Universen für ein MMO

Five Universes that Deserve MMOs

Tue, Mar 25, 2008 Opinion

In a gaming market where the 10 million pound gorilla the room is thumping its chest atop a pile of money, it's difficult to consider the possibilities for other MMOs out there. Games like Tabula Rasa and Hellgate: London fell away from the gaming media's attention as soon as the journalists all went home and logged into WoW. Certainly there are a few games that have the possibility of stealing a piece of the gaming public's MMO mind share. The MMOs based on the Conan and Warhammer universes are both touted as having giant-slaying potential. Except that even developers of Conan are now saying that they don't expect to approach the subscription numbers of Warcraft.

But just because it isn't likely a game will topple Warcraft from its throne, that doesn't mean there aren't other universes out there that deserve a shot at the crown in an ideal world.

Don't get me wrong, I don't plan on signing up for a 12-step program for WoW any time soon, but I thought it would be nice to envision a world in which raiding for purples did not dominate what little gaming time I possess. Nor am I about to may another monthly fee for a different MMO that I won't end up having the time to play. This is a thought experiment of sorts.

Before World of Warcraft was announced, it never occurred to me that I might enjoy exploring the universe I had become familiar with in the RTS. I never thought to myself, "Hey, I'd like to be that poor priest healing the knight that ends up slaughtered by a wave of Grunts." It isn't always immediately apparent what universes could lend themselves to a deep and compelling MMO. There are universes, however, that a player or reader or viewer sees and immediately thinks, "I really want that to be a storyverse." Of course, most consumers aren't arrogant blow-hards who use words like that. The point remains is that there are universes that would be incredibly interesting to explore, or at least, universes that I think would be really cool to explore. If a universe already has or has had an announced MMO at some stage of development, I won't be including it on this list (that means you Star Trek).


BattleTech
Game Type: Battle simulation MMO

The Universe: The year, at least the year I would choose to set the game in, is 3050, and the Inner Sphere, a collection of planets comprising most of the known galaxy is suddenly invaded by an enemy from beyond any of the charts they possess. The enemy, known as the Clans, possesses superior technology and weaponry as well as a sophisticated breeding program that genetically engineers warriors. The primary weapons of the war are BattleMechs, 40-meter tall humanoid instruments of mass destruction.

Before the Invasion, the Inner Sphere was rife with political intrigue as the planets were controlled by different factions. Referred to as Houses, they consist of House Steiner-Davion, House Kurita, House Liao, and House Marik. Although there are other powers in play, those are the core factions, and the fought over territory for years before the Clans invaded. The Clans are by no means united. In fact, the invading force consists of only a small subset of the Clans: Wolf, Jade Falcon, Smoke Jaguar, and Ghost Bear.

War, in short, were declared.

With a universe so large and with so many factions, there are many different possibilities for an MMO. Players could gain ranks in the army of an Inner Sphere faction as they fought in different battles. They would have the ability to customize and improve their BattleMech. Hey, they wouldn't even necessarily need to ride a BattleMech. Perhaps they just want to direct battles from on high as a general. I don't know how the mechanics would work, but this MMO would be liquid awesome.


Blade Runner
Game Type: MMO RPG
The Universe: Actually, this doesn't have to be set in the world of Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? or in Blade Runner's universe. It's simply the idea of an MMO set in a cyberpunk universe in the near future. It could be that Neuromancer's world is a better fit. I really don't know the answer to this one. It just seems like there is a surfeit of MMOs set in fantasy world and not nearly enough set in worlds with technology.

All I know is that I enjoy noir and I enjoy science fiction, and if an MMO managed to blend those two genres effectively, I would be extremely excited.


Shadowrun
Game Type: MMORPG

The Universe: Remember when I said I would be extremely excited about a cyberpunk MMO? Lies. All lies. Okay, maybe not a lie, but I wasn't being entirely truthful. This is the MMO I would kill for.

Shadowrun is a creation of FASA (also the makers of BattleTech), and it is a blend of cyberpunk and fantasy. Even as technology was steadily improving, magic returned to the world. Elves, trolls, orks, and dwarves, all dubbed metahumans, began to walk the streets. You might have some experience with this world in the form of that foul multiplayer-only FPS that Microsoft put out last year, but that does not hint at the possibilities in this universe.

Let me go all fanboy on you. Shadowruns are missions that criminals (generally speaking) are sent on. Can you say "quest"? Yeah. Basically, the table top RPG is mission-based with each mission being a criminal enterprise. There are different character classes on two sides of a divide: technology and magic. You could be a cybertech-equipped street samurai with mechanically-enhanced reflexes, or you could be a magically-enhanced physical adept with similar abilities and different limitations.

In this MMO, it's obvious that everyone couldn't just be doing shadowruns, but since each corporation in the game functions as its own pseudo-nation, there is a built-in faction reputation system.

William Gibson isn't the biggest fan of the idea:

…when I see things like ShadowRun, the only negative thing I feel about it is that initial extreme revulsion at seeing my literary DNA mixed with elves. Somewhere somebody's sitting and saying 'I've got it! We're gonna do William Gibson and Tolkien!' Over my dead body!

But I don't have to bear any aesthetic responsibility for it. I've never earned a nickel, but I wouldn't sue them. It's a fair cop. I'm sure there are people who could sue me, if they were so inclined, for messing with their stuff. So it's just kind of amusing.

But you know what? William Gibson isn't any fun. I hear he drinks ginger ale at parties.


Tombstone
Game Type: FPS

The Universe: This is another case of the actual universe being unimportant. Although there are casual games like Bang Howdy that are part of the way into the Western genre, there needs to be a serious MMO with a Western setting. I just chose Tombstone because I love Val Kilmer.

Additionally, there hasn't been an FPS MMO since Planetside, and that didn't go so well. If you look at MMOs, 70% are fantasy, 20% are science fiction, 10% are superhero, and 100% of those figures are made up on the fly. The western genre is seeing more love in theaters with movies like 3:10 to Yuma seeing critical success, and I think it's about time for people to pin on their tin stars and saddle up.


Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Game Type: Casual

The Universe: I shouldn't have to introduce this universe to you. If you haven't read Douglas Adams' work, then step away from the computer and go do it posthaste. If you have, then you know all about the harebrained adventures of Zaphod Beeblebrox, Arthur Dent, Trillian, and Ford Prefect. But, really, who doesn't want to explore that universe.

Out of any of these ideas, this MMO seems the most possible to me. In a wacky universe where humor and puns are king, there are infinite possibilities. Or, there's an Infinite Improbability Drive, which is at least twice as good. Imagine wandering from ridiculous setting to ridiculous setting, enjoying the sites with your friends, and consulting your trusty Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

When so many people are spending time in weird, pseudo worlds like Habbo Hotel, there has to be a rather large, geeky audience out there that would love to hang out in the Restaurant at the End of the Universe with a towel.

I don't know if the game would be subscription-based or funded through micro-transactions, and I don't really care. I just know that if you're picking any universe out of a billion in which I could hang out with my friends, this would be it.

So, you've heard about the MMOs of my dreams, why don't you tell me about yours in the comments?

Quelle: http://www.gamecyte.com/five-universes-that-deserve-mmos

Shadowrun & Anhalter durch die Galaxis wären schon ne tolle Sache

Für Shadowrun würde ich sofort unterschreiben....pAdG reizt mich eher weniger...

Alles nett^^

aber ehrlich gesagt würd ich für das Shadowrun universum nicht unbedingt zahlen... Cyberpunk kann man auch ohne teure Lizenz machen... wenn die aber hinterhergeschmissen würde, würd ich sie nehmen...

Kann ja auch zu beiderseitigen Nutzen sein! So gegenseitige Werbung.