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Poll: Medievalistic fantasy or much more steampunk tech mixed in?
varkar
Member Posts: 2
As a thought experiment, pretend a MMORPG comes out a few years from now which is overall good enough that you might be leaning towards playing it almost regardless of its setting.
Which of the following two setting possibilities would be most likely to result in you playing?
Setting #1: A classic fantasy setting, ranging from medievalistic technology up to the blackpowder pirate era, mixed with magic. The basic setting is thus not unusual or novel, but the game is innovative in other ways. Besides, the historical popularity of similar settings exists for quite a reason. Both melee and ranged combat specialities readily fit. There are rogues, warriors, mages, healers, and so on. The world has a feel of adventure to it, of many unknown new lands to explore, dungeons and islands with dangers and riches, etc.
Setting #2: This is a hypothetical more novel setting. It is still fantasy, also including magic from mages to healers, but it takes the tech level somewhat higher than usual for such. The blackpowder era has recently ended, but there are still pirates and privateers --- only, on this alien world, they are now using airships, magitech-biotech submersible raider vessels on the seas, raiding merchant caravans on land, etc. One player class wields twin revolvers. Steampunk and Western elements are high, even while mixed with those of classic fantasy. The world still has as many mysterious new areas for adventure. Playable-species civilizations were pushed back to the brink of extinction but now are expanding after their recent magitech industrial revolution helped them slow the advance of darkness. Although trickier to feel fitting in an era with revolvers and snipers, melee is a competitive option still in class specialization, with the help of some magic for stealth, teleports, and defense.
Please don't skew towards answering #2 in the poll simply because it seems the underdog compared to traditional fantasy. Just answer accurately whichever would you really be more likely to play.
The game is as much for PvE players as for PvP players (not forced to PvP if not enjoying it). However, as one example, while inaccurate against moving enemy players, available indirect-fire long-ranged mortars could be a way to discourage prolonged stationary turtling in PvP battles (if such was considered too often boring), but would occasionally getting shelled by mortars feel too much like WWI - WWII for you to want such in a fantasy game?
Comments
What about an option for "genre/IP doesn't matter as much as the quality of the actual game itself"?
Given two completely identical games sitting on a shelf as I go into a store with the intent of choosing one, I would likely pick the fantasy.
I am far more likely to be swayed by positive word-of-mouth, although given how much pseudo-grassroots spam and fans/haters rooting for/against for one game or another, I have to admit that the value of word-of-mouth has diminished a lot in the last couple of years, especially when talking about games in the first year of their release.
I'd rather have an "epic" steampunk MMORPG than another medieval fantasy one to choose from, but my general feeling is that any given steampunk game would be less likely to hook me than a fantasy one ... if that makes any sense. I know how a fantasy world can work in an MMORPG. I'd need more convincing that a steampunk game was not just a gimmick that "broke down" once one stepped outside a narrowly-defined path of content.
I'd go with the steampunkish version. I've played a million fantasy games (slight exaggeration), so given the choice between two "more-than-likely-to-be-awesome" games, I'd pick the setting type I've yet to play. Ideally, I'd like to see a game infusing medieval fanatsy with steampunk with "Wild wild West" with futuristic SciFi. That would be freaking sweet if it could be pulled off.
But of the two choices here, bring on the 'punk.
I could just flip a coin cause I don't care all that much as long as the game is good.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
Sounds like #1 is LoTR setting and #2 is Warcraft setting. Imo, both are great. As long as melee is viable, I can still wear "knight" armor if I choose, and magic is available, I will play it.
Warcraft is indeed a valid comparison to a degree, albeit tricky in judging what tech level it counts for relatively. For instance, WoW hunter rifles are frequently graphically blackpowder muskets, like the type which would be muzzle-loaded, but their actual firing rate far more matches that of bolt-action rifles.
I do expect maintaining melee as a competitive viable option, feeling like it fits enough, would be important. Top fantasy MMORPGs have part of their combat depth and variety based on both melee and ranged specialists existing (as does actually even high-tech Star Wars TOR due to Jedi and lightsabers).
What I wonder in part is exactly how much technology should or can be mixed in while still fulfilling that objective. Mortars, multi-shot rotary grenade launchers (not for most classes but one class specializing in it), etc.?
I like good fantasy mmo as a next guy, bit its time for a great steampunk mmo with deep and rich story/lore. Hoping that some dev out there have original and inovative idea about steampunk setting.
I'll admit a fanboy bias, but I'm at the moment partial to what GW2 is bringing... a blend of fantasy, gunpowder tech and magi-tech all rolled into one. You can dual wield pistols or ride in a magical golem to bash down a gate while trebuchets rain death around you. Cannons fire into crowds of people that are returning the favor with fireballs and meteor storms.
Interesting enough... there doesn't seem to be the "steamy" aspect of your steam-punk style though.
Oderint, dum metuant.
For me #1. I don't like steampunk.
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I love fantasy, but in my opinion, guns don't belong in it.
setting one if done proberly and not mix with steam punk elements init would be the choise.
I'm not particularly a fan of steampunk itself...
...but I do love the goggles.