MMO Roundup: Mass Effect MMO, MOBAs, and more
by Alex Ziebart 
Apr 12th 2011 at 2:00PM
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Mass Effect the MMO? Could Mass Effect be an MMO? In a recent interview with Game Informer, Executive Producer Casey Hudson of BioWare says that the intellectual property makes sense for an MMO. |
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The Old Republic dev blog talks advanced classes Ready for more Star Wars: The Old Republic information? BioWare's Georg Zoeller is happy to oblige via his new dev blog that focuses on TOR's advanced classes. His previous entry laid the groundwork, whereas the most recent blog is all about the details. |
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CNN looks at RIFT's server technology MMORPGs don't get much virtual ink on the world's top news sites, and when they do, it's usually because someone's died during a grind session. RIFT recently bucked that trend with a lengthy spread on CNN.com and, somewhat predictably, the initial focus is on the "battle" between Trion's upstart and Blizzard's World of Warcraft behemoth. |
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Exploring the lands of MOBA It's sometimes hard to believe that MMOs and online gaming in its current form are both relatively new. In a single generation, online gaming has gone from a technical infeasibility to a global industry worth billions. The list of MMOs is constantly growing, and the line between MMOs and other online games blurs more every year. Head over to Massively to learn about MOBAs, or Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas. |
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Massively Speaking episode 143 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns to your regularly scheduled programming this week as Shawn and Rubi discuss the week's MMO news. Topics include fixing Earthrise, expanding Mortal Online and DC Universe Online, and SOE's mass layoffs. |
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Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup. |
Filed under: MMO Roundup
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
WaterRouge Apr 12th 2011 2:29PM
OH MY GOSH!
The thought of Mass Effect becoming an MMO made me swoon a little.
We'll just have to see how well SW:TOR turns out though to know whether or not a completely story-driven MMO is interesting to the general public. The general public not being lore freaks like myself.
If it is released though my first toon will no doubt be a Turian Infiltrator.
Amaxe Apr 12th 2011 2:52PM
Are the Mass Effect games popular enough to justify an MMO?
I got screwed up by the DRM so I never got past #1, let alone #2 so I might not have the info needed to make the judgment, but it seems like KOTOR becoming a MMO would work because of the popularity of the genre and original games, but things like ME and Jade Empires and Dragon Age seem to have less of a cult following to justify a MMO.
I may be comparing apples and oranges though.
Katsuya Kaiba Apr 12th 2011 2:59PM
@ Amaxe
Mass Effect 2 sold 2.2 million copies the first week it was out and Dragon Age 2 is set to bypass 4.5 million copies. I'd say they're both pretty popular.
WaterRouge Apr 12th 2011 3:35PM
Well if there's a cult following for Mass Effect I haven't heard about it but I would be a part of it. But I can see where problems with an MMO may arise from the ending of the third Mass Effect installment, not from the potential player base though.
Basically the Reapers finally arrive and their main target is Earth, right? Well assuming this is video game, which it is, Shepherd will eventually defeat them. In the best scenario for the Reapers they won't be coming back until the next cycle of destruction begins, the worst being all of them are destroyed thus saving the known galaxy from their evil plans forever. Seeing as how the ultimate enemies of the galaxy are defeated/destroyed I don't see how end-game content for a ME MMO could be very engaging.
Also one of the biggest thrills about ME is that one person is basically saving the galaxy one mission at a time...by himself/herself. By making such feats group-content, like WoW has, that self-esteem boost will certainly be degraded. Not saying that killing the Lich King with 9 or 24 other people isn't fun, just noting that a huge part of Mass Effect was the importance of your one character.
Sharlatan Apr 13th 2011 12:32PM
I would kill for a mass effect mmo, so long as it preserves the combat system in ME2, does not have anything like the role trinity of most mmos, and does not introduce a retarded levelling system where power inflates to a stupid degree.
I like the combat in ME:2, cover matters, lots of smaller enemies flanking you, you have to aim, no retarded mana, or rage mechanics, and you are responsible for your own survival, you take cover and let shields come back up, not stand there and rely on people to heal and crap like that which has infected modern mmos.
Really, really really want a ME mmo.
Tesla Apr 12th 2011 2:49PM
The past has come to pass!
http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/at-the-vanguard-basic-tips-and-tactics/
jfofla Apr 12th 2011 2:48PM
Saying there is a "Battle" between WOW and RIFT is like saying there is a "Battle" between an Elephant and a single Fly.
RogueJedi86 Apr 12th 2011 3:56PM
All that fly needs is a little malaria and the elephant's going down. Don't estimate the little guys.
skcmz628 Apr 12th 2011 2:49PM
umm no..
it IS all WoW all the time.. so gtfo!
Nyold Apr 12th 2011 2:55PM
I'm reading the SWTOR advanced classes article, but not fully yet, but it's got me thinking about WoW. Why haven't Blizz made all classes capable of tanking / healing / dpsing, or all of them become hybrids in a sense?
I know, they want class choices to be a meaningful choice. But then if I don't want to make that meaningful choice, I'll choose a Druid or a Paladin for future flexibility if needed. To me, it seems like people who WANT to play a mage are people who really want the flavor of how mages fight, as opposed to how rogues fight. Then why not make those classes hybrid of some sort?
For example, demonology warlock / BM hunters can be tanking trees, frost mages can be a ranged tanking tree (new mechanics), etc. Now there are only 4 pure classes, and with their attempt homogenizing everything else, I don't see their point of keeping these 4 classes "pure" anymore.
Dariangomez Apr 12th 2011 3:36PM
What is wrong with you?!
Why?!!
WaterRouge Apr 12th 2011 10:38PM
I was shocked when I saw that Consular/Inquisitors could tank and Troopers/Bounty Hunters could heal. I just felt like they were giving too much flexibility in class choices. I was specifically going to choose a Jedi Consular because I prefer playing a mage or healer, which I could do both. I really felt like giving Jedi Knight/Trooper and BH/Sith Warrior the tanking classes and Smuggler/Consular and Inquisitor/Emp Operative the healing classes along with their own damage specs was a fair and safe idea.
But I guess I'm just old-fashioned in my MMO tastes.
Nyold Apr 12th 2011 11:46PM
I'd also like to defend my idea with the following:
With Cata, stamina has been tied into iLvl of items. The only reason tanks have more hp than non-tanks are only due to the following:
1. They gem and enchant for it
2. Presence / Bear form / Stance
3. Plate / Leather specialization that gives you 10% bonus stamina
Now why can't we have frost to be the mage tanking tree, with frost armor to be our tanking armor? (increases armor by x%, gives 10% to stamina, etc). A lot of frost talents could be things like: you command winds of the north to give you 3% less chance to be hit, because the enemies are swayed by the winds, or too numb to hit you etc.
As for the flavor, think about the time when you raided Jaina, or Kaelthas, or any other mage bosses. (That witch in Nexus that splits, etc). They can take a LOT of hits before they go down. Mages don't have to be squishy. They're too smart to be hit by weapons to begin with.
Leethax Apr 12th 2011 10:02PM
I love mass effect, being my favourite game series ever (with only 2 games!) but I absolutely hate the idea of a mass effect MMO.
I just don't think the atmosphere and story would lend itself well to the genre.
cyanea85 Apr 13th 2011 4:49AM
At first glance, the idea of a Mass Effect MMO is braindead simple: YES!
But really...I dunno. With the Shepard/Reaper storyline ending after ME3, all that's left is a...pretty standard sci-fi universe, to be honest. Plus...one of the draws of ME has been how decisions affect the story line (saving the council/Wrex/Ash/Kaiden/etc). How would they reconcile that into an MMO?
RogueJedi86 Apr 13th 2011 6:18AM
The Reapers only come in near the very end of ME1, and ME1 was awesome before that too. The setting is great even without Reapers. I could have fun killing pirates and batarian slavers in the Skyllian Verge for years. If BioWare can bring back a Sith Empire for TOR, I'm sure they could think of something compelling for a ME MMO.
If you notice, your decisions in ME and ME2 aren't really that different for each side. In ME1 you have to chase down Saren, beat him, and then beat Sovereign. You can't choose to side with Saren/Sovereign no matter how Renegade you are. Ditto ME2, you can't choose to not recruit anyone, you can't choose to not work for The Illusive Man, you can't choose to not fight the Collectors and instead help them. A lot of ME's choices are shallow things that mainly affect your own crew. I love ME and I think it could work for an MMO easily.
cyanea85 Apr 13th 2011 5:06PM
Except I think the major decisions in each game (Saving the Council, giving Cerberus the collector base) will have a major impact on ME3 as Earth falls under attack. You see the hints of the effect in the first one in the news reports in ME2 (Save the council, and Alliance recruitment drops but the Citadel races come closer, don't save it and the humans take a dominant role in galactic politics and the Citadel races begin to splinter and fracture and appear on the edge of war). The minor choices probably won't matter in the long run, but I have a feeling that the major ones are going to shape your playthrough of ME3. How would they then consolidate my Shepard's experience (which is very likely going to be along the Paragon path) with someone who played Renegade Shep throughout the whole thing?
And the Reapers were in Mass Effect from the very beginning. The VERY FIRST mission has a Reaper. Take the Reapers out of Mass Effect, and you're left with a pretty bland sci-fi universe (not that the Reapers are that original to begin with, but hey)
cyanea85 Apr 13th 2011 5:18PM
What I mean by "major impact" is that since the devs don't have to ensure the Shepard storyline continues into Mass Effect 4, we'll be seeing much more of an effect on the game than we did in ME2. I think they said something along these lines in an interview somewhere. Can't find it.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the final mission(s) change drastically depending on your decisions in the first two games. Give Cerberus the Collector Base, and the Illusive Man develops a weapon that he turns against the assorted aliens in the Citadel Fleet just as the battle against the Reapers seems a victory so that human dominance is ensured, for example. It's something he would do.
If they dumb down the consequences of these decisions to make things fit into a Mass Effect MMO...I'll be highly disappointed in Bioware.