A new MMORPG idea... kombatant style

[Daze]

I've been playing Mortal Kombat: Armageddon lately. (got it for $20 at gamestop). While the combat system is a bit dated for most 3D fighters, I was very much intrigued by the Konquest and Kreate a Kombatant modes of gameplay.

It occurs to me that perhaps Midway is gonna take a next-gen stab at creating a MMORPG. If you think about it, they have 64 established playable characters with an in-depth storyline thats developed and filled out since the series inception. Fleshed out worlds, clans, powers, races, classes etc... thats a great recipe for an online RPG.

Think about it.. creating your own Lin Kuei ninja... or bizzare outworld character.. or even lesser god. The options would be greatly varied. Pending the success of the new Conan MMO, a 'M' rated game in the MK vein might do very well. Who wouldnt love pulling a fatality on some griefer who deserves it? Here's your spine de-attached from your body son.. now go away.... heh.

I hope they do something like that... and by inserting a more involved konquest and character creation, I wonder if they're hinting at it? Would be awesome and totally Kool, so long as you can stomach non stop insertions of the letter "k" instead of "c"...

what do you guys think?

[Binary Stars]

As long as there's no fat, over-weight cop class, I'm in. I'd imagine it resemble city of heros, somewhat, with the character creation. Also, I cannot see an extensive inventory system or whatnot. Possibly key items and limited weaponry, but I cannot grasp Shao Kahn stopping in the middle of "Kombat" to switch to a different type of armour more resistant to ranged attacks. Well, I kind of can, so yeah, it is a pretty decent sounding idea.

However, despite how good the idea sounds, the odds of it happening? :smallannoyed:

[Daze]

As long as there's no fat, over-weight cop class, I'm in. I'd imagine it resemble city of heros, somewhat, with the character creation. Also, I cannot see an extensive inventory system or whatnot. Possibly key items and limited weaponry, but I cannot grasp Shao Kahn stopping in the middle of "Kombat" to switch to a different type of armour more resistant to ranged attacks. Well, I kind of can, so yeah, it is a pretty decent sounding idea.

However, despite how good the idea sounds, the odds of it happening? :smallannoyed:

Heh Fat overweight cops.. with the special ability donut toss or burning cup of coffee...

Well most items amount to healing, buff or poison potions.. spare weapons, spare armor. I think that'd fit right into MK. Especially considering you probably wouldnt play as a "named" character.. like sub zero or shang tsung or anything (I'd imagine they'd be bosses, or high level npcs). But for your regular sprite whos battling in the doomsday scenario of the outworlds colliding with earthrealm? I'm sure theyd use whatever armor worked (not too mention a wide variety of weapons, capable of maiming and de-limbing... ooooo nice!) Not to mention powers.... you'd obviously have necromancer, fighter, ninja, wizard, healer and elementalist built right in... and could even further break them down if ya really wanted to... A city of Heroes/Villains structure could work, but so would any tree system really.

As far as the odds of it getting made? I agree fairly slim... but what else does Midway have going for it? They still lean on MK as their cash cow... why not take the next inevitable step? Everyone loves Mortal Kombat (or at least has some fond memories of it). If done right, it'd be a mega-hit... heck, even if done wrong it'd still bring in a pretty penny.
Man, I should send them a proposal... heh ;)

[Cubey]

A fighting game MMORPG? A few months ago I discussed the whole idea with people I lived with in the student dorm. Two major conclusions:

1. It would be so popular, one wonders why such a game wasn't created already.

2. If done poorly, it'd suck. If done good, it would rock, kicking WoW and GW out of the water in the first weeks.

Should such a thing ever be created though, I hope it won't be based on Mortal Kombat. My personal taste, but I don't like MK.

[Daze]

A fighting game MMORPG? A few months ago I discussed the whole idea with people I lived with in the student dorm. Two major conclusions:

1. It would be so popular, one wonders why such a game wasn't created already.

2. If done poorly, it'd suck. If done good, it would rock, kicking WoW and GW out of the water in the first weeks.

Should such a thing ever be created though, I hope it won't be based on Mortal Kombat. My personal taste, but I don't like MK.

Yeah, it is a wonder that it hasnt been done yet. Age of Conan is supposed to integrate a more "skill" based combat system, but thats not til 2008 so I'll reserve judgement (though Im pretty psyched about it.. previews look great)
You should check out the info on that..might be something you'd like.

Not to pry amigo, but you really never liked MK?? ever??? Not even Sub Zero's fatality where he rips the opponents head off with the spine still attached? or when Liu Kang turns into a dragon and bites the top of... oh, nevermind... I'm just weird I guess ;)

[Cubey]

I liked Mortal Kombat when I was 13.

The theme just tries to be "hardcore" so much that it turns out funny for me. Just like Hellsing the anime (older version - not the new one or manga). I wouldn't mind that much, but what I DO mind is that MK is a button mash, alternatively a "do one cheap move over and over" game. It might have changed, I didn't play the game for a long time (last one was MK IV, and that's ancient). But MK 2 is considered the best of its kind and it had EXACTLY that.

Well, to each their own I suppose. Let's not get offtopic.


Here are my thoughts on what to do to make such a game awesome:
1. This isn't WoW, it's a fighting game. And like every good fighting game, your HP is limited and doesn't grow back up. You get hit, tough luck - try not to get hit again. No healers, no healing potions, and no flash-of-light spamming in this game.
However, after the battle is over, your character's wounds should heal hastily.

2. Although this game should be 3-D, I feel that an idea of moving the camera to the character's side when a fight starts (making it look like a normal fighting game) would be extremely cool.

3. Instead of classes, I suggest fighting styles. Your character can be a follower of one or more (limiting it up to 3-4), and each fighting style would allow you to learn its own moves. Of course, these moves don't come automatically as you learn the style, you'd have to discover them first - from a scroll, an ancient teacher, or something like that.
3a. Moreover, this makes gear like weapons and items redundant (and it should, it's a fighting game!) instead of "purple epix", people can go do difficult/group quests to obtain legendary moves or fighting styles. World of Warcraft's envious "wow, this guy has a Hand of Ragnaros..." whispers would be replaced by "geez, he's using the Ultimate Inferno Punch! wish my character would learn it too..."

[Daze]

hmmm... your ideas are intriguing.
I like the idea of the game going side view, or perhaps switching screens altogether when a fight starts... although, if you seen the Konquest portion of the more recent MK game, they do a pretty decent job of 360 continuous battle... powers and all.

They've also added weapons to the series, and I think you'd have a hard time convincing anyone that weapons and armor arent neccessary anyways. But what you could do is tone down their power/effectiveness a little bit. So say the "Flaming Dragon Death Kick" that you learned from old, wise master of the mountain is better than some higher level katana. In the current MK variations, they've integrated weapons into the kombat (as well as different fighting styles) and honestly the weapons get overshadowed in terms of usefulness, but they still provide some nice variation.
But I agree that the quest structure should be based around learning new styles, moves and powers (or passive gifts, increased HP, damage reduction etc..). Weapons should take a back seat... "purple epix" shouldnt be the primary goal.

(and your right, MK2 was the ultimate combo cheese game. Play sub-zero or baraka.. or lose, horribly)

[Binary Stars]

Especially considering you probably wouldnt play as a "named" character.. like sub zero or shang tsung or anything (I'd imagine they'd be bosses, or high level npcs).

I actually though of this as well, because simply mentioning Stryker's name causes lesser men to soil themselves. :amused:

[BR4life]

A fighting game MMORPG? A few months ago I discussed the whole idea with people I lived with in the student dorm. Two major conclusions:

1. It would be so popular, one wonders why such a game wasn't created already.

2. If done poorly, it'd suck. If done good, it would rock, kicking WoW and GW out of the water in the first weeks.

Should such a thing ever be created though, I hope it won't be based on Mortal Kombat. My personal taste, but I don't like MK.

It hasnt been created yet because for many developers its now about the money and not the games. They stick with the old formulas in order to make some garenteed money, instead of making inovations with a chance at hitting the jackpot. Thats the way I feel anyways. But ya it would be a decent MMO. Personaly i would rather see a Fable MMO.

[Daze]

I actually though of this as well, because simply mentioning Stryker's name causes lesser men to soil themselves. :amused:

LOL.. very true... and dont get me started on mordack.. or whatever the giant ball swinging, invincible bastard was called... shrugged off fireballs.. *shudder*

[JabberwockySupafly]

LOL.. very true... and dont get me started on mordack.. or whatever the giant ball swinging, invincible bastard was called... shrugged off fireballs.. *shudder*

You mean Moloch. Moloch whose mind is pure machinery! Moloch whose blood is running money! Moloch whose fingers are ten armies! Moloch whose breast is a cannibal dynamo! Moloch whose ear is a smoking tomb!... sorry, that was my Allen Ginsberg fanboy side coming out.

As for the idea of an MMORPG of this style... check out Fury (http://www.unleashthefury.com/). It has quite a few of the elements you're talking about in it. Not exactly MMO-Kombat, but pretty close. Looks very very slick, and even has me interested, and I usually don't care for MMOs.

[Arlanthe]

I imagine that fighting one on one alone wouldn't do it.

If you had a sort of hybrid Mortal-Kombat/Double Dragon that would work.

You fight Double Dragon style between zones, and if you get creamed before you get to the next zone you are headed to, you respawn back at the "starting point".

Then when IN zones you fight one another for control of respawn points, arenas, and other neat stuff. Stats could be kept, and "turf" would switch sides based on fighting stats as in Final Fantasy XI or Guild Wars.

To get new moves and gear, you have to fight your way to obscure zones and beat "masters".

Yuo could even involve a limited "quest" system in this game.

[zombie]

It hasnt been created yet because for many developers its now about the money and not the games. They stick with the old formulas in order to make some garenteed money, instead of making inovations with a chance at hitting the jackpot. Thats the way I feel anyways. But ya it would be a decent MMO. Personaly i would rather see a Fable MMO.

actually problem lies more on a technological side. while in current age mmo's lag is usually bearable, it would definitely kill fighting game. as a fighting games veteran i recall countles whines like 'my controller doesn't work properly' or so; imagine what would happen if you were experiencing constant lag of ~80+ms. until quality of internet connections improve (and that very possibly means changing internet for something completely different) we are all stuck in the same ol'

[valadil]

actually problem lies more on a technological side. while in current age mmo's lag is usually bearable, it would definitely kill fighting game. as a fighting games veteran i recall countles whines like 'my controller doesn't work properly' or so; imagine what would happen if you were experiencing constant lag of ~80+ms. until quality of internet connections improve (and that very possibly means changing internet for something completely different) we are all stuck in the same ol'

I'll second that. It might be possible to have a good fight between two combatants under optimal conditions if both were whisked away to their own private instance. RPGs just aren't quite as fast paced as a fighting game, which is why they work so well in a laggy environment.

[mikeforte123]

Personaly i would rather see a Fable MMO.





Its already coming, its called conan ¬¬

[Xuincherguixe]

I've been playing 9 Dragons lately, which is a Kung Fu MMORPG.

And somehow it ended up not being a button mash fest.


But as I see it, a martial arts MMORPG should have a fair amount of hit those buttons fast, but being a trained monkey shouldn't mean an automatic win.

[Daze]

But as I see it, a martial arts MMORPG should have a fair amount of hit those buttons fast, but being a trained monkey shouldn't mean an automatic win.

I agree... I mean you should at least have moderate gaming ability in order to be consistently successful, but uber FPS dweebs should not be the rule of the day.

I like the idea of instancing kombat in this kind of game... that could be layered with a regular RPG so people could have the choice. Kombat would just add a new dimension is all. The lag should be manageable if you utilized instances I'd think.