Hot Topic #2: The cliché multiplayer Elder Scrolls topic

[ninja_lord666]

You know what would be great? If Elder Scrolls were online, there would be no npcs. instead, the players would take on the roles as guards, merchants, innkeepers, beggars, etc. Now that would be fun.

[yert527]

To keep the original ES "feeling" a simple, or not so simple, way to make the game multi-player would be to make it more like a normal RPG than an MMORPG, much like how some people will get together and play a game of DnD. Of course the game would have to be geared to allow parties of 2-6 instead of just a solo act. Basicly it would play out like this:

 

You start the game up and it brings up the menu:

 

Make a Character: goes through the entire build-a-char spot.

Upload Character: this will let you upload your character's profile on a TES database, where it will be classified upon race, class (or nearest class), and User Avalibilty time, and perhaps more.

Start a Game: This will allow you to search for characters based upon things above or user names(to invite friends)

Resume a Game: If the one or more chars' users is flagged avaible or playing(when connected) you can invite them to resume the game, not everyone needs to attend, but game starter must be there.

ect...

 

Basicly it will be a Onlive Virtual Lan Party. Theoreticly you could have so many games going that between your RL friends, co-workers ect... and all the online games... that you should never come on, and see that there is nothing to do.

 

And all the servers would have to do would be to provide the database... of course the uber-pretty world might have to go... but still wouldn't it be fun for you and your friends to invade a Monster infested place and clear it out... or all of you having to team on something many levels above you.

 

Also mods... guess what, the mods could be turned on and off just like they do with your chars... and each time you join a persons game there mods for that game (that game only) will be trasphered to yours and will be avalible for when you start games... but will not affect your other games.

 

This ^ would be heaven.

[bob33380]

Im very lazy, so i'll keep this comment short.

1. Go to google

2. type in "MultiTES4"

3. click the first link

4. read the info

5. download and follow instructions

and whammo, you have online TES4

[thanateros]

My vision of a TES MMORPG would follow the same basic principles of EVE Online. Make your character and get thrown into the fray. How I see a game for the TES Series working would be in conjunction with online social software (i.e. myspace, facebook) to organize a cultural backdrop to the game since the in game content is limited as to its quality. I would also like to see servers organized based on player preference, essentially having 'game rooms' or individual servers to meet the needs of the players so they get the most satisfying experience overall.

 

Guilds would be player run (completely). Given the leveling system I wouldn't even include quests in the game, except quests where the player has to qualify in order to start them (Daedric quests in Oblivion, WOW endgame content). The intrigue for me is seeing how players create their own world, culture, politics, and rules. Without the inclusion of experience grinding or quests, players would be able to develop their characters unlike in most other MMO experiences. Be a lone wolf or a loyal faction member, you decide.

 

Players should also have the option to run dedicated servers off of their computers (ala Counterstrike). This allows for third party mods to be used (and let's face it, Oblivion wouldn't be the half as good without them) and lets groups of players decide how they want to experience the gameplay. Ideally I would love to see a massive server interface for players to choose which server to play on, but allow players to set how they want all players in that server to conduct themselves.

 

The real challenge is trying to balance PvP, since I would rather have no restrictions on whether or not you can kill people. Given the openended aspect of TES, I would not place restrictions in areas of the game world where PKing is allowed or not. If you kill someone, do you get all of their stuff or just their gold (like in Diablo II)? How does a character who dies respawn (given the imaginative quality of some Oblivion quests I would love to come back as an undead (retaining all of your attributes and skills etc) and respawn in a graveyard, then have to hunt down and reclaim you corpse, or remain undead)? This is where the player servers and social software come into play, such that rules and guidelines can be established out of the game world so that the in game experience isn't rattled by n00bCamper_Pwnerer who sits outside the new character spawnpoint and takes out every new character. Lots of people like to play assassin builds, how do we make room for them in the game world without creating frustration and letting them kill unchecked?

 

One possible solution would be to eliminate levels altogether and players relying solely on their skills. Such that the bonuses you get from reaching Journeymen, Expert and Master make you better at using those skills. To balance this with the cost of say, swinging that huge sword or casting that powerful summon, consider that as you get better with the skill the more effective you are at using it (so swinging that sword at Mastery take a small amount of fatigue and casting that spell costs a fraction of what it did when you were an Apprentice). With regards to attributes, they could level at 1/2 the rate of the corresponding skill (like how bonuses work now, only without a level increase).

 

The most challenging aspect to a TES MMORPG-type-game for me to see Bethesda overcome the player element and how much control are they likely to impose in order to maintain a balanced game environment. How will players, in a Massive Multiplayer environment, control the level of immersion? Like I mentioned, I believe that players should be allowed to host their own servers and create the culture through OOC social software to establish server rules and qualifications (I would make everyone who wanted to play on my server submit an application so I know the quality of gameplay would be maintained).

 

I would love nothing more than to rally a group of players, sack a city, murder the count/ess and put someone new in power. I want to see a MMO where player actions have a dramatic effect on the game environment.

 

Im very lazy, so i'll keep this comment short.

1. Go to google

2. type in "MultiTES4"

3. click the first link

4. read the info

5. download and follow instructions

and whammo, you have online TES4

 

Interesting that someone actaully produced it, though after browsing the forums it looks like it'll be awhile before they come up with a full release.

[Peregrine]

Mandatory reading for anyone who wants to post in this topic: http://forum.gamingsource.net/index.php?sh...c=18923&hl=

 

Follow that guide, and you have a successful MMORPG. Also, look at EVE Online and the upcoming Darkfall, those games have it almost exactly right.

 

My vision of a TES MMORPG would follow the same basic principles of EVE Online. Make your character and get thrown into the fray. How I see a game for the TES Series working would be in conjunction with online social software (i.e. myspace, facebook) to organize a cultural backdrop to the game since the in game content is limited as to its quality. I would also like to see servers organized based on player preference, essentially having 'game rooms' or individual servers to meet the needs of the players so they get the most satisfying experience overall.

 

If you're going to praise EVE, you should finally play it! But anyway...

 

I would disagree with that. Sharding is almost completely a bad thing. The fact that EVE has a single server is one of its best features. Sure, you might have some extra playing style options, but you pay a huge price in lack of player interaction and meaningful conflicts (see the link above). The idea that actions have consequences should be a major part of a game, especially if you're focusing on culture and interaction. Break it up, and you encourage have people spread out and ignore each other.

 

The easy comparison is EVE vs. WoW. EVE has a single world, WoW has countless different ones. In EVE, you have dynamic player-driven storylines, ranging in scale from 1v1 piracy to epic wars with thousands of people in a player alliance, fielding 500 ship fleets in a single battle. Everything you do has consequences (and you're free to be very evil), there's no running to a new shard if things go badly. But those consequences also have the side of fame, accomplish something big in EVE, and you've impacted the entire player population.

 

Compare this to WoW, where even the biggest event only has an effect on a tiny percentage of the players. If it doesn't happen on your server, you'll probably never even hear about it. The community is thoroughly splintered, with player interaction limited by the simple fact that it's impossible to have any contact with people outside of your NPC faction on your individual server.

 

The real challenge is trying to balance PvP, since I would rather have no restrictions on whether or not you can kill people. If you kill someone, do you get all of their stuff or just their gold?

 

I would say everything on their body. It works very well in EVE, and it's one of the most rewarding parts of PvP. All you have to do to make it work is get away from the "grind 500 hours for one epic item" and create an item/economy system where replacement gear is easy to get, and has heavy diminishing returns with increasing price/quality.

 

Lots of people like to play assassin builds, how do we make room for them in the game world without creating frustration and letting them kill unchecked?

 

I would say three things:

 

1) Make sure the general feel of the game is one where death and loss are expected as part of the game. Like in EVE... losing a ship is enough of a setback that you want to avoid it (and if you fly elite stuff, potentially a huge hit to your wallet), but everyone knows it's inevitable, and it's pretty easy to get back in the game. Your new ship might not be as good as the old one if you didn't keep enough cash in reserve, but you'll be able to jump back into PvP right away.

 

2) Include some kind of safe areas, whether by town guards, criminal records, whatever. Just enough that playing a murderer has its price, even if it's nothing more than lack of trust from other players.

 

3) Make sure playing an assassin involves a lot of skill. A successful assassination should be a mark of skill and cunning, not just a matter of pressing the "kill target" button every 15 seconds. And the consequences of failure should be realistic as well (though this should be true of ANY play style). This will pretty much let the class regulate itself, there will be relatively few people with both the interest and skill to play a successful assassin, and even fewer opportunities for them to do it properly.

[thanateros]

Make sure playing an assassin involves a lot of skill. A successful assassination should be a mark of skill and cunning, not just a matter of pressing the "kill target" button every 15 seconds.

 

As with any class for that matter. Still, the skills in Oblivion feel too generic, though the introduction of rank bonuses was a plus, there's still work to be done. I want to be able to shoot someone through their ankle and have it make their leg useless. Mounted combat is also a must. The world needs to be rescaled in order to support large battles (being a battlemage in a Medieval II scale battle would be insanely fun).

[chris 07]

Im very lazy, so i'll keep this comment short.

1. Go to google

2. type in "MultiTES4"

3. click the first link

4. read the info

5. download and follow instructions

and whammo, you have online TES4

Thats in its alpha version and has long since been abandoned. Besides thats off topic, your supposed to put what you want in a multiplayer elderscrolls game and if you even want multiplayer.

[Ginji]

The world needs to be rescaled in order to support large battles (being a battlemage in a Medieval II scale battle would be insanely fun).

Yeah...untill you accidently wiped out half your sides army with a misplaced AoE spell. :ph34r:

[zelosgod]

if bethesda made a multiplayer elder scrolls game it would be more likely be designed to be a co op play over lan conections instead of online play

[HellKnightX88]

I think Beth should stick to single player TES games. It just wouldn't be the same... It wouldn't feel like you just saved the empire. The player wouldn't feel like he's really changing the world around him. He would be just another on-line gamer.

Just imagine having hundreds of champions of Cyrodiil in the game world. It's just not the same...

That's why I'm happy to hear that Beth will continue with the single player games!