So I just read some YTTH

And in particular beyond the usual complete mess of information that Stelek posts, was a post about MMOs.

I've thought about this for a long time. MMOs. Hmmmm. There must be something to them that makes them tick. In thinking of the upcoming 40k MMO Dark millenium and the whole 2 faction business spawned a thought.

Between the major complaints people have with MMOs a couple come through the strongest: endgame content and PVP.

Endgame content is a no-brainer to anyone reading this blog I hope. It refers to the stuff you can do once you hit max level. In WoW's case it's either griefing low level players or grinding better gear for no reason at all.

And PVP? Another beast yet again. I mean yeah you can do it the guildwars way and have guilds face off in 10player matches like a giant arena. Or WoW with 30person arenas. Or you can try for a slightly more esoteric approach by defining an area or resource that needs to be taken just because and then have people congregate there for war. EVE... Planetside and to a much lesser degree WAR.

Ho ho ho.

Here's my idea (and I'm gonna spend a lot more time thinking about it because it's good)

3 factions. 2 primary 1 secondary.

Primary factions are 'regular army' factions, complete with vehicles, standardised equipment, chain of command and little sub-factionisation (ie few """""guilds"""""). Primary factions are everything you expect from a big MMO, with a twist. Players can renounce their ties to their main faction and become mercs. Mercs are your """""""""guilds"""""""""". Mercs gain a few key bonuses, for example being able to recruit from the secondary faction, as well as using equipment from both primary factions. Mercs are all-comers and can accept contracts from both primary factions. Mercs are also targets for both factions at any time. They get no security forces beyond those they recruit or NPC pirates they employ, but have a larger armoury.

Primary factions by contrast of course get the safety net of standing security forces, a regular income, large community to draw from and some AoE benefits from teamwork related activities.

Finally comes the secondary faction. They are secondary in the sense that they completely deviate from the primary factions in such a way as they do not function under any similarity, have none of the same bonuses and get to do unique things in place of territory command.

So in my head this is probably going to be a game set in a futuristic setting.. say.. 2300 for the sake of argument. Forward in time but not enough to be completely unrecognisable. The two primary factions are going to be like east vs west. Different leadership, similar capabilities, huge battles.. battlefield/arma-esque unit structure.

Secondary faction is STALKERs, for the easiest comparison. Pseudo-supernatural, initially shit weapons and no armour, totally unique capabilities that by the time they reach "endgame" they're so far removed from the primary factions in function that they're like a whole other species. I'm talking jumping 40m, climbing up the sides of a building, stealth cloaks, energy weapons, a totally unique economy (that mercs only see the very surface of) and most importantly: no formalised structure. To each of these players is a nation, his weapon his army, his vest his fortress. I dub these players uncreatively for now 'raiders'. Raiders are predominantly PVE thanks to their unique nature being unsuitable for the kinds of PVP I envisage for the primary factions.

And I'll stop there for now.