One of the things that makes Design Mockument interesting, as a column, is that it is in part a place for me to spitball about ideas for MMORPGs which do not exist. Usually this is tied very specifically to actual things happening in the world. However, I have stretched that column’s premise in a lot of directions after it initially kicked off with a particular concept that I’d love to see made into a real game despite the fact that my first statement about making this hypothetical MMORPG was “don’t.”
So let me be clear about something: All of the ideas for MMORPGs I am about to list are things I would love to see happen. All of these are films or books or even other video games where I would adore an MMORPG. All of these are also just not going to happen for a variety of reasons, and I will continue forth to explain why I know all of these things will not happen. But I would like for them to happen. That’s it. That’s the premise.
1. The Stormlight Archives
I promise you that not all of these are articles I have written for Design Mockument, but… yeah, this one kinda is, and I would honestly love this. There are plenty of reasons why this could become very problematic, especially considering the ending sequence of the most recent book and so forth, but that doesn’t change that I do want it. There are tons of weird corners to explore, so many lands we barely see over the course of the books, so much to learn about and so many gigantic crustaceans to fight. “Storms,” it sounds fun to me.
2. Xenogears
The fun thing about Xenogears is that the game already had so much history packed into the title that the end of the game, the devs tossed in a little “oh, this was actually a later part of the whole history, there’s more before and after” as what amounted to a post-credits gag.
I love this game, and the idea of wandering about fighting people with giant melee mecha alongside hand-to-hand battles is fun to conceive. The odds of it happening are nil, since not only did the game not really make huge stacks of money but the original team is now off doing other things and the Xenoblade series has other obligations. Still.
3. Transformers
Oh you already knew this one would be on here, especially considering how badly Jagex bungled their attempt at doing this. I do not blame Hasbro at all for just kind of moving on. I still want it.
4. Shadowrun
So here’s the thing about Shadowrun — it’s kind of incredibly stupid. But it’s the kind of incredibly stupid thing that can lead to some great video games, and has led to some great video games, and it could absolutely and easily make for a great MMORPG.
It’s cyberpunk plus urban fantasy, it’s stupid as heck, and it would allow for tons of possibilities… but it does sort of get caught on the “stupid as heck” part pretty quickly, and while we did get some pretty good games not so long ago, they never transitioned into a full MMORPG. A shame, that.
5. Lucifer (the comics specifically, I promise this makes sense)
So work with me here. Neil Gaiman (I know, trust me, he’s just in the backstory here) wrote a comic called Sandman. During the course of that comic, Lucifer was a pivotal character, ultimately deciding that he no longer wished to rule over Hell and leaving outright. Mike Carey later developed a spin-off comic focused around Lucifer himself that started with him acting as what amounted to an independent contractor for Heaven and then led into him specifically trying to start up his own creation entirely separate from our universe.
This comic is amazing, and it does really wild stuff in terms of its plot and overall focus. I would love to have a game set in its universe. Odds are… y’know, pretty much nil, as any five-issue stretch of the comics would prove.
Yes, I know there was a TV series inspired by the comics. It’s not really getting the same flavor.
6. The Atelier series
I quite like the Atelier series because those games are at a rather sharp angle compared to most JRPGs. It’s a franchise about a bunch of cute girls making alchemical potions and pursuing a variety of goals that stretches far beyond “find the right long-haired bishonen/growly demon and beat the snot out of him” that you get so often. It’d be a really interesting foundation for an MMORPG, although there’s never been any rumblings of same. So I don’t rate it as happening.
7. Tad Williams’ Osten Ard setting
It’d be really easy to look at the kind of gritty aesthetics of Tad Williams’ first fantasy trilogy and think that he was trying to do his own take on George R. R. Martin’s perpetually unfinished (and let’s be honest, never to be finished in all likelihood) series… but you’d be wrong to assume that. It’s the other way around.
Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn predates Martin’s novels and it was even an influence! It’s also really good, and if you want some of that same flavor without the baggage of the series, this would be a way forward! Of course, the odds of someone wanting that flavor without the baggage or brand recognition are… let’s say low.
8. Futurama
This feels like an odd pull, I know, but one of the fun things about this series is that it’s clear there is a big old space full of adventure and weirdness. We don’t tend to see much of it because the show is basically a workplace comedy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there and can’t be explored. That having been said, like, running a comedic MMORPG isn’t an easy run, and Futurama is always one of those projects that has a huge appeal among the people who love it but struggles to expand beyond that audience. I don’t see this one being likely.
9. StarCraft (sorta)
The funny thing about StarCraft is that it’s a series that has only two actual installments, and only one of them is actually beloved. The first game was beloved, and the second game prompts at best a lot of hand-wringing and measured praise about parts of it rather than the whole product. Which means that the idea of an MMORPG in this setting already feels like an odd lift. But then it makes sense, because look over there! It’s Blizzard! Don’t you want another Blizzard MMORPG?
But then you also have to remember that this is not a Blizzard MMORPG made at the time of World of Warcraft hitting at just the right time in just the right way, you have a game made by the current team and it’s just… yeah. No, I don’t think this sounds like a slam-dunk any more. A decade ago? Maybe. Right now? Not so much.
10. Exalted
I refuse to dive too deeply into the weird ownership situation with White Wolf’s properties, but Exalted in particular falls into the same category as the first entry here: A fantasy world that feels legitimately different from a lot of other versions.
It’s less European middle ages fantasy and more bronze age fantasy mashed up with Asian fantasy tropes, and just like how Final Fantasy is usually European fantasy through an Asian lens, Exalted is Asian fantasy through a European (well, American) lens. It’s cool. I don’t know if anyone else would think that, especially not the people with the actual money and resources to make it happen. Pity, that.
Everyone likes a good list, and we are no different! Perfect Ten takes an MMO topic and divvies it up into 10 delicious, entertaining, and often informative segments for your snacking pleasure. Got a good idea for a list? Email us at justin@massivelyop.com or eliot@massivelyop.com with the subject line “Perfect Ten.”
