablo (what do they call that POV? God?), then the answer for me is no.
A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.
Hey Pocket,
first, much props to trying to bring back the games we loved. Personally, I couldnt go back to playing a 2D game that had the MMO tag associated to it. You'll get some subs, people will play it, and that might be just enough to get your name out there and allow you to make bigger games in the future. It's a step in the right direction.
I agree with some of the posts that have stated for you to move on and make something new. But, I also suggest that take from those games and improve them.
My suggestions
Blade Runner | Shadowrun
implement the crafting system and open player market of swg, conans combat system with integrated and optional free form FPS for ranged playstyle, UO's FFA playstyle in areas not controled by the king (traveler beware)
also, I'd suggest checking out Hero Engine, they are inviting game developers to create their own game worlds...for free.
keep in touch and good luck
@tux246, Sorry to snap about the toy license thing.
I appreciate all the feedback so far and by all means get your friends to put there opinions in here. I
I don't want anyone to think that I have x £millions to put into this project, I'm merely trying to get in with a developer to push this forward. However, I love Star Wars and I'm passionate about recreating something like SWG. To think that there is not another Star Wars sandbox game being produced disappoints me. Star Wars is probably the best sci fi/fantasy setting ever imagined and fits into the open world/sandbox style so well.
I'll keep you updated.
If you mean an isometric projection style like UO has, i personally have no problem since i am used to it from around the eighties, but i think most gamers don't like it thus i recommend perspective projection (first or third person) like most games do.
Nowadays graphics lure more than gameplay does. Keep that in mind.
I'd rather the "Core" Concepts of SW:G be taken to a SpaceBalls Universe.....
Mel Brooks is much easier to work with.....
Spaceballs: THE MMO
MMO History: 2528 days in SW:G
If your going to make a game that graphicly looks like or worse then a facebook app and think charging a standard 15$ monthly fee give up now. From a business perspective your basic idea might work but only if you abandon the notion that a standard monthly fee setup is the only route you'll take. You'll prolly take some flac from it on these forums but thats the nature of devoloping a sandbox title. Unfortunately graphics matter alot to most people look at the the posts on swtor graphics lately just as an example, now your proposing using a graphics worse then this and the only way your gonna get away with that is to make the game either b2p or f2p or maybe with a sub-model like clone wars were its 5.99 would be your best bet. Not alot of people will pay 15 per month for a game that looks graphicly like what there phone can produce.
The other thing you gotta keep in mind is with this type of title is targeted to a niche group and a niche group that splinters everywhere just your setting you decide on will make the target group smaller, some want fantasy cause they've had their fill of a sci-fi sandbox with eve, others hate the fantasy setting and will never go back to it.
Next thing you end up looking at is ffa pvp, do you add it, if you don't people will scream your sandbox is not a real sandbox. While another group will be asking for a sandbox that focuses more on pve content and don't want to deal with a full loot ffa pvp system. Another choice that further makes your target audience smaller.
My dream game:
#1. Star Wars Universe
#2. SWTOR's combat & story.
#3. SWG's world size, world housing, guild housing, CRAFTING, social elements, endless clothing items, loads of races, the old 30+ profession skill system, character design, deep space content, and general feeling of being in the Star Wars universe.
#4. A realistic PvP setting (NO INSTANCED BG TRASH). If you join the Rebel or Imperial faction, expect to be attacked by the opposing faction on sight. If you wish not to delve into PvP, then remain neutraly. They can make this as deep as they want.
#5. Star Wars Motion Picture Soundtrack
#6. So many different weapons, armors, and items that I will always find something new after a solid year of playing.
#7. Randomized Item Stats on Loot.
I yearn for a SandPark... but with mostly sand.
As for playing a deep and realistic 2D version of Star Wars, I'd give it a go. But I wouldn't be too terribly excited about it - unless it looked as good as Diablo III or the new Lineage 2D game.
Also, I woudln't touch it if it is something like Richard Garriot's new "Facebook" MMO. Ugh. Such a turnoff.
Would SWG in a WoW skin be as good is the basic question. It has been done before, Doom had user made levels based on Aliens, Star Trek and of course Star Wars. Were they any good? No BUT that was because they just weren't very good and only applied a skin to a totally different kind of game. Aliens from Alien don't behave as Doom monsters and the Aliens marine is not a super man.
Star Trek is not about running around a level and killing everything no matter what Voyager did when it raped the franchise. Neither is Star Wars for that matter.
But adding a Star Wars skin to Secret weapons of the luftwaffe gave us X-wing and that very much did work.
The advantage of using an existing license is that you can avoid the awkward universe creation, Asian MMO's suffer from this badly as you are overloaded with an avalanche of weird city, ruler, god, skill, class and slang in the attempt to create a feeling for a new world but in reality just forcing you to remember a new name for tank, which nobody does anyway.
If you made a new game with the same mechanics, you would not have the regoniztion factor. All that makes Star Wars a fond association for people would be lost and you would be left to create a similar feeling on your own.
Now a simple test: name a single MMO that did this...
Name a MMO where a sound of an enemy or environment instantly transports you to back to the game.. like the hum of a lightsaber or a tie fighter passing you by.
OP I know you mean well, but please don't waste your time / money.
Dont think it would work at all. A lot of people who were into SWG were into Star Wars (duh) and Star Wars fans get pretty pissy when even George goes changing stuff, what do you think they'll do to someone they dont even know?
Point is anyways, at this point the draw of SWG would be the nostalgia feeling and you'd completely remove that and essentially be making a new game. Wouldnt work to draw in old fans of SWG.