Improvement: Social "MMO" Ideas

[Sirisian]

(I know discussions are frowned upon inside the idea forum, but I don't feel like it fits in the Planetside 2 discussion forum).

So I was talking to my friend who has played Planetside 1. We were discussing the old memories of the game. He started talking about Everquest and how he used to sit down on a dock with a fishing rod and beer in the game (and in real life) and talk to his friends on the game over Vent.

Now the reason I bring this up is because he said something that caught my attention. That is all the MMOs he's enjoyed had extra stuff outside the core gameplay for players. That is instead of always doing PvE or PvP players could socialize in certain locations in the game. He brought this back to Planetside and commented that in Planetside all there was in the game was the core gameplay in mind outside of the one or two emotes. There was no role-playing feature essentially. (Which he viewed as sensible since it was an FPS, and not an RPG, but felt they were missing all the same).

Do you think Planetside would have left a longer lasting memory if it had included things outside of the core gameplay for players to enjoy? Just taking his idea for the moment. Something as simple as a virtual beer to get drunk and mess with your vision? (Drunken combat or dueling?). Or fishing in your uncapturable base next to a small lake? (Realizing the silliness with this since there are no fish).

Obviously it detracts from the core gameplay if players are doing this on continents that are pop-locked, but outside of them I'm not sure it would be a problem.

I'm going to leave this more open ended (mostly because I don't want to anger anyone with a wrong suggestion and have people fixate on it). Is there anything in the game that you guys ever wanted, that fits into the social MMO genre, that wasn't included since it wasn't part of the core gameplay?

[Fafnir]

I don't get why you need things outside of core gameplay to socialize with others. If you want to do nothing but talk with your outfit, then just stand in one place and do it.

As for role-playing - been there done that, but I don't think it has a place in PS2. There is no room for it, because entire franchise is focused around combat.

[Saifoda]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ZOMG KILL KILL KILL.


No that'd be cool, I could see maybe having a bar (assuming the game will be rated M but we don't know that yet and there's a good chance it'll be T/M for online, idk how they do it anymore; also assuming that alcohol/bars bump games into the M category anyways).

[Dagron]

Some people may like the idea, some may not... i guess it depends on how much imagination one has. A few people will think of something cool to suggest, while most will probably read this and think "RAWRR! Bars and nightclubs are for RP sissies, who would hang out there when you can blow stuff up?"

Me, i don't care much one way or another, but it would be interesting if at least there were areas where we could hang out pointlessly without locking people out of the server.

For instance: I haven't really payed much attention to the "try out before you buy" (or whatever it's called) thread yet, but i imagine it's about some type of "danger room" where you can test weapons and vehicles upgrades.
If they implemented a place where you could rocket jump all day long, drive vanguards off cliffs and crash reavers on your friends' heads without killing them, i'd definitely hang out there every now and then just for the lols.

Who knows, if it was made into a semi offline type of deal (players stay connected to the chat servers, but one of them hosts the map in his client), it could even help alleviate server traffic when it becomes an issue.

For those like me who enjoy loitering in game it would be a place to hang out socially, with a twist: a friendly "you don't have to go home but you can't stay here" kind of incentive to open up server slots.

[MightyMan]

I like the idea of social places, it seems like a good idea for those who want to take a break from the game, or just go ahead and spend some time with their friends while playing the game.

Have em' social places be in space, rather then on a continent, with dat spaceship theme, perhaps like Omega from Mass Effect.
Having those on the ground would make them too connected to the battles on the planet itself (WHY YOU SITTING IN A BAR, WHILE YOU COULD HELP YOUR TEAM BE COOLZ AND STUFF YOU SISSIE). No, instead make it a whole new place, one that counts as a new area (say 200 people capacity per room), and have any kind of battle system completely separated from this.
This place can be used as some kind of in-game forums, used for advertising your outfit, giving missions, straight up socializing in a bar or something like that or even playing different mini-games with your friends, such as target shooting, card games (can be both poker and "my lightning tank hits your medic for 5 life points"), mosquito racing and maybe even gambling.

[Eishi]

An area where all factions could gather, obviously a combat-free zone, would be nice. You'd need some activities... With the new currencies, maybe some mini-games could be added where you could make bets against other players from all factions.

First Idea I can think of is a shooting range of sort. All participating players could compete and set a certain wager. Whoever clears it fastest/most points whatever, takes the pot. ATV races? Flight races? Remember codmw1's obstacle course? Etc etc.

In this same area/cont, duels can be setup. 1v1, squad vs squad, whatever. Top two outfits on whatever faction want to duke it out? Go for it!

[Sirisian]

Originally Posted by MightyMan

Have em' social places be in space, rather then on a continent, with dat spaceship theme, perhaps like Omega from Mass Effect.
Having those on the ground would make them too connected to the battles on the planet itself (WHY YOU SITTING IN A BAR, WHILE YOU COULD HELP YOUR TEAM BE COOLZ AND STUFF YOU SISSIE).

I don't know about that. You wouldn't ever just wander by some players being social then. I think it adds a level of immersion if it's on the actual continents. Seeing players relaxing while planning or something or waiting for outfit mates.

Originally Posted by Eishi

An area where all factions could gather, obviously a combat-free zone, would be nice. You'd need some activities... With the new currencies, maybe some mini-games could be added where you could make bets against other players from all factions.

First Idea I can think of is a shooting range of sort. All participating players could compete and set a certain wager. Whoever clears it fastest/most points whatever, takes the pot. ATV races? Flight races? Remember codmw1's obstacle course? Etc etc.

In this same area/cont, duels can be setup. 1v1, squad vs squad, whatever. Top two outfits on whatever faction want to duke it out? Go for it!

That got complex quickly. I agree though with some of those ideas. Especially ATV racing. The vehicle physics seems up to par to allow skillful driving. However, it could just be in the live combat area. Allow two players that are close to one another on ATVs to initiate a race and it'll plot "random" paths and lock your ATVs as a timer counts down. Keeping it in the actual continents I feel is extremely important.

Quick one-off mini games though would be enjoyable. Stuff like a holographic shooting range that players can turn on would be interesting for players to practice their skill with rifles. Even a 2 player competitive mode where two players can fire at the same targets to see who is faster. Those kind of quick one-off games with very little implementation magic are more what I'm after in this thread.

[Rexdezi]

you're role playing fishing or role playing this and that in a MMORPG... because its an MMO ROLE PLAY game.

this is an MMO FIRST PERSON SHOOTER

not ROLE PLAY GAME

hence, no fishing. thankfully.

[Immigrant]

There is an essential part of the game outside it's main core game where you can socialize - it's called PSU.

We need no more.

[Purple]

if you guys want to take a break from the game then do just that. go play free realms or something.

[Gonefshn]

Originally Posted by Rexdezi

you're role playing fishing or role playing this and that in a MMORPG... because its an MMO ROLE PLAY game.

this is an MMO FIRST PERSON SHOOTER

not ROLE PLAY GAME

hence, no fishing. thankfully.

Exactly what I was going to post if no one had hit this yet.

The reason there are things outside the "core gameplay" in an MMORPG is because that social ROLE PLAYING stuff IS the core gameplay. RPGs are all about playing your character, living in a world and acting out there existence. An RPG without those elements is basically Diablo.

An FPS is a different animal. It's a game about competitive shooting gamplay and combat. There are lots of MMORPGs being made right now like Defiance that are really RPGs with shooting mechanics. Planetside 2 is a true MMOFPS and should be treated as such.

[Sirisian]

Originally Posted by Rexdezi

you're role playing fishing or role playing this and that in a MMORPG... because its an MMO ROLE PLAY game.

this is an MMO FIRST PERSON SHOOTER

not ROLE PLAY GAME

hence, no fishing. thankfully.

You realize the fishing was a joke. You don't seem like someone who can read posts in full. Go back and read the first post and you'd realize I said it was an example and even mentioned the RPG concept collision with the FPS genre. It's a classic problem since FPS and MMO are rather foreign from one another. Seems odd to restrict the two exclusively. Your response seems like a knee-jerk reaction to the word "MMO".

Originally Posted by Immigrant

There is an essential part of the game outside it's main core game where you can socialize - it's called PSU.

We need no more.

I don't think you understood the post. I was merely talking about things in game. Not fan sites that people could join. That should have made sense from the original post.

Originally Posted by Gonefshn

Planetside 2 is a true MMOFPS and should be treated as such.

Hmm, I guess for some people here MMOFPS has a hard definition of what can and cannot be included. Interesting.

[Immigrant]

Originally Posted by Sirisian

I don't think you understood the post. I was merely talking about things in game. Not fan sites that people could join. That should have made sense from the original post.

Yes, I did. If you want to socialize and relax use the forums, not the game, that's the point. back at you.

[Sirisian]

Originally Posted by Immigrant

Yes, I did. If you want to socialize and relax use the forums, not the game, that's the point. back at you.

Seems kind of unnecessary to pull people out of the game for that. We have voice comms in the game for talking already. Why should someone have to use the forums? Especially the length SOE is going to with allowing voice communication outside of the game.

[Rexdezi]

Originally Posted by Sirisian

You realize the fishing was a joke. You don't seem like someone who can read posts in full. Go back and read the first post and you'd realize I said it was an example and even mentioned the RPG concept collision with the FPS genre. It's a classic problem since FPS and MMO are rather foreign from one another. Seems odd to restrict the two exclusively. Your response seems like a knee-jerk reaction to the word "MMO".

No, my definition of MMO is lots of players on the same map at the same time. I read your post and whether or not fishing was a joke, you said you wanted some role playing elements in PS2. The thing is, the role playing elements you want (or your friend wants, whatever) come into the RPG part of MMORPG, not the MMO part.

what you're asking for is an MMORPGFPS... something like Mass Effect Online in first person or something like that. PS2 is not that game. The social elements come through talking with your outfit or coming on the forums. There will be no other extra gubbins past that, and that is a good thing. This is an MMOFPS, an MMO (massive maps, lots of players on the same map) FPS (First Person Shooter... you shoot things, in first person)

again. No fishing. Thankfully