Your MMOG Setting?

[Viin]

Oh I understand that. I was separating the communications language from the UI language. The UI language simply describes how stuff looks and what funky colors you use. The communications language would provide the client with the information the client needs to display, including state changes (so it can be displayed).

XML stands for Extensible Markup Language, so it could be considered a language by some. My only point is that a standard format would be needed, and maybe something like XUL or XAML would work, though it doesn't have to be based on XML. Heck, it could be a CSS derivative. Doesn't matter what it is, as long as it's a common supported format that you can plug into various different clients.

[Krakrok]

The problem with Flash is that it's not very well suited for 3D games. It might be able to do the UI/GUI well, but anything 3D or 2 1/2D doesn't work very well.

I'm not suggesting use Flash as the game engine, simply draw the 2d flash "interface" canvas over whatever game engine you're using.

The problem with Flash is that it's slow. Even for 2d things it's slow.

I haven't found it to be slow. It handles full motion video. I've implimented this before in a DirectX8 setup and it worked adequately. Again though I'm only advocating this for indies to save time and provide polish.

CSS is probably a better idea though. In fact the Firefox rendering engine would probably be a good fit with the default background color rendered as transparent.

[Viin]

Ok! Let's get crackin'! Who wants to take a shot at it first? We'll make MILLIONS! (In support licenses, of course - it'd have to be an open standard).

[Margalis]

Flash solely for UI overlays isn't a bad idea. I could see that working well. HTML+CSS would be tricky because scripting HTML really sucks.

[Viin]

Agreed, but there's no reason it has to be HTML.. could be XML modified by CSS. Or not markup language at all, as you can define the objects/properties within the software and directly modify them via CSS; no reason it has to be paired with a markup language. Too bad Flash doesn't use an open format (at least, not that I'm aware of?) otherwise it'd be a great option.

[Furiously]

Where in time and space is Carmen Sandiago: the mmog. Or SG:MMOG. I'd really also like Mad Max: the MMOG.

[Krakrok]

Oregon Trail on the Guild Wars engine/system/story arc.

[Miscreant]

When a new fantasy MMO comes out, I get in my car and go buy it.  Even ones I saw were lame at E3.  SB, Horizons, AC2, Eq2, WoW...I would have bought Wish, Mythica, or even freaking Dragon Empires -- no lie.  By contrast, a non-fantasy MMO needs a hell of a gameplay hook to get my attention.  I'd just like a fantasy MMO with new gameplay.

I'm not sure, but I think I might be in the majority.

[Signe]

You're in my majoirity.