In our favorite segment of the show, If I Were a Dev, Joe and Drew explore their preferences in MMOs by thought-experimenting two new MMOs themselves! Listen every week as they flesh out their ideal MMOs, and stay up to date by checking out the progress below.
Joe’ Game
Episode 1a: What theme?
Joe’s game would have a non-themed MMO, where it is still an MMO, but it isn’t a “sci-fi game” or a “fantasy game.” It will take you out of the fantasy world and make it so you could go to any environment, where one could be fantasy-based or sci-fi-based, but they would be all instanced.
Classes would transfer, but they would have different feels and aesthetics.
Episode 1b: What would be your goal?
Mostly PvE-based, with a limited open-world area where you could gather, with mostly instanced content. Level-less system, so you are mostly building a character, but you are focusing on downing the content in instances instead of leveling to some arbitrary level cap.
Episode 2a: What engine would you use?
The Hero engine works very well (not SWTOR’s version, it branched off a while back).
Episode 2b: What art style would you use?
A subdued anime style. When he says subdued, he means in all aspects, including body parts.
Episode 3a: What combat style would you pick?
Limited Action Set with *some* secondary keybind combos, good for PCs and Consoles.
Episode 3b: What classes would you have?
Classless (base role with bonus to early abilities)
- Ranged
- Melee
- Traditional Healer
- DPS-Healer (hybrid that gets AOE heals from doing dps)
- Tank
Episode 4: What kind of stats would you have?
One main stat for each class. Crit, Crit multiplier, Three mitigation stats – Blocking, Absorbing, Dodging, Uplift (aka Power or Mastery), Haste, plus several hidden stats to track gear score, combinations of stats, etc. for back-end analytics. NO hit. NO PvP-specific stat. (All gear levels will available in PvP and PvE – the best of the best gets the best)
Episode 5: What kind of gear customization would you have?
Imagine TSW and SWTOR had a baby.
- Gear should not be locked-in with its cosmetic appearance.
- Basic cosmetic groupings – head, shirt, hands, wrists, pants, shoes, belts, and cloak/coat/robe, plus jewelry (2x each ring, earring, bracelet, 1 x each eyepatch/monacle/glasses/shades) – NO STATS ON THESE, and sold in cash shop
- Twelve moddable slots (all with names like trinket, relic, lucky coin, etc.), each with three imbuements (aka mods you can craft or loot off mobs).
- Mod-pulling should be able to cost in-game or real-work currency (at the player’s option, and a ridiculously low amount of RW $ if that option is chosen… like 10 cents for an epic imbuement, so 30 cents per item), but it would ALWAYS be free to overwrite the mod with a new one.
- One craftable imbuement addition (aka WoW crafted gem slots, augments in SWTOR, etc.) per item slot.
- One “major” imbuement per character that also has a visual effect.
Episode 6: What kind of cosmetic gear customization would you have?
TSW-style
Episode 7: How would you name/design health and resources?
SWTOR Style customization, Guild Wars 2 style look. One stat for health and power, 20% variance in classes / gear level. Designed for multiple gear sets (burst vs sustained, etc.). Modding important.
Episode 8: What 5 things would you totally steal from other games?
- SWTOR’s companion system
- WildStar’s instanced housing
- TSW’s ability wheel (just smaller)
- WoW’s roll-free group finder loot.
- WoW/TSW realm malleability
Episode 10: How would you handle death and penalties?
No item penalties: Repair costs are a cheap cash sink. Allow for one free rez-in-place, then offer a timer-driven system (with a currency cost to buy-down the timer) or a rez-and-run.
Drew’s Game
Episode 1a: What theme?
Steampunk sci-fi MMO, with elements of Wild Wild West combined with Wildstar. Basically take Firefly and make it a bit tech-ier. Kind of like Bioshock in feel.
Episode 1b: What would be your goal?
Mostly open world PvP, with trading and crafting being a large part of progression, similar to Archeage.
I would like item decay. It forces prices to be lower, it makes materials have a sink, and it makes your deaths mean more.
Episode 2a: What engine would you use?
Unreal engine (the engine from DC Universe Online).
Episode 2b: What art style would you use?
Half-way between Wildstar and The Secret World (and actually what it looks like Crowfall is going for).
Episode 3a: What combat style would you pick?
Limited Action Set like The Secret World, Guildwars 2, and Wildstar, because LAS = meaningful tradeoffs. Easier to balance, better customization than through gear.
Episode 3b: What classes would you have?
Classes would fit Steampunk aesthetic, would have tech/standard weapons. One main-hand weapon per class, with off-hands able to be swapped out for style or specialization.
- Gunslinger
Ranged DPS, debuff utility, glass cannon - Electroknight
Tank/melee DPS, uses - Inventor
Every steampunk trope ever
Episode 4: What kind of stats would you have?
Main stat for each class or ONE master stat…
- No accuracy
- No avoidance
- Mitigation is okay
- PvP stat that interacts with a bolster mechanic in warzones
Episode 5: What kind of gear customization would you have?
I take back all of the stats stuff with regards to gear. Gear grinds for 0.5% increases in DPS are boring. Utility is more fun, though.
I would use something like the Enhancements from City of Heroes, combined with how the signets work in The Secret World on Auxiliary weapons. You could have +damage enhancements, -recharge time enhancements, +crit chance or crit multiplier enhancements, and utility enhancements like roots or stuns.
Four gear slots only (Power Generator, Armor, 2 Weapons), but all of the skills in your limited action set have slots to modify (like in COH). Power Generator upgrades the skill powers, Armor upgrades defense and health, and Weapons upgrade offense with the weapons.
No way to break the system with stat stacking, easier to balance since you can focus only on the utilities and skills.
Episode 6: What kind of cosmetic gear customization would you have?
DCUO-style
Episode 7: How would you name/design health and resources?
Power to power your gadgets (charge abilities, focus items, etc.) – same across the board. DCUO combo of weapons and powers with change-up abilities separate from skills. Passive increase based on progression. Minimal gear differential between gear at max level – better skills cost more power, determined more by level than gear (10-20% at most). “Health” Displayed graphically as an armor image. “Power” as battery. Modding important.
Episode 8: What 5 things would you totally steal from other games?
- LOTRO’s mounted combat
- Naval combat from Archeage (except better, like Assassin’s Creed IV)
- Skill trees from SWTOR/old WoW (I love hybrids)
- Banks from SWTOR
- Trial system in Archeage
Episode 10: How would you handle death and penalties?
Full item drop and lootable body. Leave only equipped items on your character. If you find your body before other players, you can pick it back up. Due to limited inventory space, most people won’t be able to take all of your stuff though. Backpack could be rigged to blow, but you’d lose all of your stuff too, you’d just hopefully get the chance to loot the body of the guy who tried to loot you.
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