Second Take: Top 5 Games To Make Into MMOs

[bennyblanx]

In light of recent whisperings about Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty MMOs, Ben and Rob choose they the games they think would make the best MMOs.

Watch Video: http://www.tomsgames.com/us/site/flash_videos/second_take_the_top_5_games_to_make_into_mmos.html

What titles do you think should make the list?

-Ben

 

[cyph0r]

guys there is a FPS MMO its called Planetside! I thought it was all right played it for about a year, but I do thing you guys are right... if some one COULD make a seamless and GREAT MMO FPS it would be a hit. What would be really hot is like a mock war simulator. the servers would simulate REAL world wars on Actual scale versions of the real world where you pick a race/nation and you progress with that nation and take towns and what not let guilds decide where they attack and fortify. think about it ... your a lvl 26 pilot flying across france to get to a town to help a battle going on in the town you go for a bombing run quickly to bail out and parachute into your team and bam your in the action! the possibilities for mmo like abilities are endless! respawn could work like it does in battlefield or in TF2 where you have 14 or some odd seconds to respawn back at the forward point or back at a base some town back to get a new plane or tank or what have you. 24/7 MADNESS

 

[clay12340]

I think the big problem with MMO style FPS games has been that the FPS audience expects a very high level of precision and a very low tolerance for lag in their games. Popping off head shots in a fast paced lag free environment is great with 30 people and the bandwidth exists to keep it running smoothly in most cases.

Having 300 people running around in the same area and requiring that type of precision and low latency seems like a bit of a strain on bandwidth and processing. I think you could end up with a game like an FPS Guildwars that is all instanced to limit the number of players and have a sort of safe zone in all the big public areas. Add in some leveling, tradeskills, and equipment and you'd probably end up with a fairly popular game. It just wouldn't be a true MMO. More like an FPS with an interactive 3D lobby.

 

[Orlandin]

The closest thing to a FPS MMO out there at the moment would be Gunz: The Duel. It is a free to play, pay for features type of game. Not bad, but I played it during the beta, it has evolved since then so I couldn't say what has become of it.

 

[Morton]

There are already a few MMO games in development that will be somewhat equivalent to the MMOs that Ben and Rob wished for.

For example, Fallen Earth will be a survival MMORPG/MMOFPS in a post-apocalyptic world. Another game in development is Huxley, which is an MMOFPS that looks very much like Unreal Tournament 3 on big scale if you watch the video trailers. I would also like to mention Jumpgate Evolution in this context because it might be the first decent space simulator MMO when it is released and might appeal to the fans of the old "Wing Commander" and "X-Wing/ Tie Fighter" or the new "X2/X3" games.


My own wish list:

1. Terminator MMORPG/MMOFPS
After the "Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles" scifi series and the upcoming new trilogy of Terminator films there might be once again some hope for an MMO game focused on the futuristic wars against the machines. Perhaps some day computer hardware and artificial intelligence will be so complex that AI could be completely in charge of SkyNet and the cyborgs in the game, while players would be the human resistance.

2. Alien or Alien vs Predator MMO
I don't think an actual MMO based on the "Alien" movies will be ever developed. However, I've played an MMORPG/MMOFPS that came very close to being an "Alien MMO" game and if a company which has copyrights to "Aliens" had acquired/sponsored the game and developed it further into that direction, it would have been one of the best scifi MMORPG/MMOFPS hybrid games in the world.

3. S.T.A.L.K.E.R MMO
There have been rumours that a MMO game based on S.T.A.L.K.E.R might be developed in the future.




cyph0r: There is already at least one world war MMO game that matches your description. It's some WW2 game that was developed over 6-8 years ago. I tried it for a while four years ago and didn't like it at all because it had bad graphics and the design and gameplay wasn't that good either. I just did a search on google and it might be this "WW2 Online: Battleground Europe" game at http://www.playnet.com/scripts/wwiionline/be_info.jsp .

 

[cyph0r]

I think the big problem with MMO style FPS games has been that the FPS audience expects a very high level of precision and a very low tolerance for lag in their games. Popping off head shots in a fast paced lag free environment is great with 30 people and the bandwidth exists to keep it running smoothly in most cases.

Having 300 people running around in the same area and requiring that type of precision and low latency seems like a bit of a strain on bandwidth and processing. I think you could end up with a game like an FPS Guildwars that is all instanced to limit the number of players and have a sort of safe zone in all the big public areas. Add in some leveling, tradeskills, and equipment and you'd probably end up with a fairly popular game. It just wouldn't be a true MMO. More like an FPS with an interactive 3D lobby.

not to mention planetside again becuase its kinda old and one could say the lack of players is its downside. But planet side IS a full MMO with a world like EQ there is no instances there is just zones(planets) that you can attack or take over and these battles are well over 300 people easily if you get into the nasty hot spots. percision is dead on and so is lag.

I know what your tlaking about morton but i was talking about a MMOFPS with a more persistant world like Wow or EQ. I mean would it really be all that bad to have some NPCs in a MMOFPS? with AI like within COD3/COD4?

 

[Maxor127]

I just hope that Bioware Star Wars MMO isn't KOTOR3. It would be great if it was an MMO in the KOTOR universe. In fact it might even be better than if it were based around the films since it offers a lot more freedom and there's a newness to it that's more refreshing than the same old Rebels/Empire storyline and expectations to include familiar characters. But it would be extremely disappointing to have the direct sequel to KOTOR2 with its cliffhanger ending be a MMO.

 

[crom]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Battlefield 1942 or any of the other Battlefield series as MMOFPS style games. It was the first game I was able to log into, set up a role in combat, and then join a team of 60 or so people per side and play.

Some other wish list style MMO games:

Half Life 2 universe. You could be part of the resistance or part of the
Combine working to save/pacify the planet.

Freedom Force: I loved the two games they've come out with so far. With the campy super hero atmosphere set in the 60's, I think it could seriously trump City of Heroes/Villians as a good MMO.

 

[cyph0r]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Battlefield 1942 or any of the other Battlefield series as MMOFPS style games. It was the first game I was able to log into, set up a role in combat, and then join a team of 60 or so people per side and play.

Some other wish list style MMO games:

Half Life 2 universe. You could be part of the resistance or part of the
Combine working to save/pacify the planet.

Freedom Force: I loved the two games they've come out with so far. With the campy super hero atmosphere set in the 60's, I think it could seriously trump City of Heroes/Villians as a good MMO.

Well in this day and age i dont think 64 people on one server to be considered an MMO. 64 is large not massive

 

[twitch73]

FPS Mechwarrior MMO would get me back online again.

 

[bennyblanx]

2. Alien or Alien vs Predator MMO
I don't think an actual MMO based on the "Alien" movies will be ever developed. However, I've played an MMORPG/MMOFPS that came very close to being an "Alien MMO" game and if a company which has copyrights to "Aliens" had acquired/sponsored the game and developed it further into that direction, it would have been one of the best scifi MMORPG/MMOFPS hybrid games in the world.

Hi Morton,

That one was on our list as well, but we wanted to limit it to five and just didn't make the cut. I'd lean towards the AVP because it would allow for greater diversity of characters, but we both thought a sci-fi/horror MMO would be a lot of fun.

-Ben

 

[Morton]

It's good that crom mentioned Battlefield. Some people would really love to see a "Battlefield 1942" type of game set in a fantasy world. I guess combatant could be a swordsman, scout/sniper an archer, engineer a beast handler, medic a cleric and heavy weapons a mage. Instead of jeeps and airplanes there could be horses, dragons and other creatures.

 

[Morton]

Hi, Ben!

Yes, a sci-fi/horror MMO would be extremely entertaining. There are too many single-player horror games in which the player is left alone and isolated. It would be fun to be able to share that experience with other players. The only MMO game I know which had such an element on rare occasions was Face of Mankind. The last 60 seconds of the Youtube video I found today shows what I am talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQU5HT334v8&feature=related

I can tell you those aliens in the video were scary because they only made very rare mysterious and random appearances in the game on some gloomy planet once in a month or two. They were planted in the game manually by the administrators. Sometimes they would plant some alien eggs instead and if no one discovered them, the aliens would hatch. I remember going into some god forsaken tunnel on some remote dull planet once and had a very startling close-encouner in a closed room with one of those black four-legged aliens. On character's death a small backpack appeared with character's items in it, and the room with that alien was littered with backpacks. My poor character quickly contributed to that pile. Some of those distant planets were gloomy and even scary but they also had pretty nice mineral deposits.


twitch73, I forgot to put a Mechwarrior MMO on my wish list too. However, I'd prefer it to resemble more Mech Commander 1 rather than Mechwarrior. Perhaps a Mech Commander MMO in which every player can buy and control only one mech and can move it on a huge world map. It could be similar to MMO Navy Field (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBArkoGz3nk), except on land.

 

[Human1]

First, I've got to say guys, your videos are getting more entertaining. Kudos!
Anyway, I can't believe you didn't mention Aliens. AVP2 was a great great game and an MMO based on that universe has some amazing potential, I think.
As for FPSMMO's keep your eyes on Huxley. May end up being a Korean delight, but it might appeal to us here, too.

 

[clay12340]

The Mech Commander MMO is a great idea. That setting could have tons of planets and tons of "missions" as well as piles of occupations, factions, vehicles, mechs, spacecraft if you wanted. I loved both of the those games. Even if they don't pick up an MMO they need to make a 3rd one.

 

[CannedTurkey]

Mechwarrior and Warhammer 40k are solid choices, but something based on the Rifts RPG universe would be incredible.

For those unfamiliar with Rifts, basically it's a mishmash of everything. Giant mech's, chemically enhanced super-soldiers, psychics, magic-users, demons, vampires, aliens, dragons, etc. There is just limitless source material to draw from, and a huge variety of gameplay options available.

 

[Cloned]

guys there is a FPS MMO its called Planetside! I thought it was all right played it for about a year, but I do thing you guys are right... if some one COULD make a seamless and GREAT MMO FPS it would be a hit. What would be really hot is like a mock war simulator. the servers would simulate REAL world wars on Actual scale versions of the real world where you pick a race/nation and you progress with that nation and take towns and what not let guilds decide where they attack and fortify. think about it ... your a lvl 26 pilot flying across france to get to a town to help a battle going on in the town you go for a bombing run quickly to bail out and parachute into your team and bam your in the action! the possibilities for mmo like abilities are endless! respawn could work like it does in battlefield or in TF2 where you have 14 or some odd seconds to respawn back at the forward point or back at a base some town back to get a new plane or tank or what have you. 24/7 MADNESS

There already is a MMOFPS that lets you pick your nation, rank up, and fight in a combined arms war simulation:
WW2 Online
Fight over 8000 Km, realistic damage models, realistic weapons, realistic flight model, no NPCs, you only fight other players, its 24/7.
http://www.wwiionline.com/scripts/wwiionline/index.jsp

 

[robwright]

Speaking of a Fallout MMO and Interplay possibly making a comeback, check out Interplay's newly re-launched Web site:

http://www.interplay.com/

Nice timing.

 

[Narg]

1. HL2
2. Gothic
3. Crysis (yeah baby!)

 

[xXDracoXx]

I know it's a young franchise, but I think the Mass Effect universe would be fantastic for an MMO. They've put so much thought into all the lore behind it that I think it could be great. However, I'm willing to wait for that because I believe Mass Effect is only the first of a trilogy if I remember correctly.

Another awesome universe to explore would be the Elder Scrolls. Every game of this series so far explores only a province of Tamriel(name of the series's fantasy world) and having all of it in an MMO one day would be epic.

 

[grimreality]

Vampire: the Masquerade.

That's all I've got to say about that.

 

[Errantrecce]

It has already been mentioned, but a Warhammer 40K FPS would be balls out great. Include all the structure, legions / cults / regiments / craftworlds / hordes and the planetary diversity, throw in some NPC's in the form of gods / inquisitors and you would have a game that would run 24/7 for .... well 40,000 years!

 

[stemnin]

Blizzard has a 40 man team working on a MMO, any speculation or solid rumors as to what it is?

 

[robwright]

Blizzard has a 40 man team working on a MMO, any speculation or solid rumors as to what it is?

Blizzard is supposed to announced something on "Project Hydra" sometime in May, I believe. I suspect it may be a totally new IP from Blizzard, and here's why:

First, it's not a Call of Duty MMO as some people have suggested because Blizzard and Activision just merged -- how would they have pulled a game together in the span of a few months?

Second, WoW: Rise of the Lich King is coming out for WoW, so I don't think they'd be working on another WoW title/expansion or competing fantasy MMO.

Third, Blizzard is working hard on StarCraft II, so I'm not sure they'd be working on a StarCraft MMO, too, which could be released in the same 1-2 years as StarCraft II. It just seems like they'd potentially split the StarCraft fan base with something like that. 'Course, that's just me.

That said, I hope and pray Hydra is StarCraft: Ghost. Cross your fingers...

 

[Weirdo0815]

1st: Warhammer 40k MMO
Like they mention in the video, this universe is HUGE! I've been playing 40k for about 10 years now and ever since EQ1 came out, I've dreamed of this idea. You have all the alien races, the weapons, the planets, the MASSIVE history and fluff. It would be so easy to make an MMO out of this, its amazing that it hasn't happened yet. Games Workshop must know about this and should be planning on it. Right now, THQ owns the rights to any W40k game for a couple years (I think). I'm not sure if THQ should be the makers of it but it should atleast be looked into. The one difficult thing I could see in this is in the fluff/history, space marines are suppose to be incredibly powerful and would be really hard to balance out vs a player who is, say, a 'Nid Genestealer or an Eldar Guardian. 1 on 1, space marines should only have one equal, Chaos space marines. You could even do the space combat by pulling in aspects of Battlefleet Gothic. I'm sure someone out there is looking into this. The day it gets announced, I will pre-order it.

2nd: A new Star Wars MMO
I played Star Wars Galaxies since the 3rd month of release and even still play it some today. SWG was destroyed as it was known by the NGE but it was morphed into a still semi-decent MMO. If Bioware took it's KOTOR universe and made an MMO, that would rock! I would prefer one of two time tables, either KOTOR or Clone Wars. If you have a Star Wars game, it's really hard to justify tons of Jedi in the Imperial vs Rebel era (Ep 4-6) since the whole idea is there is very few Jedi out there but in KOTOR and Clone Wars times, there is no record of how many there are, they know there are lots. I'd like to see Bioware take this job on, not SOE.

3rd: A planetside remake
I played Planetside in beta up thru about a year after release. I loved that game. If there was ever a FPS-MMO attempt that got close to how it should be done, this is it. There was multiple battlefields, a reason for the war, strategies, different jobs that were each useful, and really cool vehicles. I really am not sure why it didn't take off.

Basically, I agree with the video, I'm sick of all the Fantasy MMOs. None of them can keep my attention for more then a month or two. I'm ready for a new SWG or another Sci-fi MMO that is as breathtaking as pre-NGE or even pre-CU SWG was.