CCP Developing World of Darkness Title

[modeps]

http://evavhost.com/i/news/wod.jpg

The White Wolf RPG, World of Darkness (http://ccpgames.com/worldofdarkness/georgia.asp), is coming to computers as an game developed by EVE Online vets, CCP. No real details about it yet, and its just in pre-production, but its in the works by a studio in Stone Mountan, Georgia.

CCP North America is located just outside of Atlanta in Stone Mountain, Georgia. White Wolf Publishing, which merged with CCP in November 2006, has been headquartered in the Atlanta area since 1991 and has been a leader in the gaming industry ever since. Its flagship property, the World of Darkness, has a rich history of over 18 years of creative development and is now the basis of one of CCP's major virtual world projects. Currently in preproduction, The World of Darkness is the undying heart of the development efforts in CCP's North American office.

Atlanta and the Georgia Department of Economic Development have helped provide CCP with an invaluable strategic foothold in North America. Our Atlanta office serves as an integral component of CCP's international business, allowing for extreme flexibility in adjusting business practices and structures to quickly react to industry trends in order to stay at the forefront of technology and innovation. The Atlanta office houses leadership and support for every aspect of each of CCP's major initiatives, from finance to art direction and from marketing to game design.

The support networks for innovation in Georgia are both substantial and progressive, making Atlanta the perfect home for a virtual world project based on leading technology and unique game design. In March 2009, CCP was named one of the top 10 technology companies in the state by the Technology Association of Georgia. In addition to the fertile business environment, Georgia is filled with many qualified tech professionals, some of whom have joined CCP's growing team. The professional pool remains strong in the area year after year thanks to an abundance of quality local universities who draw top students from around the world. Atlanta has also proven to be a desirable place to relocate for many of new hires filling the over 100 open positions in CCP's global company due to its relatively low cost of living, pleasant weather and metropolitan charm. Those interested in joining CCP's efforts in Atlanta should visit the CCP job website.

[Syl]

I heard rumors of this a rather long time ago. I'm extremely glad this rumor turned out to be true. I love me some white wolf, and given CCP's focus on player generated conflict - i think this could turn out incredible.

[modeps]

I heard rumors of this a rather long time ago. I'm extremely glad this rumor turned out to be true. I love me some white wolf, and given CCP's focus on player generated conflict - i think this could turn out incredible.

It's cool news for sure, but I fear we'll be waiting quite a while for this one.

[Syl]

It's cool news for sure, but I fear we'll be waiting quite a while for this one.
They can take their time. I'd rather a good game that takes a while than a rushed game that can never catch back up.

[lockwoodx]

I'm keeping my eye on this for sure. Is it just a RPG or will this be a MMORPG?

[Syl]

I'm keeping my eye on this for sure. Is it just a RPG or will this be a MMORPG?

It's called a "virtual world project", so i'm assuming MMO.

I'm curious how they're going to do this, balance out the main 3 (Mage, Vampire Werewolf) and then all the subclasses?

That is a LOT of work. Although i guess if they're going to use a system similar to the nWOD system most of the balancing will be done for them, it worked surprisingly well in masquerade: Bloodlines and the nWOD system is far more balanced than the old one.

[Capt_Thad]

I've been keeping track of news on this for awhile, but it's been incredibly sparse. This and STO are the only mmo's I've ever considered paying a subscription for from the IP alone. I have high hopes.

[Yama]

While the potential is high, I can't help but think the game will be the same as any other MMO:
"lvl5 gangrel lfg"

[Jotoco]

It's called a "virtual world project", so i'm assuming MMO.

I'm curious how they're going to do this, balance out the main 3 (Mage, Vampire Werewolf) and then all the subclasses?

That is a LOT of work. Although i guess if they're going to use a system similar to the nWOD system most of the balancing will be done for them, it worked surprisingly well in masquerade: Bloodlines and the nWOD system is far more balanced than the old one.

I think balancing experience gain may be the way to go.

Maybe a "lvl 20" (if such thing as level would exist) Vampire should be up to chalenge against a "lvl10" Werewolf or a "lvl12" Mage. Or even a "lvl40"human.

And, of course, the endgame should be balanced with itself with diferent level caps.

[Syl]

I think balancing experience gain may be the way to go.

Maybe a "lvl 20" (if such thing as level would exist) Vampire should be up to chalenge against a "lvl10" Werewolf or a "lvl12" Mage. Or even a "lvl40"human.

And, of course, the endgame should be balanced with itself with diferent level caps.

Well, the entire point of the WoD system is that there are NO levels.

You get experience points, these points go into stats, and thats IT. They even almost completely removed "generation advantages" in the nWoD.

It is not a system that i feel would be terribly friendly to convert to something that most MMO players are familiar with. There's a lot of dice rolling involved. (Stats = amount of D10's rolled, then you count "successes") and the game tend to be much more dialogue and drama heavy than it is fighting heavy. The systems made for this.

Now there are obviously people that are more powerful than others, they may just have a 6 or 7 in a stat compared to a 2 or 3 (which is an outrageous advantage) - but there are no "levels" by any means. They could try to claim that all human players are "hunters" to give them almost equal footing, but a transformed werewolf can still destroy them.

I have a feeling that despite the fact that humans are the focus of the (base) WoD roleplaying game, they'll either not be an option in the MMO or will be the ONLY option in the MMO. that or CCP has some ideas that i simply cannot fathom and will be amazed when they come out.

Vampire, Mage, Werewolf will probably be at launch. Changeling and Hunter could make good expansions - Promethean is probably going to be reduced to nothing but an NPC or two and maybe a side story, they'd be nearly impossible for PC play.

[bean19]

Awesome!

In a few previous threads where we talked about our ideal game concepts if we were game developers I remember mentioning two games that are now in the works:

1. A Star Wars MMO developed by a good RPG company that focuses on story so that we feel like we are a character in a Star Wars adventure; and

2. An MMO based on the World of Darkness (though I would not want a game to even attempt to follow the pen & paper ruleset but to instead focus on being fun and telling interesting narratives).

Just in case this board is working like Oprah's "The Secret", I'd also like to say that I'd really, really like a JOB at a game development company. (Please work faster this time magic board, I have an interview in about an hour).

[bean19]

It is not a system that i feel would be terribly friendly to convert to something that most MMO players are familiar with.
Absolutely. They shouldn't even attempt to adapt rules from a pen and paper game into a video game. DDO tried to do it and they had to make design compromises to do so and every time they compromised the D&D rules, the D&D fanatics through shit-flinging fits.

A game that works with players working collaboratively vs. AI or where players work against one another in a videogame is miles away from a collaborative story-telling game like a P&P RPG.

They should invent rules that keep things well-balanced and fun.

[Syl]

miliar with.
Absolutely. They shouldn't even attempt to adapt rules from a pen and paper game into a video game. DDO tried to do it and they had to make design compromises to do so and every time they compromised the D&D rules, the D&D fanatics through shit-flinging fits.
My only problem with DDO is that i feel D&D combat rules should not apply to real time combat.

[Anenome]

Wait, wait, while the idea of this game is absolutely incredible -- White Wolf is just about the most awesome thing going in the genre, but I can't see how they can possibly incorporate Mage into a game without radically changing how mages work in the game.

Their best bet is actually to translate the world, the World of Darkness as they call it, into a background for the game, then create classes for the various characters in a more 'gamelike' fashion on top of that.

You could incorporate some of the system's mechanics, like the way the stats are laid out and whatnot. But, as a gamer, what we really want are the stories and flavor of the world. I wouldn't try to turn the RPG's combat system into a video game system.

There's still a lot of room in the MMORPG universe for a company to do it 'right'. WoW isn't doing it right, they have massive balance problems. The solution may actually somehow involve abandoning the concept of balance at all. No one can beat a werewolf in physical prowess, vampires have all sorts of strengths and powers and opportunities, and mages... that's where the real problem is.

In mage, you don't have spells. It's the best thing about all of WW. You can do -literally anything- as a mage. It's the total opposite of, say AD&D. And, the best magic doesn't even look like magic. But, to turn Mage into a game you have to abandon that aspect, and that's a true pity.

Not until we can play games hosted by artificial intelligences as gamemasters can an online game of Mage be run the way it's intended.

[bean19]

Wait, wait, while the idea of this game is absolutely incredible -- White Wolf is just about the most awesome thing going in the genre, but I can't see how they can possibly incorporate Mage into a game without radically changing how mages work in the game.
They'd have to change everything actually. There are vampire traits and werewolf gifts that can't work as game mechanics in an MMO too.

Obviously mages would have to change quite a bit because the whole Paradox bit works well from a story-telling point of view but will not work so well as an in-game mechanic.