I was watching the season premier of South Park this week (which was F***ing hilarious btw) and was thinking how I would never play World of Warcraft because people get sucked in too easily. If you didn't see the episode, look it up on the web, instant classic. Anyway, I was thinking a TF based MMORPG would be really sweet. I never got into Everquest or WoW because I refuse to pay a monthly fee for video game playing time. However, if it was TF themed, I think my inner geek would steal my wallet and sign me up. Here's how I'd picture it: 1. You create a character, decepticon or autobot, then you pick your alt mode from about 2 dozen choices (these alt modes would have their own specific robot modes too. Then you could customize your head a lot (so everyone's characters could be somewhat distinguishable) as well as your color scheme. Your weapons and abilities would also be customizable. 2. Like WoW you have "quests" or you can destroy members of the other faction. You can also barter for energon or whatever means you can gain experience in WoW or Everquest. When you reach a certain level, you can upgrade your character to a new alt mode, or possibly choose a subfaction (Dinobots, insecticons, headmaster etc.) or even be a part of a combiner. You and four other combiners can form a clan and do quests together. When you combine, the computer takes over for you in battle so no one bitches about not being in control. Experieince will also help you increase your weapon strength, armor, etc. 3. This could take place on cybertron or earth or both. I think whichever it is would have an impact on the alt mode design. If it was on earth, then remaining in disguise would come into play to an extent. I don't play mmorpg's, but thought this would just be a cool idea. If a designer at Blizzard reads this, by all means steal it, make it good and get out asap.
I would... but I'd doubt it would be made... but I wouldn't mind play a D20 type RPG of Transformers... or better yet a minatures game (Attactix doesn't count).
No. Paying for a video game once is enough. I shouldn't have to pay every time I want to play it, too.
As Kickback said it would be too complicated You would have difficulty translating a gestalt reminds me of the 2 headed cooperative play ogre april fools joke. MMORPGS are also so gear dependant which would be difficult to translate to tfs. Now something more like a hybrid between Neverwinter Nights and X-Men Legends might be possible where you could choose between a certain number of premade Autobots and Decepticons and play either solo or host maybe up to 16 players in say a semi persistant Cybertronian City. Something like that would be cool. The problems with any Transformers RPG are: 1) Too much diversity of power level, capabilities and size making character creation incredibly complex and being a balance Nightmare. "Yeah our group consists of 5 characters 1deluxe car like, 1 Dinobot like, 1 Omega Supreme type, 1 triple changer and bobby is playing the arm of a 5 man gestalt team that he oddly doesnt work with often" 2) Character advancement Transformers dont really lend themselves well to getting new powers/abilities and improved stats per level the only thing that you reasonably could learn are new 'learnt' skills (think Engineering, investigation etc) and improvement of existing skills. 3) While some people are going to be interested in creating their own chracters alot will simply want to portray thier favourite existing Tfs. This said I would really like WOTC 1-3 books that included all the unique rules that apply to TFs and statted out for play all the G1 characters and provided some setting detail and backstory so that along with D20 Modern you could run Transformers PnP Rps using the existing characters as I think their are more than enough that most players could find a Tf that while not created by them was close enough to the type of character they wanted to play. A similar thing for G.I Joe would be nice too and easier.
The biggest problem with a TF RPG game is incorporating transforming in some meaningful fashion. Done wrong it would be a bolt-on to the gameplay. Whatever the gameplay is, it needs to be central to it. (I've got a vague idea but I'm keeping it close to my chest right now. Not sure if it would be viable.)
While I'd like a Transformers game, I wouldn't want it to be like WoW and pay a monthly fee. It should also not require you to play on-line. Maybe have the ability but let people play stand-alone on their own computers.
I'd definitely go for a TF MMORPG, although I doubt that would happen. Such a thing would cost a lot of money to develop and maintain, and I don't think Hasbro would pump that much money into an ancillary product. (Remember, Hasbro cares about the toys first, everything else is secondary, like it or not). I agree with Sol Fury though that the biggest problem is making transformation important to the game. I suppose an addition to that is that play balance for alt modes would be a pain to figure out. From what I hear, WoW has some difficulties with keeping all of the player classes equal. Now imagine on top of their problems, you have one character who turns into a cement mixer and another who turns into an F-15 jet, how exactly do you make that fair?
Presumably by having skills unique to both, so the cement mixer would be like an alchemist (mixing stuff in the barrel for different effects) while the F-15 has an emphasis on hit and run attacks. But balance would be rather awkward there, since the F-15 would win every time. Hmm, that gives me an idea. Will have to add that to "the file"
I don't like MMO's so no, I wouldn't play a TF one. Heck.. I an uber Star Wars nerd and I don't play that one either. What I would play though is a Transformers based, online FPS. Maybe something similar to the Battlefield series. Pick your character (class), choose your weapon loadout and go to town. Instead of using vehicles in the game, you'd use your character's alt mode. Depending on your class, your alt mode would also have certain abilities. For example, a scout or spy would be a fast vehicle and a heavy weapons guy, a tank.
Id love it. Would be nice to get addicted to something Im a huge fan of rather than leveling up another barbarian or magician dude. Giant robots in recent games move around too slow, we need some TF's in there to show them what speed & mobility means
No way. Because it's a MMORPG is why. I don't believe in paying full retail for a game then paying ongoing pay to play costs. Also I don't believe in paying for extra game modules (EG: NWN premium and oblivion modules), as they should be value adders to get more people to buy the game and to reward those that have bought it, not something thrown together in the construction kit and then sold. Sorry for the slight OT there.
That would be the only way you'd get to play one of those soul sucking games. Even then it'd be too expensive. Tho, it would lend itself to a whole new level of board wars.
I don't mind MMO's in theory, but I haven't played one in 7 years and probably wouldn't even if it were Transformers. I don't think the concept lends itself well to an MMO, for reasons others have already stated.
I would play one CONSTANTLY! It'll never happen, they're too expensive to make/run, but I'd be there in A SECOND.
Sounds interesting, but, I'm afraid I wouldn't get much else done around here if something like that existed and actually turned out to be playable. Hell...I lost a month of my life last year on San Andreas...not to mention something that would never really end. Cool idea, though.
A TF MMORPG would be trying to run before walking. We've never had a great TF video game period. Yeah, the PS2 Armada was fun, and TFing was a useful (but not integral) part of the game. Other than that...I really think they've all sucked. Show me a great platform or PC TF game first, and then maybe (just maybe--I don't play any MMORPGs anyways) I'd think about signing up. Also, I'm not really a gamer period--last one I bought was Dawn Of War, and before that was Warcraft III, but I've always thought that casual users would find themselves getting shit on by the folks that play constantly, and that's just not my idea of fun. But since I've never played, I could just be assuming that.
