[MUD-Dev] When will new MMORPGs that are coming out get original with the gameplay?

[Martin Bassie]

Daniel Anderson wrote:

> After seeing game after game being an almost exact clone, when
> will things start to change?  Most developers know what works, so
> they will implement the same design, ( i.e. the D&D clone) but
> needless to say, how long will it be before people are sick of
> these clones?
 
> When do you think we'll start to see the majority of MMORPGs more
> original?

When the target audience pays attention to the smaller names out
there.

To elaborate: I don't think you can claim "Game after game is an
almost exact clone". The 6 or 7 big names are copies, for sure... In
detail they may be different, and the younger generation more
sophisticated than the older, but they're still an awful lot the
same. I think you'll keep seeing that until executives feel a change
in whatever their target audience wants. I almost hate waiting to
see what Middle Earth Online (the final version?) will play like.

There already -are- a few which try to break the mould - I'll just
list the 3 I'm most familiar with, but I bet there'll be some more.

A Tale in the Desert is the most prevalent example - it really
doesn't take much from D&D, or from any of the game's MMOG
predecessors (other than a 3D graphical environment). As a
non-violent game, it's necessary to step away from all these
combat-oriented systems.

Underlight, tried breaking away from the generic fantasy setting and
common game style by attempting to keep the gameplay uncomplicated
and introducing a number of social aspects (like teaching and
player-issued quests) into the game. But yeah, it still used XP as
the main indicator for progress.

I'm not too familiar with Project Entropia, but from what I can
tell, they attempted to break the mould when it comes to
gameplay. The one thing that stuck to mind is the conversion of
real-world currency into game currency (comments welcome :).

Of course, there will always be similarities. People almost demand
slick 3D graphics, realistic worlds and the most impressive effects
in a hi-tech engine, and it'll be hard for a game to launch
successfully without using one of those.

-M
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