Dark Days Are Coming - New Funcom Project

[tmp]

Isn't someone ever going to invent a dynamic world?  All I read about is more and more static quests and single thread 'story' lines - which only means: read wall of text, go to place X, fill N Foozles, get M items, repeat until done.   Also each player repeats the same quests, please someone invent something new!

Make it "dynamic" and the players who missed out on the quest that's no longer available to them because someone else have completed it will whine. Not that the static approach isn't irritating as well, but given neither option actually removes the annoyance and one requires considerably more content than the other, it's no surprise static worlds are the norm.

[Murgos]

The only game right now that has a truly dynamic, player run component, as cliche as this will sound, is Eve.  Which makes me think you can't base a dynamic game around rigid structures like specific quest lines or even 'playgrounds'.  You probably have to make a sandbox full of interaction enablers (chat rooms, message boards and trade) and strong political consequences and let the players build game structures out of that.  Then manipulating those structures in game becomes the dynamic aspect.

At an individual level there needs to be stuff present to keep people entertained, and importantly able to drop out of the meta-game when it becomes to much or too risky, but you need to have an overlying meta game that is allowed to evolve and has VERY ACTIVE dev involvement.  I mean the devs have to literally be looking at what the players are doing and working to enable them via new mechanics and features on a constant and continuing basis.

[DLRiley]

Basically a 250k subscribers game. Wait in direct competition with EvE, divide number by 2.

[gryeyes]

Basically a 250k subscribers game. Wait in direct competition with EvE, divide number by 2.

Ya, because all dynamic world games would intrinsically be in direct competition with EVE. 

[Modern Angel]

In direct competition with WOD Online.

[Murgos]

Basically a 250k subscribers game. Wait in direct competition with EvE, divide number by 2.

And before WoW came along everyone said that there were only 500k subs in the entire market and that you were going to have to share them with EQ.

That idea was wrong then and it's wrong now.

[gryeyes]

The fact EVE's subscription numbers have steadily increased from 50k in 2004 to 250k in 2009 kind of dispels that illusion as well.

[DLRiley]

I'm defiantly sure it peaked at 250k 3 years ago...

[gryeyes]

They announced 200k in November of 2007. 

[Murgos]

I'm defiantly sure it peaked at 250k 3 years ago...

You should try to more definite and less defiant.

See page 5: http://ccp.vo.llnwd.net/o2/pdf/QEN_Q1-2008.pdf

If you look there is a graph showing growth of accounts from 2003 to present.  It's pretty steadily upward.

[gryeyes]

Was looking for that but could not find it.

[DLRiley]

EvE is starting to remind me of a zombie outbreak. Geez I was wrong there, but god damn how many people still need second accounts 

[Draegan]

You're just an idiot.  I think that may be the case.

[Kageru]

I don't think eve is a great comparison. Obviously a PvP battleground will have shifting fronts but the world as a whole doesn't really change, capabilities do not vanish or new opportunities open up. Outside of patching in new content of course. Also this is being postulated for a game that seems far more PvE based.

Tabula Rasa sort of tried to do it (you could lose control of areas) but it was constrained so you couldn't lose too much. Horizons and WoW have done it in terms of unlocking new content and EQ with the sleeper event but it always tends to lead to people who "missed the boat" feeling cheated.

It would be sort of cool if the whole gameworld could be structured by the developers like a monstrous version of CoH's mission architect. A trouble arises (somewhere, some event, some enemies) discovered by clues and countered by new weapons and information tracked down all over the world (re-using old content). A world event as the climax and then a period of peace before it all starts again. Have one version of the story for each Coven so that it doesn't get zerged (and slow moving covens can even fail to reach the climax). Bulk it out with the normal farming and grind to train up and resource your character. That seems like it would be doable and quite fun, and the story could get richer as each cycle adds new elements for the designers to weave into the over-arcing story.

[gryeyes]

A good deal of what makes EVE a niche game is not just the FFA pvp aspect. The setting and gameplay play just as big a role. Many people who would love to play a PvP based dynamic world MMO wont touch EVE.

[Hindenburg]

Many people who would love to play a PvP based dynamic world MMO wont touch EVE.

Hence Darkfall.

[Ingmar]

A good deal of what makes EVE a niche game is not just the FFA pvp aspect. The setting and gameplay play just as big a role. Many people who would love to play a PvP based dynamic world MMO wont touch EVE.

Yeah the pvp isn't the problem, it is that the actual gameplay is about as fun as watching paint peel.

[gryeyes]

I don't mind the gameplay personally. Its perfect if you want to casually read and get stoned while playing. But i never really felt inspired to go all lord of the flies mode. Which you gotta do to really get into the meat of the game. I am all over both this game and WoD. Both are pretty much guaranteed to be something "new". And i have faith in CCP (tho the specifics of development seem strange). Im not sure what kind of subscription base Darkfall is going to maintain but id be shocked if it was over 100k.

[eldaec]

But i never really felt inspired to go all lord of the flies mode. Which you gotta do to really get into the meat of the game.

I'm really not sure what you mean?

If I want to join a fleet I join a fleet, if I want to futz about trading doing the 'Elite' for the 21st century I do that. I rarely play for more than a few hours at a time, and never stick to any schedule (one of the advantages of a truly world wide game is that it works in all timezones).

Others do the pve mission thing for casual play sessions or go all wolfpack and sneak about in stealthy ganking ships.


What 'meat of the game' do you think you are missing by playing EVE casually?

[gryeyes]

Being active in an established corporation and going above the rank of peon.

[Cadaverine]

Shit, sir, being a peon is where all the action is. 

I feel sorry for the poor schlubs in cap ships.

[SnakeCharmer]

Kinda cool thing going on here.  Roald Admundsen's (a central figure in TSW and in Norwegian history) Expedition Flag is up for auction at Sotheby's.  One of the fansites are taking donations to bid in order to return it back to Norway, specifically Funcom's studios.

Kinda neat.

[UnSub]

Beta might be coming soon. Or not. Just can't tell when everything might be part of the ARG.

At the very least it looks like the beta keys are all gone.

[NiX]

Based purely off speculation though.

I love the idea of ARGs, but for the most part, I have neither the patience or determination to participate in one. I'll play the game, but the stuff they've been doing since the announce? I can't get into it.

[Hoth]

Beta might be coming soon. Or not. Just can't tell when everything might be part of the ARG.

At the very least it looks like the beta keys are all gone.

This twitter seemed to be part of the ARG, like everything twittered from this account, a protagonist of it just opened (with help of the community of course) a portal to Agartha and went through the portal. But nice things seem to be on the horizon since the current storyarc of the ARG ended with said protagonist stepping through that door. Here you can find all the steps the community took to progress the ARG.

[UnSub]

They really need a separate sub-forum for all the ARG stuff - only the mod can start / move a thread there, but anyone can post. Having it mixed in with all the other topics makes things very easy to miss.

[Pennilenko]

Basically a 250k subscribers game. Wait in direct competition with EvE, divide number by 2.

IF you removed the really really long skill train times, and had twitchier space combat eve would have millions of subs.

[Ratman_tf]

Basically a 250k subscribers game. Wait in direct competition with EvE, divide number by 2.

IF you removed the really really long skill train times, and had twitchier space combat eve would have millions of subs.

Removing PvP would do the same thing. 

[Malakili]

Basically a 250k subscribers game. Wait in direct competition with EvE, divide number by 2.

IF you removed the really really long skill train times, and had twitchier space combat eve would have millions of subs.

EVE is great because it doesn't have millions of subs.  Maybe its elitist, but one of the reasons the game is appealing its community generally has a certain level of competence just to make it past the tutorial.  that doesn't mean their aren't JERKS, but there does seem to be less idiots running around that in other MMOs I've played. 

[Pennilenko]

Basically a 250k subscribers game. Wait in direct competition with EvE, divide number by 2.

IF you removed the really really long skill train times, and had twitchier space combat eve would have millions of subs.

EVE is great because it doesn't have millions of subs.  Maybe its elitist, but one of the reasons the game is appealing its community generally has a certain level of competence just to make it past the tutorial.  that doesn't mean their aren't JERKS, but there does seem to be less idiots running around that in other MMOs I've played. 

Are you talking about the same eve that I play?

[DLRiley]

There seems to be this myth among certain mmo players usually of the "hardcore" (pve'ers or pvp'ers) subset that a small player base inside a game where new players are driven away with an iron rod, always means less jerks. Eve would defiantly be a million sub game if it drastically lowered the skill grind, made caps ships 20x easier to buy and removed death penalty. But pvp would be broken without repair if the death penalty didn't exist and more uber tier ships flying around would expose more holes in pvp.

[Murgos]

...that doesn't mean their aren't JERKS...

Are you talking about the same eve that I play?

I think he just specifically mentioned your alliance.   

[Malakili]

My post makes it pretty clear that I think EVE has plenty of jerks, but less idiots. 

[Mrbloodworth]

A good deal of what makes EVE a niche game is

[SnakeCharmer]

What the crap was THAT?