Best New Idea - 2008
August 6, 2008 by Morninglark
When you play a ton of MMORPG’s, like I do, you see very few really “NEW” ideas. Once in awhile, the developers use some creativity, and come up with something different!
Not all of the ideas work out as intended. Some are not fully implemented, the way they could have been. A few were not exactly a new, but the designers took the concept to a new level.
This award is more about the IDEA than the actual implementation.
Some of the ideas we considered:
- LOTRO’s playable instruments and the ability to form in-game bands.
- EQ2’s mentoring down.
- Horizons playable Dragons.
- DDO’s great dungeon traps.
- Vanguard’s Diplomacy Advancement Path.
- WoW’s fishing tournaments.
- EQ’s shrouds, and monster missions.
- Final Fantasy Moogles (sidekicks in your home that perform tasks for you. — Enhanced pets)
- Pirates of the Burning Sea - Real ship to ship combat.
- Pirates of the Caribbean - Digging for treasure, and playing poker for loot.
Well you get the idea… (there were dozens more)
This was another tough decision, but we give our Lark’s Choice Award - Best New Idea to:
Vanguard SOH for Diplomacy!
The reason we saw this as a good thing for MMORPG gaming, it was not only a game within a game, but was also a viable character advancement path. You can play Vanguard and never adventure! You could become just a diplomat, and play the subgame within the larger world.
In addition, you can impact the world and the adventuring and crafting players. When a diplomat goes into a town, they can play the card-game, to earn benefits for everyone in the region.
The concept of advancement beyond adventuring or tradeskills is a great idea. I would love to see other games use it. Perhaps a merchant class, to replace Auction Houses and vendors. A spy class, that does nothing but quest and spy for the adventurers.
The diplomacy game itself was very well designed. It was similar in concept to Magic the Gathering. It could easily have been a standalone game. The quests, and storyline for the Civic Diplomacy had depth.
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Would you believe that I’m a Diplomat first, Adventurer second? I am halfway through level 40 as a Diplomat. In fact, it’s how I ride my 4th rank horse. I really need to level the Dread Knight. I fear that I’ll have lots of work to do to complete the Pegasus quest. Imagine me astride a black pegasus. It’s just too bad that I’ll likely be a level 50 Diplomat, long before the quest is even available.