What to call this new style of MMORPG

So after watching Richard's interview today where he talked about selective multiplayer that sounded close. But I think Elective multiplayer makes more sense. Then we can call it Elective Multiplayer Online. or EMO for short.

It comes with the added benefit of many jokes we can make about the game cutting itself, or why someone would elect to play by themselves.. etc...

3nj0y.

 

How about

Wait for it...

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R.P.R.P.G.

Refined Populous Role Playing Game
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Lord British puts the RP back in RPG!

 

I think MMO is fine. You could argue that WoW isn't actually an MMO because most of it takes place in 5 man instances.

 

@Sir Mishri


Brilliant!

 

I think MMO is fine as well. They just have a different method of load management. Some MMOs seperate players into different servers that duplicate the same area. SotA has one area, and separates players based on player game style, friends, and so forth.

 

Give it a true Richard Garriott title . IWICMMO - 'It's What I Call' MMO

 

I would disagree that it is an MMO.. The single player offline, single player online, Friends only online modes make it very unique, I can't think of any other game that has that. (maybe diablo 2.. but even the open play online wasn't an MMO type experience, and no persistent world)

 

@Mishri, I don't know what you mean that the online modes do not involve a persistent world. In online play, whether SPO, FPO, or OPO, changes made to the world are visible to all players, even though all players are not visible to all players. But that's not a great deal different to UO in that players on Napa Valley weren't visible to players on Pacific, for example. SotA, as I've mentioned, just uses a different method to separate player populations for load management purposes. UO used seperate shards, SotA will match players according to play style. Different methods, same result.

 

@Owain Mishri wasn't talking about SotA when he said no persistent world, he was still talking about Diablo 2, saying that it would be similar because it has single player then online, but not to the extent of MMO standards, EXCEPT it has no persistent world.

Otherwise my 2 cents are, I don't think MMO should be the genre here, but I thought I heard LB already call it something else, I may be wrong and I can't find it now. But Like Mishri said, single player options, the separated options with or without friends, or open world is something unique and not like an MMO where as 100's and 1000's can see each other at one time in towns or various areas. This will limit us to seeing only a handful at a time. I consider MMO as it should be, tons of characters drawn onscreen at a time in certain areas. Whereas a 5 man instance is still apart of that, just takes you into a little mission where it pretends your the only people. Otherwise the whole world is open to everyone. So with SotA not taking this standard and breaking the mold, I think its entitled to another genre, which again I think LB already is calling it something else.

 

What about SMPFRP =Selective Multiplayer Fantasy Role Playing Game

 

@ThommyGunn you hit exactly what i was talking about, thanks.

Lord Brittish in a recent interview called it Selective Mulitplayer, and he even said he wasn't sure if that was correct, so this thread is intended to come up with ideas he can use to describe it as a new Genre.

 

@ThommyGunn, thanks for the clarification. I did misunderstand what was being said.

 

Single/Multi Player Online Hybrid. SMPOH.

 

@Mishri thanks glad you liked it and yeah I remembered that too, had to go back to the kick starter page and read what he said about it. Saw the selective multiplayer and saw him comment in other areas FRP fantasy role playing, so I put them together. It really fits.

@Owain Np bud, I like this community and you guys don't want anything getting lost in translation if I think that is whats happening, keepin us all on the same page We will all make this game right...

@Darthan thanks bud

 

Haha anything but EMO, sorry Mishri!

MMO could still work if it stands for Mini Multiplayer Online.

But actually I think you just cut the MM off and this is an ORPG.

 

Online pretty much implies multiplayer. I think we can jettison the Massive. The thing that really distinguishes this game from other online RPGs is that it is a single, persistent world. This should be reflected when naming the genre. Frankly, I think the whole online game category needs a renaming since WoW, Farmville and HotSex Online are all MMOs.

 

You are right, my EMO idea was more of a joke.

So breaking down the game styles,

Single Player Offline RPG

Single Player Online RPG

Friends only Online RPG

Massively Multiplayer RPG.

All persistent worlds.

selectable offline/online, single/friends/multi play.

an off or on SFMRPG... getting a little stumped here.

 

It needs to be familiar, but different to indicate both what it is like, but that it is not the same.

MSORPG - Multiple Style Online Role Playing Game

 

OMMOORPG -- Optionally Massively Multiplayer, Optionally Online RPG. Quite a mouthful!

(And yes, I kid.)

 

I guess I assumed it was going to be called a Selective Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, SMMORPG

Or maybe S-MMO Single to Massively Multiplayer Online.
There we go, you heard it here first,

S-MMO