Civ 6 - MMORPG

[Boltrider]

Why not Civilisation the Mega Multiplayer role playing game?

Game alternates between First person perspective and strategy screens at the press of a button. Online gaming worlds are getting bigger and bigger. In World War 2 online you start out as a lowly grunt earning ranks not `levels`. The higher your level the greater your responsibility. The game world is most of europe and game resets once one side has achieved victory. That is with just TWO factions. Guilds exist in their dozens in other MMO`s why not make them `NATIONS`.

Civ Online might have each server/game lasting between one and two months. Tech advances depending upon research of the nation involved, as well as possible trade of such techs.

Players start out as hunter-gatherers / farmers / miners / scouts or whatever... (they choose the class they want to play) with access only to First person.

progressing to level 5 as sergeants at arms / mine leaders / or whatever with say three A.I. men in their command (similar to certain classes in City of Heroes) able to respond to military orders posted from higher ranked players (like WW2 online).

At level 10 they gain access to the `strategy screen` for the first time. (though this is limited to their `district` according to their `rank` and are able to become lords of the manor working / village commanders. Also able to post orders for players lower level than themselves within their `district` of responsibility.

At level 20 they become town commanders with their own castle with responsibility for two or three villages.

At level 30 they move up to city mayors, allocating a much larger AI workforce as well as able to petition higher ranked players for missions they see that need doing. Espionage missions open up at this level, where the player may go into enemy territory to perform sabotage / intelligence / counter-intelligence missions and so on.

At level 40 they become army commanders able to post missions for all military lower than their rank within their chosen district. They are also able to direct re-inforcements to other townships that require aid. Low level diplomacy becomes available at this level where they may travel to distant lands and negotiate trade routes. Production orders for more materials can be requested. The strategy map opens up a little more.

At level 50 a player finally gains access to the GLOBAL strategy map and gets involved with high level diplomacy involving alliances and posts to lower level commanders. Alllocation of resources becomes a greater responsibility. Even at this level they may personally lend their assitance to say Iron mines if this is much needed for a war effort, or they may personally lead a battle against an enemy castle.

The game world might not change but each nation`s `start` point might change every game, and a players choice of nation would alter their benefits and starting skills.

 

[bentley004]

I dont think this would ever be under the Meier Civ series, but interesting. My fear would be that it would be incredibly boring on lower ranks. What the hell does a farmer or miner actually do?!

 

[rysmiel]

I dont think this would ever be under the Meier Civ series, but interesting.

That's more or less my reaction; sounds like it could be absolutely fascinating (though a heck of a lot of work to set up and maintain), but it's worlds removed from Civ.

My fear would be that it would be incredibly boring on lower ranks.

Possibly not for players for whom resource micromanagement is a large part of fun of the game; I can see it maybe getting frustrating for me on the higher ranks because of having to give orders rather than do everything hands-on, fwiw.

 

[Scilly_guy]

I love the idea of an MMORPG with different "games" integrating. One of my friends and I regularly discus a game where you need to have other people running farms and mines and trade routes, and cities, so that someone else can command troops and nations.

 

[Leeksoup]

Nice idea, but think down the line a year. What will there for the new guys to do? They can mine, fish, maybe be a grunt soldier, but they can't really entertain ideas of actually becoming any kind of power. They'd be like Luxembourg or Belguim at best. And what about the people that just want to play the freaking game without giving up days of time mining or fishing first, just to possibly be ignored by their superior because there's no open slots higher up? What about the general that really, really liked the Medieval combat, but now that guns are involved decides to quit?

 

[Scilly_guy]

Ok well the game I have in mind would not have a tech tree and you would not progress up the ranks over time. Each nation would be a democracy, with perhaps a British political system with MPs and a Prime Minister. Anyone would be capable of running as an MP but it would require in game resources to publicise yourself and there would be an entrance fee (again of in game resources). It should be noted that the game is set in a medieval era (ok they didn't have democracies but that is required to allow the right person to become leader). There would be different styles of game play, City mayors (also elected) would play a city building game, allocating space for businesses, organising tax collection, building city defences; Traders would play a trading game moving goods between cities and supplying armies, they would be required to pay tax; Armed units/military types could be hired by Traders to protect their caravans on route, or they could be hired by Cities to join the defence, they could form groups of Bandits to attack traders, or join the Army, so basically they're mercenaries. The Prime Minister would control the armies and (similarly to civ) would put in requests to the Mayors for detachments of particular troop types, settlers, pikemen, cavalry, archers, seige weaponry, for which they would get paid, the tax traders pay would form the budget, and perhaps some more complex economic system. Generals would be put in charge of battles which occur following the Prime Ministers orders.

Of course you cannot guarantee that people will be online when they are required, for instance a Mayor might not be online when his city is attacked, or a country may not have any generals online when their troops go into battle, so I am not denying it is a concept ready for anything, but the basic concept is that there are different types of game operating. The should also be lower levels of play, I just haven't worked out what they could be, what would a farmer do??? What would a Landlord/Publican do? What would a shipwright do? Ok so the farmer would farm, the ship wright build ships, but how do you make that a game? A trader needs a considerable amount of wealth before they can start trading but where does it come from. All players would be equal, having the opportunity to try every type of game, or at least follow every path, but they would have to prove themselves to get into an elected position, only someone successful enough to be able to afford to advertise themselves would be able to make it into an elected (and so responsible) position.

Ooh thought to get around the online status limitations. Mercenaries could "report for duty" at any city barracks and play mini games, if there is a battle, the PM can hire as many Mercenaries as he wishes/can afford and he can hire one as a general. Every character has attributes such as forest/mountainous/moorland/coastal warfare ability, medical, morale boasting influences, you know the usual kind of attributes. The general would provide his affect over the entire field, Heros (mercenaries) would have an area of influence. Whilst reporting for duty Mercenaries could also be called upon to protect nearby towns, only those with which there is a direct connection. Mercenaries might not choose to report for duty at the barracks but might report at the traders station to escort a caravan to another city, or they might head out into the country side and attack caravans on route in groups.

Setting up a group of bandits needs some work so that it cannot be exploited, perhaps to become a bandit you have to set up a camp that will last for a minimum period (a week or something) and if this camp is found (and reported, you could kill the person that discovers it) you become wanted, the more you have acquired from banditry the more your character looks like a bandit (Fable style morphing). Anyway there are a lot of ifs and a lot of mechanics that require work, but that is how I would have a game with different "Levels".

My basic point is have different ways to earn money and allow people to run for the elected, responsible, limited positions, otherwise you would end up with loads of people at the Global level.

 

[Jerrymander]

Uh, why don't you have a bunch of Civs playing together on a giant map like any other huge online strategy game?

 

[Boltrider]

Originally posted by Bently004 - I dont think this would ever be under the Meier Civ series, but interesting.

I agree, it would have to be a `splinter game` of the Civ series. Budding dictators might have a problem actually dealing with live people! might lead to anarchy, or revolution...a whole new side of the game....

Originally posted by Bently004 -What the hell does a farmer or miner actually do?!

Remember a Farmer / miner is only for the lower levels so player would soon be out of these after a few hours of game time. They would be like the `crafters` for contempory games like World of Warcraft or Eve on line. As well as mining and farming and fishing (trust me in the online community there are PLENTY of folk who enjoy doing JUST that!) they would be the crafters making swords, maces, shields etc for the nations armoury. They would be going out hunting for the resources, staking claims for mines, raising cash to buy land for farms... But as I say after a few hours playing they would be up to level 10 and be gradually eased into the enormous DEPTH of the game.

Originally posted by Leeksoup - but they can't really entertain ideas of actually becoming any kind of power. They'd be like Luxembourg or Belguim at best

I think by this you might mean each player is an entire nation? No. Each nation is like a `guild` in contempory online games consisting of hundreds or even thousands of players. Each obliged to deal with other `mayors` and each vying for their own increased political power, just as in real life. Co-operation is the key. And it already happens in other MMO`s.

Originally posted by Leeksoup - What about the general that really, really liked the Medieval combat, but now that guns are involved decides to quit?

Players in MMO`s come and go. Nations wax and wane. Remember there are currently about 10 million players in World of Warcraft playing across the entire global time zones 24 hours a day. The story continues even after the player sleeps. In WW2 Online, I would as a high ranking officer post missions getting folk to defend key towns then promptly go in and take part myself only to wake up in the morning and discover we had lost the town. It was actually great fun and thoroughly dynamic!

Originally posted by Jerrymander - Uh, why don't you have a bunch of Civs playing together on a giant map like any other huge online strategy game?

The game is in a constant state of progression. Have you no ideas where it might be going? Into WHAT it might be evolving? We have a duty to improve and innovate almost everything, otherwise we would still be clustered around a fire in a cave patting each other on the back saying `Good fire Grug!`

 

[tiberion02]

Frankly, I dont see how you can take a game that is heavily reliant on progressive techs and turn it into an MMO. It just does not work as an MMO concept.

 

[Boltrider]

Frankly, I dont see how you can take a game that is heavily reliant on progressive techs and turn it into an MMO. It just does not work as an MMO concept.

It is THE ORIGINAL mega multi-player game concept.... think about it? It goes beyond just a few folk in a shootem up.

Each tech advance might work after that particular nation has built the relevant LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITIES, MONASTERIES etc. Each building accrueing a set number of `research points` over time. Once those points become available, the leader spends them on the tech as chosen / advised by his `government`.

Once the tech has been acquired, the next level weapon, or civic, or building type, or wonder becomes available. Buildings constructed by the `crafters`.

All this happens already in other games. You save money buy Guild Houses, buy hospitals, buy specialists for training ect in Star wars Galaxies.. all for your guild.

When you have accrued the necessary research points, located a source of tin and copper and built the necessary blacksmiths, your crafters are then able to make bronze axes. If your warriors with axes then come across players equipped only with crude clubs I would imagine very swift battles and some equally swift negotiations.

 

[crabapple]

if you want an MMORPG of Civ, have the world map with each player controlling a small area each, you might end of a controlling a small french area, or a porteguese colony or something else entierly. then you have many servers , each in a diffrent time of world history.

Each player at the start, controlls a single town or such, not bigger, then you may wage war on your neighbores!