OT: Will anyone ever create a game...

Argitoth · #1 March 9th, 2004, 01:22 AM

Will anyone ever create a game in which fighting is not the only fun thing to do? (specifically MMORPGs or wargames focused on city-buidling)

I haven't seen a single game where warring is not the only fun thing to do. I'd like to see a game where you actually have a choice to just build a city or delve in the economy system.

I know why this is nearly impossible, because you really don't get anywhere by doing this. It's like living to live. When you are warring, it is living to survive which is a lot more meaningful.

what are your thoughts on this? if you can understand what I am saying.

[ March 08, 2004, 23:23: Message edited by: Argitoth ]

ywl · #2 March 9th, 2004, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Argitoth:
Will anyone ever create a game in which fighting is not the only fun thing to do? (specifically MMORPGs or wargames focused on city-buidling)

I haven't seen a single game where warring is not the only fun thing to do. I'd like to see a game where you actually have a choice to just build a city or delve in the economy system.

I know why this is nearly impossible, because you really don't get anywhere by doing this. It's like living to live. When you are warring, it is living to survive which is a lot more meaningful.

what are your thoughts on this? if you can understand what I am saying.

I don't understand...

They're the minority but they exist, such as Simcity, Rail Tycoon, Sims, business simulator like Capitalism, various MUSH that focus more on role-playing...

[ March 08, 2004, 23:31: Message edited by: ywl ]

PvK · #3 March 9th, 2004, 01:38 AM

I have an MMORPG addict co-worker who spends hours just forging things and mining for resources and so on in Horizons. Apparently it has major non-combat elements, including building cities, digging massive tunnels or building huge bridges, etc.

But ya, there are many non-combat strategy games and RPG's. The whole Sim series (Earth, Ant, etc). The Wolf and Lion games (Win 3.1 era, IIRC) were interesting. The whole Caesar/Pharoah/Zeus series. The recent space station community sim (forget name). Tropico. The Theme Park games. Spiderweb Software have a neat RPG (Geneforge?) about making crossbreeds.

PvK

Argitoth · #4 March 9th, 2004, 03:08 AM

I'm specifically talking about Online games, though. Maybe not "ONLY-ONLINE" but multiplayer nonetheless.

[ March 09, 2004, 01:09: Message edited by: Argitoth ]

PvK · #5 March 9th, 2004, 03:18 AM

Ok, then see Horizons as an example of an MMORPG with heavy options for major non-combat projects. There are others with at least an attempt to do such things, too. Text-based MUSH games are often heavy on non-combat elements.

There are some non-commercial VR games which involve players building worlds.

For commercial non-violent Online strategy games, you may be describing a little-explored niche. Not sure. Maybe you can pitch Barbie World On-Line to Mattel...

I think the commercial Online strategy market is pretty stuck on RTS, and that genre has so many time warps and low-attention-span types of activities already, I'm not sure how it could work well without the violence. "Construction rush! I'm gonna buy up all the undeveloped land so I can start my super mall before my opponents!"

Mainly teasing, there. Do you have the germ of an interesting game in mind?

PvK

Argitoth · #6 March 9th, 2004, 03:38 AM

Argh! Horizons! They totally messed up the lizardfolk race, they are my favorite race!! Asexual... low intelligence!!

Anyway, I'm looking for a game with both a combat system and non-combat system, but I haven't found any game which has accomplished both well.

I dunno about Horizons, it turned me off the second I read the description of the "lizardfolk-type" race. Dom2 has definitely accomplished the best lizardfolk-styled race I've ever seen.

Like Starwars for instance has a great combat system and and a well-made economy system, but the combat is just way more "fullfilling" and fun.

[ March 09, 2004, 01:40: Message edited by: Argitoth ]

Ctennyson · #7 March 9th, 2004, 03:41 AM

Horizons has butt-ugly graphics, and its a pay to beta currently, but once 6 months to a year passes and it leaves its beta state, it might be cool.

Of course, by then I'll be playing WoW and COH, and will long since have forgotten Horizons exists, but thats the price you pay for bad graphics and a pay to beta.

djtool · #8 March 9th, 2004, 04:01 AM

i'm still currently Subscribed to it. It's left a bad taste in my mouth and I don't think i'll buy another MMORPG until its been out for a while and (heaven forbid) the positivity on the msg Boards out-weigh the negativity.

after AC2 and Horizons...its time for a break (hopefully i won't break down and buy CoH)

Sindai · #9 March 9th, 2004, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Argitoth:
Like Starwars for instance has a great combat system and and a well-made economy system, but the combat is just way more "fullfilling" and fun.

Most MMORPGs have this to different extents, although how far they take the non-combat aspects varies.

There have been games with extensive non-combat elemtns dating all the way back to Ultima Online, though, and before that if you count mostly non-commercial MUDs and stuff.

There is also a recent massively multiplayer game which is totally noncombat - "A Tale In the Desert" or something like that. Heard about it on the Gone Gold forums. It sounded fairly popular.

Also, I would point out that your opinion on combat being more "fulfilling" than non-combat in Galaxies (which is what I assume you mean by "Star Wars", since there have been, oh, about two dozen Star Wars games) does not apply to everyone, or else there wouldn't be many non-combat players, and from what I understand there very much are.

Gandalf Parker · #10 March 9th, 2004, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Argitoth:
I haven't seen a single game where warring is not the only fun thing to do. I'd like to see a game where you actually have a choice to just build a city or delve in the economy system.

Capitalism II
Most of the Sim games
something more oen-ended like a MUD?
a game called "tranquility" (which reminds me of the mind-control game brought back from Riza in the Star Trek series)
Celtic Kings
King of Dragons Pass (an excellent example)

Again it helps that if you are looking for strategy gmaes that arent the average run-of-the-mill junk that gets dished out to the masses then you should gvisit the strategy newsGroups and forums. Same if your thing is RPG games, or action games.

[ March 09, 2004, 02:33: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]