Hey all, I'm trying to design a game based on PvP combat. The game would be a Sci-Fi shooter, but I have run into the problem of PvP-based games. If it was based on PvP it would be just like a MMOFPS, which would get boring after a while. I don't want it to be just an endless battle, but rather have a story and missions. The second problem is that if I don't go with the PvP-based way, and have it Player vs. AI, wouldn't the AI have to be FLAWLESS? It just doesn't seem right to me to have Player vs. AI without swords like a medieval MMORPG. Any good suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Oh sorry, I forgot to say, its going to be a top down shooter.
Would that change much? Much like Sony's infantry.
I understand your advice, thanks.
Would making it top-down allow me to make it MMO?

Quote:Original post by Explizit
Would making it top-down allow me to make it MMO?

The problem of realtime player skilled MMO games is that lag is an important issue. It's frustrating when you die because of lag.

About top-down games like Infantry and SubSpace, those games can usually handle 30-45 players.

No, the AI wouldn't have to be flawless. You can give them the advantage of numbers. You can give them the advantage of superior terrain. You can slightly tweak their health/armor/damage settings to make them a little more. Almost all AI cheats, to make up for not actually being so great. And sometimes that cheating isn't even hiden, as in MMOs in which you're forced to face many enemies half again your level.

But, you can actually make them 'flawless' to an extent, they have ultimate knowledge of play field. Just check out Unreal Tournament, the enemies can snipe from extremely far away with no scope.

You can do all kinds of things to make PvE exciting and difficult, but it'll never be like PvP.

Battlefield 2 uses unlocks and performance-based ranks and rewards to spice up online shooting, but it doesn't offer too great an advantage to more experienced players, and skill is still the deciding factor in most cases. Especially with recent nerfing, the unlockable guns aren't a huge advantage.

Another good way to make PvP action fun and rewarding is to emphasize teamwork. Even if you don't offer personal advancement, let squadron configuration and support roles serve to enhance the game, and reward good teamwork. Even in PvE, team bonuses and complementary skills can really improve a game's feel.