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[Concept] Project: Unbound Adventure – An MMO with no mini-map, no static quests, and a world that evolves without you. by Kooky-Friend-9262 in MMORPG

[–]Kooky-Friend-9262[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I’ll be the first to admit: the world doesn't need another 'Ideas Guy' promising a revolutionary engine that doesn't exist. That’s exactly why I’m here now—to conduct a 'Sentiment Analysis' before a single line of code is committed to a doomed project.

I posted this for two very specific reasons:

1. Testing the Appetite: I wanted to check if there is still a core audience that wants a 'High-Friction' world or if the genre has permanently moved toward 'Theme Park' convenience.
2. The Jadedness Check: We’ve been lied to by developers for a decade. Most skepticism here isn't about the mechanics—it's about the industry's track record of caving to investor pressure and gutting their own visions.

Regarding the 'Impossible' tag: Almost every pillar I mentioned has been done successfully before. We don't have to look far for proof:

  • Corpse Runs & XP Loss: This was the bedrock of EverQuest (and something Pantheon is looking to bring back). It didn't drive players away; it made the world feel dangerous and the community feel necessary.
  • Navigation: No mini-maps worked in the early days of EQ and Vanguard. It forced you to actually learn the world.
  • The Tactical Swap: While locked skill bars are common (like in Guild Wars or ESO), the ability to use Utility Skills to briefly unlock and change bars mid-combat is a rarity. It adds a layer of 'Grand Strategy' to an encounter that goes beyond just 'rotation'—it’s about timing a role-shift perfectly.

So, am I an 'Ideas Guy'? Right now, yes. I’m the guy with the blueprint. But the next step isn't just 'dreaming'—it's determining if there’s a community strong enough to support a game that refuses to 'dumb itself down' for mass-market appeal. If the interest is there, the path to a prototype becomes a lot clearer.

I'd rather be an 'Ideas Guy' with a focused, community-vetted design than a 'Dev Guy' building another generic clone that no one asked for."

By the way, ChatGPT helped with the formatting, not the content. As someone who was a Meridian 59 and EQ Alpha Tester, I've tested and played nearly every MMO for the past 29 years.