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Warhammer 40k MMO Announced
Gnazon
Member Posts: 442
Just saw this on curse gaming:
Read more about it here: http://www-en.curse-gaming.com/games/54/warhammer-40k-mmo/articles/1001/warhammer-40k-goes-mmo/THQ's to release a Warhammer 40K MMORPG at an unspecified date, the company's confirmed. The game is currently under development at THQ's wholly owned Austin-based outfit, Vigil Games.
Personally I am looking forward to it, but who's Vigil Games?
Comments
Apparently, Vigil = THQ, the same company who produced the original WAR40K and expansions.
It's a new Developer (but THQ owned), which yet have no project. The only thing I know, is that their first project will have artwork made by Joe Madureira. Guess we will have to see what those lads and lasses are capable of.
New name = old developers??
Bioware have made a small sister company as well, to make their MMORPGs.
Edited: And as posted here: http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6166560.html?tag=topslot;title;1&om_act=convert&om_clk=topslot
Relic (yes the Dawn of War developer) had ads up for MMOG developers, so in the end it could be the same ol' Dawn of War folks that makes the MMORPG, just under a different roof.
And of course discuss Warhammer 40k mmo!
Heh, in the link I gave above in my edited post it actually say the following:
[Quote]Kelly Flock: Yes, we have the game in development at our Austin-based studio, Vigil Games. The team there is led by David Adams, formerly of NCsoft, and is comprised of several MMO veterans from that community. We look forward to making further announcements with more specifics on the game in the coming months. [/Quote]
Sounds like fluff is going to be the first casualty in this war. Apart from the arguments above you could also look at WAR: The fantasy setting lending itself better to a rpg they still have to make up alot of new stuff and change around existing rules and things.
And when they're first getting into 40k, I don't know about you, but I'm very disappointed that they aren't at least doing it proper and making a mmofps with rpg elements. As it is it just doesn't sound like it will do the license justice. Unless all playercharacters end up as peasants or living in hiveworlds in the style of a true mmorpg inspired by early Ultima Online :P Then they could label it "based on Warhammer 40.000" and you'd lose if you were drafted into the guard. ..nah.
They haven't even started development yet, they probably haven't even got to the design phase yet. Just because they said it will be an MMO, doesn't mean it's going to be another crappy RPG. If they have any common sense, which they must to undertake such a monumental IP, they will make an FPS, something along the lines of Planetside only bigger.
And who gives a crap about fluff, Dawn of War threw that out the window and it's an absolutely storming game.
To add to the facts and discussions, about how this game is going to form out when it comes to RPG and how the players will fit into the world, it is worth to keep an eye with the new Warhammer 40k RPG coming out in Feb. 2008
http://www.blackindustries.com/?template=40k
In that game the players will take the role as the Inquisitor’s retinue (compare it to witchhunters or agents). So the game do not have to be a RvR or a FPS.
Personal I don't care. I just want to play in the world
, as long as it is not a tuned-downed, let's be family-friendly, game. The future is grim.
I think someone hit the nail on the head on one of the TT forums, when they said GW would be mad to not let people play Space Marines when it's roughly 40% of the 40k models sold. And I don't really see any way to do an MMO RPG using Space Marines.. though I can imagine how you could make a lovely single player NWN style RPG using them.
I really hope they don't screw this up. I've been pretty determined that it will take something unique to bust open this genre and move it away from the common RPG roots, THQ has the resources and license to make a killer hit given the right format, and an FPS would be the ideal format (assuming they won't do an RTS cause Relic isn't doing it). This in turn could have a great knock on affect on other developers and publishers by making them realise that Massively Multiplayer and Success doesn't mean it has to be an RPG.
It could be cool if it was a mix of FPS and RTS, where you can control your own character through a FPS interface (like Battlefield) and give commands to a squad/army by an RTS interface (like Dawn of War), with the added element of a MMORPG, where your personal character not only gain in equipment and stats, but also your squad growth perhaps all the way into a little private chapter (army).
Add a persistence element in form of RvR and conquest of planets, and this game will not only get my cash, but also my soul
. But this would probably be a "asking for too much". Just dreaming.
How to do Space Marines in a way that is fair? Could be pretty easy. For the good guys, you have Space Marines, Sisters of Battle (i.e. fragile Space Marines who get some other bonuses, like the ability to pray and stuff), and Inquisition forces who get all sorts of gadgets who even things out. Imperial Guard might be hard, but they could do make you like a 1337 veteran type guardsman instead of a total cannon fodder guardsman. For non-Imperial types, you have Orks who can be tough for Space Marines, Eldar Aspect Warriors who are pretty even, Dark Eldar have some reasonable equivalents, Tyranids eat marines, Necrons are equivalents, and so are Chaos marines.
Now if they go with the fluff, the Space marines and Chaos space marines will completely dominate. But if they go with how marines are in WH40K, it'll be easy to balance.
Maybe you'll have to unlock your Space Marine like old skool Jedi in SWG. That actually makes alot of sense, since Space Marines were picked out from the best regular human warriors and then enhanced.
Anyway, I havent been involved with the WH40k world since I was 13 or so, but I think an MMO will be alot of fun. The world of WH40k is one of the best sci-fi IPs out there hands down. Lets just hope it gets an M rating.
You wont be playing this untill mid to late 2010, maybe even early 2011.
----ITS A TRAP!!!----
eh? In what regard is Dawn of War NOT adherent to canon? (maybe it is not 100% canon as nothing is, but what blatant incongruences are there? i cannot remember any..?)
And "who gives a crap about fluff"? yes.... why in heck going to great lenght to get a license if then you just throw it all away??
If you do not wanna use the stuff, then don't pay extra money and just make your own sci-fi universe
I too think it will be some sort of fps, rts or an hybrid rpg-rts or rpg-fps. Or something totally different.Or a Rpg but then you can use only a limited part of the IP (even if I've tought of a system similar to Dark Crusade. 1 planet, x races. the areas are freely conquerable but maybe for the first starting zone of each race and the game would be focused on the conflict and the conquering... then again, that is similar to WAR....).
There are certain problems to solve before going the RPG way: most famous WH40k units (space marines, Eldars aspect warriors, TAU Fire aspects.....) are usually so tight and regimented that seeing a space marine on leave is an heresy
2) All races in wh40k hate each other. period. no compromises. having an eldar and a chaos space marine going hand in hand is really not gonna happen
"If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime"
So I'd rather they threw a few bits of it out in the interest of gameplay.. ie let us be damn Space Marines.
Yeah, I know the game will first be out after I have retired (but again that is great, since I will have more time playing :P), but too hyped right now, too not dream and discuss about this game.
Fact: Space Marines are rare, Imperial Guards are many.
Fact: We all want to play a space marine eventually
Fact: Warhammer 40k is hardcore.
Mix those together and perhaps it could be done as following (other races would have to be done differently of course):
Ontop of levels, you can open up new classes for a new character by reaching a set level or succeeding in X specific missions. The class rank could be as following (all very simplyfied):
Rank 1: Imperial Guard
Rank 2; Scout Marine
Rank 3: Space Marine
Rank 4: Terminator
Rank 5: Dreadnought
To avoid a huge amount of each, everytime a player dies X times with a character within a class-rank ,that character is gone, and the player moves one Rank back, and this is where the game becomes hardcore and grim.
Problem could be that it would be too hardcore for the casual player, but imagine the awe and respect a Dreadnought player would get.
Nevertheless, there should be enough Space Marine for all of us. A 1000 chapters with a 1000 space marines, and still not a server that can run with over a million players
.
probably much to far away to really be kept in the fore-front of my mind right now ...
cool yes ... does it mean anything? nah .. how many times has a warhammer game been announced then dropped?
In the lore Space Marines are genetically enhanced humans standing 8-10 feet tall, the have 3 lungs - a space marine is never short on breathe, 2 hearts - the ability to survive with the lose of one heart and the ability to sustain intense physical truama , a Fused Ribcage with bones as hard as concrete, enhanced immune system - they are nearly immune to all poisons and toxins and can eat food normally inedable, they're saliva is a corrosive acid making them able to chew through iron bars or spit out blinding acid into foes eyes, they have enhanced hearing able to hear the slightest sounds or filter through heavy ambient sounds to track targets, they are physically superior in every way to even the greatest humans, they're upper torso is implanted with a thick carapace layer growing under and over the skin - a built-in form of armor able to withstand small arms fire - allows for entry points for chemical and anti toxin dispensing implants to be cut in and also allows them to interface with more effeciently with their power armor, they undergo years of mental conditioning making them immune to fear, corruption and making them extremely loyal, they have organic implants in their brain making them immune to shock - they will never pass out to pain, a space marine does not need to sleep -however some believe they need sleep - an implant in their brain can allow them to 'sleep', during this state a space marine is still completely aware of his surroundings, a space marines blood is extremely efficient - its thin to allow it to be pumped around its body through its two hearts with ease - it also has a property to clot on contact with air becoming instant scar tissue - this means small cuts and abrasions nearly instantly heal themselves and also greatly slows the loss of blood in case of amputation or deep wounds.
Power Armor a fully enclosed battle suit made from Adamantium with ablative Auto-Reactive Ceramite that hardens on impacts when absorbing extreme amounts of pressure, the suit has its own fusion reactor built-in able to power it-self for several months without maintenance, the suit amplifies the strength of the already powerful space marine to new heights - making them capable of tearing steel bulkheads and punch through light vehicle armour with ease if needed. The helmet contains its own vox-communications transciever a rebreather allowing the marine to fight in zero-atmospheric conditions the optics in the helm contain many enhacements allowing them to target enemies with ease in any lighting condition even able to track light movements around invisible foes, also contains motion trackers, range finders and any another other concievable optical enhancement if needed.