It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
How about an MMO about something other than Gnomes and Elves? There are so many different genre possibilities out there and the same ones get regurgitated over and over again.
Some off the top of my fingers:
The Old West
1920's Chicago Gangland
American Revolution
Nasa - Space program
Spies - Espionage (The Agency was really promising - too bad it was canceled)
Submarines - Naval
Planes - Air Force
The ideas are endless but instead we get the same old tired fantasy MMO's and even the Sci-fi is stale.
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
Comments
Several years ago was the pirates phase, followed by the post-apoc phase and now it seems space is the big thing.It's not that the devs aren't making them, it's that players seem to gravitate more toward the fantasy games than the others.
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
Oooh, yes please
Redcoats inc, yo.
Wild Wild West could be such an incredible venture for an online world. I see it more as a sandbox, but it could work as a themepark, I suppose. Better yet, a hybrid.
I'd like the napoleonic wars as an MMO. I really liked the "ground" combat in Pirates of the Burning sea, but ya, lacked a lot of polishing and the game was mainly centered around sea battles. So i would really love an MMO which does just that.
i'm getting tired of the typical medieval fantasy MMO's, or Futuristic ones too for that matter. Time to pick an era in between em
Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt.
Among those who dislike oppression are many who like to oppress.
What about...
The Crusades. Talk about PvP and distinctive factions there.
Feudal Japan. A sandbox game with samurai.
The Spiritual World. Angels and Demons duke it out in Earth, Heaven, Hell, the Abyss and more.
Mythology. Okay, so it's still fantasy, but it still should have been done a LONG time ago.
Steampunk. Like serious steampunk. With steam... and punks... and all that stuff.
Zombies. Braiinnns and walllettss....
Prehistory. Like, the Flintstones. Have some fun and screw the science over with this one.
Raygun Gothic. Like, the Jetsons. Okay, I like cartoons, so sue me.
Wold Newton. This could be an incredible game, but it would take more than one great mind to make it happen.
I actually have been working up somthing for this in notebooks for a couple of years now. MMOFPS in a way. No rule sets but what the players make...just like the real West was. 1st person gun fights...players coudl be anythign they want...Cattle Rancher, Train Robber, Gun Slinger, Rustler, etc.,etc,etc.
Not going to go into all the details.....I am sure someone will steal it anyways. Not like I have the cash to make it or anything.
I'm not sure about the target audiences being too small but I guess that's a possibility.
As far as the Subs and Planes - the possibilities here are endless for a combat MMO. I mean - Nuclear powered subs all over the world - protecting counties and territories? Pure gold! Conquest and acquisition of those countries and territories. So much that could be done.
Planes - Flight training and aerial battles. So much here it's scary - even down to wanting to work on/building planes in factories, assembling squadrons with your unit (er Guild) Nation vs Nations..etc etc.
But - as you've mentioned the target audiences would not be as broad as for fantasy but that doesn't mean that individual genre-bending MMO's couldn't be profitable as well.
Wow has ruined the business model for MMO's driving the genre creation towards more of the same in hopes of Wow-like success but it's caused the MMO industry to become stale and boring. Hopefully this trend will change.
Currently playing SWTOR and it's MUCH better than it was at launch.
Add ponies & bronies to the list plx!
My brand new bloggity blog.
Innovation in terms of gameplay is waaaaaaay more important to me than innovation in setting.
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