I assume when you say "MMO" you mean "MMORPG"?

Searching for "game design patterns" might turn up some useful info for you.

Firstly, MMO does not autotmatically imply MMORPG, and different types of MMO game may require very different design elements; something that fits well in an MMORPG might be absolutely terrible in an MMOFPS or MMORTS for example.


Secondly, I'm not entirely convinced that such a list would be all that useful - as a designer you should be trying to create an interesting and hopefully different experience from all the competing games out there. As such you should not neccesarily reuse existing design elements from other games you've encountered but should instead be trying to figure out what you need to build a fun, interesting and coherent experience suitable for your game. Just because most games of a certain type include a health bar doesn't mean yours has to, and the same should apply equally to any other element you can think of - not all RPG games neccesarily need to involve the concept of levelling for example.

Quote:Original post by Kylotan

Quote:Original post by Chocolate Milk
Let's say you wanted to explore your creative ability by designing a unique MMO experience.

Quote:I figure having a list of MMO design elements would be a good place to start.

One does not get to 'unique' by starting with the list of lowest common denominator features.

Actually starting with a clear view of what is common may allow you to more easily develop a unique product. Want a good example? Take a look at cars. Cars have had your basic checklist of features needed since soon after they came into being, a rather lengthy list and growing over time.

Now, lets compare it to one of the most unique cars around, the Ariel Atom. What features did it cut from the list? Windshield, side panels, basically every bit of body work. How did they arrive at a design like that? They started off with the check list of what a car needs. Wheels, steering/controls, a seat for the driver, a frame to hold things together, an engine, transmission, suspension. Basically, they cut things down to the barest minimum, and then looked back at the list and figured out what they could improve over the normal car. Big, power engine, excellent suspension.

Having a list of things for an MMO game helps you look at each piece of a common game by itself. Examine how it works and functions, what impact it has on the player. After looking at them all start looking at how they interact. What can you change? What works, what doesn't?


The biggest issues people often have with MMORPGs is their leveling. The game becomes a grind, you have a goal to get to Level X, and to do that you have to run through and keep doing the same things over and over again to gain enough experience. The gameplay is really rather shallow. Want fun and unique? Find a way to design your game elements to make traditional leveling useless. Provide a game where you want to play to PLAY, not to level up. And honestly, this suggests a strong PvP focused game. Why do people enjoy games like Halo and Counter Strike so much? It isn't like they gain experience and level up in those games. Sure, they get BETTER at them over time (some people anyway) but from one round to the next, what they do in game has no real impact on the future rounds. This competition draws in millions. Why? Because humans like to prove they are better than each other.

Some of the features I am incorporating into my own multiplayer RPG:

- Fuzzy stats ("Strong as a Clydesdale" rather than STR 100)
- Critical hit locations (a la RM/MERP) and conditions
- Time as a determining factor for your character's lifespan, along with...
- The ability to prolong your own legacy through descendants in your bloodline

I'm not sure these would be popular features among the mainstream multiplayer RPG crowd (in fact, I'm fairly certain they would be quite un-popular), but these are things I always wanted to see in such an environment.