Poll: WH40K MMO, can it be done and not throw me into murderous rage?

[Fire Daemon]

That sounds complicated, and expensive. I suppose if they REALLY wanted to make the game they could do it that way, sounds viable to me.

Clearly they will have to cut out some playable races.

Tyrannids could not work (sorry Ultra), neither will Marines (chaos or otherwise) or the Inquisition. Tau, Eldar, Dark Eldar, Humans and lesser chaos (not marines) and Orks could work. That is only 5 areas (6 if you include the central world which I will dub the hub).

Tau, Eldar and humans could be in allignment and so could the Dark Eldar, Chaos and Orks. Compared to other MMOs this is a small amount of playable races, because of this there can be more game space used for each race.

If they where to do it, it would be done like this.

 

[Ultrajoe]

To me its all about getting every race fairly into the game.

Id hate for Guardsmen players or my precious nids' to get left in the cold because they were 'too weak individually' to get into the game

I suppose through tweakings, setting and play-styles this thread has solved that and given me hope that a gene-stealer cult will infest whatever planet the MMO takes place on.

So from me, a big thanks, my faith is stronger than ever and ill be the bastard ganking your sorry guardsman ass with my Purestrain when you first log in... in the name of the hive-mind... of course.

 

[Kovash86]

I would like to think you could level into one of the bigger scarier things out there, like when you get far enough as a human you can become a spacemarine or as a Tau you can get a battlesuit, etc.

 

[Fozziedave]

In regards to the original question I guess the best way to make the factions equal is to have broadly equal classes and upgrades to those classes available. For instance rather then comparing a vanilla Guardsman to a Space Marine you would start off as a scout rather than a full fledged marine. While the Stormtrooper/Karskin would be equivalent to the Marine and weaker, you'd be able to get more special weapons and better abilities as the IG (mines maybe or vehicle access that kind of thing).

In addition since the Space Marine would end up being a newbie class (i.e. the most recognizable and widely loved and most powerful from a base stand point) you could give the IG most interesting top tier class such as Assassins or Inquisitors to the SM commander class and like.

I admit though I haven't kept up with the game in years so I apologize if I have made any mistakes.

 

[Kovash86]

No you were fairly accurate. Nothing much has changed in that universe except the addition of the Tau Empire and codex as well as some minor game play changes, if you remember 3rd 4th isn't too dissimilar however 5th is...different. I have yet to memorize all the rules yet since all I have is a store copy to look at.

 

[Vortigar]

It all comes down to the Space Marines. They've got to be in the game because they are the embodiment of 40K. They can't be in the game because you can only balance them against Necron and 'Stealer cults. Which in itself would make an interesting game btw but probably not what they are looking for.

It's a fascinating idea to give users of the 'lesser' races more characters:
Instead of controlling one character you're controlling a unit commander and his unit. Instanced battles would become like mini real time 40K games. It also solves the special and heavy weapons problem with equipment.

Space Marines max out at 3 men, Guards go to ten (eleven with a commissar?), Guants go to ten (mutations for the entire unit instead of weapons for individuals), Guardians go to seven (one is a warlock), Necron to four (no special weapons), etc.

Maybe you can switch between direct control of the various characters in your unit, but combat of the 'pick a target and the game calculates everything for you' variety that could work too. The player only picks specific targets for his special and heavy weapons as if they were casting spells and using different tactics and skills based on terrain/cover movement/accuraccy needs and the like.

On the other hand:
It would be far easier to create a sort of Necromunda with Power Armour making you a huge friggin' bullseye for every other player. You can cross this with Inquisitor to create a sort Rogue Trader and Inquisitor thing.

 

[Kovash86]

Necrons ARE spacemarines stats wise, well sort of they aren't as quick. I think it would be kinda cool to start off as a scarab swarm and level into warrior though.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Greatest number of guardsmen (not including stormtroopers, ratlings, ogryns or conscripts) was around 500. With six Leman Russes, two full heavy weapons platoons, three hellhounds, two rough rider squads, nine sentinals, ten ogryns and some SoB backup (2000 points)

500 lasguns= 1000 S3 AP- shots. 500 hits. Against gaunts, thats 250 wounds, roughly 180 kills. And I neglected to include the heavy bolters, grenade launnchers, autocannons, missiles, melta and plasma guns, flamers and everthing else.

Fear my wrath mortal. For I am the guard.

 

[shatnershaman]

I got 2500 point guard army (Elites infanty infanty and HQ mostly fuck tanks) and its main strength is numbers so I don't know how they will balance that.

 

[Kovash86]

Greatest number of guardsmen (not including stormtroopers, ratlings, ogryns or conscripts) was around 500. With six Leman Russes, two full heavy weapons platoons, three hellhounds, two rough rider squads, nine sentinals, ten ogryns and some SoB backup (2000 points)

500 lasguns= 1000 S3 AP- shots. 500 hits. Against gaunts, thats 250 wounds, roughly 180 kills. And I neglected to include the heavy bolters, grenade launnchers, autocannons, missiles, melta and plasma guns, flamers and everthing else.

Fear my wrath mortal. For I am the guard.

500 guardsmen cannot possibly fit in 2,000 points. I don't see any mortars, this pleases me.

 

[mwhite67]

I don't see how Warhammer could fit in a MMO style of gameplay. I always thought warhammer was about battles not collecting 6 monkey pelts or mining 15 copper ore. Isn't that all MMOs are about, mindless grinding? I just don't see a space marine crafting a pouch.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

I don't see how Warhammer could fit in a MMO style of gameplay. I always thought warhammer was about battles not collecting 6 monkey pelts or mining 15 copper ore. Isn't that all MMOs are about, mindless grinding? I just don't see a space marine crafting a pouch.

I hope you never develop games. Unless your mind gets out of that Box.

 

[colourcodedchaos]

I've been contemplating this for a while, and I reckon that some of the earlier posters are right on the money.

You would need, physically need, to have all races playable. But think about what this could entail - can you really have an SM Assault Marine hacking some mob to tiny bits with cover fire from two Fire Warriors and a Necron Immortal? Of course not, it's batshit crazy, if you'll pardon my French.

What you'd need is, as has already been said, some sort of alliance system. You could have all the Chaos stuff - whether power-armoured dipshits, slavering daemons or multiple-headed primitives - lumped together, and have the Eldar and Space Emos - sorry, Dark Eldar as sort of the same thing, like if the Fall never happened, or just happened to a lesser extent (i.e. it just ripped the civilisation of the Eldar apart, rather than giving reality a red-hot poker up the anus and giving birth to a Chaos God). But again, that might be silly, and prone to inciting fanboy rage.

I like the points-to-spend idea, although that smacks a little of experience points to me and could easily turn the game into a big fat grind 'n' cheese toastie. Having said that, your idea of heroics earning points (like, if one plays as a Guardsman, taking an enemy turret with nothing but your squad, some bayonets and a massive death wish) which can be spent on boosting one's squad power with heavy weapons or Universal Special Rules (upgrades to the layman). Again using a Guardsman squad as an example, one could implement the Doctrines system, like upgrading everyone to Spartans - sorry, Stormtroopers, or allowing support fire calls from the Guard's one main advantage, the vast tank battery.

I can see that Space Marines would have to be nerfed a fair bit. So I came up with unit progression. What that entails is starting off with some sort of high-powered version of a Guardsman, then getting all the various upgrades to turn you from this super-Guardsman into a fully-fledged Battle Brother, complete with bolter, huge knife and powered armour. The same for CSMs, you start with a Traitor Guard and end up with someone like Kharn the Betrayer after someone reversed over his mum.

Implementing Bugs and Toasters (Tyranids and Necrons respectively) could be a bit trickier, but I think the answer lies in the squad system again. The Get Back Up rule could manifest as powerful health regeneration, and the Nids could start as Gaunts in massive broods that slowly get smaller as you go up the food chain, up to the point where you become a Hive Tyrant or Lictor or something equally alien and dribbly.

The DoW paint-your-own-gear would have to make an appearance as well. For example, Hive Fleet markings, Chapter colour schemes and Craftworld colours could all make an appearance. You'd probably end up with a welter of different eye-destroying players going at once, but with a limited palette for some races (Chaos God sacred colours, Dark Eldar's MCR T-shirts, et cetera) you could make that work as well.

In all, it could work, but only if executed properly and NOT, let us make clear, EVER EVER EVER by Richard Garriot or suchlike.

 

[Ultrajoe]

Greatest number of guardsmen (not including stormtroopers, ratlings, ogryns or conscripts) was around 500. With six Leman Russes, two full heavy weapons platoons, three hellhounds, two rough rider squads, nine sentinals, ten ogryns and some SoB backup (2000 points)

500 lasguns= 1000 S3 AP- shots. 500 hits. Against gaunts, thats 250 wounds, roughly 180 kills. And I neglected to include the heavy bolters, grenade launnchers, autocannons, missiles, melta and plasma guns, flamers and everthing else.

Fear my wrath mortal. For I am the guard.

I will fight you, and it will be glorious.

2000 pts? one warrior squad with wings, and then hormogaunts.

Millions of them.

Fear me squishy, for i am the tyranids, and i assault 12 inches.

 

[eplay]

Honestly, really?

No. WH40k just doesn't work as a setting for an MMO. MMOs are basically all about indivual heroism. 40k really, really isn't. Classes would either be insane or impossible to balance (a Sister, an Impy Scout and a Terminator walk into a bar...), nearly all the de facto races hate eachother by default, and the meat of the game (squads, mass combat, vehicles) would be lost in the translation.

At best you'd end up playing only various human factions, maybe with some Eldar or Tau thrown in. No Chaos, no 'Nids, no Orcs, no Necrons, etc. I just really can't see it working - it's just too much of a square peg for that particular round hole.

What you might be able to pull off better would be something that took advantage of the setting without fishing too deep into its inherrent MMO-disadvantages - something like a Necromunda MMO.

A Necromunda MMOFPS which had a absolutely beautiful character creator, gang warfare (areas of control fought over continously).

Hopefully it would be like Mad Max meets Necromunda meets Neocron (if you haven't played it, it is a MMOFPS with a mature rating, it has a red light district and is pretty awesome actually)

 

[Ultrajoe]

Honestly, really?

No. WH40k just doesn't work as a setting for an MMO. MMOs are basically all about indivual heroism. 40k really, really isn't. Classes would either be insane or impossible to balance (a Sister, an Impy Scout and a Terminator walk into a bar...), nearly all the de facto races hate eachother by default, and the meat of the game (squads, mass combat, vehicles) would be lost in the translation.

At best you'd end up playing only various human factions, maybe with some Eldar or Tau thrown in. No Chaos, no 'Nids, no Orcs, no Necrons, etc. I just really can't see it working - it's just too much of a square peg for that particular round hole.

What you might be able to pull off better would be something that took advantage of the setting without fishing too deep into its inherrent MMO-disadvantages - something like a Necromunda MMO.

A Necromunda MMOFPS which had a absolutely beautiful character creator, gang warfare (areas of control fought over continously).

Hopefully it would be like Mad Max meets Necromunda meets Neocron (if you haven't played it, it is a MMOFPS with a mature rating, it has a red light district and is pretty awesome actually)

but the thing is, having a 40K MMO without any of the mainstays of the 40K universe, and having underhivers shoot one another is sure to throw me into a murderous rage.

 

[Eyclonus]

They could simply make it like Battlefield 2.
Each map has two set sides.
Ok so that rules out the whole roleplaying aspect, but it will live up to 40ks official motto!

"In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only WAR!!!"


the other one being similar but with: "- there is only more.. to paint!"

 

[Mikaze]

The idea of a MMORPG doesn't seem very likely. But I suppose other games have sounded outrageous and ended up being good. If you combine the fps and mmorpg factors I think it might just work.

This is sounding suspiciously like Tabula Rasa and we know that it's shit.

 

[Ultrajoe]

They could simply make it like Battlefield 2.
Each map has two set sides.
Ok so that rules out the whole roleplaying aspect, but it will live up to 40ks official motto!

"In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only WAR!!!"


the other one being similar but with: "- there is only more.. to paint!"

ugh, painting a nid' horde, its not bad once your experienced but just like an MMO, you need to grind like shit to get that experience.

And the FPS aspect i myself am a little suspicious about, automatic shooting would be more plausible, that way a combat class couldn't outshoot a tau through skill.

If i wanted a role-play in which the classes i picked were based on my skills and real world attributes i wouldn't do role-play... i can play a 7 foot sex hunk in real life, but i need role-plays to let me experience the life of a lonely scientist who owns a dog and speaks to him in moments of extreme self crisis and loves noodles.

And i think tha-

wait a sec, my noodles are done.

 

[Eyclonus]

What kind of 'nids you use pre-codex or revamped?