More About MMOs - Wizards and Warriors: Massively Multiplayer Online Game Creation - page 26

n Historical : Historically-based games are very rare in MMOs, mainly
because it is difficult to set an evolving game in a true historical setting.
This doesn tbe

attempted as there is a lot of material for the game designer/maker to
reference. The type of historical event or timeframe you are referencing
determines how close you have to stay to the original material or in fact
how careful you have to be making a game on it. Recent history has
more pitfalls than benefits for the MMO game creator. If you are using
ancient history, such as Romans or medieval times, you don

' t mean that a historical MMO is impossible or shouldn '

t have to
make it an exact fit. You can use buildings, clothing, names, and events
to fill up your MMO world.
n Mythology : Many MMOs use mythology for a background history or
story. When making an MMO it is very important to have a background
story to give your game some depth, and it ensures that your players can
appreciate why they are doing certain quests. The most popular mythol-
ogy currently used in games is Norse mythology.
n Modern Day : There are very few modern-day MMOs, mainly because it
is difficult to create a complex story in a modern-day setting. Some
MMOs have achieved it using a sprinkling of science fiction or using a
particular gaming concept. There are two memorable games using a
modern day settings; the first uses police and criminals (APB), whereas
the other uses spies (The Agency).
n Science Fiction : Science fiction is a popular area for MMOs, and is prob-
ably the second most popular genre in MMOs games. Science fiction-
based games can include ideas such as amazing inventions, robots, space,
or futuristic concepts.
n Horror : Horror is certainly an area that is very much ignored on the
whole in MMOs. This is a shame as there is so much potential for this
subject matter to make a really interesting MMO. Some games do have
creatures or NPCs based on some fictional horror characters, such as
zombies and ghosts.

'

You can see some images from an MMO example made in Realm Crafter in
Figures 2.1 and 2.2.