Star Wars MMO Design (non-SWG players take)

[Oseleon]

I would love for someone who has played MMOs, and Pen-Paper, but never tracked or knew anything about SWG to give their take on what THEY would expect from a Star Wars MMO.  I am mainly intrested in a new perspective... Something from people who have not had their ideas colored by the game already out there.  

What Era would you set it in?
How would you deal with Progression?
How would you deal with Jedi?
What about Space?  
What planet or Planets would you set the game on?
Would you include the personalities of the movie?
How would combat work?
How would the economy work?

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I would set it 10,000 years ago. Battle with the Sith. None of this post-rebellion/new republic crap. The only other period I'd consider would be the clone wars. I want nothing that would have to muck about with established continuity, and I certainly don't want anything to do with the EU.

Progression I'd have as just an increase in skills. To tie this in with question 3, I'd perhaps give either bonus abilities (force push, et al) or access to more equipment. That way you can have Jedi that are less skilled, but still useful, and you could have someone who could fight a Jedi but not be one.

Space battles are a necessity, obviously, I'd just say you have to have the right equipment, or know someone who does. The equipment being a space ship, of course. You could then just make it another area you can go to.

planets: we need the stock ones: coruscant, tatooine, yavin. You could throw in alderaan and naboo, I suppose, but they wouldn't be necessary. Other than that, just make up planet settings referenced but not seen in the movies. Hoth and Endor and Dagobah are right out, being primarily uninhabited, and I don't want Ewoks screwing with my game.

If set in the sith wars, obviously not. If set in the clone wars, why not. They'd be NPCs -- npcs you couldn't really hurt, like Lord Britain in the original Ultima.

combat -- uh... clicking on goobers, probably. with combat skills/techniques selectable for instant change. I'd have at least the illusion of constant fighting. None of this sitting around waiting for someone to do something, even if you only get an actual chance to hit every few seconds, the animation should continue. That's hand to hand combat, obviously. Fire fights should be one shot per click, with ammunition limits.

economy - you have your credits, you get paid for work you do or things you sell. I'd add in some sort of "prestige" system based on your usefulness to an employer. Hence, if a Jedi is sent on an interstellar mission, they have to loan him a ship. If the ship is damaged/lost or if he fails his mission, they have a hard time loaning to him again.

[thetoastman]

I've played WoW, so I suppose that might affect my choices a bit, but here goes:

What Era would you set it in?

Definitely Clone Wars.  No question.  I mean, the war itself was basically a three-year draw, with no clear advantage until just before the very end- a very MMO-friendly atmosphere.  Also, the two factions seemed roughly equal, unlike the guerrilla-versus-empire atmosphere of the classic era.  I don't really see how Rebel vs. Imperial combat could be fair without giving significant, unrealistic boosts to the former or drastically handicapping the latter.

How would you deal with Progression?

I would probably have players be basic clone troopers / standard battle droids until the end of an introductory level period, wherein they would transfer their bodies / droid brains into new armor / chassis's (sp?), representing a specific elite class.  Both droids and troopers could switch out their armor pieces and buy new weapons to go along with upgraded skillsets.

How would you deal with Jedi?

Nix 'em.  Sticking with troopers and droids not only makes it nice and fair, it makes it much more movie-realistic, as troopers and droids, basically, appear to be the vast bulk of the forces.  Maybe, just maybe, at very high levels a clone trooper class would have the ability to wield a lightsaber, as there are various references to lightsaber-wielding stormtroopers, and some cut sources would have had references to a similar clone branch.  Force sensitivity, however, would be out of the question.

What about Space?

A great way to make the guild system more closely-knit and important would be to include guild-based fleets.  Every guild could be based out of a flagship (the largest being Providence-class / Venator-class) and be able to buy other cruisers to supplement its forces.  This allows guilds to have a 'home', take up zero ground space, and opens up a new facet of guild-based PvP.  Imagine battles between factions, two or three guilds on each side, handfuls of battleships and clouds of players in fighters dogfighting erratically... I can only wish.

What planet or Planets would you set the game on?

Not too many.  Having completely different zones necessitates chokepoints, which causes lag other ill effects.  Probably two or three major questing / PvP worlds, maybe something like Kashyyyk, Hypori, and Rhen Var, and one or two smaller questing worlds per faction, and then one central command / new player introduction world per faction, probably Kamino and Utapau.

Would you include the personalities of the movie?

Sure.  Aside from questgivers, it would be great to let superpowerful guilds spend obscene amounts of money / reputation points to temporarily persuade General Grievous to lead an attack on an enemy bunker or call in Anakin Skywalker to bring down a few dozen pesky droid fighters.

How would combat work?

WoW's combat system seems to work very well, although adapting it to a futuristic, almost wholly ranged-weapon world might present unique challenges.  Space combat, of course, would involve more simulation type dogfighting, with direct ship control and spacebar firing.

How would the economy work?

Probably through a global auction system, like WoW.  Though it seems slightly out of character for clones and droids to be accumulating wealth in the middle of wartime, it's really the only way to sustain an economy.

[Entsuropi]

They'd be NPCs -- npcs you couldn't really hurt, like Lord Britain in the original Ultima.

Someone hacked the server and killed Lord Britain with a fireball during a major ceremony once.