Your Ideal MMO

[ZonerZ]

Several friends and I have been discussing our own personal thoughts on what makes a perfect MMO. Things were brought up that I really liked, such as fps reticles and voice chat. Other ideas that were tossed around ranged from original storyline concepts to non-combat, levelable classes. What we all learned is that each of us had a very distinct view on the perfect MMO. So I ask you, fellow Escapists, what is your ideal MMO? What is a feature you wish more MMOs had? What is a feature you would like that hasn't yet been implemented? A plot you dream to see? A class or species you long to play?

 

[Liberaliterr]

Mine would be an MMO with no levels, it simple depends on your ability to survive combat.
For example there would be various creatures of varying strength, but a new player could defeat a larger one, if he was good enough.
Also, no semi realtime combat, proper hack and slash, god of war style

 

[Torque669]

A good one.

Want me to go into detail? One where theres lots of classes but not too many so its blinding. Only 4 races but you can completely customize these and all 4 are against each other. You can hire Mercenaries to help you with certain quests if you cant find anyone to quest with and a huge plotline which goes through all the time your playing. Also its got to make you sound like an everyday soldier not a hero. Unless you won some sort of pvp tournament in game.

 

[CenturionRyan]

For an MMO to be ideal by my standards, it would need to:
*Have real-time combat.
*Be an FPS set in the 20th century.
*Lack a leveling system.
*Focus on an ongoing war between two factions rather than any one person's exploits. Also, an extra faction for people that either desert or are kicked out of (somehow) their faction.
*Make the player feel like a cog in the war machine, rather than anyone particularly special.
*Contain stealth elements that focus on a character's ability to stay hidden through camouflage and sticking to the shadows rather than magic spells that make you invisible or whatever.
*Have extremely versatile character creation, but make sure the changes can be noticed. Like City of Heroes.
*Give the option for first or third person gameplay.

Unfortunately, this will probably never happen.

 

[ZonerZ]

For an MMO to be ideal by my standards, it would need to:
*Have real-time combat.
*Be an FPS set in the 20th century.
*Lack a leveling system.
*Focus on an ongoing war between two factions rather than any one person's exploits. Also, an extra faction for people that either desert or are kicked out of (somehow) their faction.
*Make the player feel like a cog in the war machine, rather than anyone particularly special.
*Contain stealth elements that focus on a character's ability to stay hidden through camouflage and sticking to the shadows rather than magic spells that make you invisible or whatever.
*Have extremely versatile character creation, but make sure the changes can be noticed. Like City of Heroes.
*Give the option for first or third person gameplay.

Unfortunately, this will probably never happen.

Feels like I've played that game a couple times, minus the character creation. Like deja vu or something.

 

[Biek]

an MMO version of Oblivion would get very close to what id like to see. I think the combat system would be great: choice between first or third person view. Different types of attacks and real time blocking. To prevent people from blocking with shields all the time id implement a sort of health bar that represents a characters blocking ability based on strenght. Also, manual aiming with bows and missile spells like fireballs.

The various races, and highly detailed customization of apearance and classes already fits the bill as well.

Wich then leaves crafting skills, wich Oblivion doesnt have much. But it isnt hard to imagine mineral nodes and stuff to be scattered throughout the land waiting to be collecting pretty much the same way as plants do now. Or to think up new skills that would be required to collect them. Also, with the amount of food in oblivion cooking would be mandatory.

Offcourse, id get rid of fast travel. But would leave an option for quick travel between cities by renting special horses at stables.

 

[Mylon]

Things I would need

*Unlimited leveling. Games keep going through this weird transition where you're killing stuff for exp points/advancement and then suddenly you hit a brick wall and it changes drastically. WTF? Also, this ties into the next point.
*Much more narrow power gap. Like, at "level 1", you start with 10,000 hp and after playing for 4 years you might have 15,000 hp. Still gives you 5,000 chances to "ding" along the way. This also makes it possible to party up with absolutely anyone. MMOs are extremely desolate in most areas because most everyone is max level and playing that game rather than the treadmill most people are forced to do nearly alone before they can get to the second game.
*More social constructs. WAR was pretty cool with a guild that levels up. Not enough depth to the idea, though. Games also need "clubs", which are non-exclusive and allow players to be more social than being forced into trying a multitude of dead guilds until they find a living one.
*Class-less system. I love my skills and watching 500 progress bars march across the screen instead of one. I especially like being able to pick up a different set of equipment and try out a different role instead of needing to log out and log back in as an alt.
*Meaningful crafting. Let anyone create Excalibur from the start, but make it take forever an a day (time spent subscribed, rather than logged in) and/or more materials than an expert might take to do it. No more having to grind out 100 pieces of crud no one will ever use to 'level up'.

That's a good starting point. From here, there's lots more ideas I have running through my head, but it'll cost $100 million to get me to cough them up (not necessarily paid directly to me for a pretty document, but paid for an actual product).

 

[SaintAtilla]

Having played a certain popular MMO for much too long I have a few ideas on this topic.

Personally I like the idea of levels, they just need to be implemented well.
I would like my game to either be fantasy based or sci-fi.
A HUGE emphasis on grouping and party based gameplay, as the solo grind is the worst.
A great deal of customization is important, from combat abilities to appearance.
Personally I want my character to feel badass and one of a kind.
Real time combat is a must.
Well done PvP and PvE, with an emphasis on neither.

And to bust out the nerd in me, I really hope the Warhammer 40K MMO turns out like this, maybe I would get back into MMOs if it does.

 

[Stoic raptor]

an open place with lots of dinosaurs that you fight, lots of forests and caves and shit to explore. you can level up your weapons, but not the person himself. there should be lots of weapons with different styles of fighting. and there should be LOTS of different dinosaurs, not just raptors and tyranosaurses, the vararity should fill an encyclopedia.

Also, no semi realtime combat, proper hack and slash, god of war style

this too, it would go well with the different weapons and combat styles.

 

[Erana]

If FFxiv used Kingdom Heart's battle system, I'd be pretty happy.
What I like from MMOs is for the socialization to be as rewarding as the game itself.
That means lotsa dancing.
Oh, and for character customiation to not be a matter of blue hair or spending $5.00 on a red fro.

 

[SirZanton]

For an MMO to be Ideal by MY (not yours, MINE) standards it would require:

*A non-retarded moral choice system: bonus kill powers for evil, bonus heal powers for good
*No leveling: you can THEORETICLY kill anything from go but its F***ING HARD
*Limitless character creation: you can unlock parts with the moral choice system
*No classes: you can customize limetlessly
*RT combat: thats real time for you dumb f***s out there
*Changing World: the world starts out basic and OMFGWTF huge and can be modified by PCs and NPCs alike
*Sci-Fi setting: so the worlds are theoreticly limetless
*No paticular PvP/PvE Emphasis: rewards are equal fo each

All in all, I think that this MMO would sell better than WoW game time but thats just my opinion

 

[D3STRUCT0 2005]

A Poke'mon mmo would oh so epic

 

[VincentMm]

Just make it absolutely nothing like FFXI shudders and you're on the right track.

 

[Danzaivar]

Planetside with hit-boxes and a playerbase of more than 10,000. That's about it really.

Oo, or Final Fantasy 11 with the ability to solo and MP that regenerates within 30 seconds.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Ideally one I wouldn't have to pay to play. It's for that reason that I avoid MMO's. ...that and that people mysteriously transform into jerks on the internet.

 

[infernovolver]

Another one of these goddam threads. So I'll just copy/paste what I written before.
There's a fanmade Pokemon mmo. It's pretty shitty though. You'd have to pull it off pretty well to get it to be well received.

Um. I think maybe a gundam mmo. Can't use the later continuity's Gundams either; they're too overpowered in comparison to the majority of mobile suits. Skilling might be an issue in that kind of game though.
Phantasy Star! That'd be interesting. Again, skilling hasn't been done before, but given the futuristic setting I'm sure Sega could come up with something.
I've got another idea, but I don't feel like typing it out right now.... So.... Wait.

 

[Gerazzi]

Also, no semi realtime combat, proper hack and slash, god of war style

this

I want an actually original setting for once.

 

[lwm3398]

mine would have plenty of classes, classic ones, but also original ones like magician-ninjas. or...something like that...no i didn't think about this question before this thread! back on topic, it would be in multiple terrains. desert wastelands, temperate forests, jungles, ya know, give me something new. good quests. not delivery quests, or escort quests, kill [x] scorpions, something like...i don't know...find a sword hidden under a rock, but the sword turns into a snake, kill it, and seek revenge on the person who gave you the quest. make things like pets, or mounts, or anything else you can think an animal could do. also, make monster's health somehow contribute to the XP it gives. if it takes you twelve hits to kill the thing, you should get XP for every hit, not a set amount. and the usual, good races, good character customizability, that stuff.

EDIT: and maybe something like sailing? you take control of a ship, and sail in it to other islands.

 

[spazzattack]

A mechanic where you can beat the game, be finished, and then start over, but every time you do this you gain a new ability. Kingdom of Loathing has a good ascension mechanic that does this well, and Way of the Samurai 2 has an unlock system designed for multiple runs through. An MMO that has replay ability is key.