The Ultimate MMO?

bstripp

So I was reading threads and checked in on Darkfall to see if opinions had changed.  I saw the thread about it being the "ultimate" mmo and I began to think about what the ultimate MMO would indeed look like.

So here is the list of what I think the ultimate MMO would look like:

(1) Skill based with decay:

That's right, no levels.  Levels are for grind... I'd like to see a system that only allows you to be an expert in a certain number of skills.  Set decay so that if you boost another skill to expert, then one of your prior expert skills drops down a rank or so.  People who play more would likely have more skills that are proficient, but character balance would remain since it would be relatively easy to get your allotted number of expert skills.

To go up in a skill, you simply would use it.  The game would check every hour or so to see what you used.  Whatever you used most would have a chance of going up.  Whatever you didn't use would have a small chance of decaying.  The higher your level of proficiency in a skill the more of a chance it would decay without use.  So a melee character who doesn't fight for a few days (in game time) would find that their sword skill might drop from expert levels to very good.  Of course to fix that he needs to get out and whack on some foes.

 

(2) No classes:

Why have an arbitrary designation on what you can and can not be.  Instead let your skill system define what people are.  If it's a fantasy game, make magic suffer large penalties for using armor.  Require 2-3 skills for each rough profession you want and if people are looking to be a certain "class" then they should be using those skills most of the time.  A ranger would want to train up their bows, tracking, and stealth skills.  While a thief would want stealth, stealing, etc.

Let the rules of your world define what people are going to be, not some arbitrary class bounaries.

(3) Few set quests:

I'd like to see the majority of quests be driven by some kind of dynamic content engine.  The world needs to be big enough to do this.  However, a mob is spawned and begins to move towards a village.  If it isn't immediately killed, it'll set up camp.  If the camp isn't rooted out, it might begin raiding the countryside.  Your quests will come from NPCs who are asking you for help.  They are going to want their lands safe.  Once a mob becomes really entrenched, then they start doing special things, like working on large scale spells, or creating magic items, or what not.  The point is that most of the content will be driven by the creatures behavior and the players behavior.

While set quests are nice, they get boring after the 500th time you have run them.  This is really an important step that MMOs need to look into.

The other source of quests will come from the players themselves... which leads into the next category.

(4) Social Advancement:

Since you really don't have levels, you need some way for people to feel they are getting ahead.  This can be done with social advancement.  As you progress in the game, you move up the ladder in your chosen faction.  The higher up you get, the more you can do to affect the world.  You can create bounties on players/npcs/mobs, start wars, build cities, run buildings, etc.  The more you do the more you will be able to do to affect the world.  Social standing will also decay as well.  If you are a mighty knight, and you don't do the sorts of things to keep your standing, some other player will be promoted over you.

Of course the complaint is that new players will never get to play with the cool stuff.  Well that's why you need...

(5) Perma Death:

That's right, when you die, you die.  You also need to have ageing in the game as well.  Wait, no one wants their beloved character to die, what about all my stuff?  Well you are really going to play a family as much as a character.  First, it will be somewhat difficult to actually die, but it will be a posibility with each defeat that you have and more so with the more dangerous creatures of the realm.  That adds a lot of risk reward that the devs can play with.  However, since it's fairly easy to get proficient, there won't be the grind associated with making a new character in other games.  You will be able to bequeath some of your items and experience to your next character and they will start with a leg up in the game.  This will also make sure that many people get to experience the social advancement aspect of the game.  The king of your faction will die some day.

(6) Somewhat Open PvP:

PvP is an important aspect in a dynamic game.  Since there won't be quite as much dev created content, the conflict will be from players and the struggle over land and resources.  It also ensures that the end game does not get stale and allows for raids, wars, and the like.   PvP should occur between factions that are at war/raiding with each other.  You should be safe from others unless there is a consentual duel.  While I like open PvP, it violates the social standing aspect of the game.  Kings and generals decide on who starts wars.  If you are in someone elses territory, then you should also be vunerable to PvP from that faction.  There would also be the option to go rogue and thus have open PvP vs. everyone.

(7) Gear is not the end all be all:

Everything in the game is made by someone, player or npc.  Yes, there can be some cool things, but they all have limited durability.  All items decay over in game time.  So if you loose that uber sword that the head orc made over six months in the game... well it stinks, but at least the guy/mob that took it will only have it for a while.  Nothing is permanent.  If you want something, make it or take it.  PvP and PvE fights should be more about skills than what stuff you have (to some degree.  A guy in plate should have a healthy advantage over someone using a dagger in a straight up fight).  

(8) Resources are limited:

Players will have control over mines, forests, farms and so on.  Those items will control how much resources cost for their faction up to a certain point.  This creates conflict both against player nations and the NPC mobs that will come and try to set up camp.  Orcs shouldn't just stand around, they should be invading and trying to take your stuff.  The more your faction can control, the cheaper things get for you and the more you can build.  Your cities can be built bigger, more armor and weapons become possible, etc.

(9) Dynamic is the key word:

So really what I am loooking for is a world that behaves more like a world.  One in which people can't just race to the level cap and then whine about end game content.  Your uber character has a finite life span, and if you never risk him, his skills decay and someone else gets more social advancement and deposes him.  You are rewarded for playing the game and doing things.  Conflict is generated when people come to take what is yours, whether that's an NPC or a PC does't matter, they dynamic is the same.

I don't want to run a raid again.  I don't want cookie cutter missions.  Those get dull after running them a few times.  I want a world that will keep me engaged.  I want a world that will surprise me occasionally.  I want a really big world that you could find your little corner and hide, or step out and play the game of thrones.  I want a world that has some real risk, not just a timer or loss of XP.  Make me care when I battle a dragon since I know that perma death is much more likely than when I fight orc raider #20.

That's what I would find the ultimate MMO, how about you?  What's your ultimate MMO?