All right I don't think I'm taking a shot in the dark here since Bioware has been putting out feelers to a certain website pleading for writers to step up to the plate and write for them.
It's a Battletech website that has been asked for writers to join Bioware staff in their latest MMO project. And I have been told by fairly reliable sources that the writing part of the MMO is Massive enough that Bioware needs a lot of help.
But why of all places would they specifically be looking to one of the best Battletech/Mechwarrior websites out there?
I feel reasonably confident that Bioware is either working on a Stupendously massive Battletech MMO, or another similar sci-fi title slated for release in 2009.
If it is a Battletech MMO there is a plausible reason why the title hasn't been announced yet, Microsoft owns Battletech and is probably very antsy about openly supporting a project that could die a very horrid vaporware death since a BT/MW would have to be such a large undertaking that MS would need to be reasonably assured that the title will be awsome.
Even though MS hasn't done much with the Mechwarrior liscence since they acquired it I'm pretty sure it will always be a feather in their cap that is discussed at white tables when they are planning on what projects to start next. All the secrecy makes perfect sense if the title is Battletech. And Bioware is an excellent choice for a project like a Mechwarrior MMO.
On top of all that there is several ex battletech related employees working up there in canada.
Honestly, while I have played BG2, NWN, and KotOR, if Bioware's MMO isn't based on Star Wars or Mass Effect I'm boycotting it. Why? Simple. We need more sci-fi games, and I'm very tired of switching between EQ2 and WoW. Besides, WAR and AoC are fantasy based, so why do we need one more? Granted, I do feel that DDO sucked big-time and if done correctly, a Forgotten Realms based MMORPG wouldn't be a terrible thing, but I'll be very pissed if this is the case.
I sent them an Email pleading for MW, and asking that they let the hardcore MW fans help in the development process. Send them an encouraging email, it may help influence them to make a development forum where fans can bounce around ideas to help their creativity along. It would also give them an awsome place to recruit talent should any of the fans be creative writers or good with programming.
The new (Top Secret) project by Blizzard will be the end-all, rule-all game.
Not becasue of WoW, but because every, EVERY, game Blizzard has produced has been top notch. People hate on WoW because it's popular, and we all know it's not cool to like something that's too popular.
I'm hoping WAR will offer a great alternative to WoW with the RvR/PvP.
The new (Top Secret) project by Blizzard will be the end-all, rule-all game. Not becasue of WoW, but because every, EVERY, game Blizzard has produced has been top notch. People hate on WoW because it's popular, and we all know it's not cool to like something that's too popular. I'm hoping WAR will offer a great alternative to WoW with the RvR/PvP.
All of biowares games have been top notch too plus they are way better at making rpg games in general than blizzard.
Originally posted by Wiznumb The new (Top Secret) project by Blizzard will be the end-all, rule-all game. Not becasue of WoW, but because every, EVERY, game Blizzard has produced has been top notch. People hate on WoW because it's popular, and we all know it's not cool to like something that's too popular. I'm hoping WAR will offer a great alternative to WoW with the RvR/PvP.
OMG! The SWG forums equivalent of Horkathane!!!! creepy!
Originally posted by JestorRodo Originally posted by Baio2k Star Wars - Non KOTOR game.
I agree , its going to be a spanking for SWG.
Unlikely. BioWare employees have already given hinted that most of the better features of SWG like the crafting system and the whole player driven economy is not on their agenda.
Originally posted by Wiznumb The new (Top Secret) project by Blizzard will be the end-all, rule-all game. Not becasue of WoW, but because every, EVERY, game Blizzard has produced has been top notch. People hate on WoW because it's popular, and we all know it's not cool to like something that's too popular. I'm hoping WAR will offer a great alternative to WoW with the RvR/PvP.
You mean Project "Hydra". Personally I hope it's De-WoWified "World of Starcraft" but it could be an entirely new IP as well. Bottom line is that they will be in the position to reach out for world dominiation if they complement their Fantasy MMO with a Sci-Fi MMO. An interesting year lies ahead of us.
The new (Top Secret) project by Blizzard will be the end-all, rule-all game.
Not becasue of WoW, but because every, EVERY, game Blizzard has produced has been top notch. People hate on WoW because it's popular, and we all know it's not cool to like something that's too popular.
I'm hoping WAR will offer a great alternative to WoW with the RvR/PvP.
You mean Project "Hydra". Personally I hope it's De-WoWified "World of Starcraft" but it could be an entirely new IP as well. Bottom line is that they will be in the position to reach out for world dominiation if they complement their Fantasy MMO with a Sci-Fi MMO. An interesting year lies ahead of us.
This gets me if its "cool" to hate the pouplar thing then how in the hell does it stay pouplar...
Plain and simple different strokes for diffrent folks...The people that acutally take the time to post on game forums are a very small segement of the gaming pouplation..esp. here on MMORPG.com
Originally posted by Pantheon2015 Originally posted by eRAZOR2007
Originally posted by Wiznumb The new (Top Secret) project by Blizzard will be the end-all, rule-all game. Not becasue of WoW, but because every, EVERY, game Blizzard has produced has been top notch. People hate on WoW because it's popular, and we all know it's not cool to like something that's too popular. I'm hoping WAR will offer a great alternative to WoW with the RvR/PvP.
You mean Project "Hydra". Personally I hope it's De-WoWified "World of Starcraft" but it could be an entirely new IP as well. Bottom line is that they will be in the position to reach out for world dominiation if they complement their Fantasy MMO with a Sci-Fi MMO. An interesting year lies ahead of us. This gets me if its "cool" to hate the pouplar thing then how in the hell does it stay pouplar...
Plain and simple different strokes for diffrent folks...The people that acutally take the time to post on game forums are a very small segement of the gaming pouplation..esp. here on MMORPG.com
Where did I say that I hate it. You can play game only for so many years before becoming jaded. Blizzard should think about some fresh ideas beyond item farming for the next big thing - which is not likely to happen considering how well WoW is doing - money wise.
I don't know if anyone has followed the debacle at Perpetual, but that may cause a major snag in Bioware's MMO plans. They are using Perpetual's game developing engine and with the problems currently involving that company, it may cause Bioware to rethink the whole idea in the first place. It would not be wise to use development tools from a company who's future is debatable.
We have not seen any comments from Bioware about the issues at Perpetual, but I imagine sometime in the near future we will.
I don't know what game engine perpetual is using. But it's been said officially already that Bioware's MMO is using the Hero engine. Even the website for the Hero engine mentions this. I've taken a look at the Hero engine website and from what it seems, the hero engine is actually pretty awesome. (maybe not as good as the infinity engine, but still pretty good) In fact, from what I've seen of the hero engine, it looks incredibly dynamic and very intuitive. It looks to work a lot like 3D studio max and anyone that knows a thing about 3d animating knows that 3D studio max is incredibly flexible and very intuitive.
If the hero engine is anything like 3D studio in terms of it's intuitiveness, I expect MMO's of the future to come out at a lat faster rates than before.
Yeah, I noticed my mistake after I had posted it. But did not notice I had made it till was reading about the HeroEngine today in another post. I am glad I never said I was perfect......lol
But, it did make me feel a bit better about Bioware's plans after I realized my mistake. I had remembered originally that the game engine had to do with "Hero" something and just connected it mistakenly to the Gods & Heroes game engine.
But, again if you read the following link you will notice that Bioware did indeed lease the Perpetual Platform for an upcoming MMO they are working on.
I am not sure what is happening though, since they also leased the HeroEngine for an upcoming game.
Perpetual's platform is a service platform for Customer Service. Billing portal, logs, forums, customer support e-mail and chat that kind of thing. It is completely independent of graphics engine which BioWare as we all know is using the HeroEngine.
As I know it Perpetual's initial product was their service platform so just because they shelved Gods & Heroes it shouldn't have an effect on the rest of their products.
As for my opinion...can't really say but I would guess that it will be NOT: NWN since I assume Atari and Obsidian retain the rights as well as a KOTOR MMO since again Atari and Obsidian retain the rights after KOTOR II.
My biggest concern is EA's MMO track record. I see 2 scenarios:
Warhammer takes too long and BioWare's MMO catches up in development and Warhammer is shelved OR Warhammer is released and is a huge success in which case they shelve BioWare's title in order to "apply valuable resources elswhere" as they are famous in saying.
I guess there is a third option: Warhammer is released and bombs and they use BioWare's product to make up for it. *shrugs* Only time will tell.
Either way I think EA has purchased BioWare for their single player game experience and not their MMO experience which has me worried.
Honestly, while I have played BG2, NWN, and KotOR, if Bioware's MMO isn't based on Star Wars or Mass Effect I'm boycotting it. Why? Simple. We need more sci-fi games, and I'm very tired of switching between EQ2 and WoW. Besides, WAR and AoC are fantasy based, so why do we need one more? Granted, I do feel that DDO sucked big-time and if done correctly, a Forgotten Realms based MMORPG wouldn't be a terrible thing, but I'll be very pissed if this is the case.
qfe
Star Wars deserves a great company like Bioware to do it right and to stop George Lucas from crying at night at what $OE has done to his baby.
I don't know if anyone has followed the debacle at Perpetual, but that may cause a major snag in Bioware's MMO plans. They are using Perpetual's game developing engine and with the problems currently involving that company, it may cause Bioware to rethink the whole idea in the first place. It would not be wise to use development tools from a company who's future is debatable.
We have not seen any comments from Bioware about the issues at Perpetual, but I imagine sometime in the near future we will.
I don't know what game engine perpetual is using. But it's been said officially already that Bioware's MMO is using the Hero engine. Even the website for the Hero engine mentions this. I've taken a look at the Hero engine website and from what it seems, the hero engine is actually pretty awesome. (maybe not as good as the infinity engine, but still pretty good) In fact, from what I've seen of the hero engine, it looks incredibly dynamic and very intuitive. It looks to work a lot like 3D studio max and anyone that knows a thing about 3d animating knows that 3D studio max is incredibly flexible and very intuitive.
If the hero engine is anything like 3D studio in terms of it's intuitiveness, I expect MMO's of the future to come out at a lat faster rates than before.
Yeah, I noticed my mistake after I had posted it. But did not notice I had made it till was reading about the HeroEngine today in another post. I am glad I never said I was perfect......lol
But, it did make me feel a bit better about Bioware's plans after I realized my mistake. I had remembered originally that the game engine had to do with "Hero" something and just connected it mistakenly to the Gods & Heroes game engine.
But, again if you read the following link you will notice that Bioware did indeed lease the Perpetual Platform for an upcoming MMO they are working on.
I am not sure what is happening though, since they also leased the HeroEngine for an upcoming game.
Perpetual's platform is a service platform for Customer Service. Billing portal, logs, forums, customer support e-mail and chat that kind of thing. It is completely independent of graphics engine which BioWare as we all know is using the HeroEngine.
As I know it Perpetual's initial product was their service platform so just because they shelved Gods & Heroes it shouldn't have an effect on the rest of their products.
As for my opinion...can't really say but I would guess that it will be NOT: NWN since I assume Atari and Obsidian retain the rights as well as a KOTOR MMO since again Atari and Obsidian retain the rights after KOTOR II.
My biggest concern is EA's MMO track record. I see 2 scenarios:
Warhammer takes too long and BioWare's MMO catches up in development and Warhammer is shelved OR Warhammer is released and is a huge success in which case they shelve BioWare's title in order to "apply valuable resources elswhere" as they are famous in saying.
I guess there is a third option: Warhammer is released and bombs and they use BioWare's product to make up for it. *shrugs* Only time will tell.
Either way I think EA has purchased BioWare for their single player game experience and not their MMO experience which has me worried.
Lucas hasn't retained the IP this long by letting others think they have the right to anything besides what he specfically states. If he so chooses, I am pretty sure he can let anyone do anything with any part of the storyline from his IP. I doubt any MMO based on the kotor time frame would even come close to either kotor 1 or 2 in terms of replicating the single player game. Kotor 2 had a lot of the same elements as 1.
I can't imagine Lucas and Bioware would team up to do anything else besides a SW type MMO, maybe indiana jones I think someone else mentioned, but how many indiana jones characters can one virtual world have running around at the same time all figthing for the same trinket. Maybe just wishfull thinking on my part as SWG was my first MMORPG and it still breaks my heart to see the lost potential in that one.
I didn't say it wouldn't be a SW game...I said it wouldn't be a KOTOR game. If Atari/Obsidian have the license rights to whatever gives them the right to make KOTOR (who knows maybe it has expired though I doubt it) and BioWare doesn't retain any of the rights then a new contract granting EA/BioWare license right would have to be made. Without knowing what each contract that all the numerous companies with licenses to bits of the SW universe say it would be hard to know what BioWare could do. :P
Unlikely. BioWare employees have already given hinted that most of the better features of SWG like the crafting system and the whole player driven economy is not on their agenda.
Any well-made Star Wars themed game will be spanking for SWG.
Because a lot of current SWG players are only staying because it's Star Wars.
Does it not occur to anyone that Star Wars is old and dated? I cannot see anyone, but Lucas Arts, funding a MMORPG based upon Star Wars.
Now fantasy MMORPG design...well, the opportunities are endless. I am certain BIOWARE has the grey matter to consider a D&D Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
Does it not occur to anyone that Star Wars is old and dated? I cannot see anyone, but Lucas Arts, funding a MMORPG based upon Star Wars. Now fantasy MMORPG design...well, the opportunities are endless. I am certain BIOWARE has the grey matter to consider a D&D Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
Is that sarcasm?? I think there are way too many fantasy-type MMO's already. Star Wars may be old but it is still extremely popular. Also, there is a new live action show in development that will spread it around a bit more.
Comments
What if their new game is a Jade Empire mmo? Probably not, but I really enjoyed playing that game. It was basically Kotor but in a different setting.
All right I don't think I'm taking a shot in the dark here since Bioware has been putting out feelers to a certain website pleading for writers to step up to the plate and write for them.
It's a Battletech website that has been asked for writers to join Bioware staff in their latest MMO project. And I have been told by fairly reliable sources that the writing part of the MMO is Massive enough that Bioware needs a lot of help.
But why of all places would they specifically be looking to one of the best Battletech/Mechwarrior websites out there?
I feel reasonably confident that Bioware is either working on a Stupendously massive Battletech MMO, or another similar sci-fi title slated for release in 2009.
If it is a Battletech MMO there is a plausible reason why the title hasn't been announced yet, Microsoft owns Battletech and is probably very antsy about openly supporting a project that could die a very horrid vaporware death since a BT/MW would have to be such a large undertaking that MS would need to be reasonably assured that the title will be awsome.
Even though MS hasn't done much with the Mechwarrior liscence since they acquired it I'm pretty sure it will always be a feather in their cap that is discussed at white tables when they are planning on what projects to start next. All the secrecy makes perfect sense if the title is Battletech. And Bioware is an excellent choice for a project like a Mechwarrior MMO.
On top of all that there is several ex battletech related employees working up there in canada.
Honestly, while I have played BG2, NWN, and KotOR, if Bioware's MMO isn't based on Star Wars or Mass Effect I'm boycotting it. Why? Simple. We need more sci-fi games, and I'm very tired of switching between EQ2 and WoW. Besides, WAR and AoC are fantasy based, so why do we need one more? Granted, I do feel that DDO sucked big-time and if done correctly, a Forgotten Realms based MMORPG wouldn't be a terrible thing, but I'll be very pissed if this is the case.
After doing some more research it seems more and more likely the MMO is going to be based on star wars.
However much I wish Bioware was making a Mechwarrior MMO it isn't their project.
It's likely going to be made by Smith & Tinker - Reinventing Play for the Connected Generation Who now owns the rights for Mechwarrior and Shadowrun. Which one are they going to make first? who knows.
I sent them an Email pleading for MW, and asking that they let the hardcore MW fans help in the development process. Send them an encouraging email, it may help influence them to make a development forum where fans can bounce around ideas to help their creativity along. It would also give them an awsome place to recruit talent should any of the fans be creative writers or good with programming.
The new (Top Secret) project by Blizzard will be the end-all, rule-all game.
Not becasue of WoW, but because every, EVERY, game Blizzard has produced has been top notch. People hate on WoW because it's popular, and we all know it's not cool to like something that's too popular.
I'm hoping WAR will offer a great alternative to WoW with the RvR/PvP.
All of biowares games have been top notch too plus they are way better at making rpg games in general than blizzard.
OMG! The SWG forums equivalent of Horkathane!!!! creepy!
Star Wars - Non KOTOR game.
I agree , its going to be a spanking for SWG.
Unaware of the Jestor?
http://about.me/JestorRodo/
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A few words echoes on my mind.... ´The Spice must flow... ONLINE!!!´
Unaware of the Jestor?
http://about.me/JestorRodo/
Friends enjoy his classic Vblog - https://www.facebook.com/GoodOldReliableNathan
I agree , its going to be a spanking for SWG.
Unlikely. BioWare employees have already given hinted that most of the better features of SWG like the crafting system and the whole player driven economy is not on their agenda.
.: mmogle.com - the mmo question hub :.
You mean Project "Hydra". Personally I hope it's De-WoWified "World of Starcraft" but it could be an entirely new IP as well. Bottom line is that they will be in the position to reach out for world dominiation if they complement their Fantasy MMO with a Sci-Fi MMO. An interesting year lies ahead of us.
.: mmogle.com - the mmo question hub :.
You mean Project "Hydra". Personally I hope it's De-WoWified "World of Starcraft" but it could be an entirely new IP as well. Bottom line is that they will be in the position to reach out for world dominiation if they complement their Fantasy MMO with a Sci-Fi MMO. An interesting year lies ahead of us.
This gets me if its "cool" to hate the pouplar thing then how in the hell does it stay pouplar...Plain and simple different strokes for diffrent folks...The people that acutally take the time to post on game forums are a very small segement of the gaming pouplation..esp. here on MMORPG.com
You mean Project "Hydra". Personally I hope it's De-WoWified "World of Starcraft" but it could be an entirely new IP as well. Bottom line is that they will be in the position to reach out for world dominiation if they complement their Fantasy MMO with a Sci-Fi MMO. An interesting year lies ahead of us.
This gets me if its "cool" to hate the pouplar thing then how in the hell does it stay pouplar...
Plain and simple different strokes for diffrent folks...The people that acutally take the time to post on game forums are a very small segement of the gaming pouplation..esp. here on MMORPG.com
Where did I say that I hate it. You can play game only for so many years before becoming jaded. Blizzard should think about some fresh ideas beyond item farming for the next big thing - which is not likely to happen considering how well WoW is doing - money wise.
.: mmogle.com - the mmo question hub :.
I don't know what game engine perpetual is using. But it's been said officially already that Bioware's MMO is using the Hero engine. Even the website for the Hero engine mentions this. I've taken a look at the Hero engine website and from what it seems, the hero engine is actually pretty awesome. (maybe not as good as the infinity engine, but still pretty good) In fact, from what I've seen of the hero engine, it looks incredibly dynamic and very intuitive. It looks to work a lot like 3D studio max and anyone that knows a thing about 3d animating knows that 3D studio max is incredibly flexible and very intuitive.
If the hero engine is anything like 3D studio in terms of it's intuitiveness, I expect MMO's of the future to come out at a lat faster rates than before.
Yeah, I noticed my mistake after I had posted it. But did not notice I had made it till was reading about the HeroEngine today in another post. I am glad I never said I was perfect......lol
But, it did make me feel a bit better about Bioware's plans after I realized my mistake. I had remembered originally that the game engine had to do with "Hero" something and just connected it mistakenly to the Gods & Heroes game engine.
But, again if you read the following link you will notice that Bioware did indeed lease the Perpetual Platform for an upcoming MMO they are working on.
www.perpetual.com/press/
I am not sure what is happening though, since they also leased the HeroEngine for an upcoming game.
Perpetual's platform is a service platform for Customer Service. Billing portal, logs, forums, customer support e-mail and chat that kind of thing. It is completely independent of graphics engine which BioWare as we all know is using the HeroEngine.
As I know it Perpetual's initial product was their service platform so just because they shelved Gods & Heroes it shouldn't have an effect on the rest of their products.
As for my opinion...can't really say but I would guess that it will be NOT: NWN since I assume Atari and Obsidian retain the rights as well as a KOTOR MMO since again Atari and Obsidian retain the rights after KOTOR II.
My biggest concern is EA's MMO track record. I see 2 scenarios:
Warhammer takes too long and BioWare's MMO catches up in development and Warhammer is shelved OR Warhammer is released and is a huge success in which case they shelve BioWare's title in order to "apply valuable resources elswhere" as they are famous in saying.
I guess there is a third option: Warhammer is released and bombs and they use BioWare's product to make up for it. *shrugs* Only time will tell.
Either way I think EA has purchased BioWare for their single player game experience and not their MMO experience which has me worried.
qfe
Star Wars deserves a great company like Bioware to do it right and to stop George Lucas from crying at night at what $OE has done to his baby.
Come on Bioware, think of the kids.
I don't know what game engine perpetual is using. But it's been said officially already that Bioware's MMO is using the Hero engine. Even the website for the Hero engine mentions this. I've taken a look at the Hero engine website and from what it seems, the hero engine is actually pretty awesome. (maybe not as good as the infinity engine, but still pretty good) In fact, from what I've seen of the hero engine, it looks incredibly dynamic and very intuitive. It looks to work a lot like 3D studio max and anyone that knows a thing about 3d animating knows that 3D studio max is incredibly flexible and very intuitive.
If the hero engine is anything like 3D studio in terms of it's intuitiveness, I expect MMO's of the future to come out at a lat faster rates than before.
Yeah, I noticed my mistake after I had posted it. But did not notice I had made it till was reading about the HeroEngine today in another post. I am glad I never said I was perfect......lol
But, it did make me feel a bit better about Bioware's plans after I realized my mistake. I had remembered originally that the game engine had to do with "Hero" something and just connected it mistakenly to the Gods & Heroes game engine.
But, again if you read the following link you will notice that Bioware did indeed lease the Perpetual Platform for an upcoming MMO they are working on.
www.perpetual.com/press/
I am not sure what is happening though, since they also leased the HeroEngine for an upcoming game.
Perpetual's platform is a service platform for Customer Service. Billing portal, logs, forums, customer support e-mail and chat that kind of thing. It is completely independent of graphics engine which BioWare as we all know is using the HeroEngine.
As I know it Perpetual's initial product was their service platform so just because they shelved Gods & Heroes it shouldn't have an effect on the rest of their products.
As for my opinion...can't really say but I would guess that it will be NOT: NWN since I assume Atari and Obsidian retain the rights as well as a KOTOR MMO since again Atari and Obsidian retain the rights after KOTOR II.
My biggest concern is EA's MMO track record. I see 2 scenarios:
Warhammer takes too long and BioWare's MMO catches up in development and Warhammer is shelved OR Warhammer is released and is a huge success in which case they shelve BioWare's title in order to "apply valuable resources elswhere" as they are famous in saying.
I guess there is a third option: Warhammer is released and bombs and they use BioWare's product to make up for it. *shrugs* Only time will tell.
Either way I think EA has purchased BioWare for their single player game experience and not their MMO experience which has me worried.
Lucas hasn't retained the IP this long by letting others think they have the right to anything besides what he specfically states. If he so chooses, I am pretty sure he can let anyone do anything with any part of the storyline from his IP. I doubt any MMO based on the kotor time frame would even come close to either kotor 1 or 2 in terms of replicating the single player game. Kotor 2 had a lot of the same elements as 1.
I can't imagine Lucas and Bioware would team up to do anything else besides a SW type MMO, maybe indiana jones I think someone else mentioned, but how many indiana jones characters can one virtual world have running around at the same time all figthing for the same trinket. Maybe just wishfull thinking on my part as SWG was my first MMORPG and it still breaks my heart to see the lost potential in that one.
I didn't say it wouldn't be a SW game...I said it wouldn't be a KOTOR game.
If Atari/Obsidian have the license rights to whatever gives them the right to make KOTOR (who knows maybe it has expired though I doubt it) and BioWare doesn't retain any of the rights then a new contract granting EA/BioWare license right would have to be made. Without knowing what each contract that all the numerous companies with licenses to bits of the SW universe say it would be hard to know what BioWare could do. :P
Unlikely. BioWare employees have already given hinted that most of the better features of SWG like the crafting system and the whole player driven economy is not on their agenda.
Any well-made Star Wars themed game will be spanking for SWG.Because a lot of current SWG players are only staying because it's Star Wars.
Planescape is a good setting (probably my Fav D&D setting)
A planescape mmo could be interesting
Does it not occur to anyone that Star Wars is old and dated? I cannot see anyone, but Lucas Arts, funding a MMORPG based upon Star Wars.
Now fantasy MMORPG design...well, the opportunities are endless. I am certain BIOWARE has the grey matter to consider a D&D Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
Sandbox style Forgotten Realms with 4th Edition rule set.
I would shit my pants if this is right, because it is sorta like my dream.
You can keep your pants. From the dev comments postes so far, is already pretty clear that it won't be a sandbox.
Is that sarcasm?? I think there are way too many fantasy-type MMO's already. Star Wars may be old but it is still extremely popular. Also, there is a new live action show in development that will spread it around a bit more.