I have been playing the main MMPORPGs (World of Warcraft, Star Wars Galaxies, and EVE in the past), and I find that while they are a good time killer, they do not offer anything really new that is different from the rest. I feel that I have a new (hopefully it is new) idea for a MMORPG but not sure on how to organize the idea without letting the cat out of the bag and someone else developing it into something. Is there anyone out that that can help me put these ideas on paper and start a basic design document? I am fairly new to game design and not sure of how to start a solid plan of attack. Getting people to do the programming and graphics is not an issue, as from what I see from this site, there are tons around. I just need someone to help with the design concept. Any help would be greatly appriciated.

All you really have to do for a design doc is write EVERYTHING about the game. From the story to the gameplay and even the default controls. But to get help you'll probably want to share some of the idea. I can guarantee you with 99.9% certainty that nobody is going to just run off and make an MMO. They take hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce (well, if you want to compete with the "Big Boys"). So let us hear this great idea. I'm interested in reading it.

Eve doesnt present anything new?





http://www.sloperama.com/advice/specs.htm

The link above is great for some design advice.

If you don't want anyone to steal your idea how about a copyright?

Copyrights are sure fire way to slam it in someone's face when they steal your idea. But they cost 40 bucks per idea.

But as for your idea. Yeaa no one is gonna run off with it. But do what I did for my mmorpg idea. Just right EVERYTHING you can think of down. I got myself a little folder. It has concept sketches, battle system, character classes and stuffs like that.

Quote: Original post by Rusty Knight X
Copyrights are sure fire way to slam it in someone's face when they steal your idea. But they cost 40 bucks per idea.

Unless you have a different interpretation of "idea" that I do, then that statement isn't correct.

1. You get copyright for free as soon as you express something in tangible form (such as writing something down on paper). Registering your copyright with an external body may help prove you as the original creator, but it isn't mandatory if you've got another way of proving ownership.
   
2. However, copyright only protects an individual expression of your idea, not the idea itself. If I publish a paper on how to create the elixir of youth on my website, copyright stops you from making your own copy of the paper and slapping your name on it (unless I grant you permission), but it does nothing to stop you learning the idea and making your own elixir

The only ways you have of protecting an idea is either via patent, where you can share the idea with world but gain a temporary monopoly on its use, or via trade secret, where you are careful to make sure everyone signs a non-disclosure agreement before you share your idea.

But to the OP; I wouldn't be too protective of your game ideas. As Nick wrote, there's such a big investment in MMO ideas that no-one is likely to steal it. Plus everyone already has a zillion ideas of their own that they're trying to turn into games.

As per all of your advice, here goes the idea....

The envornment is a modern, uban setting. It is not a post-appocoliptic or quasi furturistic setting, just plain everyday life. The weapons that you would use are ones that you can find today: knife, standard pistols, assault rifles, etc., and the same for vehicles. The basic story line is that you awake in a hospital and with amnesia and you find clues to figure out who put you there. But once you start to put clues together by doing missions (NOT quests, that sounds so redundant and over used), you realize that you are caught in the middle of a civil war between three factions (giving a chance for people to PVP, which everyone seems to like) to take control of the country.

Yeah, you can say that it is like some of the ones that are out there, like Guild Wars, World of Warcraft, and the like, but I feel that the difference is that it is not fantasy or sci-fi based. It would all be based on current landscapes and technology. Of course, this is just a VERY rough idea and I am lacking in the skills to refine this into a more detialed example but you get the idea (I hope). If not, ask questions and I will answer them as best as I can.

If this sounds like an idea that is already out there, let me know. I can take the constructive criticism, I am a big boy...

The Sloperama link's a good one, I'll give you some more questions to spur you further from there.

I understand that only the setting is what differs your game idea from the mainstream MMORPGs you've played? Without sounding too harsh, the setting sounds to me like an MMO offspring from Counterstrike. Not necessarily bad, but perhaps not as refreshing and different from the timekiller MMOs you spoke about and recent titles in similar settings but other genres. What else is there in this possible new title that would excite me, a potential subscriber to your game?

In addition, not only the setting is what makes a game refreshingly new, you should also consider what sort of character growth system should be in use (such as a skillbased, e.g. EVE, or levelbased, e.g. D&D style), levelling curve (steep or flat, or something inbetween?), how should combat be done (FPS-style, RTS-style, Point-and-Click-style or something else?) and so on. Should combat be the only viable way to progress in the game, or are there other ways to gain power and influence in your game world?

Alot of this is perhaps only to be considered once you actually have started developing, but I'd say it can't hurt having thought about it already.

Godspeed.

Quote: Original post by happy2267
As per all of your advice, here goes the idea....

The envornment is a modern, uban setting. It is not a post-appocoliptic or quasi furturistic setting, just plain everyday life. The weapons that you would use are ones that you can find today: knife, standard pistols, assault rifles, etc., and the same for vehicles. The basic story line is that you awake in a hospital and with amnesia and you find clues to figure out who put you there. But once you start to put clues together by doing missions (NOT quests, that sounds so redundant and over used), you realize that you are caught in the middle of a civil war between three factions (giving a chance for people to PVP, which everyone seems to like) to take control of the country.

Yeah, you can say that it is like some of the ones that are out there, like Guild Wars, World of Warcraft, and the like, but I feel that the difference is that it is not fantasy or sci-fi based. It would all be based on current landscapes and technology. Of course, this is just a VERY rough idea and I am lacking in the skills to refine this into a more detialed example but you get the idea (I hope). If not, ask questions and I will answer them as best as I can.

If this sounds like an idea that is already out there, let me know. I can take the constructive criticism, I am a big boy...

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you post here saying MMORPGs are all the same, yet your idea has a lot of clichés? Plus it sounds more like 28 Days Later than a multiplayer game.

1) Awake in a hospital
2) Lost your memory
3) knife, standard pistols, assault rifles, etc.
4) missions are like quests, only more complex no?
5) "giving a chance for people to PVP, which everyone seems to like" false

But I like the idea of conquering a country. Problem is, how would you gain levels and ressources? It sounds like an FPS game. Maybe a mod?

After reading all of your feedback, I can see where I am having the issue of not gettng my idea out clearly. Maybe this will help...

Think of this idea as a mixture of Star Wars style of game play, mixed with the story line of the Jason Bourne movies (Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremecy, etc..), with a touch of Grand Theft Auto.

As for the leveling aspect of it all, you would not gain levels, but you would gain reputation in one of the faction and that will allow you to aquire more skills, more items and do certin levels of missions.


Here is an example of the how someone would start the game:

They awake in the hospital with no memory at all. They collect thier belongings and in it there is an address, no names, just an address. Once they get to that address, they are told that they have a job to do. They are sent to deliver a package at a building across town. Once they arrive there, they meet a little resistance from the locals (but through a series of questions, they get through to deliver the package). By talking your way through that, they gain skills in charisma (or something like that) which will help in later missions. Once they deliver the package, they gain reputation with that group. That reputation will allow them to use other items from that group. Once you gain those weapons skills (i.e. US, Russian or German), those are the only ones that you can use. This way, Russian weapons skilled person cannot use the PSG-1.

Note: the groups can be Russian, US and European. By gaining reputation with that group, it will allow you to use thier weapons:

U.S. - start out with M-16 then to M-4 then to M-249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon)etc...
Russian - start out with AK-47 then to AKM-74 then to RKM, etc.
European - start out with HK MP-5 hen to HK G36 then to PSG-1, etc...

You would also be able to gain skills with body armor of that particular groups.

That is the basics of it to start. I hope that it helps show my idea a little clearer.

standard weapons? if your trying to make the beginning like living on the streets, you might want to omit the assualt rifles, 'cause in my world, m-16s aren't something that you go and find a thug selling on the street corner.
along with an AK-47 is not a russian weapon, or even a european weapon. they are disreali weapons, manufactured in arabian countries. they are cheap, which is why, many times, russians are depicted with them.

It's a fun idea, but broad stereotypes of entire nations can be a bad idea when you are trying to attract a bunch of players, meaning that you might not want to make a "european" faction. europe is a devided place. throwing the entire continent into one mold could piss off some of your potential players.

Your idea needs a little bit of refining.
how will you keep it going? this sounds a lot like a single player mission based game, as opposed to a mmorpg, where people interact. the plot sounds like it would end reletively quickly, which is not good in an mmorpg.

Other then that, it sounds like it could be fun, if you could do squad missions, create turf wars, and all the other fun stuff.