05-29-2009, 01:08 PM
For some values of "best"...what's the best setting to use for a new MMORPG?
Two examples --
Elves, dwarfs and magic:
Very popular, very common, very well known. Hard to go wrong with elves, dwarfs and magic.
Sci-fi:
Could be fresh, but sci-fi games seem less popular in general. Even in pencil and paper gaming it seems like it's always the magical-medieval games that are the most popular.
There are plenty to choose from but the first question to ask is "what are the questions to ask"?
* How popular is that setting?
* How much work do you have to do to make that setting? (For example, an authentic modern battlefield setting would require a great deal of research to get all the weapons and effects right. Cue endless debate over the lethality of an M-16 bullet hitting someone in the leg from 500 yards.)
* How much freedom does that setting leave the designer? (Elves and magic: tons of freedom. Authentic 1920s mobsters: very little freedom.)
* ???
We could also talk about licensing (money issues aside). "Elves and Magic: The Beginning" vs "Lord of the Rings". A license brings you a ton of already-interested fans, but restricts what you can do based on "loyalty" to the license.
I was just thinking that a "magic ninja" setting could be interesting. If you watch a lot of cheesy ninja/kung fu movies, they're basically martial arts wizards. Some of them have magical healing powers, some can scream so loud that they send enemies flying, some can breath fire, most can jump 50 feet in the air and exhibit limited flying abilities. Plus it's ninjas. I wouldn't mind a break from the usual "dwarves and elves" setting but magic is too useful from a design standpoint to want to get rid of.
Two examples --
Elves, dwarfs and magic:
Very popular, very common, very well known. Hard to go wrong with elves, dwarfs and magic.
Sci-fi:
Could be fresh, but sci-fi games seem less popular in general. Even in pencil and paper gaming it seems like it's always the magical-medieval games that are the most popular.
There are plenty to choose from but the first question to ask is "what are the questions to ask"?
* How popular is that setting?
* How much work do you have to do to make that setting? (For example, an authentic modern battlefield setting would require a great deal of research to get all the weapons and effects right. Cue endless debate over the lethality of an M-16 bullet hitting someone in the leg from 500 yards.)
* How much freedom does that setting leave the designer? (Elves and magic: tons of freedom. Authentic 1920s mobsters: very little freedom.)
* ???
We could also talk about licensing (money issues aside). "Elves and Magic: The Beginning" vs "Lord of the Rings". A license brings you a ton of already-interested fans, but restricts what you can do based on "loyalty" to the license.
I was just thinking that a "magic ninja" setting could be interesting. If you watch a lot of cheesy ninja/kung fu movies, they're basically martial arts wizards. Some of them have magical healing powers, some can scream so loud that they send enemies flying, some can breath fire, most can jump 50 feet in the air and exhibit limited flying abilities. Plus it's ninjas. I wouldn't mind a break from the usual "dwarves and elves" setting but magic is too useful from a design standpoint to want to get rid of.