Solution to lack of content/boredom. [Amazing Idea]

[Scoots]

Hey all, So I was thinking, 'What is a big thing that makes games successful', There are several things,replayability, personalization, gameplay, there are many things up there, WoW has many of them, but then I thought, what was a big thing that made blizzard games successful in the past?

Think about this. a custom-content tool that allows players to create their own dungeons, battlegrounds, and zones that can include their own coding, scripting, this tool would be similar to the Warcraft III Map Editor, a level design tool that also has its advanced settings, such as custom models, imports, mob scaling/designing.

One thing I think is interesting about this idea, is that if you think back far, I mean real far, like 2004'ish, Warcraft 3's replayability came almost entirely from the custom map system, famous maps such as Azeroth Wars, Dark Ages of Warcraft, Lordaeron Tactics, Run Kitty Run, and most prominently DOTA which spawned an entire genre of gaming, and brought eSports into the future.

Now, I can see ups and downs with this, What is the players role, will they still keep their character for these? Well, I think that would be the map makers choice, maybe they want to tell a story, so they make you their hero. Or they give you a selection of characters like in any MOBA, or maybe they simply leave you as your existing character? There are many possibilities.

What about gear? Well, clearly armor would not be earned in these, and it would all be for fun, just like Custom Games in Warcraft 3 or Starcraft 2 didn't increase your rank, but it was still the most popular feature in Warcraft 3 in the end.

So tell me, Do you think that this would spawn new genres, and make the playerbase happy? Or would it be a failed concept that would only mess up the game?

Tell me in a reply, or the poll.

[Methanar]

Too much work. Just make 30 more dailies using the same old technology we've had for over 10 years now.

[Negation]

It won't never ever fit a mmorpg. This isn't minecraft.
The goal of this game is gatheting gear and beat things up. Adding this will be like adding a new game with another goal....doesn't make much sense to me.


(btw, let others judge if it's an "amazing idea").

[drulis]

a small guess is that it would be much much harder to make a map and a boss fight in a 3d world compared to 2d

[Nymie]

Too much work. Just make 30 more dailies using the same old technology we've had for over 10 years now.

Novel idea!!! Hope Blizz looks into this! :P

[Niberion]

They've stated they won't be doing that plenty of times already.
Also, there's more to do then ever before. Retarded amount of dailies, challenge modes, scenarios, pet battles, brawlers guild, more raiding.

[Doozerjun]

Too much work. Just make 30 more dailies using the same old technology we've had for over 10 years now.

Hehe. Isn't that what they are doing anyway?

But I would love a major mmo with player created content.

[Dewote]

Too much work. Just make 30 more dailies using the same old technology we've had for over 10 years now.

Genius! You're hired!

[lizon]

Custom content in a RTS, FPS, or RPG....yes

Custom content in a MMORPG.....no.

It just doesn't work. People would make stuff that would for instance, have Thrall come back on some chariot of fire to smack Garrosh. Some retard will make Tyrande call upon the powers of Elune and wipe out Orgimmer or something silly like that. When it comes to a MMORPG tight control of the story narrative is important in order to have compelling, worth while, and consistent content. The fan community would fail miserably at this.

The most you will get is more tabard choices and more transmog choices.

Yes I know they could make all of the content instanced content and separate it from the main game. But that would also require Blizzard to devote resources to ensure that all of that custom content doesn't mess up with the real game. In fact the only way to make it work would be to make it so that all gear gained, all drops obtained, all achievements made, and all spells or what not used in such custom content stayed in the instanced content. Meaning basically that the system would basically copy your character into the custom content and you would play in there, completely separate from your real game character. That is far more trouble than it's worth, you may as well just play another game to get your fix for something "new" cause that is what you are advocating.

Now one idea that would work IMO would be something similar to what they did in the anime SAO (The World Seed). A free open source MMORPG base code that users can customize to create all new content but that share character data and stats across all MMO's based on the code. Allowing players to take their characters from one game to another, moving over their character stats as they go along to experience new content and stories all across the net.

[Soulwind]

I think player-made content could work via suggestions and submissions, like anual tier design and musical composing contests (with very few winners and, of course, Blizzard's right to modify it all they want to), but not by giving the players these kind of tools, I don't think it would work for a MMO.

[yjmark]

I thought Blizz mentioned a while ago that this would be a cool idea, but they don't quite have the tech to support implementation into WoW.

[Scoots]

It just doesn't work. People would make stuff that would for instance, have Thrall come back on some chariot of fire to smack Garrosh. Some retard will make Tyrande call upon the powers of Elune and wipe out Orgimmer or something silly like that. When it comes to a MMORPG tight control of the story narrative is important in order to have compelling, worth while, and consistent content. The fan community would fail miserably at this.

Did you even play Warcraft 3? It was just a menu that had a list of maps/custom content. This wouldn't have drops other then say, key items for a door or something.

[BeastmasterGuardian]

While this sounds interesting on the surface, it just opens up a world of hurt for Blizz. They would have to upload from their server to your desktop the "customized" content your friend just made so you can run their dungeon or scenario. We would spend more time making maps and less time playing them. That was the main issue in WC3. I would spend weeks customizing large maps only to be used once or twice.

I honestly hope that this plan never sees the light of day as it would be a complete patching nightmare.

[lizon]

Did you even play Warcraft 3? It was just a menu that had a list of maps/custom content. This wouldn't have drops other then say, key items for a door or something.

You really need to read the rest of the post instead of just reading the first few lines......

WC3 is a RTS, find me a MMO that allows it, and no Co-OP games do not count as a MMORPG. The only thing that comes close is EVE Online and that's basically because the entire game is based on player interactions, they don't create content, they create events.

[Imnick]

How arrogant do you have to be to label your own topic "[Amazing Idea]"
It isn't even a new idea, let alone an amazing one. It wouldn't work either, content generation for an RTS takes a ridiculous amount of time and skill.

Making a user-friendly tool for making maps would take the equivalent of an expansion of official content, if not longer.

[Scoots]

You really need to read the rest of the post instead of just reading the first few lines......

WC3 is a RTS, find me a MMO that allows it, and no Co-OP games do not count as a MMORPG. The only thing that comes close is EVE Online and that's basically because the entire game is based on player interactions, they don't create content, they create events.

Exactly, it hasn't happened yet. The MMORPG Development Community has gone stail, nobody wants to move a muscle, because investors are too afraid a game will fail, rather then looking at the positives, they wait for one person to make a daring move, then they copy them outright and completely, hoping an idea works twice, then it fails, the investors cry and slink back to their sewers.

An idea needs to be tried before it can happen. I am sure blizzard could make it work if they discussed this, and decided better ways to go at it.

[Spike`]

not going to happen, years ago there was some addons that created custom quests, you could even do guild custom quests

guess what blizzard did? killed all of them

remember back on WOTLK when a addon had gave us the ability to made ingame 3D drawing ? that was alot of fun, what blizzard did? killed

blizzard dont want stuff out of their control/made stuff, period

[BeastmasterGuardian]

An idea needs to be tried before it can happen.

Listen, I understand having everyone tell you an idea sucks is never fun. I'm not trying to be mean or rude. But as someone who DID play WC3 and who spent weeks coding and customizing maps so me and my little brother could play something OUR way, it was a HUGE undertaking and we only did it a few times before we were sick of it. I would hand someone my checkbook and the keys to my house and SUV if Blizz ever allowed the player base to create custom content in an MMO.

I'm sorry, but this is a horrible idea.

[DetectiveJohnKimble]

Maybe we'll see something like this in Titan?

[Gallahadd]

tbh this is one of those things that SEEMS like a good idea, but ends badly.

I know we're talking VERY different games, but I used to play this game online, Transformice. It was an online puzzle game where you jumped around as a mouse to get cheese, it was insanely fun and stupidly addictive.... There was only one problem... A very limited number of puzzles. So while it was super fun and there were some good people to talk to, after a while you'd end up with little to do, as you'd be jumping from puzzle to puzzle trying to find one you didn't already know how to do...

Then they hit on a great idea, one that everyone was sure would make the game amazing. Player created puzzles! You could go into a little editor, make the puzzles and then let others play them, so simple yet ENDLESS possibilities for amazing puzzles.

There was only one slight problem, as much as people who played the games THOUGHT they could create amazing puzzles, the majority of people were very very very wrong, and all that happened when you ended up with one of four eventualities
a) a carbon copy of an older puzzle but with "Fag" "Cock "LOL" "NOOB" written on the background.
b) a Puzzle that was stupidly easy.
c) a puzzle that was stupidly hard.
d) a puzzle that was just plan stupid.

So while it SEEMED like a great idea, that would save the game, it actually totally killed it.

Do you see the hidden message?

As much as you may dislike Blizz, as much as you may think WoW is headed in the wrong direction, they are professional games designers and they spend MONTHS making dungeons/raids/battleground. Do you really think some 14yo stoner with no qualifications is going to be able to make anything even 1/2 as good in the gap between finishing his homework and his 10pm bedtime? Sure 1 in 10000 might be okay, but the majority will be borderline unplayable and nowhere near as good as what the pros create.