Dark Days Are Coming - New Funcom Project

[Ghambit]

A WoD MMO needs to bring the drama. Under CCP's wing, I'm sure it will.

You nailed it.  Another reason I'm not that worried as long as they take the WoD ball and run with it.  It's not as much about mechanics as it is about drama and "punch."  Would've made a better story setting than SWTOR imo.

[Bokonon]

Now, your Lovecraftian horror stuff would, like you said, translate better into the current mold of MMO - and probably make it better if done right.  But WoD would require a different animal... errr, many different animals vivisected together.

Lovecraftian Dreamlands stuff >>> Lovecraftian horror... Especially for an MMO. I mean do you really think it'd be fun to play a game where your only two class options are "half-crazy pedantic academic" and "completely pendantic academic"?

(I say that despite the fact that I like most of HPL's stuff, horror and fantasy. Colour Out of Space rocks)

[Evildrider]

Now, your Lovecraftian horror stuff would, like you said, translate better into the current mold of MMO - and probably make it better if done right.  But WoD would require a different animal... errr, many different animals vivisected together.

Lovecraftian Dreamlands stuff >>> Lovecraftian horror... Especially for an MMO. I mean do you really think it'd be fun to play a game where your only two class options are "half-crazy pedantic academic" and "completely pendantic academic"?

(I say that despite the fact that I like most of HPL's stuff, horror and fantasy. Colour Out of Space rocks)

Character rollover would be hillarious, if based on the old RPG.

You see Chthulu.  Your character goes insane.. reroll.

[Ghambit]

Now, your Lovecraftian horror stuff would, like you said, translate better into the current mold of MMO - and probably make it better if done right.  But WoD would require a different animal... errr, many different animals vivisected together.

Lovecraftian Dreamlands stuff >>> Lovecraftian horror... Especially for an MMO. I mean do you really think it'd be fun to play a game where your only two class options are "half-crazy pedantic academic" and "completely pendantic academic"?

(I say that despite the fact that I like most of HPL's stuff, horror and fantasy. Colour Out of Space rocks)

Character rollover would be hillarious, if based on the old RPG.

You see Chthulu.  Your character goes insane.. reroll.

I'd just have the game take over your character and you get to sit and watch as he/she/it goes insane (basically turns your PC into an NPC).  Similar to getting the hunger in a Vamp. game.  Someone can come along and snap you out of it though... which in some cases may mean "death."  Smart players would have friendlies nearby to take care of them as they lose their sanity, so griefers dont come along and put you out of your misery the wrong way...  like caretakers on a bad LSD trip or something.  okay, i'm gamedev rambling and this isnt the thread for such.

We all know Funcom wont institute any of the cool shit we come up with in here so whatever.  It'll be generic.  Bland.  In a different skin.  That's it.
I figure if they were doing something revolutionary we'd have heard about it already, NDA or not.  And Ragnar's latest info. tidbits are informative yet completely uninspiring (wow, a skill system with weapons 'n stuff... and stories 'n stuff.  And monsters are computer controlled and you form teams!  woot!).  There better be some sick, twisted game design secret where the entire dev cycle is one big illusion and release gives us a totally different game. 

[Falwell]

Aaaaand they're off!

Massively has a decent writeup as well.

[Mrbloodworth]

Shambling mass!

[Murgos]

After I change my shorts you'll be able to find me in my bunk...  

edit:

We got to see actual combat footage, and let us tell you it looked unabashedly intense. Everything we saw dealt in third-person shooting combat, but swords and sorcery definitely play a role in the game. Now, when we say third-person shooter we mean reticle and all. We can't say without a doubt that the game is entirely twitch-based, but it is an MMO without any levels so anything is possible at this point.

I'm chaffed. 

[SnakeCharmer]

Wow...That looks awesome.

[HaemishM]

I remain skeptical because... well, FUNCOM.

[Murgos]

AoC was the best first 20 levels of an MMO I ever played.  I will remain skeptical but this is really the only MMO I am looking forward to.

[Nonentity]

Oh did we not talk about PvP? So, in TSW the Earth is hollow -- yes you heard us, hollow -- and that's where the 24-hour persistent PvP goes down between the three societies. Players will be fighting over a cells, which contain a resource known as Anima that can be used in tradeskills to create new items. However, the cells also grant PvE benefits in the outside world, making them that much more desirable.

 

[bhodi]

Carefully constructed propaganda pictures of what might or might not be retouched in-game graphics for a pre-alpha game do not impress me.

Graphics, of course, are the very LEAST of what interests me in a this genre. I'd play a dwarf fortress multiplayer after all.

However, I will check back in a year to see where this is headed. It's wayyy too soon to know either way.

[schild]

I don't know, those seem reasonable given Age of Conan.

[Murgos]

I don't know, those seem reasonable given Age of Conan.

Yeah, they said it's the second generation of the AoC engine.  AoC is already pretty close to that so I'm not entirely discounting those screen shots.

[schild]

Confirmed in-game.

[Draegan]

AOC has some of the best world graphics that I've seen.  I loved the mountains and the forests etc visually.

[UnSub]

As I kinda expected, not much real info came out.

 - 3 factions detailed; another 3 hinted at (so perhaps there are 3 societies to start in and you can switch as you go along).
 - There will be guild leveling.
 - No levels and classes, but "society ranking gives the players something to strive for and also serves as a barometer of their progress in the game" and provides access to new content.
 - PvP for resources.
 - Appearance not linked to stats.
 - Central base areas certainly make it sound like a hub-and-spoke kind of game with instancing.

TSW is still probably the most interesting MMO not yet released. But I'm sure Funcom will give it a good go at grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory.

[Ghambit]

Like I said, there's nothing in any interview or design blog that just blurts out "I am a good game."  Graphics are sweet and the premise is awesome... but that says nothing for the design.   Heh, maybe it'll be enough for some people to just slap on a new skin, but for many it wont.  I need more from Funcom than this as technically, so far, AoC is more groundbreaking.

[Nebu]

Pretty is nice, but we all know that pretty != fun.  I want fun.  If the fun is pretty, that's a huge bonus.  

Has Funcom learned how to make fun?  I'm not convinced.

[schild]

This is the only time I'm going to say it in this thread. AoC started out as fun as any other MMO had. They just couldn't finish the job.

[Nebu]

This is the only time I'm going to say it in this thread. AoC started out as fun as any other MMO had. They just couldn't finish the job.

There was a lot right about AoC when it released... when you could get it to run longer than 15 mins. 

Mission generators with choice over rewards was brilliant. 

[DraconianOne]

Character rollover would be hillarious, if based on the old RPG.

You see Chthulu.  Your character goes insane.. reroll.

Arkham Horror - the boardgame: "Azathoth awakes. You all die."

It would make a tremendous MMO and one where nerfs to characters would be part of the game.

[tmp]

It looks like disappointing -- but logical-- next step on the "EQ2 -> AoC -> even more shiny realtime Poser" road. Which is fine i guess, just a style i can't bring myself to like personally.

[Brogarn]

There was a lot right about AoC when it released... when you could get it to run longer than 15 mins. 

Mission generators with choice over rewards was brilliant. 

Oh, they repeated that in AoC from AO? Nifty. I only made it to... 32 as a Bear Shaman during my free month I think. So I never got to any real dungeons or whatnot.

[schild]

It looks like disappointing -- but logical-- next step on the "EQ2 -> AoC -> even more shiny realtime Poser" road. Which is fine i guess, just a style i can't bring myself to like personally.

I fully disagree with this.

[Soln]

I am interested.  It's as close to a Shadowrun MMO I could hope for without elves.  And I bet it moves towards Cthulu as well, which makes me quiver.  So yeah.  Let's wait and see and watch closely.

Players start out as initiates within the secret society, attaining higher ranks as they progress through the game. As you get promoted to higher ranks, you will get access to more content and be rewarded with better gear. Since there are no levels or classes in the game, society ranking gives the players something to strive for and also serves as a barometer of their progress in the game.

[Draegan]

So.... Tabula Rasa done right?

[Brogarn]

I am interested.  It's as close to a Shadowrun MMO I could hope for without elves.  And I bet it moves towards Cthulu as well, which makes me quiver.  So yeah.  Let's wait and see and watch closely.

That's where I'm at on this.

Players start out as initiates within the secret society, attaining higher ranks as they progress through the game. As you get promoted to higher ranks, you will get access to more content and be rewarded with better gear. Since there are no levels or classes in the game, society ranking gives the players something to strive for and also serves as a barometer of their progress in the game.

Now that sounds awesome. On paper, anyways. Funcom, etc...

[AutomaticZen]

Hey, it looks like I can make black people!  Score!

The rest of the game looks pretty too.

[schild]

So.... Tabula Rasa done right?

Tabula Rasa could never be done right, sorry pal.

[Draegan]

So.... Tabula Rasa done right?

Tabula Rasa could never be done right, sorry pal.

Very true.

[tmp]

I fully disagree with this.

Wait, with which part? That i think it's fine if Funcom wants to keep evolving this graphics style, or that i can't help but feel disappointed by their choice since i'm not personally very fond of it?

But srsly would love to see a video of their presentation, maybe it just comes together once it's in motion.

[Ratadm]

I'm going to be really angry when this game comes out only 1/10th finished.  Otherwise it looks amazing.

[Kageru]

The fact it's non fantasy and the genre really has some exciting possibilities interests me. Even if this game sucks, and I assume all MMO's are going to until proven otherwise, maybe the next one in the same genre will do better.

[Severian]

The screens are evocative, in a very good way. They definitely look to me like AoC, but in a much more interesting world.

The no levels line seems bogus. You pursue social "ranking" in your faction, which unlocks access to better equipment, which is no doubt key to your becoming more effective and receiving and being able to take on tougher missions. By any other name.

The hollow earth PvP is sounding to me like Aion's Abyss, with three player factions duking it out instead of two + NPC. I'd like to know what a cell is, that's not inspiring. In fact the hollow earth has none of the appeal that those screens create - without a context it just sounds like make-work PvP. Like the AoC minigames.

It's still going to be a game about killing stuff and levelling, oh well. Great screens, though, the lore may be a lot of fun.