|
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 6
|
 |
|
Author
|
Topic: Star Control MMO: Good idea or bad? (Read 12801 times)
|
|
|
Draxas
Enlightened
 Offline
Gender: 
Posts: 1044
|
I think it's already well established that I think it's a bad idea.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alvarin
Enlightened
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 799
|
+1
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mad Cat
Zebranky food
Offline
Posts: 12
|
I've been thinking for the last little while that a Star Control MMO would be an awesome idea, provided it was done right. And by "done right" I mean that it would not be the usual re-skin of WoW that so many MMOs are nowadays. It would have to have many innovate features in it that currently do not exist in any game I've played so far.
But I'm curious as to why people think a Star Control MMO would be a bad idea. More often than not the complaint I see against an MMO idea is that people are allergic to paying $15 a month to play a game (though few are allergic to paying $15 to watch a dumb two-hour 3D movie), or that they automatically assume that the worst parts of the MMO genre will be the main features of the game (ok, this is slightly understandable given history,but still...).
So, can anyone be more specific on why they wouldn't like a Star Control MMO? Are there certain aspects of MMOs (aside from the fees, monthly or otherwise) that you don't like and why?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
alien_fan
Zebranky food
Offline
Posts: 42
|
Hello,
I've never played World of Warcraft or any other "MMO". I had to visit www.acronymfinder.com to find out what, exactly, an MMO was.
If they make a new game like Star Control 2, I'd go for it. So far as an MMO, I say go ahead and try it. I'm willing to try it and, if the
price is right, I might be willing to pay per usage.
I got Star Control 1 with a Sega Genesis. I was kind of disappointed. However, to be fair, I did get what I saw on the internet.
BYE.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Draxas
Enlightened
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 1044
|
I've been thinking for the last little while that a Star Control MMO would be an awesome idea, provided it was done right. And by "done right" I mean that it would not be the usual re-skin of WoW that so many MMOs are nowadays. It would have to have many innovate features in it that currently do not exist in any game I've played so far.
Such as? The reason most MMOs are just like WoW is because WoW is phenomenally successful, and the "follow the leader" mentality is a time-honored tradition in every type of media humanity has ever produced. Your desired features would have to be pretty amazing to justify breaking the quick-buck mold that many companies fit their MMO games into.
But I'm curious as to why people think a Star Control MMO would be a bad idea. More often than not the complaint I see against an MMO idea is that people are allergic to paying $15 a month to play a game (though few are allergic to paying $15 to watch a dumb two-hour 3D movie), or that they automatically assume that the worst parts of the MMO genre will be the main features of the game (ok, this is slightly understandable given history,but still...).
That latter point is a major sore spot for me. As I've mentioned, I don't have scores of friends who are into online gaming (in fact, I don't have any friends who are into online gaming, really), so I would be going it alone both with and against the teeming hordes from the Intarwebz. I play games to relax and entertain myself, not deal with GIFs, and I don't want to be forced to do so.
That monthly payment is also a major sticking point for me as well. I buy games to own them, not rent them by the month. I also tend to pick up most titles after they've been greatly reduced in price (my typical price point for most games is $20 or less). Paying $15 a month for the priveledge of playing an MMO is like rebuying the game every month, as far as I'm concerned. Not to mention the fact that if I'm continuously spending money in order to play a game, I feel like that money is wasted whenever I decide not to play. Guilt-based gaming is not something that appeals to me either. Incidentally, I don't got to the movies very often since I feel like the ticket prices are exorbitant. However, paying $15 for a movie ticket vs. $15 a month for an MMO subscription is hardly a valid comparison. You pay once to see a film, and that's it, film's over. There's nothing forcing you to continue paying, for example, an additional $5 every half hour in order to keep watching or the screen shuts down... Not to mention that you can make a one-time purchase of the DVD and then watch the movie as many times as you like with no additional fees.
There is also another concern: I don't think an MMO would be able to tell the kind of story we have come to expect from Star Control. One of the most well-loved aspects of SC2 is the story, and that is also one of the things that the average MMO either glosses over or doesn't even bother with at all, because it's very difficult to tell a cohesive story in an environment where thousands of players exist simultaneously, and all are at different points in that story. It's also tends not to be a worthwhile effort, since about half or more of them couldn't care less about the story, and are just there to grind levels/run raids/gank noobs.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Angelfish
Enlightened
Offline
Posts: 568
|
In an MMO the story is told by the world around you. It's just a different way of storytelling  . That is one of my main points against the MMO concept. Neither you nor the game itself tells the story; that role is shared with everyone else, as is the game environment.
The story is told by the world in itself and the events that happen there.
In any online gaming environment, you must directly and indirectly deal with stupid fools or jerks. True, they can be ignored, but why should I be expected to tolerate such things? What indeed is the point of the MMO storytelling method if new players know nothing about Star Control (and most of them won't) ?
I dunno, it's a fact of life that you have to deal with those people. But just take a look at WOW and see how many people it has brought to the warcraft universe who hadn't played the warcraft RTS games before?
By the way if you want to experience extremely well-done star control style storytelling, you should try playing the mass effect series . But instead of experiencing the story through hours of conversation with aliens, you're there as events actually happen and unfold. That's what's possible with today's technology . Do not underestimate the capabilities of using narratives to tell a story. Don't get me wrong, I like this particular suggestion, but some things that the player doesn't experience directly should be told via aliens to improve depth. Hearing an alien speak about a huge battle is entertaining. Experiencing it first hand is awe-inspiring. However, hearing about an exciting new precursor spaceship discovery another galaxy away after defeating an Ur-Quan invasion force alongside the other free star-faring races is even better.
It's not even better. You can't ignore the world around you but you CAN skip dialogue, as a lot of people have undoubtedly done, especially on the 3do version with the terrible voice acting.
Just take a look at what Lukipela's game SC:BEL tells us about the star control universe. The story is told by the world around you and the people(npc's) in it. That's better than some alien with a squeeky voice blurting out walls of text about how the event happened .
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Alvarin
Enlightened
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 799
|
Still, much better than if you go on a mission and you meet with someone that "LoLz NoOb I wIlL KiLl YoU HAHAHA"
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 6
|
|
|
|
|
