I really want a good MMOFPS. I am hoping that the genre is going to come up big for us the next few years. I really want to find such a game that I can sit down and play for 2-3 years like I did with WoW, but one that is NOT just an RPG. I want to use my twitch skills and have some nice character development via traditional rpg character development. I want a world with rich lore. One that you can get engrossed in. I am hoping that someone can get the formula right with a blend of the fast action of say COD:MW, CS:S, or whatever fillintheblank good fps you can think of coupled with a rich persistent world experience.
Overall, I think as far as innovation in the MMO genre as a whole, the trick is to see what type of games are currently highly successful in the non-mmo realm and look at how you can adapt them into clever, fun, and most importantly, lasting gameplay experiences. Something needs to grab you and make you feel like you are taking part in a very epic adventure. I dunno, but for me, if a new game comes out and is simply just another WoW clone with out anything truly innovative, then I am very reluctant to play it. There needs to be something that differentiates you from the crowd in a very REAL way. Not just some small incremental improvement.
MMO Gameplay: Time For A New Approach?
With so many MMOs coming out in 2010, the ZAM team gives some examples of how fresh new gameplay in an MMO could really set it apart.
Robot / MechWarrior / Armored Core Style MMORPGs
Who did it first: Exteel
What it is: Players can purchase equipment for their mechs and they then use these mechs to compete in PvP combat, undertake dangerous missions, or fight in arenas. If you're a fan of the Armored Core series, then you may understand just how much fun there is to be had in creating custom mechs from hundreds of different part choices. No two mechs are the same!
Why it works: The one problem with Exteel was that it just wasn't designed to take advantage of its full potential. Exteel focuses almost entirely upon its PvP gameplay and, because of this, it devolves into a Counter-Strike shooter style of game, where players just join rooms, blow each other up, get points at the end, and then do it all over again. NCsoft also opted for a microtransaction system in Exteel, where players can 'rent' equipment for 30 days via cash purchases. If a company were to really see the potential in this genre, look no further than the Armored Core series. The Armored Core games are a series of MechWarrior style games, where players have an "Armored Core" that they can buy parts for. Users then pilot their Armored Cores in Arena matches, or they undertake dangerous PvE missions, like direct base assaults, or covert stealth missions.
All of the above translates into some very drool-worthy MMO material that, if developed properly, could translate into an incredibly immersive MMORPG. EVE Online already has players living in their ships, and CCP has noted that, in their next expansion, they want to allow players the opportunity to beam to planets, to interact with each other. A MechWarrior style MMO could take this one step further by allowing players the opportunity to pilot their mechs in dangerous missions and fight in the arena while also allowing them to hop out of their mech and participate in some MMOFPS action, like EVE Online's Dust 514.
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Remember, we covered just a few of the potential gaming genres that could be explored in the next few years. There are still many other genres that have yet to see the light of the development scope, and it's really only a matter of time before someone creates an MMORPG that is as creative as, say, EVE Online, or perhaps Star Trek Online. While only time will tell what we'll get next for MMO gameplay, leave some comments and tell us what kind of gaming genre you would like to see implemented in the MMO world!
Tags: Editorial