A Warhammer 40k MMORPG?

[blackshark121]

Search Bar approved, last thread is a year old.

Does anyone else really want to see a 40k MMO on the market? Its something I'd love to play, anyone else? To get an idea of the game, go to http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Warhammer40000

Also, what are some ideas to get around the race dilemma? For those who don't know, no races are allies in 40k. The humans are xenophobic mass murderers, elves could attack anyone at any time completely randomly, Tyranids (bug monsters) will eat any living thing near them, Necrons (metallic undead) try to eradicate life from the universe, Orks try to take over the universe, Chaos are evil monsters trying to spread their hell throughout the universe, etc...
To fix this, I think that each race could have a race relations status, showing how relations are between races. Each race is a faction, and there would be a screen showing relations between their own race, and each other. Some would be highly inclined to be positive, others would almost always stay low.

Another issue is unit strength. If everyone's PC is just a single soldier from their race, then the Imperium's soldier, figuratively armed with a flash light and t-shirt, will not stand against, say, a Chaos Space Marine. To fix this, each PC would be either a single unit for stronger races, like Space Marines, a small group for moderate units, like Eldar and Tau, and a large group for quantity armies, like the Imperial Guard. However, there would be the option, for some races, to have different sizes, like Orks, who could use a group of basic units, or a single strong unit, or Tyranids, who could have a swarm of weak units, or a couple stronger ones.

I think that such a game would be great. What can anyone else add?

 

[Kiefer13]

I'm a massive fan of 40k but I think an MMORPG set in the 40k universe would be extremely difficult to do correctly. If they could manage to pull it off though it would have the potential to be absolutely amazing.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

Very fucking yes. I want it NOW D:

 

[orangebandguy]

It has the potential to be amazing and also backfire catastrophically. But it'd be brilliant to say the least, though not for the Imperial Guard.

2000 posts, hooray!

 

[Ganthrinor]

Ehhh...

I like WH 40k. While I'm not willing to shell out the cash to play the Tabletop, I've read some of the books and I've played a few of the games put out based in the 40K universe.

Somehow, the idea of a 40K MMO just doesn't sit well with me.

How many worlds are there?
How would travel work?
What factions are available?
But mostly, how are you going to adapt large-scale combat down into a personal or small-party setting without losing the 40K feel?

Relic did well with DoW 2 even though I have a few gripes, but pushing WH40K into the MMO mold would most likely break either the 40K feel or the MMO mold and you'd wind up with some bastard mutant chaos-child twitching and bleeding all over the internet like a pestilential omni-armed squid until it choked and died.

 

[Amnestic]

A 40K MMO strikes me as one of those which would be mired by balance issues. It has the potential to be an incredibly in depth and enjoyable experience, but even trying to balance the Imperial Guard against anything at all is an exercise in futility. The only way to do it would be to have the Imperial Guard player be backed up by a squad of 4-9 computer controlled characters at the same time.

...you know actually that's not a bad idea, this could work.

How many worlds are there?

As many as necessary.

How would travel work?

I'd put in a similar system that Planetside had.

 

[Sejs Cube]

In short, a 40k MMO wouldn't work.

MMOs are all about focusing on individual characters, badasses, that eventually work together to overcome big content like instances and raids.

40k is all about armies, big movement, and life being cheap. Unless you're one of a small community of People Who Matter - who in an MMO would be NPCs - you individually do not matter. You contribute to a cause

The scope of the setting just doesn't work for an MMO. Maybe something more focused and persona-driven might work within the 40k setting. Something more akin to a Necromunda MMO maybe, but even then it'd need some shoehorning to work.

 

[sturryz]

Be hard to pull off, but what i suggest is have two races (orks and humans) human players would play as rogue traders, orks would play as freebooter captains (pirates).
you would have a selection of troops under your command (almost like an rts) since rogue traders and freebooters are not tied down as much as say, a space marine chapter, you could be good or evil.you could loot space hulks, get involved in conflicts (for a price, of course.) or maybe do a little trading. in space it would be a space sim. on the ground it could be a tps/rtt. what do you think?

make it about the mercenarys, pirates and traders rather then the main factions, then have the factions go at it well the players are in the background. getting involved or not. trust me, the Imperium is not above hiring ork mercenarys.

 

[Aardvark]

I just thought they'd make it a MMOS like Planetside. That would be fun. Drop into a battlezone and let your bolter sing its song of praise for the Emperor. The more you kill, the more Prestige/Chaos Favour/Waaaaaargh/Whatever your races currency that roughly equals experience is, the better equipment/enhancements you can take.

Orks would be fun to play. Start off as one of the Boyz, getting bigger and stronger the more you kill.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

From what little I've heard about the MMO currently in development, it sounded like it would play more like a tactical RTS than a traditional online RPG. Personally I'm torn, because I'm a fanatical 40K fan (I'm reading Titanicus right now for example) but I despise with every fiber of my being the concept of monthly fees. If the game ends up being good I'll be really conflicted...

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

It has the potential to be amazing and also backfire catastrophically. But it'd be brilliant to say the least, though not for the Imperial Guard.

2000 posts, hooray!

Oh god, the IG would fail so hard. Until you could use the Baneblade...then every species of ass would DIE.
Also, congratulations

 

[blackshark121]

How many worlds are there?

A lot, a hell of a lot. In fact, of guilds were available, each guild could get a planet.

How would travel work?

Go to a space port, and travel to a different planet, SWG style.

What factions are available?

Imperial Guard, Space Marines, Eldar, Tau, Chaos, Dark Eldar, Orks, Tyranids, Necrons. Most major armies.

But mostly, how are you going to adapt large-scale combat down into a personal or small-party setting without losing the 40K feel?

That is a good question. I suppose full army fights would be possible, have the AI set up a fight, and send a message to each member of that race that a war they can fight in is going on. Allies of the race in a war can also join in.


And about the IG, a player would essentially control an officer, who would a squad with him of computer controlled units. The Officer points out who should die, the squad makes them die. Different units can be picked out as well, such as a medic, or a flamethrower unit. Kind of like what DA:O is right now, but with a bigger party. Tyranids would have a similar situation.


This game would be less about end game raids against computer controlled units, instead going with wars fought between different factions, similar to the fantasy warhammer mmo.

 

[Ganthrinor]

I just thought they'd make it a MMOS like Planetside. That would be fun. Drop into a battlezone and let your bolter sing its song of praise for the Emperor. The more you kill, the more Prestige/Chaos Favour/Waaaaaargh/Whatever your races currency that roughly equals experience is, the better equipment/enhancements you can take.

Orks would be fun to play. Start off as one of the Boyz, getting bigger and stronger the more you kill.

MORE BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! MORE SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!


MMOS would be interesting, but Khorne wins. Every time.

 

[Spaghetti]

I'm pretty sure I read a Pc Gamer article a few months ago that said someone was having a go at making one. I think it was THQ, but I can't rembmeber.

Actually, if you google "40K MMO", there are quiet a few articles on the subject. Here's one with the single piece of concept art that is floating about

Anyway, an 40k MMO would be awesome...but just like the movie, it's something that could go terribly wrong, terribly quickly.

 

[Cowabungaa]

In short, a 40k MMO wouldn't work.

MMOs are all about focusing on individual characters, badasses, that eventually work together to overcome big content like instances and raids.

40k is all about armies, big movement, and life being cheap. Unless you're one of a small community of People Who Matter - who in an MMO would be NPCs - you individually do not matter. You contribute to a cause

The scope of the setting just doesn't work for an MMO. Maybe something more focused and persona-driven might work within the 40k setting. Something more akin to a Necromunda MMO maybe, but even then it'd need some shoehorning to work.

1 Word: guilds. As an individual you might complete 'trainings mission' (e.a quests), but all the big and proper stuff is done in squads/armies/etc.

But I'm still doubtful and full of questions, but I'm already disappointed by the fact that this will not be an MMOFPS akin to Planetside, as I'd like it to be, but (as the developers have said) a more traditional MMORPG. Which is a shame, if you ask me.

 

[irishdelinquent]

In short, a 40k MMO wouldn't work.

Well that's interesting, since they're already making one. Can't wait!

 

[teanabowlie]

I think it could be done, the question is whether GW would have the guts to give it the go ahead. Most of the races could be included in some way no problem:
Eldar have Pirates and Rangers, and a Dark Eldar going solo isn't hard to imagine.
Humans have rogue traders, hive city gangers and Inquisitors (could start off as an Interogator, work your way up, wouldn't that be cool!). Imperial Guard isn't feasible though, they are part of an army, and seeing one on his own wouldn't really be justifiable. The same problem appears for Tau. Fire Warriors don't wander around on their own, and the Water Caste are non-combatants. Then again they don't have to be in it at launch, they could be shoehorned in with an expansion.
Ad-Mech Explorators would make a wonderful addition to the race list.
Chaos also wouldn't be a problem. They're are cults throughout the galaxy.
Orks have freebootas as sturryz said.
Theres even a place for Tyranids if you play as a member of a Genestealer cult.
Necrons are a big no-no, no way you're getting them in there. But it's understandable, and they don't really have any fluff for.

There are other issues though. First the scale. Do we go with a single planet with all the races fighting over it (or maybe its a place where non of the races are all that interested in conquest? A sector? If so how many planets? How big is each one? A segmentum? The entire galaxy (I do NOT want to play 40k-EVE online).
And the number one thing I think could damage this game's chances is the race I avoided mentioning, Space Marines (Imperial and Traitor). There is no way to fit them in without severely stretching the background fluff of 40k. But I'm not sure you're going to get people to play it without them.

Anyway, imagine an instanced planet in a 40k MMO that is undergoing a Tyranid invasion. You're there, and your only task is to get your sorry ass off of it. Bliss!

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

Wait, so you're not all aware that some new concept art has finally appeared? [http://kotaku.com/5415951/an-early-look-at-the-warhammer-40k-mmo/gallery/]

Apparently they haven't just been doing nothing all this time since it was announced.

I think it could be done, the question is whether GW would have the guts to give it the go ahead.

They already have, it's been in development for several years now already.

 

[Amnestic]

Wait, so you're not all aware that some new concept art has finally appeared? [http://kotaku.com/5415951/an-early-look-at-the-warhammer-40k-mmo/gallery/]

Is that a Titan I see before me? Praise the Emperor, for He has delivered to us a weapon with which to purify our foes in righteous fire.

 

[Bad Neighbour]

I really wish that Warhammer online had been a 40K one instead of the generic thing that it is. Yeah of course the fantasy warhammer is every bit as good, but in the genre of the MMO it just treads the same ground yet again. I remember picking it up for alittle while and playing a witch elf and struggling to find anything that was different to a rogue. Sure I could have played it forever and found out that the endgame was brilliant or the pvp was well put together, but frankly, I couldn't be bothered with another MMO that wasn't greatly different to the ones I'd already spent thousands of hours on.

40k, on the other hand, could have been much more different. But then again, how you'd balance imperial guard/guants against marines or necrons is a bit of a nightmare. Maybe give the IG sentinels or something. Or let tyranids mutate into bigger ones. It could work I guess... marines get terminator armour, tau get droids, tyranids turn into warriors or lictors or something, eldar could become exarches...


Edit:

snip

LOL at how small that marine's head looks. He must have a car axle for shoulders or something.