Felarya MMORPG

Well, technically, a female could become a Dridder pretty easily (And, depending on which genre of Dridder you use, perhaps male too).

Other then that, however, you're pretty much correct in the odds of it happening.

lami wrote:

Malahite wrote:

Xeno-the-Hedgehog wrote:

True, but that's part of the thrill. You never know what you'll end up with. You may find yourself transformed into a species that you normally wouldn't associate with, only to discover that it's abilities are to your liking.

And if you play for the Roleplaying games?

After all, it wouldn't be fun for my human character to be unable to leave a city beyond a certain point just to stay human.

Now, if they provided an easy way for the player character to 'fix' themself (But made it into something permanent), then I'd be fine with it. I see no problems in playing a Felaryan beastie, though I see a problem in being forced to play one.

Could you imagine WoW if, after level 40, you were forced to be Tauren no matter what? Or, in Everquest, an Elf? FFXI, a Mog?

unless its entirely fan made i cant see Karbo accepting changing into a creature randomly at all, it has the same ammount of chance as anything you can do with quantum mechanics at a human sized level, the chance is probably one/infinity.

No duh.

If this was real, I wouldn't be into the transformation thing. I'd say that prey and pred species would spend the first bits of the game very seperate. It would be very different game experiences depending on what you picked. But I still think with magic, technology and lots of tricks, humans could be balanced.

It would be really original. The nagas would have to chase very small targets. When they catch them, they have the advantage, but the prey species could whip out all manner of devices and such to foil the nagas. Not standard RPG...but original is good.

super duper mages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Topic Moved



I think this topic better belongs on the General Discussion board than the Stories Discussion board.

Jætte_Troll wrote:

If this was real, I wouldn't be into the transformation thing. I'd say that prey and pred species would spend the first bits of the game very seperate. It would be very different game experiences depending on what you picked. But I still think with magic, technology and lots of tricks, humans could be balanced.

It would be really original. The nagas would have to chase very small targets. When they catch them, they have the advantage, but the prey species could whip out all manner of devices and such to foil the nagas. Not standard RPG...but original is good.

Just to let you know, that is not in any way shape or form original,
Monsters try to grab and eat people
People use tools to defend themselves.

Not sure if this was proposed in here, but something I thought of: Don't make the Predator start off grown?

If the Predator starts off small and grows bigger (provided it's a growing pred and you don't take certain traits / skills [Something similar to a Fallout "Small Frame" Perk]), you could also fit in specific quests. Like a small framed Predator that doesn't grow much larger than a human can enter dungeon X and get y item, but cannot reach area z being too small to reach the entrance. Growth would probably be level determined and what type of traits are taken.

Sounds kind of complicated. Unless we get someone involved in a major gaming company, or with mad programming skills, and convince them they'd make a profit, this is mostly just wishful thinking.

I'm not usually the party-pooper...

Well, it could just be a simpler sort of RPG to start. At least the story and characters would be interesting....hopefully.

Malahite wrote:

Not sure if this was proposed in here, but something I thought of: Don't make the Predator start off grown?

If the Predator starts off small and grows bigger (provided it's a growing pred and you don't take certain traits / skills [Something similar to a Fallout "Small Frame" Perk]), you could also fit in specific quests. Like a small framed Predator that doesn't grow much larger than a human can enter dungeon X and get y item, but cannot reach area z being too small to reach the entrance. Growth would probably be level determined and what type of traits are taken.

Regardless of the felarya theme, I would LOVE to see this in an MMO somewhere.

Also, the size of your character affects how many "size points" worth of creature can be in melee combat with you...

As for smaller "prey races", you could have a player control a whole group of non-growing characters, which grows in number roughly analogous to level for growing predators.

I was working on a similar concept for a Battletech-themed MMO a while ago.

For a good example of a group-oriented MMO style, grab Sword of the New World, it's not just a neat concept for play style, but also a gorgeous game, artistically. (also it's free to play... sorta.)

just play this then
http://www.freeonlinegames.com/fun-games/fishy.html

Okay, basic player character traits:
Predator

• Higher HP, Size denotes maximum HP only
  
• Regeneration by eating NPC or PC prey
  
• Skill power based on level and stays constant.
  
• Magic/Special Attack Power based on Current HP.
  
• Abilities weighted much more heavily on Skill Power.
  
• Customization on full character
  
• Skill list based on Inherent Abilities
  
• Magic/Special Attacks based on Spell Training

Prey

• Lower HP
  
• Group Number denotes current HP
  
• Regeneration by visiting towns (recruitment)
  
• Unique Abilities based on level and stays constant.
  
• Coordinated Abilities based on Current HP.
  
• Abilities weighted much more heavily on Coordinated Abilities.
  
• Customization on leader
  
• Unique Abilities based on Leader
  
• Coordinated Abilities based on Recruitment Strategy

Within these basic character traits, there is room for variation between major races, some having more control-based abilities, some with more straightforward damaging or defensive abilities. Magic remains the same across all races.

Strategically, prey are more what you call Glass Cannons, with very high burst damage through their coordinated attacks, but lacking in stamina, especially in melee. predators would be more Tank-oriented, being visible from much longer range, and able to be especially effective in melee with the Eating ability (though it can only remove one unit of a prey at any time, regardless of how much or little HP they are worth). Predator Magic/Special Attacks and Prey Coordinated Abilities are basically the same, these abilities can be placed on the HP scale in Offensive or Defensive positions, the abilities get more powerful the more offensively they are positioned, though they will become unavailable after less damage. The eat ability, for instance, hits the unit on the most offensive position of the Prey's Coordinated Abilities roster.

Predators respawn at a Lair that they can move to a different place on the World Map once per level (choose wisely) when they are reduced to 0 HP
Humans respawn at any town they make their Base Town, which can be chosen at any time within a town, when the leader is killed (This corresponds to 0HP, because the leader is automatically in the most defensive position)


Does all of that seem balanced?

Yeah. But what about extraordinary "prey" individuals who may be able to take down lesser preds alone, or in small groups? There are quite a few of them in Felarya, too.

Also, your plan doesn't seem to count for individual strength among prey at all. Like, for instance, one member may be a powerful mage, while two others are martail artists, and another is a crack shot with a heavy rifle. I like the basis of the system a lot. I just think a few tweaks could help, though. I think if it were less tailored to "recruiting" (though perhaps a few features could involve that, perhaps a system to get new characters in your squad), and more tailored to personal power, it'd be a better reflection of Felarya as a whole.

Squad-based groups for prey would encourage multiplayer teams a lot more. And the potential for a few powerful prey characters would encourage the preds to group up, too... especially in prey-dominated areas.

As you said, SotNW is a great example. Although I'd prefer more customization than that, at least in the superficial appearance. Also, I hate class systems... skill-based systems (or job-based systems with allowable deviance, like in Anarchy Online) are much better, if you ask me.

Oh, just as an addition... a player-influenced world would be GREAT! Like in Shadowbane, with "guild" control of territories (perhaps one prey "guild" and one pred "guild" could operate in the same area, since they'll be considered mostly separate and at war), and possibly player-created towns (though there will be a strict size limit, lest Guardians {mods/amins?} get involved). These politics could helps drive a story. I'd advise that we heavily encourage RPing ingame. MMOs are much more fun when RPs are involved.

Hmmm. I like both prey ideas. I think there needs to be distinctions between regular humans (snack food) and ones that may have a better chance. Perhaps you can recruit a larger amount of weak allies, while skills and such are focused on your main squad?

Jætte_Troll wrote:

Hmmm. I like both prey ideas. I think there needs to be distinctions between regular humans (snack food) and ones that may have a better chance. Perhaps you can recruit a larger amount of weak allies, while skills and such are focused on your main squad?

That is pretty much what I was going for, except that even the "general" humans could have levels. At the beginning, you could be able to create, say three unique characters of your own (I say three because of my personall usage of my Zion-Kenson-Leif trio). Later, you may be allowed to create a few more. But in towns, villages, and maybe campsites, you could recruit NPC mercenaries, soldiers, apothecaries, wizards, etc., for the right price... or maybe coerce one into joining you for glory or revenge (quests?). They could grow, but their level of customization by the player would be very limited... if there's any at all. Of course, group size shouldn't be too large (maybe have the option of switching out characters?). This would put less strain on both the player and the game engine, and encourage multiplayer gaming.

Recruiting would be very difficult, though. Most Felaryans are more than happy to stay in defensible positions rather than venture around. In fact, maybe some NPCs could desert you if you enter advanced areas...

what would the human weapons be

kdkgsora wrote:

what would the human weapons be

Theoretically? All sorts of stuff.

anyway, you need to decide character races, then the different classes you can play as (or develop your character into a specific class as the game progresses).

After that come up with ideas for weapons.

I think that there could be a small blade like in assassin's creed that if you're caught by a pred then you can use it to slightly injure your captor and escape that way. Being a predator is enjoyable, but withought the threat of being vored it just wont feel the same. Of course even if you do get vored you could have res potions like in fable, and just respawn somewhere (assuming you have no body to walk back to, like in WoW).

unfortuneately I have no experience in making a 3d game, or an MMORPG either, our best bet would be to convince a studio to do this, or get some REALLY skilled amatuers

Simple really. Everyone starts out as a newcomer to Felarya, and get to grow their skills not based on, say, class, but, more oblivion-esque, minus the level ups. If you find yourself running like hell, you get good at running like hell, and maybe even good enough to well... *points at Dodge Darem comics* that. Seeing as Felarya is a dog-eat-dog world, you grow in physical size regardless of race, cept humans and neko's, they get other skills. Humans get Leadership, and can recruit soldiers if you build it up. Stuff like Party Play will cause it to grow, giving the players a chance in hell, and encouraging group survival. Neko get Instinct and Agility, giving them attack warnings and kinda... well... everythings a ladder. They also get tracking via minimap. Naga get Instinct as well, with the addition of well... its Felarya, so Hunger, and Growth, which builds slooooooowly as you eat, and the amount you can eat is stopped by your hunger bar. Dridders get Agility and Webbing, and can well, spiderman. Harpies get Flight, as well as Size, and hunger. Harpies Don't get prey tracking, so they have to stay low to the ground to eat, and cannot fly away when damaged.

Failure to eat enough results in maxed hunger and size decreasing. Skills are based on race, and this encourages pred on pred as well as pred on prey, cuz, well, everyones gotta eat.

I agree entirely, having the enemies auto level up to your same level is frustrating, cus I'm doing all the hard work and they arent >.<

anyway, this leads to my next suggestion: MMORPG would be a dream come true, but even blizzard started out with warcraft before they made it an MMORPG, so my suggestion is that it be made a regular oblivion-similar rpg, THEN focus on making it into an MMORPG, the LOTR franchise is another good example.

I do like the rpg stats style though, like Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma. However, depending on what class you are maybe it can be a little different? or maybe charisma counts to cuteness if you are a female character...and if you aren't a mage, or have a selected elemental type then you wouldn't need to worry about wisdom, which can be substituted for mana or something. :/

how would the whole enemy thing be based? like what say you were fighting a naga and you were a human.. wouldnt it be like a run or die situation? i mean.. i really dought nagas will really waste their time beating up on a human.. maybe if u lose against a naga you dont just fall over and die but instead it ate you maybe.. but really..

Maybe it could be interesting to put some "runaway" game parts where you have to escape the preds avoiding their movement pattern like on a 3x6 chess-like grid (I menction the megaman exe battle system, to make an example, but instead of fighting, you flee) and you could use items to defend from pred tries to grab, attack, or cast magic...

This is a nice idea I think

And I agree, having auto-leveling ennemies can be quite frustrating.. it definitely killed several games I played personnaly ><
This said it can be used on few occasions or a special zone, yes ^^

codaman wrote:

how would the whole enemy thing be based? like what say you were fighting a naga and you were a human.. wouldnt it be like a run or die situation? i mean.. i really dought nagas will really waste their time beating up on a human.. maybe if u lose against a naga you dont just fall over and die but instead it ate you maybe.. but really..

I'd like to say this again... not ALL humans have to "run or die"! *hefts anti-tank rifle over his shoulder*

To be honest, the Megaman.exe system was a little unique, but not really in a bad way. However, Felarya's landscape is really complicated, not like the plains of cyberspace. I mean, how could we possibly put in the idea of cover?

Personally, in terms of cover, Dawn of War II comes to mind. So maybe we could take this in an MMORTSRPG direction, with customizable characters in an RTS setting, like DoWII. However, we always should be careful to aovid cloning another game's system. ^^;

As for MMOs in general, I've had this idea for a multi-genre system for a while, but it couldn't really work unless we got some uber-programmers. Then again, most of my ideas couldn't. I think now we're all just talking hypothetically. Not to insult our programmer's skills or anything... just that, y'know, it's not reallly like... "Commercial MMO Designer" standards.

Archmage_Bael wrote:

I agree entirely, having the enemies auto level up to your same level is frustrating, cus I'm doing all the hard work and they arent >.<

if you build your MMORPG on the prospect that the goal is to level up, You're doing it wrong.