What exactly IS a "next-gen MMO"?

[iindigo]

Just as the title suggests: To you, what constitutes a next-gen MMO? What are your expectations for such a game?

To me, it would need to take immersion to levels unheard of in the genre (as WoW did) and introduce a very large emphasis on horizontal expansion. The economy in such a game would need to be very player-driven, complete with ways to craft items with stats and appearances designed by the crafter so every blacksmith, for example, isn't selling the exact same thing - give me a reason to buy this guy's stuff instead of that guy's stuff beyond one being cheaper.

Let's hope the term doesn't turn out to mean "convoluted Facebook game with fancy graphics"…

[Deleted]

We need a good sandbox MMO, I am bored mad with all current MMO's.

[Kamari]

Just as the title suggests: To you, what constitutes a next-gen MMO? What are your expectations for such a game?

To me, it would need to take immersion to levels unheard of in the genre (as WoW did) and introduce a very large emphasis on horizontal expansion. The economy in such a game would need to be very player-driven, complete with ways to craft items with stats and appearances designed by the crafter so every blacksmith, for example, isn't selling the exact same thing - give me a reason to buy this guy's stuff instead of that guy's stuff beyond one being cheaper.

Let's hope the term doesn't turn out to mean "convoluted Facebook game with fancy graphics"…

UO had an amazing crafting system where personal skill and ability were highly sought after.

[Deleted]

UO had an amazing crafting system where personal skill and ability were highly sought after.

Star wars Galaxies was the pinnacle of sandbox MMO's, shame SOE ruined it. Blizzard needs to remake it I think.

[Arkhias]

We need a good sandbox MMO, I am bored mad with all current MMO's.

Agreed. The Quest -> Quest -> Quest -> ... -> Quest -> Raid model pioneered by WoW is extremely tired at this point.

[Pull My Finger]

It has to have the fantastic flow, accessibility and playability of WoW combined with modern technology.

[grandpab]

Is there even a MMO coming out soon that can be considered next-gen? I know there's some games that I would consider evolutionary, or have evolutionary aspects, to be coming out in the near future, but not enough to be considered next-gen.

[Spl4sh3r]

For me a next gen MMO also includes up to date graphics, think Battlefield 3

[Deleted]

Next gen graphics, physics and a dynamic, changing world where player actions matter.

Other than that, it could be anything. There's no generally accepted good or bad theme or game mechanics.

[poser765]

Star wars Galaxies was the pinnacle of sandbox MMO's, shame SOE ruined it. Blizzard needs to remake it I think.

The VERY first thing that popped into my head when i saw you post was SWG.

http://www.swgemu.com/forums/index.php

Check it out. it's not in the best shape right now, but it is playable. Maybe more for nostalgia right now, but i can't tell you how good it felt to log in and just run around Theed, and C-net.

[Deleted]

Nobody knows.

[iindigo]

Would it not be possible to smoothly merge sandbox and "theme park" MMO styles, providing respectable questing and such while also putting a lot of world-changing power into the hands of players? That sounds pretty next-gen to me.

[Deleted]

The VERY first thing that popped into my head when i saw you post was SWG.

http://www.swgemu.com/forums/index.php

Check it out. it's not in the best shape right now, but it is playable. Maybe more for nostalgia right now, but i can't tell you how good it felt to log in and just run around Theed, and C-net.

No thanks, I have fond memories of that game but sometimes it is best to let things die. I played some retro games from my childhood using an emulater once, I realised just how bad they were and it killed the fondness.

[Ausr]

Truthfully, as I've been telling my friend whenever he decides to unsuccessfully find his "oh my god" mmo after quitting WoW: It won't happen as long as WoW is on the scene being the big dog.

[Malthurius]

Next Gen MMOs don't exist because the MMO genre can't have a revolution, only small evolutions. In that sense, any MMO that is new and different I would consider next gen, because that's as much of a "revolution" you're going to get... an evolution.

[Kaibhan]

To me next gen has meant a revolution in content delivery. That being said I feel that both GW2 and TSW offer that. Even SW:Tor with it's emphasis on story I would consider to be the next gen.

To other I think though that next gen really means to them the next wow. I think the first wow will have to drop to the wayside before it would even be feasible to grab a chunk of the market like they did again.

[Elween]

the next gen mmo must break some rules that all most every mmo is using...

The leveling is a thing you must d,o some game designers call this the learning curve of the class you playing but nowadays is more like a mandatory initial content of the game or game's exp, yeah its cool when there is a story line or just a great adventure/event but is it really "must" in the mmo?
Quests or missions very much like the leveling its the main way to level up by doing this countless times, for this mmo's are known, in a bad way. They were kinda mandatory but there is still other ways to level like pvp and dungeons and that is cool to have this options, still i think a system with all this and other ways like scenarios, events, arenas, professions etc blending all this in to one more natural and solid character progression.
And still there is the talents, the roles, guild wars 2 is looking good in this point, real player interference in the sandbox.

[iindigo]

I feel that levels are important part of any MMO. Do they have to follow the conventional rules? No, not at all, but it feels pretty strange if you can just start playing Billy Badass right from the beginning. That's where the RPG portion of "MMORPG" comes in - the point of the game is to progress your character.

[Facepalmer3]

If we're talking about Blizzard's next gen. mmo, I would think it's going to focus heavily on co-op play. Possibly having an mmo where you can truly do what you want, although not sure it's been done to the point where it's always fresh and new.

But yeah, I like the story and scenery (wow), but with quests I feel like I'm being "forced" or I can't progress.

Another neat option would be to have everything on the account level and having the ability to switch toons without logging out, so you could be in an area and lets say you need another class, no problem, click a button, select a toon and in a few seconds you switched without having to log.

[lolvik]

Star wars Galaxies was the pinnacle of sandbox MMO's, shame SOE ruined it. Blizzard needs to remake it I think.

Yeah, cause Blizzard would NOT add the things that people hate got added in the first place...


For me personally, the first thing that has to be changed in MMO's is the combat.
We are slowly getting there (TERA, somewhat GW2), but nowhere close to the point where it's actually good.