daazs
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- Apr 19, 2017
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Ok, this will be really out there but I want to redesign some systems in Tibia.
First, this propably won't turn into a server. I have a local one running as a "lab" to test ideas but it's unlikely this will turn into a public server in my hands. Eventually, the code will be released (we are Open Tibia, after all).
This project's aim is to redesign or add some systems in Tibia. I've always been a fan of MMOs but always felt that we could do so much more with it than we've done, and now, from the top of my pretentiousness I decided to put these ideas in practice.
Bottom line, this is a personal rant turned into pastime about the things I wish Tibia did but knowing CIP we will never have, and things other MMOs are starting to do...hopefully.
Why ORTS?
I played Tibia for a few years, but nothing too crazy, from around 2004 to 2008 and then a few times during the 10.0 update.
Maybe it's because it was my first MMO, but Tibia always held a special place. It's that old "You'll always remember rot hunt and the fear of being PK'd".
For practical reasons, ORTS is the easiest way, for me, to get an MMO environment running and the fastest to prototype.
Why this?
I've dabbled a bit with UO, EQ, Runescape, the good ol' classic MMO experience. After that, and after WoW, I've always felt that the Massive and Role Play department were lacking from more recent MMOs.
Recently, I decided to give MMOs another chance and felt the same void in all of those virtual worlds. I won't blame the dreaded Themepark model but MMOs feel more like single player adventures with LFR in the end game; and maybe that's fine, maybe that's what the market want... but fuck that, I'm selfish and want more.
I want a living world, an active and engaging community, and emergent gameplay. I started doing some "research" - really just googling shit in the internet - about game design, MMOs, and how games like UO, EQ, Runescape, SWG, DAoC, EVE and other games like those worked. "Sandbox", "Emergent gameplay", "Player-driven economy" and all kinds of buzzwords started coming. And I even found out MMO projects that are trying to bring those things back. Maybe we'll enter an MMO Renaissance or something.
So I decided to test some of those things too, and that's why the project.
Ok, how are you going to do this, mad man?
With basic C++, Lua, and design knowledge! Ok, doing a big project like this is madness and I'll be called a
naïve fool, but my goal isn't to make the most popular server ever, or a Great OT (the tips are great, tho). This is more like a personal project, a design lab. And I know some programming.
Now to the more practical side, rapid prototyping and feedback are key. Make simple systems and allow for emergent gameplay to add complexity. The important part isn't to design a system for every interaction; instead, design basic systems that gives the player more freedom to interact.
TL;DR?
I like MMOs and I think that we can improve. ORTS is simple to set up and develop, that's why I'll use it.
I'll design some crazy dumb systems that might work. Don't expect much, but feedback is appreciated.
Now, a summary of the crazy ideas and bad design (tl;dr in bold):
Please feel free to comment on how impossible this all sound, how we can improve or just talk about some ideas you would like to have in your dream OT.
First, this propably won't turn into a server. I have a local one running as a "lab" to test ideas but it's unlikely this will turn into a public server in my hands. Eventually, the code will be released (we are Open Tibia, after all).
This project's aim is to redesign or add some systems in Tibia. I've always been a fan of MMOs but always felt that we could do so much more with it than we've done, and now, from the top of my pretentiousness I decided to put these ideas in practice.
Bottom line, this is a personal rant turned into pastime about the things I wish Tibia did but knowing CIP we will never have, and things other MMOs are starting to do...hopefully.
Why ORTS?
I played Tibia for a few years, but nothing too crazy, from around 2004 to 2008 and then a few times during the 10.0 update.
Maybe it's because it was my first MMO, but Tibia always held a special place. It's that old "You'll always remember rot hunt and the fear of being PK'd".
For practical reasons, ORTS is the easiest way, for me, to get an MMO environment running and the fastest to prototype.
Why this?
I've dabbled a bit with UO, EQ, Runescape, the good ol' classic MMO experience. After that, and after WoW, I've always felt that the Massive and Role Play department were lacking from more recent MMOs.
Recently, I decided to give MMOs another chance and felt the same void in all of those virtual worlds. I won't blame the dreaded Themepark model but MMOs feel more like single player adventures with LFR in the end game; and maybe that's fine, maybe that's what the market want... but fuck that, I'm selfish and want more.
I want a living world, an active and engaging community, and emergent gameplay. I started doing some "research" - really just googling shit in the internet - about game design, MMOs, and how games like UO, EQ, Runescape, SWG, DAoC, EVE and other games like those worked. "Sandbox", "Emergent gameplay", "Player-driven economy" and all kinds of buzzwords started coming. And I even found out MMO projects that are trying to bring those things back. Maybe we'll enter an MMO Renaissance or something.
So I decided to test some of those things too, and that's why the project.
Ok, how are you going to do this, mad man?
With basic C++, Lua, and design knowledge! Ok, doing a big project like this is madness and I'll be called a
naïve fool, but my goal isn't to make the most popular server ever, or a Great OT (the tips are great, tho). This is more like a personal project, a design lab. And I know some programming.
Now to the more practical side, rapid prototyping and feedback are key. Make simple systems and allow for emergent gameplay to add complexity. The important part isn't to design a system for every interaction; instead, design basic systems that gives the player more freedom to interact.
TL;DR?
I like MMOs and I think that we can improve. ORTS is simple to set up and develop, that's why I'll use it.
I'll design some crazy dumb systems that might work. Don't expect much, but feedback is appreciated.
Now, a summary of the crazy ideas and bad design (tl;dr in bold):
- Map revamp: Not a complete remake, but I'll try to improve on some things.
RL Tibia map is great already. The designers really thought about making a real world instead of just leveling zones. Themepark MMOs map usually work in an "arrow", always propelling players forward to new zones as they advance through the main campaign and level up. There's little incentive to go back to low level zones unless the questing line requires it. Tibia, on the other hand, works (or worked) more like a "cycle", you go out to hunt and come back; there are no starter cities aside from Rook and Dawnport.
The first part is restricting the global map and just adjust some aspects, like the Venorian-Thaian road. The final goal is to make the map feel alive.
- Races & Vocations: More the merrier, but be careful.
So, we all love more races and vocations. I could go adding more diversity to the fairly restricted 4 vocations, but, for some odd reason, it won't be that easy for me. You see, I want to follow the lore and suddenly having you playing an Orc or Dwarf while other Tibians kill your brethren doesn't sound right. Sure, Kaz and Ab are at peace with Thais, but simply giving you the option to play as these races without any changes wouldn't satisfy me. In order to add more races, a big event will need to occur to justify it. Then we can talk racial bonus and such.
Now, regarding vocations, it's a bit simpler, and I have an idea about a few. At the beginning I was pondering doing a complete classless system, but I feel that having specific classes still have its merit. The biggest change will be a new crafter class.
This is to follow the idea of role playing what you really want and not just adding vocations for the sake of it. And making crafting a complete system instead of an after thought. Anyways, here's a super simplified overview of the new vocations (WIP):
Apprentice: Magic user, basic spells
Sorcerer: Focus on energy and fire > Master Sorcerer: Powerful energy and fire
Renegade: Focus on energy and death > Warlock: Powerful death and summon
Druid: Magic user, basic spells
Elder Druid: Focus on ice and earth, average zone healing > Arch Druid: Powerful ice and earth, high zone healing
Protector: Focus on summon and melee, average ice and earth > Warden: Powerful summon and melee, high ice and earth
Archer: Range user, high DPS
Sniper: High single target DPS, low mobility > Elite Sniper: Extreme single target DPS, low mobiliy
Ranger: High CC and zone DPS, poor single target DPS > Frontier: Extreme CC and zone DPS, poor single target DPS
Warrior: melee user, high attack and def
Knight: High attack, average def > Royal Knight: Extreme attack, average def
Paladin: High def, average single target healing > Gran Paladin: Extreme def, high single target healing
Smith and Master crafter will need a different work and set of skills.
Of course, this will all need balancing and further iterations.
- Skills and Spells: More tweaking, but it's actually ok.
Skills are fine, but I think I'll use skill instead of level for items.
Magic is also fine. I was following a new MMO and it had a very interesting magic system: instead of learning magic spells, you learn magic "components". This way, instead of learning Fire Ball, you learn Fire, Ball, Missile, and combine all of three to make a Fire Ball. Crazy, right?! Then, it dawned on me, Tibia already kinda does this with the Magic Syllables. Now I just need to go through the list of combinations, make sure that most are there and maybe add more/tweak according to the new vocations. I also want to change how you learn spells, but that is for after the first phase
- PvP: Yes, we're Open.
I have to admit, I was never a PvP guy, but I understand its importance. As much as I hated getting PK'd, Open PvP is my preferred world. The only changes that I plan to do with it is to go over the punishment and make sure that PKing is risky yet rewarding. I'll go into details about GvG in just a moment.
- PvE: Interaction and challenge.
Tibia monsters are already pretty challenging and the only thing I want to do is improve the AI in a marginal way. One of the priorities is day/night behavior changes.
- Crafting & Economy: More than just another window.
One of the big overhauls, I hope to implement crafting as something more than just selecting what you want from a window. My inspiration is mainly SWG and Terrafirmacraft crafting, add a similar system like that would be super cool. As for economy, no more Auction House. I still remember traveling between cities just to sell some plate armors for more. Oh, and player shops, those are cool.
- Guilds & Governance: More power to you.
Essentially, more power to the player. Guilds will control parts of a city and players will be able to change the landscape to some extent. This will be by far the most resource extensive thing to implement, even with some hacks. For now, GvG will be much more important than just war4fun and have a deeper impact; players will be able, at first, to change their house layout.
- Immersion: The result.
And, hopefully, this will all combine to the end goal of the project: improve immersion. Making a dynamic, living, breathing world. And, at the same time, tackling the Tibian plague: bots. I feel that instead of just applying the ban hammer, it's wiser to also ask why players use bots and fix those issues. But BattleEye would be nice to have...
Please feel free to comment on how impossible this all sound, how we can improve or just talk about some ideas you would like to have in your dream OT.
