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Role Playing (Games) Entertainment Games

Matrix MMORPG 52

Posted by Hemos from the milking-yet-more-money dept.
An anonymous reader writes "As linked to in this post, Matrix: Online has been announced. The official site for the game describes it as a MMORPG of epic proportions as people will get to feel what it's like to be a part of the matrix realm. Although the details list lots of interesting information, the most important piece I found was in the FAQ section... where they state that the game takes place after Matrix Revolutions... Are they trying to hint at something?"
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Matrix MMORPG More

Matrix MMORPG

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  • can't wait! (Score:5, Funny)

    by TomSawyer ( 100674 ) on Monday June 02, 2003 @05:46AM (#6094334) Homepage
    "D00d! j00r totally cheating, quit dodging my bullets! Oh yeah! I buy that, sure, we can all jump that high. f0x0r j00!"

  • When the system bogs down (Score:5, Funny)

    by AtariAmarok ( 451306 ) on Monday June 02, 2003 @05:48AM (#6094335)
    When this Matrix game system bogs down to poor planning for number of users and bandwidth, and everything starts to look like running multi-user Quake IV on a 286 IBM-PC AT with a 300 baud modem, the guys running the game can say "There's nothing wrong here. You are just watching bullet-time effects"
    • And bugs in the game will be the 'glitches' when the agents alter reality.

      And someone will try and crash the game to free the people from the matrix, claiming to be The One.
      • "And someone will try and crash the game to free the people from the matrix, claiming to be The One."

        That's a pretty good point. Who is going to blame anyone who hacks and destroys the Matrix MMORPG when the goal in the Matrix universe is to destroy the Matrix computer system?

        Some hacker is going to bust into the system, get root access with a Unix command line on the servers, and format all the hard disks. He'll say in his defense "I thought it was another version of that DOS prompt in the MATRIX game"

  • This game raises a few questions (Score:5, Insightful)

    by psyco484 ( 555249 ) on Monday June 02, 2003 @06:18AM (#6094439)
    First off, how could they possibly incorporate something like bullettime in a multiplayer game, you can't slow down one client and keep it moving full speed for another, unless I'm missing some obvious trick to accomplish this.

    Secondly, if this is an RPG, doesn't that detract some of the very qualities that made the Matrix a cool movie? I'm having a hard time envisioning a battle with an agent in terms of "attack: 9 damage!" and "Neo misses Agent" or even in terms of a NWN or Diablo style click to attack battle. I by no means claim I am an expert on RPGs, but it seems to me that the most action packed games that seem to fit what the Matrix trilogy is, would be more suited as an FPS or 3rd person view like Enter the Matrix. I'm holding out to see how gameplay actually goes before putting anything into this game.

    Three, is hacking the matrix fair game? Seriously, is hacking the system's bugs to your advantage "legal" or frowned upon? One would think that perhaps bugs could be built in waiting for the clever users to exploit like in the movies. I think this would add a level of gameplay never seen before and has serious potential, but again, I'm holding out till I see how smoothly it actually goes.

    This game looks damn good in concept, but it's a bit early to make a final judgement on whether this will be a success or small die hard fanbase only game. I hope it does well and they don't muck something significant up.

    • Re:This game raises a few questions (Score:5, Interesting)

      by cgenman ( 325138 ) on Monday June 02, 2003 @09:58AM (#6095887) Homepage
      Four, how will a squad-based 5-good-guys-against-the-world movie translate into an individualistic 20 million good guys against the 3 agents game? A large part of the ambiance of the Matrix came from the sense of isolation. What happens when there are so many people that you want to move to a different server? Hopefully they will take a cue from PSO and make it a squad-based MMPORPG that isn't really MMP.

      Five, what will the player do to level up? How many innocents must you kill to get superman flight? Experience is obviously earned by fighting, but I would question the "richness" of the Matrix world as it currently stands to support a sufficiently large variety of expendable mook cows. Another run down the casino to kill guards? Or at the bank to kill... guards?

      Six, is there sufficient variety in a dirty city to keep the game visually interesting? Two hours staring at subways and dirty apartments isn't that taxing, but two months? I already live in a dirty apartment. Does The Matrix provide enough potential set pieces to keep people visually stimulated? Or will that subtle shade of green drive everyone nuts.

  • Bullet lag? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Komarosu ( 538875 ) <nik_doof@nikdoofAUDEN.net minus poet> on Monday June 02, 2003 @06:22AM (#6094454) Homepage
    Brings up alot of implementation questions...say bullet time? (thats if there gonna include it). with MMORPG u usually need to keep sync with whats going on around u, bullet time will slow u down and obviously summat ur fighting.

    Solutions are: 1. Slow the entire server down too, or 2. try to squeeze all the action into the small timeframe but render it slow on the client, this could possibly create artifical lag for everyone else or a huge catchup situation (aka. lag) for the player.

    Of course this is IF they implement it :)

    In a fewer words: it will be interesting how they can bring the matrix universe alive while still keeping some of its ethos :)

    • Re:Bullet lag? (Score:2, Insightful)

      by genrader ( 563784 )
      I do have a suggestion about the bullet time...if Neo is the only one who can dodge bullets and nobody else can then there is no need for a bullet time...problem solved.
      • Neo's the only one who can dodge bullets yes, but what about the other impossible stuff that they do...hmm actually you're right. The only time you need to see that stuff in slo-mo is with bullets. Everything else is just eyecandy...Damn. That takes away half the fun though.

  • Interesting point (Score:5, Interesting)

    by samael ( 12612 ) <Andrew@Ducker.org.uk> on Monday June 02, 2003 @06:57AM (#6094581) Homepage
    It's set after Matrix Revolutions. Which indicates that there will still be a Matrix then....

    • Re:Interesting point (Score:5, Interesting)

      by bob_jordan ( 39836 ) on Monday June 02, 2003 @07:15AM (#6094673)
      I have been saying this for a while. You can't just overthrow the machines and have millions of people suddenly wake up. How do you clothe, house and feed them.

      I am sure that at the end of the trilogy, there will still be a matrix in place, they may just be either starting to wake people up a few at a time or starting to put people back in.

      If they are taking them out, then it will take a long time. This could be where the game is set.

      Bob.
      • Wow, sounds like it will be an exciting game. Wake someone up, bring in Habitat for Humanity and build a home. Repeat.
      • Actually, it could also happen that a lot of people would be awaken... only to want to go back!
        Let's say you do overthrow the machines. Then you start awakening people, maybe not one by one, but now in batches, since there are no squiddies patrolling the 'real' world.
        And first a few people, then lots of 'em start to feel homesick of the good ol'days when you could have a real steak =) Bam! You have a group of 'rebel' humans who only want the machines to come back! Why not? =)
        You could set this game in
      • So if this game flops and they pull the plug after 6 months does that mean everyone is free??
    • Very interesting indeed. Straight from the FAQ:

      Where does The Matrix Online take place?
      The Matrix Online takes place within the Matrix. No "real world" game play will take place. Characters in The Matrix online will be logged into the Matrix and aboard a hovercraft at broadcast depth.

      When does the game take place?
      The Matrix Online timeline takes place after The Matrix Revolutions, the third Matrix movie.

      Had to type that out due to their liberal use of flash


    • Prediction: the game does not exist, it is an elaborate ruse designed to create uncertainty about the denouement of the matrix trilogy.

      ... or maybe not. But if I had a movie franchise (which was already hugely profitable without multiple game licences) that's exactly what I'd do.
  • Then out of the ~10000 ppl who buy subscriptions, only ONE will get cool kungfu powers and everyone else gets to play a game which is every bit as mundane as real life in the '90s! I bags being Mr. Anderson before Trinity finds him! Incidentally, there won't be bullet time clashes either. =P
  • Mark my words, this game will *never* be released.

  • Isn't this a little redundant? (Score:5, Funny)

    by hprotagonist0 ( 312387 ) on Monday June 02, 2003 @07:36AM (#6094780)
    I mean, the Matrix essentially is an MMORPG. Who knows, maybe this is how the Matrix got started. Instead of the Matrix Online, it should be called Matrix 0.0.1 (alpha). Let's just hope they don't make the AI too good.

    "Hey man, I just got the Matrix Online. It's awesome. They've got this great new interface, too. The surgery wasn't too bad, but it's kinda hard to sleep comfortably with this thing on the back of my neck."

  • Bullet Time? Simple! (Score:3, Funny)

    by th3walrus ( 191223 ) on Monday June 02, 2003 @07:36AM (#6094784)
    Unfortunately, present day MMORPG designers have considerably less creativity than your average banker. Otherwise they would realize how easy bullet time is to implement.

    Obviously you can't slow down the whole world for everyone. Which is why you return to the wonderful world of turn based party-only combat! Take the combat system used in the pioneer MMORPG, The Realm, and add features to bring it up to date.

    It's a shame that this kind of combat system would deviate too much from the standard MMORPG template. Otherwise we might have a decent game for once.

    • Re:Bullet Time? Simple! (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Crockerboy ( 611431 ) on Monday June 02, 2003 @08:05AM (#6095003)
      So...You want to take the fast paced action oriented style of the Matrix combat and turn it into Turn based combata a la Final Fantasy? I'm sorry sir, I will have to disagree. It just wouldn't be true to the franchise to have a menu pop up where you select Defense>Dodge Bullets and then sit back and watch the pretty animation over, and over, and over, and over again.

      But its a moot point anyways, as a another poser has already pointed out that Neo is really the only one that can dodge bullets other than Agents and I think there is absolutely zero chance of playing either in the game. Which brings up another interesting point...is each server going to have 4000 or so people running around in cool black leather beating people up at will (which is totaly incosistent with the current Matrix movies) or are we going to have to play bus drivers and tax accountants like the rest of the normal stiffs still stuck in the Matrix?

      when you start thinking about what this game will have after you get past the "OMG, MATRIX ONLINE!11!!ROOFLES!11!" it raises some serious questions on if this game is going to be good, or just another licensed crap game to get wads of money from unsuspecting fans of the license.

  • Matrix: great movie, not so great MMORPG? (Score:5, Informative)

    by Traderdot ( 677425 ) on Monday June 02, 2003 @09:31AM (#6095646) Homepage
    MMORPGs like Ultima Online and Everquest have people roleplaying, honing their crafts, building things to earn money, etc. In the Matrix there's no need to do any of that. Want money? Want a car? Need weapons? Call the operator!

    I'm presuming you'd be playing a rebel. The rebels don't really spend much time in the Matrix. They go in, do what they need to do and get out. They don't wander around much because once the agents find out where they are, it just becomes a chase since since no-one except Neo can out-fight them.

    Great movies but I have my doubts about its viability as a MMORPG.

  • Wow (Score:2, Funny)

    by EABird ( 554070 )
    Here I thought we were already in the Matrix MMORPG
    • Yes, but I've heard that there is this french guy who claims that this kid with the stupiest nickname ever started cheating with an exploit he found, that let him fly and stuff, pretty funny, and they had to reset the server... but i've heard that about a couple of dozen people still have their character from before... and that this is not the first time that it happens. Apparently they just refuse to fix the security hole.
  • Dammit, it won't let me mod down the main post for spoiler content!

  • On Bullet Time (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Hellbuny ( 444564 ) on Monday June 02, 2003 @11:48AM (#6096757) Homepage
    Has anyone here ever played Giants: Citizens Kabuto? Remember the reaper Spell which slowed down time in a limited area, akin to a bubble that appeared, I imagine something similar to this for bullet time.

    People outside of it would move normal time, while the person on the inside gets to move around and avoid all those nasty bullets once they enter into the sphere of bullet time.. You just create an area where incoming projectiles are slowed for anyone who is using the power.. There would be more to think about like outgoing projectiles, but I imagine firing off 10 shots in slow mode and them suddenly coming out in rapid sucession would work..

    Hand to hand fighting.. I imagine a similar situation, where unless you are activating your Focus (ala enter the matrix) you are slowed down and if you are, you remain same speed..

  • Bullettime (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Necromancyr ( 602950 )
    One way to do this, albeit 'cheesily' is that you use 'bullet-time' to do certain attack moves, etc. Basically you hit the bullet time button and kick and jump and you do a crane kick, if you know how to. It's all done in real time so you actually have to be rather fast to do it. Bullet dodging would just be another button to hit to dodge once someone started firing.

    I guess my point is they don't HAVE to have everything slow down to do 'bullet time' type effects. Though many, MANY people will be pisse

  • I saw this at E3. (Score:5, Informative)

    by Samurai Cat! ( 15315 ) on Monday June 02, 2003 @02:34PM (#6098725) Homepage
    I know the publisher's community guy who's now on the TMO project. Managed to get a private demo of the game while at E3 a couple of weeks ago.

    Some of the neat stuff:
    * The game world will be freaking HUGE. They illustrated this by pointing at a piece of the wall in the demo room, which was a bunch of square pieces, each about... hmm, 1.5 ft on each side. "This is the size of the game world." Then the fellow uses his finger and draws off one corner of the square wall piece, and says "This is the size of Sydney." i.e. game world city will be at least 20x the square footage of Sydney, Australia.
    * "Bullet Time" is in - and beyond that, the multiple-blurry effect as well (i.e. when an agent dodges the gunshots on the roof of the first movie, or when Neo/Smith are fighting). How they'll keep the time continuity between the two chars (the target will experience Bullet Time, the attacking character won't), I'm not sure yet.
    * Every damn building in the game world will (so they say) be fully accessable - not just empty boxes for looks. 80-story buildings you see across town will have 80 floors, that you can get up into, rooms, "desks with Coke cans", etc.

    How much of all of this they can pull off, we'll see.

    • Re:I saw this at E3. (Score:3, Informative)

      by Shanoyu ( 975 )
      You'll have to see clonish behavior. The sheer amount of man hours it takes to design just one building will inevitably lead to cloned buildings or set-piece designs. Morrowind is huge, and even though each one of the ancestral tombs is 'individual' they all feel the same. Pulling off unique buildings for an area that large is, simply put, impossible given limited time and resources.
      • True, but considering the sheer size of the game city/world, no one's going to be able (or want to!) go into every building, every floor, every room.
        • Actually, you'd be suprised. A lot of would-be MMORPGers are looking for that exploration aspect in a game. In fact it's 1/4th of the Bartle test which tells you what sort of MUDder you are, unfortunately I lack a url at this time.
      • You'll see it to a point. You could always use a random seed generator to "generate" buildings. This was done to an extent to generate dungeons for Diablo and for maps in Age of Empires. While many of the elements may appear to be the same (textures, cubicles, desks) the layout, design and goodies inside can be very random.
        • In theory, the random seeding would work excellently if new elements were consistantly added. He mentioned coke cans, why not resurrect Tan soda?

          Random seeding works really well for things like items but I imagine it's hard to pull off when you're dealing with something like new visual elements.

          Come to think of it one of the best features of the mud i've wasted far too much of my life in [medievia.com] is item tweaking. Running the same zone several times over to get the best eye of vecna you can get or what have yo
      • There are only so many textures/models in the real world. Once you can model a comparable number of them into the engine, you can simulate worlds as rich as the reality. Honestly, you can take Sim2-like world assets (furniture, objects, wallpapers, carpets, etc.), write a room-generating function and you have the whole world populated with houses/apartments. If you have a unique id for every flat (*+), you can use it as a random seed and have random yet consistent (unchanging over time) apartments. If you a
  • after playing Enter the Matrix, I had hoped they would have given up on any matrix-like games and leave them to the modders out there.

    alas, my nightmares are real.
  • I can imagine it now... after buying the matrix online, you find a shop in the game that sells the matrix online in which you play inside a computer inside the matrix online and each time you always meet the same KFC bearded white guy ready to sell you the same matrix online for all of eternity... untill you do something to change the future... hmm... perhaps actually send the 20$ rebate... in which things go backwards and you start to receive 20$ in the world where you purchased the matrix online and them
  • umm, this [slashdot.org] was posted a while ago
  • 0) Go see the E3 trailer [google.com].

    1) There will be two fractions, pro-Matrix guys and rebels. When the game is started, you will have to select your side. We don't know the story of the Matrix: Revolutions, so the details on this separation are unclear.
    2) You will go into separate locations for missions. Bullet-time will only be available in these locales (where there are only a few people) and not in the main city.
    3) We will probably not play for bus drivers, but instead we will be able to wear cool clothes. This

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