SOE's Next MMOG (for the PS3, oh noes): The Agency

[Draegan]

Someone said it already.  It sounds like an updated CoX with FPS gameplay.  What is their "elder game" mentality in this game.  Battlegrounds?  Agency vs Agency? 

I can't help thinking Spy v Spy.

[tmp]

Lots of MMORPGs look fun *on paper*. The fact that MS gave up on them is particularly telling since MS's MMORPG standards are so low.

But reading http://archive.gamespy.com/interviews/february04/mythica/ MS didn't give up on people, but rather on the MMO project due to 'shape of MMO landscape' etc. Considering the epic fails that happened to people who did try to release their shit, one could almost conclude it was smart business decision.

[Hoax]

Someone said it already.  It sounds like an updated CoX with FPS gameplay.  What is their "elder game" mentality in this game.  Battlegrounds?  Agency vs Agency? 

I can't help thinking Spy v Spy.

Yeah I was super stoked but then I read the whole IGN bit.  Nothing in there said anything about why I would want to invest my time in their gameworld if there even is one to speak of.  Sure console-style co-op and pvp missions sound fun.  But if that's all there is to it why call it a MMO?  So you can charge a monthly fee and make a PC port?  I wanted to get excited because excitement would be nice but right now this sounds like there's no reason to call it a MMO except to get that monthly fee, have no well scripted single player gameplay and tie it into your station pass.

[Mrbloodworth]

Someone said it already.  It sounds like an updated CoX with FPS gameplay.  What is their "elder game" mentality in this game.  Battlegrounds?  Agency vs Agency? 

I can't help thinking Spy v Spy.

Yeah I was super stoked but then I read the whole IGN bit.  Nothing in there said anything about why I would want to invest my time in their gameworld if there even is one to speak of.  Sure console-style co-op and pvp missions sound fun.  But if that's all there is to it why call it a MMO?  So you can charge a monthly fee and make a PC port?  I wanted to get excited because excitement would be nice but right now this sounds like there's no reason to call it a MMO except to get that monthly fee, have no well scripted single player gameplay and tie it into your station pass.

Last i read, it was F2P.

[AngryGumball]

I'm not understanding how you gain these other spy people that work or do stuff for you. However I'm fully aware it won't live to any creative new breaking gameplay.

Sorta into Agency, just as something new know it will be cheap game.

[Mrbloodworth]

I'm not understanding how you gain these other spy people that work or do stuff for you. However I'm fully aware it won't live to any creative new breaking gameplay.

Sorta into Agency, just as something new know it will be cheap game.

They are "Loot". On top of that, this whole thing is plugged in to text messaging, so, if you acquire a "Q" Like guys, and task him with, researching or something...he will text you with news about his latest contraption that is now available for you to use.

Same goes for a "Spy" or "Informant" type, they will TM you about leads or info that may be usefully for your next assignment, even to the point of opening an option that wasn't there before in the mission (Like, now there is a motorcycle there, in some bushes or something).

Basically Loot = Building a support network.

At least, thats my understanding on what i have read about the game.

[SnakeCharmer]

Sort of a necro.  Just curious as to if anyone knew where this was development-wise. 

[UnSub]

Still coming. I think it is due out 2009.

[Jamiko]

Some in-game footage was shown at E3: http://www.massively.com/2009/06/03/e3-2009-the-agency-in-game-footage/

[Mrbloodworth]

Some in-game footage was shown at E3: http://www.massively.com/2009/06/03/e3-2009-the-agency-in-game-footage/

 

[Nebu]

DPS, Healer, stealth, and ranged/cc class.

Nothing new to see here beyond the drops and tilesets. 

[Mrbloodworth]

DPS, Healer, stealth, and ranged/cc class.

Nothing new to see here beyond the drops and tilesets. 

Are you looking at the same thing i am looking at?

[Nebu]

Are you looking at the same thing i am looking at?

Listen to her describe the player archetypes. 

1) Combat = dps

2) Medic = healer

3) Stealth

4) Sniper = ranged dps/cc with tranq darts. 

Did I miss something in the intro?  Ok... the minigames look like fun.

[SnakeCharmer]

DPS, Healer, stealth, and ranged/cc class.

Nothing new to see here beyond the drops and tilesets. 

You shut your disenfranchised cynical mouth right now.

You will not ruin this for me!!!  :shakefist:

[Mrbloodworth]

Are you looking at the same thing i am looking at?

Listen to her describe the player archetypes. 

1) Combat = dps

2) Medic = healer

3) Stealth

4) Sniper = ranged dps/cc with tranq darts. 

Did I miss something in the intro?  Ok... the minigames look like fun.

Yes. Those were outfits or builds (pre made ones at that) that someone had already set up the ability's for (ala guild wars). Most likely just for E3.

What you are saying, goes contrary to the very base design of the game. I could be wrong, but this would be the first time ever (other than the faction styles) any form of classes, or archetypes have ever been talked about.

Your outfit = ability's. You can only bring so many of your ability's that your have, depending on what you want in a given mission.

Listen around the 14:00 mark. Her use of the word class at the beginning was unfortunate on her part.

[tmp]

Did I miss something in the intro?  Ok... the minigames look like fun.

Well, they seemed to have shooter bits in there complete with basic cover system. And switching pre-selected builds on the fly wasn't half bad too.

[Nebu]

Hey, I hope I'm wrong.  I hope that I'm REALLY wrong and this turns out to be a great game. 

I heard the stuff about builds and it just brought my mind right back to thinking about how players will use the system to min/max.  If the game uses a grouping mechanic I will assume that players will immediately gravitate toward selecting builds to recreate the classic MMO triad: tank/healer/dps+cc.

I played the P&P game "Top Secret" to death in my teens.  I'd love to see it brought to life in an MMO.

[Hawkbit]

Looks neat.  But how much shit actually needs to be infiltrated out there?  I'm thinking I'd get bored in a month or two.

[Mrbloodworth]

Looks neat.  But how much shit actually needs to be infiltrated out there?  I'm thinking I'd get bored in a month or two.

Apparently, there is more than one way to complete a mission.

[Hawkbit]

Apparently, there is more than one way to complete a mission.

Sure.  I'm not knocking it.  It's a neat idea.  I'm just thinking that the whole spy thing is going to wear thin on me after awhile. 

They'll have a hard time incorporating other game options and play styles.  As in WoW, where there's solo play, raiding, POI grinding, dailies, crafting, PvP/BGs/Arenas and so on...

[tmp]

As in WoW, where there's solo play, raiding, POI grinding, dailies, crafting, PvP/BGs/Arenas and so on...

Don't see why any of these things couldn't be included in spy game. Well except crafting since iirc you get access to various crafters who make you shit rather than click 'make shit' button yourself.

[Mrbloodworth]

Crafting is done by operatives, that ARE loot. Some missions are public, meaning two factions can go in, one attempting to do objective X, and one is trying to stop you.  The game is already solo able, but as he said in another interview, grouping will allow you to complete a mission with a silver or higher rating, where solo is a max of bronze (Rating = loot possible). PvP, again is all over. It comes in the form above, or from player agency's.

As for the rest, i don't think they apply, or are the only forms of game play that a MMO can have. Especially because this game does not do vertical power progressions like most RPG's, its based on opening more options of play (ALA Planetside).



EDIT: looks like i was wrong, there are 6 "roles" for every player, you choose what role you want to be by mission (possibly in mission too?), this is separate from your alias, and roles can be customized.

[UnSub]

Have they actually announced a launch date yet? The Agency was apparently "almost ready for release" 2 years ago.

[SnakeCharmer]

Last I saw was 2010.

[Ghambit]

Gametrailers' E3 walkthrough demos:
http://www.gametrailers.com/game/the-agency/4932

[Murgos]

Gametrailers' E3 walkthrough demos:
http://www.gametrailers.com/game/the-agency/4932

I don't know how 'MMO' it is from that, seems more like a Guild Wars style everything is instanced with a central hub but I don't really care because it looks pretty entertaining.

More point and shoot FPS style gaming in my MMO's pls.

[Venkman]

Wow. That was, err, interesting. Had a modern look with old school animations and presentation. Could there have BEEN more walking?

Certainly came across as different at least.

[Mrbloodworth]

Looked cool to me.

[Kageru]

I quite liked the build up, the style and a spy MMO is a nice fresh space to explore. That said the shooter bits looked pretty average and I'm not really interested in playing a FPS with 400ms+ ping. If they have Australian servers I might consider it but other than that I'll stick with TF2 for my FPS fix and a real MMO for everything else.

Oh, that and I still can't help feel that SOE sucks the soul and fun out of any game they make, but maybe they've changed.

[SnakeCharmer]

Could there have BEEN more walking?

Ross Geller?

[tmp]

Studio director and executive producer Matt Wilson, art director Corey Dangel, and producer John Smith leave the project to form a new studio called Detonator Games.

'Seattle game development community' speculates the game is about to get re-designed and thus delayed, SOE says "nu uh".

source: Eurogamer

[UnSub]

The Agency has to be in development hell. When it was first shown two (or more) years ago, it was apparently almost ready for launch.

We still don't have a firm date for it to even start beta testing.

[LK]

That game is as MMO as Chromehounds and Guild Wars.

[SnakeCharmer]

Zip!

Should be playing The Agency "within weeks" as of March 30, 2010.  The Agency MMO to follow.  Whatever that means.  Guessing a single player offline game first. 

The Agency stuff starts at the 2 minute mark.

[Dtrain]

Single player, or limited multiplayer, most likely. Sounds like there was a significant amount of drift in the design scope of this product, and this was the most effective way to deal with that.

My personal gut feeling is that nobody anywhere is excited about this game, and this release strategy is something of a "get out of jail free*" card for SOE. They can at least put SOMETHING out on the market, so they can have something to show for their hard work. If that something attracts very little attention, they can safely jettison the MMO plans, and move on to the next project.

Personally, I didn't think this game would make it even this far, (Soveriegn II anyone?) but I guess all that Free Realms money coming in has changed the landscape a little.

Now another PlanetSide - that's a prospect I'm actually very excited about.