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Richard Garriott Mini-Interview in PC Games 03/03
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Garrett
 
 




Joined: 13 Jul 2001
Posts: 74
Location: Munich, Germany
Richard Garriott Mini-Interview in PC Games 03/03
   

Richard Garriott is still working on his revolutionary MMORPG currently named Tabula Rasa (working title). In a short interview printed in <a href="http://www.pcgames.de" target="_blank">PC Games</a> March 2003 issue he reveals some interesting facts, such as Tabula Rasa being a <i>Near-Future-Science-Fantasy</i> game, offering <i>Massive Multiplayer Hubs</i>, in which a player or a group of gamers can play like in their very own adventure or single player game and then go back to the city and probably meet other people who played the same, duplicated quest and having earned similar reward items...
<br>Finally a good idea for a more personal storyline in MMORPGs, but somehow I cannot see why I should play online then at all?
Post Fri Feb 07, 2003 1:07 pm
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Jay
Fearless Paladin
Fearless Paladin




Joined: 07 Jul 2001
Posts: 245
   

I read the same interview, and was very disappointed. He compares the style to Diablo, where groups play in individual hubs, but he will still want us to pay monthly for this privilage. So why should I do that when I can play NWN on-line for free?

He should go back to what he does best, and develop a Ultima-type single player game. RPGs are finally selling well again, and with his talents it could be a classic.
Post Fri Feb 07, 2003 1:10 pm
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edmckay
Guest






instancing
   

Presumably the format will be a continuous world using instancing technology. At this stage instancing itself is not an innovative idea, in the sense that it has been much talked about, with some more detailed plans layed by other designers (e.g. Lost Continents) about its use.

I think it's a neat idea that solves a major MMORPG problem (from my point of view). Finding a group can take a really long time if you're not heavily involved in some guild, but most questing and hunting has some minimum group configuration in mind. If the individual instances of play areas customize their difficulty on the fly--depending on the make-up of the entering group--it would allow people much broader access to the game content. But you're still part of a continuous on-line world, with common areas where you can interact with people outside of your group.
Post Fri Feb 07, 2003 1:33 pm
 
Garrett
 
 




Joined: 13 Jul 2001
Posts: 74
Location: Munich, Germany
   

Jay, I'm sorry you didn't read the interview carefully enough. The comparison to Diablo 2 came from the editors, not Richard...
I actually think this may be the first interesting MMORPG for me...
Post Fri Feb 07, 2003 1:34 pm
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Jay
Fearless Paladin
Fearless Paladin




Joined: 07 Jul 2001
Posts: 245
   

German's not my mother tongue, and I did think that it was an editor making the comparison (wasn't sure), but it does seem an apt comparison. To be honest there are a lot of MMRPGs coming that interest me, but I don't have the time to play them. With an single player game this is not a problem, as I'm not getting charged by the month. Maybe a better system of charging, whereupon the user is charged for the time on-line rather then a set rate, would be a better way to entice people like me. Richard Gariott used to be a game idol for me, but recent interviews where he complains that he charged too little for Ultima On-line have changed my opinion of him.

There was a time when designers were into gaming for the love of it ( And games like Arx and Divine Divinity show that they still exist), but the impression I get from most MMRPGs is how much money they are all hoping to make.
Post Fri Feb 07, 2003 1:52 pm
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Garrett
 
 




Joined: 13 Jul 2001
Posts: 74
Location: Munich, Germany
   

Yes Jay, I agree to that...Most MMORPG are out for money only, but I am sure, that especially some smaller teams make them for the love of the game
Post Fri Feb 07, 2003 2:08 pm
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Hyrrix
Fourty-two
Fourty-two




Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Posts: 282
   

Hmm, I think it's a bit naive to believe that games aren't generally made for some profit. It's not like they all want to be as rich as a Molyneux, but people just want to earn a good, normal pay to live on and continue to work in the busines. I don't see why that would be different for mmorpg's? The problem is that developing a mmorpg costs a lot of money and time, beta testing it costs again money and keeping up complete server farms plus a whole live team that continues to work on the game costs money too... So I don't think the regular fee for mmorpg's is injustifieble (euhm, does that word exist?).
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