Video games path

New Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2003
Messages
358
Best answers
0
Hellooooo, I don't really hang out in this section much, I just read what your posting most of the time, but I have a question really, and I'll start out with talking a little bit about myself. I'm 18 years old, and in about 2 years or so I'll be heading to Arizona for Video Game Design college. Going for lead design.

I can really sit here and point out a million of problems with the path of MMORPG's today, but theres one in particular that I've been talking to my friend about lately. Simply said, lack of new idea's. They keep treadmilling the idea's from mmorpg to mmorpg, so, my friend and me we're talking about dragons, while playing world of warcraft.

It comes to me every game I play, you start out fighting wolves, bears, whatever, orcs, you name it. Stupid creatures, really. Then blah blah, you level up to whatever and you fight "end game dragons" and we we're like well, why do dragons have to be only end game? I really think there can be something cooler than a dragon.

In most games, you fight dragons at the end. Simply put because you feel good enough that your character has advanced that you can slay whatever dragon with whatever weapon or magic. Well, we're going to make all these mean ass monsters, but the question I'm really asking people is --

What could be cooler than a dragon?

Well if I'd reply to my own post, I'd explain a dragon first. A dragon is like a huge dinosaur with wings, an ancient creature who's been around for over thousands of years, that has very strong magical attributes, that on occasion blows fire and whatnot. The reason they are so bad ass is because of their mass and destruction that they can cause. Oh I'm sure you could be like, (well mewtew from pokemon could own a dragon) but I'm really just looking for ancient mythical creatures that could possibly match or beat a dragon.

Anyone have any thoughts? I googled and stuff for it, and I'm gettin stupid **** like, "pakistan protesters throw rocks" and **** ..
 
New Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2005
Messages
807
Best answers
0
Hmm.. Make up a new creature. Use something strong like a Greek god or something. Maybe some beings of Nature like a Leaf godess or something make stuff up like that and have numerous bosses and then the master of all Nature who has storms,wind,fire,earth,air,grass junk like that be the last boss.
 
New Member
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
420
Best answers
0
What I never understood is why MMORPG's are almost always based in a fantasy setting at all. There are plenty of great concepts that could work in an MMO setting, but developers continue to go with the safe option. How about a Western MMO game? Where bounties are set and players can end up competing for the same bounty. A Samurai based MMO, where the aim was to travel mastering sword skills. Very high level players would face off against each other to become "the best". What about a GTA style MMO game? Players would be able to act as lunatic peds, join different gangs or even join the police force and army.

As for suggestions as to what's better than a dragon - I would say it's not so much what creature and more how that creature is pulled off. For example, I always considered the hydra to be a pretty crappy mythological beast - until I played God of War. Now I think it's one of coolest and harshest beasts I've ever come across. So within reason, I think any enemy can be "cooler than a dragon" provided it's done properly :)
 
New Member
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Jun 8, 2004
Messages
5,216
Best answers
0
TBH i've always felt an enemies size is what makes them cool or not. Wyrmlings aside, you never fight an epic battle against a five-foot high Dragon. Then Naruto has a giant toad, a giant snake and a giant slug fighting in a three-way battle and the epic sense is conveyed, even though normally they're three very average creatures.

Also, Ragnoros ;)
 
New Member
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
420
Best answers
0
TBH i've always felt an enemies size is what makes them cool or not.
Come on, you know that's not all true. The Vergil fights in DMC3 were the coolest, and he's your size. It's the amount of power a character can portray that makes them cool.
Size always helps though ;)

Edit: Actually, if you want giant boss enmies, check out Painkiller. The biggest games bosses EVER.
 
New Member
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Dec 3, 2002
Messages
2,490
Best answers
0
Well, as a rabid fan of all things Warcraft, I can at least explain the Dragons in WoW to you. Basically, long story short, the dragons in the Warcraft history are basically the beings that created the world; they're the most powerful living beings to inhabit Warcraft's physical world. So that's why, in Warcraft, the most powerful things you fight are dragons.

To answer your main question, there is next to nothing in natural mythology I can think of that could beat a dragon, outside of maybe the Kraken from Greek mythology (the big water monster, from the end of 'Clash of the Titans', if you've ever seen it). But even then, it's slow and stupid and Percius owned it with the Medusa head without even lifting a finger...so by my count, two dragons would probably rip that thing to pieces easy.

Your best bet is to probably create yourself some sort of demonic or alien creature that is superior to dragons somehow. In fact, maybe that could be the basis of your game--that something is using dragons for prey.
 
Active Member
✔️ HL Verified
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Messages
2,462
Best answers
0
Yeah similar to what PRide said, fake them out, make a dragon sem like the ultiamte form of life until you find something that is so much greater than a dragon that the player would have his jaw drop. Perhaps even dragons good for an allieance at a point of the game to create a coallation and defeat the hidden beast.
 
New Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2003
Messages
358
Best answers
0
Well, we're going for a ninja-based MMO. Put the animes Berserk / Naruto / Samurai Champloo together and you'll have 60% of the content we'll have, the other 40% of genius idea's from other Co-op games that we've played.

Thanks for the input, I think I'll just hire an artist, and tell them "we need you to create art that makes dragons cower."
 

Eon

TeeHee
Banned
Joined
Dec 20, 2002
Messages
5,341
Best answers
0
Location
Dallas, TX
Well basically, the biggest things to walk on land were reptilian, making it dragon-ish. Big things in Greek mythology were also dragon-ish (I.E. the Hydra)
 
Active Member
✔️ HL Verified
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Messages
2,462
Best answers
0
I say try to go for a real time fighitng system, isntead of sitting there pressing what ability you want to actitivate, so th game requires at least SOME skill and not just expierince points.
 
New Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2004
Messages
858
Best answers
0
Chakra-X said:
I say try to go for a real time fighitng system, isntead of sitting there pressing what ability you want to actitivate, so th game requires at least SOME skill and not just expierince points.

Awesome idea one fatal flaw, system lags ur realtime fighting stops where as the mobs doesn't if it does lag with a auto attack on theres a slimchance ull survive if u spam ur attacks, where as realtime i doubt it.

Iv always wanted a mmorpg like that, but when u think about it, in a raidzone i don't think it could be done.
 
New Member
★ Black Lounger ★
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Apr 15, 2003
Messages
4,628
Best answers
0
Draylock1 said:
Well, we're going for a ninja-based MMO. Put the animes Berserk / Naruto / Samurai Champloo together and you'll have 60% of the content we'll have, the other 40% of genius idea's from other Co-op games that we've played.

Thanks for the input, I think I'll just hire an artist, and tell them "we need you to create art that makes dragons cower."
hey, sounds like my kinda thing ^_^ pm me if u want me to give it a shot at doing some concepts... or alternatively go on www.conceptart.org and see what you like there. I cant garentee when i'd be able to have something done though :p
 
New Member
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Oct 2, 2002
Messages
1,043
Best answers
0
Why dragons are badass? It's not just the fact that they possess tons of power. There are lots of things that possess tons of power, but look completely goofy. Like a big fat cyclops or something.

Dragons, for one, are just plain cool-looking. They're sleek, pointed, and vicious. Badass bat-like wings, impenetrable armored hide, ferocious fangs and slitted reptilian eyes. Massive talons. Throughout mythology they have always been the big badasses, and are often associated not just with power but on occasion with honor and wisdom and other qualities. Dragons, quite simply, have a reputation of being awesome, aside from simply being awesome at base value. That's why it'd be difficult to just plain create a creature that was more kickass than a dragon; even if you somehow get an awesome design (and the dragon design is pretty damn hard to beat), you need to overcome the legendary nature behind it. Almost impossible.
 
New Member
Joined
May 17, 2004
Messages
930
Best answers
0
Location
Iceland
Dragons are simply powerful and mystic creatures that people are familiar with and they tend to like. So it's trendy to put a dragon as a final goal to beat in a rpg, more even in a medieval like rpg. Personally I like dragons alot and I don't really get tired of seeing one in a game.
It wouldnt be a bad idea though to break the trend and put a big beast/demonic like creature instead for example.

Chakra-X said:
I say try to go for a real time fighitng system, isntead of sitting there pressing what ability you want to actitivate, so th game requires at least SOME skill and not just expierince points.
I've wanted to see for a long time a mmorpg somewhat like that, maybe a devil may cry figthing style combat, something that makes you make decissions quickly and requires skill. A online game quick as that would probably be pretty laggy as things are now though.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom