What's to look forward to in 2016?

ShrikeArghast · December 2015

I see a lot of Korean MMORPGs on the table. I'm not sure how to feel about Black Desert (a lot of people say it's insanely easy and devoid of all noteworthy endgame), and, after looking over Blade and Soul extensively, I can go ahead and rule this one out given that it's an MMO built around dueling, which just isn't my scene.

Beyond these two, and some oddball newcomers like The Division (I haven't seen enough to judge -- the premise looks cool, but I don't know if this one doesn't stray too far into the FPS category to sate my needs), what else is there? It really seems like 2016 is going to be the year without a flagship "WoW Killer" -- and I know we're all tired of that term being used, but at least it represented a company's latest attempt to unseat Blizzard (and no, I'm not interested in playing Legion, before someone name drops that -- I've had my fill of Azeroth).

So... what am I missing?

Heronn · December 2015

I'm hoping they tone down the pace of black desert online, when I played the Korean version all I saw was literally swords and sharp pointy things flying all over the place. This is the one thing that needs to be slowed down for a western release or else the majority cannot play by not keeping up with what is shown onscreen.

MMO's come and go and making lists really would not cover a potential hit or miss.

elocke · December 2015

Not much to be honest. The genre has to appeal to us again so their work is cut out for them. There may be some light in the darkness if WoW:Legion does better than the last few expacks as well as hopefully any news about EQNext. We also have some crowd funded MMOs to hopefully make a nice debut and put the kabobs on this development drought we appear to be in such as Crowfall, Star Citizen, Albion and Camelot and a few others that all sound the same lol, title wise.

ShrikeArghast · December 2015

It's hard to get revved up about Star Citizen. I know they've released tiny parcels of the game already, but I'm still on the fence over whether or not it will turn out to be vaporware. Then, beyond that, there's the immense disparity that the game introduces from the outset between rich and poor people in real life -- folks spending upwards on $15,000 on package deals that include all ships, etc. On the surface, SC looks like a neat game, but these shortcomings will have me waiting until well after full release to make any decision.

With regards to Legion: I just can't go there anymore. I've played WoW off and on (mostly on) since launch, and it just feels like the game moves farther and farther away from what originally made it fun with each successive expansion (since Wrath). I hated the ability pruning for WoD, and was enormously discouraged to see the development team embarking on still more of it as a prelude to Legion. Frankly, I just don't think Blizzard's callous B-team WoW design staff has earned my monthly tribute anymore.

Crowfall looks interesting, but I also get the strong sensation that release is a ways away -- perhaps a full year, just looking at videos. It's a neat idea, and I was following development somewhat closely for a while, but it's certainly not a project most of us will be playing in the near future.

elocke · December 2015

Frankly I'm getting my MMORPG progression, world aspect in single player games right now like The Witcher 3, Farcry 4, Fallout 4, Just Cause 3, etc...all of these open world RPGish games have pulled me in the way MMOs used to with tons of stuff to explore, unlock, various builds for character customization, etc. and all of my actions affect the worlds I'm playing in, the stories are great, NPC's are memorable, it's like...I think devs need to play these games again to get a sense of how to do things right and go back to making worlds with tons of content and stories again that are meant to last years, not months.

josko9 · December 2015

ShrikeArghast said:

I see a lot of Korean MMORPGs on the table. I'm not sure how to feel about Black Desert (a lot of people say it's insanely easy and devoid of all noteworthy endgame), and, after looking over Blade and Soul extensively, I can go ahead and rule this one out given that it's an MMO built around dueling, which just isn't my scene.

Beyond these two, and some oddball newcomers like The Division (I haven't seen enough to judge -- the premise looks cool, but I don't know if this one doesn't stray too far into the FPS category to sate my needs), what else is there? It really seems like 2016 is going to be the year without a flagship "WoW Killer" -- and I know we're all tired of that term being used, but at least it represented a company's latest attempt to unseat Blizzard (and no, I'm not interested in playing Legion, before someone name drops that -- I've had my fill of Azeroth).

So... what am I missing?

Perhaps Star Citizen will take a chunk of WoW's subscribers, and a little Black Desert..I don't see any other new MMOs doing much..

As for the WoW-Killers, they have already released and are very much alive to see it go through. They are getting closer to WoW every year now..Ever since ESO, FFXIV, GW2 and SWTOR released, they pretty much stole more than 60% of WoW players.

Hell Blizzard never even published how many Active Players there are in the West, which is the only important information. With "Subs" supposedly being under 5mil, who can really say that WoW has more than 2mil subs in the West.

tixylix · December 2015

Nothing, the genre died in 2005.

ShrikeArghast · December 2015

Josk, you misinterpret what I said -- which is my fault for wording it poorly. As someone who no longer intends to play WoW, I don't care if a game 'kills it' or not. I just am looking for western-made grade-A mmorpgs, and there don't seem to be any this year. I had really high hopes for EQ Next, but who knows if it's even going to emerge from development, now?

Quesa · December 2015

Heronn said:

I'm hoping they tone down the pace of black desert online, when I played the Korean version all I saw was literally swords and sharp pointy things flying all over the place. This is the one thing that needs to be slowed down for a western release or else the majority cannot play by not keeping up with what is shown onscreen.

MMO's come and go and making lists really would not cover a potential hit or miss.

They are, CBT 1 starts on the 16th and that was specifically mentioned in the patch notes from Alpha -> CBT. They have alluded to improving the open work PvP, thus Karma system, so that it's not as restrictive either.

This won't be a standard go quest to get to cap and dungeon MMO. There are no instances and the economy, at least so far, seems to be fairly deep. They have an Archeage-style labor system but it's not as restrictive either. There is actually quite a lot to it, I'd take a look at some Youtube vids from Hakurai where there is some pretty good overviews of those systems.

I'd link the video/channel but these forums...

ShrikeArghast · December 2015

Quesa said:

Heronn said:

I'm hoping they tone down the pace of black desert online, when I played the Korean version all I saw was literally swords and sharp pointy things flying all over the place. This is the one thing that needs to be slowed down for a western release or else the majority cannot play by not keeping up with what is shown onscreen.

MMO's come and go and making lists really would not cover a potential hit or miss.

They are, CBT 1 starts on the 16th and that was specifically mentioned in the patch notes from Alpha -> CBT. They have alluded to improving the open work PvP, thus Karma system, so that it's not as restrictive either.

This won't be a standard go quest to get to cap and dungeon MMO. There are no instances and the economy, at least so far, seems to be fairly deep. They have an Archeage-style labor system but it's not as restrictive either. There is actually quite a lot to it, I'd take a look at some Youtube vids from Hakurai where there is some pretty good overviews of those systems.

I'd link the video/channel but these forums...

We'll see. I'm not holding my breath on Black Desert, but I haven't written it off, either. I'm tired of Asian games consistently disappointing me (aside from FFXIV, although I'm not playing that anymore, either). I got worked up for ArcheAge and it turned out to be a big mistake... I've learned my lesson, and will wait on reviews trickle in for BD.

st4t1ck · December 2015

elocke said:

Frankly I'm getting my MMORPG progression, world aspect in single player games right now like The Witcher 3, Farcry 4, Fallout 4, Just Cause 3, etc...all of these open world RPGish games have pulled me in the way MMOs used to with tons of stuff to explore, unlock, various builds for character customization, etc. and all of my actions affect the worlds I'm playing in, the stories are great, NPC's are memorable, it's like...I think devs need to play these games again to get a sense of how to do things right and go back to making worlds with tons of content and stories again that are meant to last years, not months.

Seems to me that's what they been trying to do for years now. Everything becomes instances when you do that. That hasn't worked out to we'll either.

Quesa · December 2015

ShrikeArghast said:

Quesa said:

Heronn said:

I'm hoping they tone down the pace of black desert online, when I played the Korean version all I saw was literally swords and sharp pointy things flying all over the place. This is the one thing that needs to be slowed down for a western release or else the majority cannot play by not keeping up with what is shown onscreen.

MMO's come and go and making lists really would not cover a potential hit or miss.

They are, CBT 1 starts on the 16th and that was specifically mentioned in the patch notes from Alpha -> CBT. They have alluded to improving the open work PvP, thus Karma system, so that it's not as restrictive either.

This won't be a standard go quest to get to cap and dungeon MMO. There are no instances and the economy, at least so far, seems to be fairly deep. They have an Archeage-style labor system but it's not as restrictive either. There is actually quite a lot to it, I'd take a look at some Youtube vids from Hakurai where there is some pretty good overviews of those systems.

I'd link the video/channel but these forums...

We'll see. I'm not holding my breath on Black Desert, but I haven't written it off, either. I'm tired of Asian games consistently disappointing me (aside from FFXIV, although I'm not playing that anymore, either). I got worked up for ArcheAge and it turned out to be a big mistake... I've learned my lesson, and will wait on reviews trickle in for BD.

I'd say they are entering our market because they are something different (whether the degree of difference is substantial enough to the consumers) because the NA/EU MMOs have shown a complete lack of innovation for nearly a decade.

The Repopulation was looking good but seems to have stalled a bit with Hero Engine issues.

Divergence: Online looks like it may have promise but it's being developed by 2 people, although they purport that the true spiritual successor to SWG (pre SOE).

Another promising MMO looks to be Camelot Unchained. IIRC they are about to start their CBTs within a month or two so we should have some good detail on how the various mechanics will interplay. They just finished with their class reveals so there isn't much left.

Albion Online looks to have some hype but it just doesn't capture me.

I'd say most of the innovation is coming from Indie shops where the primary motivation isn't grabbing as big of a market share as possible. All that does, in my eyes, is create more white-washed experiences.

TBH, I'll see what BDO and Camelot Unchained are like during their betas. Most of my gaming activities tend to be playing a game for 3-6 months and moving on. There hasn't been a real MMO out there that has been able to tickle my fancy since WoW (pre-WotLK) or Eve Online.

As for now, I'll do the CBTs and then move on to the XCOM 2 release in Feb.

Quizzical · December 2015

In 2002, I wasn't expecting to play A Tale in the Desert in 2003. In 2003, I wasn't expecting to play Puzzle Pirates in 2004. Nor did I expect the year before it launched that I'd end up playing Wizard 101. Or Spiral Knights. Or Elsword. None of those were even on my radar. I didn't even discover Elsword until several years after launch.

I don't know if any games will launch in 2016 that I'll like. But if any do, there's a decent chance that I haven't even heard of them just yet. There's no need to decide which future games you'll play just yet. A lot can change in a year.

Righteous_Rock · December 2015

i'm looking forward to giving up games completely and focusing my attention on my carreer. things are picking up for me and I hopefully i'll be so busy I won't have time to participate in gaming.

Thorkune · December 2015

I saw that there is a change.org circulating that involves bringing SWG back and that would make my 2016. I know I know, but a guy can hope.

ShrikeArghast · December 2015

Thorkune said:

I saw that there is a change.org circulating that involves bringing SWG back and that would make my 2016. I know I know, but a guy can hope.

SWG would be too hard on the eyes at this point for me to stomach.

nariusseldon · December 2015

Lots .. Overwatch, Lost Ark, marvel hero 2016, Deus Ex, Dishonored 2 .....

Kyleran · December 2015

In MMORPGs? Pretty much nothing for a few years.

Daikuru · December 2015

Albion Online
Camelot Unchained
Crowfall
Pantheon Rise of the Fallen
Shards Online
Shroud of the Avatar
Star Citizen
Warhammer 40k Eternal Crusade

not all of them will launch in 2016, but will be playable in one way or another for sure.

Wreckoniing · December 2015

Crowfall, Camelot Unchained & Possibly chronicles of elyria if its not vaporware

Denambren · December 2015

ShrikeArghast said:

It's hard to get revved up about Star Citizen. I know they've released tiny parcels of the game already, but I'm still on the fence over whether or not it will turn out to be vaporware. Then, beyond that, there's the immense disparity that the game introduces from the outset between rich and poor people in real life -- folks spending upwards on $15,000 on package deals that include all ships, etc. On the surface, SC looks like a neat game, but these shortcomings will have me waiting until well after full release to make any decision.

With regards to Legion: I just can't go there anymore. I've played WoW off and on (mostly on) since launch, and it just feels like the game moves farther and farther away from what originally made it fun with each successive expansion (since Wrath). I hated the ability pruning for WoD, and was enormously discouraged to see the development team embarking on still more of it as a prelude to Legion. Frankly, I just don't think Blizzard's callous B-team WoW design staff has earned my monthly tribute anymore.

Crowfall looks interesting, but I also get the strong sensation that release is a ways away -- perhaps a full year, just looking at videos. It's a neat idea, and I was following development somewhat closely for a while, but it's certainly not a project most of us will be playing in the near future.

Star Citizen and Crowfall won't be making a 2016 release, but you've always got Legion.

zaberfangx · December 2015

ShrikeArghast said:

I see a lot of Korean MMORPGs on the table. I'm not sure how to feel about Black Desert (a lot of people say it's insanely easy and devoid of all noteworthy endgame), and, after looking over Blade and Soul extensively, I can go ahead and rule this one out given that it's an MMO built around dueling, which just isn't my scene.

Beyond these two, and some oddball newcomers like The Division (I haven't seen enough to judge -- the premise looks cool, but I don't know if this one doesn't stray too far into the FPS category to sate my needs), what else is there? It really seems like 2016 is going to be the year without a flagship "WoW Killer" -- and I know we're all tired of that term being used, but at least it represented a company's latest attempt to unseat Blizzard (and no, I'm not interested in playing Legion, before someone name drops that -- I've had my fill of Azeroth).

So... what am I missing?

WoW killer will be it self as it's been losing people pretty fast due to other games and dev running out of ideas, but not sure there ever been a pure sub mmo be as big as wow when it was it's high light.

Black Desert and Blade and Soul not sure how there going to go got to wait and see but there are many mmo coming out for 2016 none of them wow killers many of them pretty good to stand on there own.

But I'm waiting for Peria Chronicles to come out my self.

crusher143 · December 2015

Lost Ark and Lineage Eternal.

IAmMMO · December 2015

No Mans Sky.

Gaming.Rocks2 · December 2015

BDO, No Mans Sky, The Division and maybe Camelot Unchained. None of the other titles will be released in 2016.

I think I will skip BDO, looking forward to co-op The Division with friends and will definitely play Camelot Unchained with the guild.

SpottyGekko · December 2015

The "western" AAA MMO's that you can play right now are the ones that you will be able to play in 2016. There's nothing new coming for the next few years.

I would love it if The Division was a success, but I suspect it will vanish off the radar soon after launch. Besides, it's more FPS than MMO by all accounts.

Most of the "small budget" or indie MMO's currently in the works are heavily slanted toward PVP. That shouldn't come as a surprise, seeing as PVP games are the easiest and cheapest to make. Most of them will probably keep a few thousand players after the initial launch rush.

If you like asian MMO's, then 2016 will be a bumper year (just like every year before it). They churn them out faster than you can say "cookie cutter"...

I will be playing ESO in 2016, but most of my time will go to single-player games. Many of my favourite franchises seem to be delivering in 2016: Mass Effect, Dishonered, Deus Ex and I've not even scratched the surface of moddable Fallout 4 yet. Star Citizen's single-player component (Squadron 42) will most likely also launch next year...

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What's to look forward to in 2016?

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Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV