Just an idea...if an MMORPG had a graphics design that looked deliberatly like a cartoon, I.E. The engine used for cel damage, or the one for the upcoming game XIII (maybe designed to look like a Looney Toons world (though not silly) or perhaps one from an anime series..but still deliberaly looks like a pen and ink cartoon) Would you play it? Ideas presented here are free. They are presented for the community to use how they see fit. All I ask is just a thanks if they should be used. [edited by - robert4818 on July 2, 2003 9:06:58 PM]

It would depend on how good the game play was.

What might be interesting would be a MMPOG set in a toon world with toon physics/rules.

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant

Yeah, I might play it, but only it it''s the most outrageously silly world imaginable.

I certainly dont agree. Looks are only important if the game is badly designed. If I have to spend 1 hour of gameplay walking from the town of Noth to the city of Xanth then sure I want lush looking environemnts - but only because the gameplay itself is so boring. The developer is trying to make a huge game but they can''t fill the whole game world so instead the user must travel through empty countryside until they reach an area that contains gameplay.

Move this same design into space and you still have the same bad game design but now you have nothing to look at, which just makes the lack of gameplay more obvious.

So people prefer a better looking (but empty) game over a dull looking (but empty game). However I think most people would actually choose a dull looking space game or cartoon rendered MMPOG if they had lots of gameplay over a nice looking, lush, jungle environment that actually had nothing to do. This is because they would be busy doing stuff instead of just sitting staring at the screen.

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant

It doesn''t need to be silly, OR dull to look at. Take a look at the number of great looking animes that are out there. They don''t all look simplistic like say a looney tunes cartoon does....also check out the screen shots for XIII. That game looks great even if it is cell shaded.

I think that for the game to truely look good you couldnt really make the background cartoon-like unless you pull off a secret of mana type look. Ragnarok Online is a good example of an anime game that is doing VERY well.

At least one group is already well into developing this concept,

http://www.onlineonly2003.de/phpkit/spiele/toontownonline.html

and this game is aiming to reach a wider audience base, including younger and older players. But that doesn''t mean there shouldn''t be other attempts at cel-rendered MMOG''s ... I would especially like to see one with more of an anime style to it.

I would probably play a wellmade cellshaded anime MMO..for a while at least.

-Luctus
Statisticly seen, most things happens to other people.
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