MMORPG-simulation

[VariSami]

Right.

I've been having this idea of a campaign that's essentially simulating being trapped within a full immersion MMORPG. Sounds familiar? No wonder - in case you happen to know Sword Art Online. It's an anime which starts with the same premise and that was my original inspiration.

However, D&D 3.5 rules actually need to be clipped and houseruled a lot to fit the premise. I could use 4th edition, sure - in case I cared for enough to have bought the books. For the record, I did enjoy playing a few campaigns of it but would never have it take over in my games.

The main things I'm thinking about relate to magic. It should come as no surprise that spells in D&D 3.5 break games. It's what the rules boil down to. The things I've been thinking about are:

1. Full casters: Right. Obviously I cannot allow all Tier 1 classes. Actually, I should probably not allow any of them. Thus far I've thought about limiting spellcasting classes to a select few with no utility spells which would, ironically, break the immersion by not being a realistic fit for a virtual game. Thus, I'd only allow for things like Warmage, Warlock and Dread Necromancer. However, divine casters will be much more limited. Should I only allow for Paladins and Healers? I think not. This is a problem. Another thing I've been pondering about is, whether or not I should simply go the way of Sword Art Online and ban magic completely.

2. Healing: It was mentioned with the problem regarding divine casters already. Of course I can make potions a commodity since they would not be limited by the normal rules of item creation. Such items can be spawned ad infinitum in an MMORPG. However, I would prefer not making them too common. Also, the meaning of food: Does it heal? I'd say yes. It cannot be consumed in a battle but the characters would preferably still eat and sleep due to the nature of full immersion. The game will probably also be a lot of hack n' slash for a change and all possible ways to heal are welcome in my opinion. But is this really ok?

3. MMORPG qualities: These include things like whether or not NPC's are immortal or not. Probably they will have an advanced AI but will be unable to plot against the players (unless I use a virus storyline with this hook). They really break the norm of the same rules applying to everyone in a game world.

Anything I've missed? Any references to campaigns in which this has already been pulled to help me along? And of course, any ideas that would befit such a project are more than welcome.

 

[Dandu]

Wouldn't powerful magic be a good way of simulating "hacking" the Matrix?

 

[VariSami]

Wouldn't powerful magic be a good way of simulating "hacking" the Matrix?

Mayhap. But considering that I'll start with what the designers of the MMORPG would have coded in the game, it will still not be easily available. And since I'll have the players start at level 1, they will not exactly be "cheater" level powerful. If you could hack it to allow for such tricks, why not level yourself up a notch?

However, a cheater who's redesigned or maybe unlocked some beta content or something with a Gestalt caster could make for a fine storyline at a latter time. Or maybe his "magic" is indeed just applying new code to the system by ulterior means. I still like the irony of literally taking apart the rules with magic that already does that with the system.

 

[nijineko]

i would think that a lot of your questions would naturally resolve themselves if you nailed down the mmo setting, design, and purpose. once you have the fluff in place, see which mechanics fit and which dont. probably a lot more magic items, a lot fewer spells, cooldown times for most if not all stuff. after all, going through menus to select spells might take valuable game time, if it is an rt-combat mmo, as opposed to turn based. if you go turn-based, you could have fun with soliloquies as the other players can't do anything but wait their turn, though, not sure how to make rp-ing that fun, as that pretty much happens with most rpg anyhow.

and little numbers and speech bubbles that pop up by peoples heads.

 

[VariSami]

I suppose nijineko is right. Let's see if I can up with a first draft here and now.

1. Magic items are ubiquitous. They are spawned by the game. However, more powerful items still remain rare and there are unique items. Potions are a fine example: at least the healing variety is everywhere.

2. It is a martial game. The classes are Barbarian, Binder, Warlock, Paladin, Marshall, Dragon Shaman, Ranger, Scout and Rogue. Thus there will not be real spellcasters: Binders have their Vestiges for supernatural abilities and Warlocks use a limited scope of spell-like abilities. Paladins and Rangers use the varieties without spellcasting found in Unearthed Arcana. Prestige Classes can be unlocked via special quests (as in, DM-approved). Races are limited to PHB versions of human, elf and dwarf, as well as orcs from Monster Manual. Half-races do not exist for playable characters.

3. NPCs are immortal objects. They cannot be transported. Also, within safe towns players are also impossible to harm. People who attack or kill other players will be marked as PKs (and I will use the idea that you die IRL if you die within the game).

4. Combat will be active and according to D&D 3.5 rules. The game is turn-based but with a 6 second timer for each turn. Make use of your time. HP is available information due to a bar that everyone can see (both for hostile targets and allies - you cannot see the hp of players you haven't interacted with).

5. Action points from Eberron will be included.

Also, I came up with an adventure hook: since players will be unable to log out (as in SAO), there'll be a rumor that jumping off the "end of the world" will wake you up. However, the game world is set to expand continuously. Some interpret this as a battle royale or a grand quest that will bring about the end of the world and release the last man standing.

 

[Sekhmet]

This feels like .hack//.

 

[VariSami]

This feels like .hack//.

I suppose. Haven't seen or read it myself, though. Just checked Wikipedia.

One more thing relating to the meta-plot (this was actually a part of it when I began working on the concept): the world has a semi-conscious AI that wills for the virtual world to become real. As such, it abducts the mental information of dead players and creates new individuals in a process similar to meiosis. These people are "natives": they aren't NPCs, they have in-world life-spans and they can participate in the game. This is a long process, however. At will be hinted at when the players suddenly encounter mysterious child avatars, at least one of which greatly resembles someone they knew and who died within the game.

This will on one hand result in the promotion of PKs by the system: it hungers for player information to absorb. On the other hand, those who intend to kill all other players (see my last post about the end of the world) will be a threat since they endanger the quest to become a real world.

 

[Herobizkit]

For what it's worth, Lord of the Rings Online is based on a very magic light world (and one of if not THE original source material for D&D) and it gets by with having magic-like effects without it strictly being magic. Might be something to peek into... since it's free to play and all.

 

[nijineko]

For what it's worth, Lord of the Rings Online is based on a very magic light world (and one of if not THE original source material for D&D) and it gets by with having magic-like effects without it strictly being magic. Might be something to peek into... since it's free to play and all.

he's trying to lure you in! it's just a beta test before it goes live... your game is trying to eat you!


;D

 

[VariSami]

Luckily I don't have time to actually play MMORPGs myself. I think the last time I played one personally was back during the original Guild Wars and its first expansion. My 2min relationship with RIFT non-withstanding.

Also, as people might have noted: in an earlier message I allowed for a select group of arcane classes since their capabilities are limited enough to be allowed within a virtual reality (at least for the most part). Magic without spellcasting indeed (since Warlocks use spell-like abilities and Binders use supernatural abilities).