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Idea for an MMO-esque forum game, brainstorming welcome

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:17 pm
by Arkbrik
So, there are a ton of MMOs out there, and I've tried a few, and I don't like any of them, because:

-They rarely have a living world that your actions have any real effect on.

-Before you can do anything interesting you have to spend hours, or days, levelgrinding.

For a while now, I've been thinking about making a forum game set in a world where whatever you do has realistic consequences, and the players are free to do whatever they want (sandbox style), but goals should emerge naturally. There a few things the game should have:

-Ability to have lots of players.

-A simple system for controlling the characters.

-Ability to easily deal with players being inactive.

-As few NPCs as possible - the players should be the driving forces of the world.

-Any role should be available to a player when they join the game, anything from a lowly civilian to an adventurer to a ruler of a nation.

-There should be a living economy formed by supply and demand.

My current thinking is a medieval-fantasy-style world, where the game takes place in a wilderness territory. Players can try to build their own empires, or get whatever job they like in someone else's domain. There wouldn't be any real turns, instead you post your action and as soon as the GM has posted the result you can post a new action. The world would be divided up into a number of smaller regions, with natural resources tracked for each of them.

I hope the above text made any sense. What do you think about it?

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:27 pm
by mgb519
Battles would probably have to take place in turns.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:30 pm
by Silverdream
Does it have to be turn based?

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:55 pm
by Arkbrik
@mgb519

I was thinking about using a Roll to Dodge system for battles and skill tests, but all the turns of the battles would be fought at once. So a player might say "I go to the Cursed Cave and fight the dragon living there", the GM plays out the entire battle turn for turn, until either side is dead.

@Silverdream

I hope not. You shouldn't have to wait for other players to post their actions before you can go again, you should only have to wait for the GM to post the result of your action. That way inactive players won't slow down the game.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:00 pm
by mgb519
The way I'd do it would be to give each person a new action every (insert period of time here). Then actions don't get out of hand.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:05 pm
by Arkbrik
Well, that can be regulated quite easily, if the GM only posts action results once per day for example.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:42 pm
by Zupponn
You could use the system stubby used in Assault on Goatse Bunker

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:28 pm
by Tzan
I desperately need a brave adventurer to collect 10 butterfly wings for me. I'm making a special potion. After that I may need some ant legs.

As payment I can offer you a grinding wheel.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:33 pm
by mgb519
I'd rather have mead.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:34 pm
by benkim123
Do you really have to do this turn based or by sending orders?

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 3:30 pm
by OREMAWESOME1234
So, with this game... can I be a bad guy instead of a hero?

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 3:44 pm
by Arkbrik
@Zupponn

Yup, that's pretty much the same as what I was thinking of.

@Tzan

Note to self - include magic system based on insect body parts.

@benkim123

I think the best way is for everyone to post their orders in a thread. There has to be some GM regulation in order to keep track of all the world resource stuff, random events etc.

@OREMAWESOME1234

Sure you could. A bandit robbing travellers, a tyrant ruling his kingdom with an iron fist, an insane wizard plotting to destroy the world... they should all be viable careers.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:56 pm
by *CRAZYHORSE*
So for example if Tzan's order was drive chariot full with gold to King Goldenbuttoms and my orders would be hide in the bushes next to the road and ambush any body passing by, would we then interact?
I think you should allow orders to also be sent by Pm because sometimes you want to do something in secret.

But really it is just a question of how many people want to play and how much time you want to devote to it.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:14 pm
by Rody
or perhaps also important, what is the setting here?
and I mean other than generic medieval fantasy world.
much ,much variation there.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:33 pm
by Olothontor
To riff off of Rody's question here, I feel like a lot of what makes an awesome story-based MMO is its setting; combat and the mechanics should take a backseat, especially if it's forum-based and not limited by the constraints of any sort of program or code. This is part of why live-table gaming with good people is such a commodity; the story is all about the things that you, as a player, do.

That being said (and I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade), but I'm not certain you can make this work, particularly on forums such as this one, where the majority of people are a lot less likely to take something seriously enough to make it count- even when they're trying to. Especially since you can't make any decent threats for those who don't take it seriously and ruin the experience for those of us who enjoy the serious aspect of the atmosphere.