Richard and Robert Garriott ramble on about MMOGs

[Trippy]

From The Escapist magazine:

Scratching the Surface: Richard and Robert Garriott Look To The Future

[Pococurante]

It makes sense that that has real world value. Therefore, of course, secondary markets will exist to allow people to shortcut that work and reward cycle," he says, showing a remarkable grip of economics and human nature without the high dudgeon so common among game designers on this issue. "I buy virtual gold all the time," he says, adding, "I have no problem with it. I'm a supporter.

Damn skippy...

Article was good but the formatting... "the pain, the children..."

[Lantyssa]

Robert Garriot said:

A long time ago, we looked at the business, and we said churn is the biggest expense for our business, just like a telephone business.

I seem to recall a discussion on that recently...

[sinij]

Make sure to leverage that churn for Web 2.0 release!

[Merusk]

Richard's support of RMT isn't a big surprise, for those who read it and say "WTF?"   He's spoken for YEARS about his grand vision of people waking up, plying their trade in a virtual space and living entirely 'jacked-in' to some online world.  RMT is just one step in this process. 

[Falconeer]

Recently I was thinking about one or two LordBritish related things.
I mean... I used to love him (actually I still do), for being responsible for the Ultima series, and AutoDuel ( ).
Then it came Ultima Online, and I started making human sacrifices in my house to him for giving me the ultimate videogame (it was 9 years ago, you know..). We are talking about games dating roughly from 1980 to 1988.
Since he left UO, he basically didn't do anything, save for bringing some NC crapness in the western world.
And now Tabula Rasa promises to be uninteresting at best.

I was wondering, how talented is he?
Or better (cause I know he is a great and very talented storyteller to the least), is his talent as a game designer 21st century-videogame-ready?
And how much of the Ultima Online greatness was from Raph, or Starr Long, bags more than Richard Garriott's?

My point is: I love Garriott and I would love him to succeed and deliver another memorable game.
But what I read and heard is slowly smuggling into my mind the idea that Tabula Rasa *could be* utterly forgettable.
So I am wondering...
Is Richard Garriott's talent as a Game Designer shiny enough to overcome the differences between 80's and 90's videogames, and players' needs, and the actual and upcoming changes (According to Raph himself ) in the next generation of massive online videogames?

More fuel to the fire: Have you ever asked yourself how come Sid Meier isn't working on a MMO?

--
the Falconeer

[Murgos]

I doubt if it has as much to do with native talent as is does with desire.  It's hard to have the intense concentration and burning need to innovate required to break that kind of new ground when you spend most of your time trying to determine if you really want to add another wing to your castle.

[Yegolev]

I think Murgos is dead-on.  If I were independently wealthy, I am pretty sure I woul stop coming in to work every day.

As for Meier, it never crossed my mind.  I think he knows he's shot his load and is comfortable with that; better than polluting up this millenium like Molyneux.

[Slayerik]

If someone bashes Sid in this thread im going to stab them in the eye.

[Morat20]

I think Murgos is dead-on.  If I were independently wealthy, I am pretty sure I woul stop coming in to work every day.

As for Meier, it never crossed my mind.  I think he knows he's shot his load and is comfortable with that; better than polluting up this millenium like Molyneux.

All I'm saying about Sid here is that rupdating Pirates made me a happy man, but if Alpha Centauri doesn't get the treatment next I may have to start sacrificing goats. Alpha Centauri = Greated Game Ever Created by Man, except Possibly Spore.

[WindupAtheist]

If someone bashes Sid in this thread im going to stab them in the eye.

lern2post?

[WayAbvPar]

I think Murgos is dead-on.  If I were independently wealthy, I am pretty sure I woul stop coming in to work every day.

As for Meier, it never crossed my mind.  I think he knows he's shot his load and is comfortable with that; better than polluting up this millenium like Molyneux.

All I'm saying about Sid here is that rupdating Pirates made me a happy man, but if Alpha Centauri doesn't get the treatment next I may have to start sacrificing goats. Alpha Centauri = Greated Game Ever Created by Man, except Possibly Spore.

I loved the diplomacy AI- wish something that good would have gone into the Civ series. The distinct personalities really sold it. All I get in Civ is a bunch of asshats who WILL eventually fuck me over with absolutely no provocation.

[Morat20]

I loved the diplomacy AI- wish something that good would have gone into the Civ series. The distinct personalities really sold it. All I get in Civ is a bunch of asshats who WILL eventually fuck me over with absolutely no provocation.

I hear the Gal Civ II AI is pretty interesting, but I'm still toying around with the game in Super Easy Mode (never played the first, and am just trying to work out the basics). With finals and all, I've played it maybe a few hours.

I freakin' hated Civ's AI's (at least through Civ III -- haven't tried IV). "Wow, look at that massive concentration of chariot units right outside my border. I suspect an invasion is imminent, despite the fact that I could crush you with my freaking tanks and in any case you make a shitton of me in trade and we have no actual conflicts of any sort.".

And then they invade, and then I crush them and nuke the capital city of EVERY other civ out there, just to see if I could win. (Answer: Yes. I had nukes, they had wooden ships).

[WayAbvPar]

Wait until you play IV. All your neighbors will allow your enemies to travel through their territories to attack you. Can you imagine what would happen if Canada decided it was ok for Al- Qaeda to waltz through Windsor on the way to sacking Detroit? It is fucking infuriating.

[Slayerik]

If someone bashes Sid in this thread im going to stab them in the eye.

lern2post?

You're a Sid hater, I can tell.

[Roac]

Wait until you play IV. All your neighbors will allow your enemies to travel through their territories to attack you. Can you imagine what would happen if Canada decided it was ok for Al- Qaeda to waltz through Windsor on the way to sacking Detroit? It is fucking infuriating.

I really *like* that aspect of the Civ IV AI.  It's irritating, but if you had better relations with your neighbor, you would ask him to enter into war with the guy who is going through his country.  This is sort of the same boat that the middle east was put in when we landed troops in Saudi Arabia - it really does piss off people when countries agree to allow invading armies to use their roads to attack. 

[WayAbvPar]

I am a good neighbor. I can't help it if my culture rating shoves their borders back to their city squares! I keep a list of Nurseable Grudges and pay them back in the end game when I have nukes  :-D

[Morat20]

I am a good neighbor. I can't help it if my culture rating shoves their borders back to their city squares! I keep a list of Nurseable Grudges and pay them back in the end game when I have nukes  :-D

You too? I enjoyed combining the space elevator and orbital drop pods in the endgame of Alpha Centauri. I made life hell for everyone that I hadn't already beaten into submission. If there wasn't anyone on my grudge list (often the case, as I tended to eliminate the more aggressive groups), I just used it for one last massive wave of expansion. Drop-pod colonies were nice.

[sinij]

Wait until you play IV. All your neighbors will allow your enemies to travel through their territories to attack you. Can you imagine what would happen if Canada decided it was ok for Al- Qaeda to waltz through Windsor on the way to sacking Detroit? It is fucking infuriating.

I can't fucking agree more with this point, it seems that entire game is about suicide pillaging. Unless you live on an island you have NO BORDERS. That and not having access to oil is very much game over, no country ever going to trade it to you for anything short of 80% of your GDP.

[Pococurante]

I can't fucking agree more with this point, it seems that entire game is about suicide pillaging. Unless you live on an island you have NO BORDERS. That and not having access to oil is very much game over, no country ever going to trade it to you for anything short of 80% of your GDP.

Makes for a lousy game but it does seem historical... ;)

"No really M.E. - you do NOT want to refuse this offer."

[sinij]

Civ4 does not give you a way to 'put a political pressure' on someone. There is also no global market.

[stray]

Recently I was thinking about one or two LordBritish related things.
I mean... I used to love him (actually I still do), for being responsible for the Ultima series, and AutoDuel ( ).
Then it came Ultima Online, and I started making human sacrifices in my house to him for giving me the ultimate videogame (it was 9 years ago, you know..). We are talking about games dating roughly from 1980 to 1988.
Since he left UO, he basically didn't do anything, save for bringing some NC crapness in the western world.
And now Tabula Rasa promises to be uninteresting at best.

I was wondering, how talented is he?

Tabula Rasa has a cool and original backstory at least (but I've got a soft spot for a mixture of science fiction and mysticism). As far as I can tell, Garriot isn't at a loss with conceptual ideas -- But whether he's clueless nowadays in the implementation and design dept. is yet to be seen.

[Pococurante]

Civ4 does not give you a way to 'put a political pressure' on someone. There is also no global market.

On the latter point I agree.  On the former point I suggest you're missing game mechanics.

Culutural/religion predominance alone is a fantastic pressure.  That's what I like about the current version - the ability to project force is just another "perceptual" tool.

[WayAbvPar]

I think he meant political pressure by way of exposing their treachery on the world stage and having the rest of the empires react accordingly.