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World of Darkness MMOG In Active Production

Posted by Zonk on from the deeply-shocking dept.

Laying the fears of tabletop gamers to rest, CCP (makers of EVE Online) has confirmed that they're already working on a Massively Multiplayer game set in the World of Darkness. The dark setting, a property owned by CCP's new purchase White Wolf Games, will be translated to the Massive genre some time over the next four to five years. There's no word yet on which portion of the setting will be used for the game, but the Eurogamer article hints that vampires will feature heavily in the title. "The World of Darkness MMO was announced when the two companies merged last year, with both the American and Icelandic operations staying quiet on the subject ever since. Fans have since speculated that the game isn't in active production - rumours Bergsson laid to rest last week. '[World of Darkness] is one of the reasons we were so interested in White Wolf,' [Magnus Bergsson] said. 'It's a very mature IP. It's a great title for us to take and make into an MMO. First of all there are no MMOs like it. We kind of like that, and we want to explore some new avenues with that type of MMO - character-based and not being fantasy, per se. It's a real opportunity for us.'"

13 of 73 comments (clear)

  1. More developer interference? by rbanzai · · Score: 3, Funny

    Have they outlined how much the developers plan to interfere with the players? It would be nice to see a timeline!

    1. Re:More developer interference? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's a shame because the White Wolf universe is perfectly suited for this sort of game. The shame being that after CCP's recent debacles I'll have nothing to do with them. Seeing as I dont even play EVE and I've heard of the things going on there, you can bet there will be others that follow suit.

    2. Re:More developer interference? by Palshife · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's WoD! The GM's are supposed to get power-hungry and fuck over the players.

      --
      Attention deficit disorder is a complicated issue, spanning several major... HEY LET'S GO RIDE BIKES!
    3. Re:More developer interference? by LordPhantom · · Score: 3, Informative

      I suspect Grandparent was making reference to several infamous incidences of the CCP folks (specifically GMs) 'cheating' in EvE Online. The GM/dev incidents and the way CCP mods handled it are one of many reasons I canceled my subscriptions(and no you can't have my stuff, someone else does), and is the prime reason I'm not sure I can invest any time or money in a new effort on their part. I sincerely hope that they do make a great product and maintain the game world integrity - as far as MMOGs go, EvE is the most conceptually interesting game out there.

    4. Re:More developer interference? by Bieeanda · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Not to mention the (in)famous 'metagame' that the WoD developers played with themselves-- er, that is to say, played through entire series of sourcebooks and new core rulebook editions.

      This is one MMO that I'm going to stay very, very far away from. I've played WoD tabletop, I've played it LARP, and I've had dealings with people who have played it extensively in unofficial MUX text games; common themes straight through all of those have been GM caprice, OOC politicking, whining and histrionic drama. Take a peek at the official forums for virtually any active MMO, and just imagine all of that garbage amplified by a setting and a potential player-base that is already steeped in paranoia and self-obsession.

  2. transition between media. by Gharbad · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I wonder how well they'll translate an excellent tabletop/larp setting into a hack and slash leveling grind.

    --
    "Gharbad no Hurt!" -Gharbad
    1. Re:transition between media. by Diss+Champ · · Score: 3, Interesting

      If anyone can avoid turning it into just another level grind, they have a good shot. Eve is more outside the mold than the other MMO that are doing well, and rather than just licensing the world they have the people who do the tabletop/larp games on the inside now. I'm also glad they are willing to take 4-5 years to do it- too many games these days schedule just enough time for the interface without enough for gameplay, and launch with what would be better called a proof of concept demo than complete product.

  3. Good and bad by bar-agent · · Score: 5, Interesting

    On one hand, there will be more roleplaying. On the other, the roleplaying will be all angsty and goth. On the gripping hand, roleplayer or not, all players will be griefers and minimaxers.

    I forsee one problem immediately. Most of the WoD stuff is set in modern times, in modern cities. I don't see how a MMORPG can do that right. Let's say, for example, Chicago. Chicago is big. And we know what Chicago is supposed to be like, what the streets are, etc. And it is full of people. A tiny Chicago with a handful of NPCs is not going to work.

    So, they will either have to use the middle-ages stuff, or use fake cities and tricks like keeping you in one neighborhood while showing the rest of the city "just over the wall."

    --
    i'd hit it so hard, if you pulled me out you'd be the king of britain [bash.org]
    1. Re:Good and bad by jollyreaper · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I foresee one problem immediately. Most of the WoD stuff is set in modern times, in modern cities. I don't see how a MMORPG can do that right. Let's say, for example, Chicago. Chicago is big. And we know what Chicago is supposed to be like, what the streets are, etc. And it is full of people. A tiny Chicago with a handful of NPCs is not going to work.

      So, they will either have to use the middle-ages stuff, or use fake cities and tricks like keeping you in one neighborhood while showing the rest of the city "just over the wall." Unless they license the content from Google Streets....:)

      Seriously, I wonder how long it will be until Google Earth content gets included in serious gaming. I've heard some people were working on a novelty port of Risk but what I'm thinking of is more like X-Com. Especially when you consider the stuff they have going with the 3D Buildings, textures and all, it gives me flashbacks to the traffic control program from the Ghost in the Shell movie.

      Maybe the actual satellite imagery wouldn't look as good in a gaming environment but it could probably be a start for seeding procedural content generation code ala Spore. "Ok, this area should be shoreline, make it look so. Flat grasslands here, steppe and plains there, mountains over yonder." Generate flora and fauna and there you go. "Bullshit," you say? "Impossible?" "Too much work?" I would have said the same ten years ago if you told me about even half the stuff we're playing with today.
      --
      Kwisatz Haderach
      Sell the spice to CHOAM
      This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
  4. Not really news by jollyreaper · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I thought everybody already knew this was in the works. Or is this like Hillary officially announcing her candidacy for president after obviously planning it for years?

    All this means is that resources are going to be sucked away from the current product, EVE Online. That's a bit of a pisser since the understanding with paying a monthly fee is that you're supposed to be paying for the upkeep of servers and the development of new content, not just lining the pockets of the owners.

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
  5. Just ... HOW??? by Opportunist · · Score: 2, Informative

    Anyone who knows WoD games knows that they differ from the average tabletop RPG in many ways. First and foremost, the story is the focus, not getting the biggest gun. Actually getting the biggest gun usually only serves one purpose (if your ST is halfway "realistic"): You becoming the biggest target. Because, and that's another "feature" of WoD style games: You can dish out vastly more damage than you can swallow. Many fights are decided by the question who wins the initiative, because the first blow often already reduces you to pulp barely able to limp away from the scene (provided your enemy actually uses tools that can hit you well. Fire, radiation, silver, pick your poison).

    Couple that with the fact that WoD games rely heavily on a cloak-and-dagger style, where every fraction has pretty neat powers but at the same time incredibly tight laws concerning their use, how would you want to create a good MMORPG out of it?

    If you toss the "laws" of the supernaturals (i.e. Vampires, don't go out and have people know you are one, Werewolves, better don't shift in plain sight, Mages, casting vulgar is not only a bad idea because of paradox and Wraiths, don't even THINK about interacting with the world of the quick...), you reduce it to a goth-style cyberpunk world. Everyone will go berserk in minutes, Vampires going on a feeding frenzy in the mall, Werewolves coming up behind and shred what's left...

    And how should battles run? In fact, NO MATTER how "high level" you are, a well placed shot can and will at the very least make your life very, very miserable. Despite regeneration and whatnot, an assault rifle at full auto reduces any Werewolf to a little pile of mush in very little time.

    Personally, I don't think it's possible to create the "mood" in a MMORPG. It also doesn't work well together with the average mindset of a MMORPG player. Usually MMORPG players want to create the biggest, baddest, have-it-all character. And that is, if they recreate the rules verbatim, the surefire way to a quick death, because, no matter what group you play, killing such a top-level character is not a significant problem for a group of grunts and also offers them a LOT of benefits. Unless the "laws" of the supernaturals are enforced. But ... how?

    Sorry. I don't see this game take off. Either it sucks as a MMORPG or it sucks as a WoD game.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Just ... HOW??? by sacremon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Which all goes to indicate that there will have to be a difference between the PnP ruleset and MMORPG ruleset.

      This is no different than DDO or even NWN. There are some things that need to be trimmed from the PnP ruleset because they make no sense for a video game. Things will have to be simplified. Heck, there isn't balance between the games in PnP. A mage can pretty much toast any other type of character.

      Odds are the result won't satisfy the hardcore WoD fans, as whatever they are accustomed to will be diluted and made more uniform across the board. Either they will have to suck it up and deal with it, or decide not to play.

      --
      If you can't beat them, embrace and extend them.
  6. MMORPG announcement form by StikyPad · · Score: 3, Funny

    [Company Name] is announcing its decision to turn [Franchise] into a [Superlative] new MMORPG set in the award-winning [Franchise] universe! It will feature the latest in [3D Feature] technology and each of the avatars will be rendered in [Superlative] detail! Players will be able to visit [Landscapes], massive [Type of Settlement], and many other exotic locations!

    [Franchise] will allow thousands of players to interact within the same persistant state world, adventuring together or fighting against each other in epic battles*! Among other features, players will be able to own [nouns] and ride [animal or vehicle], and [Guilds/Companies/Clans] will be able to purchase [Status Symbols] once they have achieved enough [Arbitrary Measures]!

    There will be [Integer] playable races from [2 or 3] factions, as well as [Integer] classes, including [Ranged Combat], [Melee Class], [Healing Class], and [Worthless Hybrid Class]! A vast storyline will put players in the middle of the action, and [Random or Recurring Time Period] events will provide a chance for players to win valuable prizes and items! Tradskills will allow players to craft [items] by performing [tedious activity] until [death]. A fully customizable user interface will allow players to craft an experience that best suits their play style! Reserve your copy today!

    * [Company Name] reserves the right to ban anyone at any time for any reason.

    --
    https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere