bugrimmar on 11 January 2010
This is a long read. Be prepared.
I'm bored. My fondest wish is to play a StarCraft MMO. I wish it so much that I've thought about it for a long time and have come up with a pretty complex system on how the game could work. So here goes, if you're willing to read, I hope you like it.
I'm bored. My fondest wish is to play a StarCraft MMO. I wish it so much that I've thought about it for a long time and have come up with a pretty complex system on how the game could work. So here goes, if you're willing to read, I hope you like it.
General concepts:
1.) Three races to choose from, obviously, Zerg, Protoss, and Terran, each with unique playstyles and classes. And they're all at war with each other, but temporary truces can be made.
2.) All player vs. player. no bosses, raid dungeons, random monsters, etc.
3.) No traditional level ups, meaning no traditional experience gains. Instead, players advance in rank/honor/evolution through good performance in battle, and with that comes new abilities and weapons available, as well as vehicles, evolutionary upgrades, etc. More on this later. A rank system makes it so that better players are rewarded and revered in the community. Like Ace pilots in WW2.
4.) Resource community based, meaning each player has to contribute to the war effort so that tanks, planes, weapons, armor, evolutionary upgrades, etc. can be made available from NPCs. In other words, the number of war materials available will depend on the resources contributed by the players, which are then found throughout the worlds. More on this later.
5.) Many planets to war on, and the goal is to capture the enemies' bases because all their resources are stored there, and capturing a base gives a significant economic boost, which in turns means more weapons production.
6.) No "loot" drops. Instead, salvageable materials can be taken from enemy corpses or make weapons and armor from. For example, scrap metal can be taken from a destroyed tank, which can be in turn sent to the weapons manufacturer (or you can be a weapons manufacturer yourself). If you're Zerg, you consume your enemies' corpses to be able to acquire their abilities and evolve more. More on this later.
7.) Skill trees are still in place, for the benefit of the more casual players who might unfortunately die in battle more frequently than others. This allows for improvement of characters despite being low rank. Think of a very powerful marine, like say, a Seargent Slaughter from GIJoe, who never advanced beyond Seargent despite his combat skills.
Terran In-depth:
Humans are naturally motivated by two things: money and power. Because of this, their war effort is solely for the purposes of gaining those things.
1.) Players all start out as ordinary marines, advancing in rank through killing enemies and contributing resources to the base, or, if they have enough money, they can buy rank. With higher ranks, players can become tank/plane/mech drivers, ghosts, or medics. Rank, however, can also be lost through many consecutive deaths or destruction of vehicles (like say, the base awards you with tanks but you keep blowing them up), non-contribution of resources (more on this later), and dishonorable acts (like say, killing an unarmed protoss). Of course, any number of people can be the same rank at the same time.
2.) Terrans, being human, are capable of great greed and mistrust. They are, simply put, mercenaries working for profit. Because of this, Terran players have an option of keeping the resources they find for themselves instead of contributing to the economy. They can then sell these resources in the black market for large profits, because of course, Terrans have their own currency. Rank can be bought simply because some of the higher officers of the army are naturally corrupt, and would be willing to bestow high ranks to rich individuals.
Resources, however, are very difficult to find, since there are 3 races fighting for them. Also, if players do not contribute to the base economy, prices for basic goods (like bullets) will skyrocket, tanks and planes cannot be produced, and new soldiers can't have upgrades. Nukes are very expensive as well, and can only be bought through a concerted effort from the players. Also, one's rank can go down if a player is caught stealing resources for himself by another player. Basically, it's up to the player to decide if he wants personal position or to win the war.
3.) Terrans are known for their range attacks, and as such, all the classes will be ranged, though some, such as the Goliath, can have limited melee capabilities. Terrans are also very good at mobility, as buildings have the ability to move at any place and can be built on any terrain. These buildings, however, including fortifications, can only be built if there are enough resources available.
4.) The classes a player can choose from can be acquired after one has advanced a few ranks. Players can opt to stay as a marine, gaining more skills and customizing guns, until he becomes mechanized (cyborg kind of way), becoming the top foot soldier in the field, or take the specialist's path and work to become a ghost. Players can change into medics, which of course have a lot of varieties aside from healing. Players can also take the engineering path, enabling them to set up fortifications and turrets, eventually enabling them to drive various vehicles including tanks and aircraft. These classes, of course, require high ranks to be kept. If rank is lost, the player goes back to being what they were previously, and all their privileges (tanks and whatnot) are taken away.
There are limited numbers of vehicles and weapons bestowed to each player with the appropriate rank, depending on the amount of resources available for use. Terran players are also free to change classes whenever they want.
Protoss In-depth:
The Protoss are an honorable, ancient race with the sole intent of protecting their homeland and people from invaders. As such, their sole motive in the war is defense and dying on the battlefield with honor.
1.) Players all start out as melee warriors, gaining more weapons and stronger shields as they progress. Instead of rank, however, Protoss players will use a system called honor. The main difference is that Protoss players cannot buy their way to high standing, for their government system is a strict caste system relying on honor and law. Protoss players also cannot keep resources for themselves. All resources collected automatically goes to the base economy. There is also no physical currency used in their system. Players use honor collected from defeating enemies and achieving objectives (such as protecting a settlement) to purchase new weapons, shields, vehicles, and advancements.
Honor, just like rank, can also be lost through poor battle performance or dishonorable acts, and the weapons and privileges (such as robotic drones) will be removed until the player can get his honor back.
2.) The Protoss are individually far more powerful than any individual Terran or Zerg unit, but their maintenance cost is also far higher. They typically will require a lot more resource gathering, and it will take a lot of skill to win in the early going when advanced weapons are still too expensive to get. Since Protoss players cannot hoard resources for their own use, they will have to cooperate with other members of their race to gather the resources necessary for stronger shields, more powerful weapons, robotic vehicles, etc. Resources are also required for the maintenance of Protoss weapons and shields, since they are made of pure energy, and would require constant recharging. This means that they require a steady stream of minerals to maintain their battle effectiveness.
3.) Protoss players can choose from a variety of class paths, but they cannot change once they are committed to it, due to their strict caste system. They can opt to continue being a zealot, upgrading their psi blades to a point where they can slice through tanks, or take the pilot's course and control the robotic shell of a Dragoon, Reaver, or Immortal on land, or an Interceptor, Scout, or Corsair in the air. They can also take the Templar's path, and later on choosing whether one would like to be a Dark Templar or a High Templar, which can merge with another player to create an Archon. As is with Terran vehicles, it is necessary for the base economy to have enough resources for players of appropriate honor to acquire them.
Zerg In-depth:
The Zerg are all controlled by the will of Kerrigan, and her will is only to consume and destroy. This is what binds all Zerg together, the common purpose of destruction.
1.) All Zerg players start out as Zerglings, and advance in strength and size through the acquisition of evolutionary points, which can be received from the consumption of enemy (or friendly) corpses. Consuming others will enable a Zerg player to undergo different types of mutations, from Hydralisks to Mutalisks. These points, however, can be lost through consecutive deaths, as obviously parts can be shot off by cannon fire.
As is with the Protoss, Zerg players have no control over the resources they acquire, because all of their wills are controlled by Kerrigan. All resources acquired by players are used for the creation of buildings and colonies, which create NPCs that will attack and aid the war effort considerably. Additional evolutionary upgrades are also only available with the right amount of resources (such as a new super strong claw), and will be awarded directly to Zerg players with the right number of evolutionary points.
2.) Since pretty much everything is controlled by the will of Kerrigan, Zerg players can enjoy a very simple, uncomplicated playstyle which is only governed by the need to kill the enemy to become stronger. Zerg players will find that their experience is very similar to World of Warcraft, in that you only become stronger through experience and new weapons. Resources are not as much a factor with Zerg players, leaving them free to go to combat without worrying about running out of bullets or energy.
3.) Mutations available vary, depending on the parts consumed by the player. If one is able to consume a high templar, for example, he will have access to mutating into a defiler because both are magic-casting classes. To mutate into a flying creature, one must consume a pilot or engineer class. To mutate into an Ultralisk, one must consume a large number of ground troops. The best warriors are awarded by Kerrigan the sharpest blades, the strongest armor (skin), and most potent poisons, borne through the acquisition of resources.
So there.
1.) Three races to choose from, obviously, Zerg, Protoss, and Terran, each with unique playstyles and classes. And they're all at war with each other, but temporary truces can be made.
2.) All player vs. player. no bosses, raid dungeons, random monsters, etc.
3.) No traditional level ups, meaning no traditional experience gains. Instead, players advance in rank/honor/evolution through good performance in battle, and with that comes new abilities and weapons available, as well as vehicles, evolutionary upgrades, etc. More on this later. A rank system makes it so that better players are rewarded and revered in the community. Like Ace pilots in WW2.
4.) Resource community based, meaning each player has to contribute to the war effort so that tanks, planes, weapons, armor, evolutionary upgrades, etc. can be made available from NPCs. In other words, the number of war materials available will depend on the resources contributed by the players, which are then found throughout the worlds. More on this later.
5.) Many planets to war on, and the goal is to capture the enemies' bases because all their resources are stored there, and capturing a base gives a significant economic boost, which in turns means more weapons production.
6.) No "loot" drops. Instead, salvageable materials can be taken from enemy corpses or make weapons and armor from. For example, scrap metal can be taken from a destroyed tank, which can be in turn sent to the weapons manufacturer (or you can be a weapons manufacturer yourself). If you're Zerg, you consume your enemies' corpses to be able to acquire their abilities and evolve more. More on this later.
7.) Skill trees are still in place, for the benefit of the more casual players who might unfortunately die in battle more frequently than others. This allows for improvement of characters despite being low rank. Think of a very powerful marine, like say, a Seargent Slaughter from GIJoe, who never advanced beyond Seargent despite his combat skills.
Terran In-depth:
Humans are naturally motivated by two things: money and power. Because of this, their war effort is solely for the purposes of gaining those things.
1.) Players all start out as ordinary marines, advancing in rank through killing enemies and contributing resources to the base, or, if they have enough money, they can buy rank. With higher ranks, players can become tank/plane/mech drivers, ghosts, or medics. Rank, however, can also be lost through many consecutive deaths or destruction of vehicles (like say, the base awards you with tanks but you keep blowing them up), non-contribution of resources (more on this later), and dishonorable acts (like say, killing an unarmed protoss). Of course, any number of people can be the same rank at the same time.
2.) Terrans, being human, are capable of great greed and mistrust. They are, simply put, mercenaries working for profit. Because of this, Terran players have an option of keeping the resources they find for themselves instead of contributing to the economy. They can then sell these resources in the black market for large profits, because of course, Terrans have their own currency. Rank can be bought simply because some of the higher officers of the army are naturally corrupt, and would be willing to bestow high ranks to rich individuals.
Resources, however, are very difficult to find, since there are 3 races fighting for them. Also, if players do not contribute to the base economy, prices for basic goods (like bullets) will skyrocket, tanks and planes cannot be produced, and new soldiers can't have upgrades. Nukes are very expensive as well, and can only be bought through a concerted effort from the players. Also, one's rank can go down if a player is caught stealing resources for himself by another player. Basically, it's up to the player to decide if he wants personal position or to win the war.
3.) Terrans are known for their range attacks, and as such, all the classes will be ranged, though some, such as the Goliath, can have limited melee capabilities. Terrans are also very good at mobility, as buildings have the ability to move at any place and can be built on any terrain. These buildings, however, including fortifications, can only be built if there are enough resources available.
4.) The classes a player can choose from can be acquired after one has advanced a few ranks. Players can opt to stay as a marine, gaining more skills and customizing guns, until he becomes mechanized (cyborg kind of way), becoming the top foot soldier in the field, or take the specialist's path and work to become a ghost. Players can change into medics, which of course have a lot of varieties aside from healing. Players can also take the engineering path, enabling them to set up fortifications and turrets, eventually enabling them to drive various vehicles including tanks and aircraft. These classes, of course, require high ranks to be kept. If rank is lost, the player goes back to being what they were previously, and all their privileges (tanks and whatnot) are taken away.
There are limited numbers of vehicles and weapons bestowed to each player with the appropriate rank, depending on the amount of resources available for use. Terran players are also free to change classes whenever they want.
Protoss In-depth:
The Protoss are an honorable, ancient race with the sole intent of protecting their homeland and people from invaders. As such, their sole motive in the war is defense and dying on the battlefield with honor.
1.) Players all start out as melee warriors, gaining more weapons and stronger shields as they progress. Instead of rank, however, Protoss players will use a system called honor. The main difference is that Protoss players cannot buy their way to high standing, for their government system is a strict caste system relying on honor and law. Protoss players also cannot keep resources for themselves. All resources collected automatically goes to the base economy. There is also no physical currency used in their system. Players use honor collected from defeating enemies and achieving objectives (such as protecting a settlement) to purchase new weapons, shields, vehicles, and advancements.
Honor, just like rank, can also be lost through poor battle performance or dishonorable acts, and the weapons and privileges (such as robotic drones) will be removed until the player can get his honor back.
2.) The Protoss are individually far more powerful than any individual Terran or Zerg unit, but their maintenance cost is also far higher. They typically will require a lot more resource gathering, and it will take a lot of skill to win in the early going when advanced weapons are still too expensive to get. Since Protoss players cannot hoard resources for their own use, they will have to cooperate with other members of their race to gather the resources necessary for stronger shields, more powerful weapons, robotic vehicles, etc. Resources are also required for the maintenance of Protoss weapons and shields, since they are made of pure energy, and would require constant recharging. This means that they require a steady stream of minerals to maintain their battle effectiveness.
3.) Protoss players can choose from a variety of class paths, but they cannot change once they are committed to it, due to their strict caste system. They can opt to continue being a zealot, upgrading their psi blades to a point where they can slice through tanks, or take the pilot's course and control the robotic shell of a Dragoon, Reaver, or Immortal on land, or an Interceptor, Scout, or Corsair in the air. They can also take the Templar's path, and later on choosing whether one would like to be a Dark Templar or a High Templar, which can merge with another player to create an Archon. As is with Terran vehicles, it is necessary for the base economy to have enough resources for players of appropriate honor to acquire them.
Zerg In-depth:
The Zerg are all controlled by the will of Kerrigan, and her will is only to consume and destroy. This is what binds all Zerg together, the common purpose of destruction.
1.) All Zerg players start out as Zerglings, and advance in strength and size through the acquisition of evolutionary points, which can be received from the consumption of enemy (or friendly) corpses. Consuming others will enable a Zerg player to undergo different types of mutations, from Hydralisks to Mutalisks. These points, however, can be lost through consecutive deaths, as obviously parts can be shot off by cannon fire.
As is with the Protoss, Zerg players have no control over the resources they acquire, because all of their wills are controlled by Kerrigan. All resources acquired by players are used for the creation of buildings and colonies, which create NPCs that will attack and aid the war effort considerably. Additional evolutionary upgrades are also only available with the right amount of resources (such as a new super strong claw), and will be awarded directly to Zerg players with the right number of evolutionary points.
2.) Since pretty much everything is controlled by the will of Kerrigan, Zerg players can enjoy a very simple, uncomplicated playstyle which is only governed by the need to kill the enemy to become stronger. Zerg players will find that their experience is very similar to World of Warcraft, in that you only become stronger through experience and new weapons. Resources are not as much a factor with Zerg players, leaving them free to go to combat without worrying about running out of bullets or energy.
3.) Mutations available vary, depending on the parts consumed by the player. If one is able to consume a high templar, for example, he will have access to mutating into a defiler because both are magic-casting classes. To mutate into a flying creature, one must consume a pilot or engineer class. To mutate into an Ultralisk, one must consume a large number of ground troops. The best warriors are awarded by Kerrigan the sharpest blades, the strongest armor (skin), and most potent poisons, borne through the acquisition of resources.
So there.
