MMORPGs and VR - when will it happen ?

[Zede]

way back in 1992 I took a trip to Nottingham for my birthday, and went to a VR centre there. We all donned our chunky helmets, and went off on standard rpg grp set up(elf wiz/dwarf fighter/human cleric etc..) and trashed a dungeon The program was ran on suped up Amiga if I recall. Graphics..hmm worked I guess, and you did get the feeling be in virtuality - it was cool.

that was then this is now.....how far off are we from actually being able to say, put on your vr specs ( or whatever) and what ever other pieces of technology and engage in a DaoC environment ?

I know stuff is very much available now - Im thinking of a time when you can get a pair of vr specs for the cost of a packet of fags ( Uk prices !) and were the mmorpg is designed to be used around using vr only.

at a guess id say 2010.

 

[Morchaoron]

I dont think that VR would be very succesful in a pve grinding game where you have to spend hours at the same camp, at least i wouldnt want to be stuck in that world alone, it would drive me crazy ;p

In more action-packed games however...

 

[Dillinja]

Real-life Matrix, ahamagawd!

Seriously though, for something like that, it's going to take much longer than 5 or 6 years. You're talking 10+ years at least, and that's only if the games industry holds up that long. By then hopefully I will be old enough and wise enough to know that MMORPGs are a big waste of time and I'll want no part in it anyway.

 

[Morchaoron]

exactly what kind of VR do you mean? some sort of headset with a display in front of your eyes or where you have all kinds of silly controllers aswell?

one problem with VR is that it is much more tiring for the mind then a normal monitor

 

[Ezteq]

lol the pr0n industry will get to it first.

But i would love to have a crack at a vr rpg that would rock though hitting someone to death with your staff/sword etc is a lot easier to do by just hitting a key, would have to maybe grow a muscle to do it vr style.

 

[Comos]

The average gamer (myself included) is way too lazy to actually move your arm up and down (Y-ax.) (We can only just manage the horizontal movement needed to control the mouse.) Also, you'd actually have to be standing on your feet

I wouldn't mind wearing those helmet things where 2 mini screens are placed in front of your eyes so it seems as if you are in front of a very large screen. That way you could actually relax your head against the back of your chair

 

[Rookiescot]

The average gamer (myself included) is way too lazy to actually move your arm up and down (Y-ax.) (We can only just manage the horizontal movement needed to control the mouse.) Also, you'd actually have to be standing on your feet

I wouldn't mind wearing those helmet things where 2 mini screens are placed in front of your eyes so it seems as if you are in front of a very large screen. That way you could actually relax your head against the back of your chair

I agree ...... anything that involved physical movement from me would be right of the agenda.
At work I have to move around but they have to pay me for it.
Damned if I'm gonna do it for nothing at home.

 

[Smurflord]

spend ages playing an rpg and get fit at the same time, sounds great to me

 

[Hansmoleman]

and the creepy ppl that have c6 would get a great workout
it would be very wierd though, not many people could stand thier and get hit or shot at

 

[Svartmetall]

Hehe this is where us live roleplayers would have an advantage, we already do this stuff as a contact sport

...

 

[Smurflord]

Hehe this is where us live roleplayers would have an advantage, we already do this stuff as a contact sport

...

I used to do the live action stuff as a teenager (about 15 years ago - sobs!). Used to get great looks from people when you get on a crowded commuter train with a 4ft rubber broadsword and shield, while wearing a cloak.

 

[harebear]

When they can find out how to send ickle electrical thingies to your brain to make you feel as if your getting hit (maybe lessen the pain a bit ) fighting games will be cool.

 

[Job]

Well Duh!!

It's been about for sometime, you can get the headsets and drivers even for DAOC.
It's just that a decent full stereo HUD unit costs about 4 grand.

 

[Escape]

Depends on how you define VR.
First thought I get is a headset/helmet with a screen for each eye to give you a 3D image. Add some motion sensors to your body, to interact with the program through movement.

I guess the pressure put on the eyes/brain is too much which probably leads to headaches over prolonged use. Release a unit like that to the public and you're looking at law suits - from caring mothers who want money for their child's headache!



The Culture have some pretty cool VR technology, specially the one in Use of Weapons

 

[Ctuchik]

spend ages playing an rpg and get fit at the same time, sounds great to me

yes imagine the "fitness" u would get having to run as a valkyn everyday u play one...

 

[Binky the Bomb]

To be honest, I can see VR in games as being a bad idea, really. Lets not forget the spacial orientation thing, and concentrate more on the amount of processing, graphics and memory required for something like this, plus rapid responce and no flickering or corroded images. Everything would have to be running full whack to get it upto standard levels of graphics and refresh rate just to make it playable. Then we have the control interface, how the hell do you work that into the headset and gloves?

We had a VR suite when I was in college, and every friday if you knew the right people, you could play multi-player Quake 2 on the network using the VR gear. Having the reticle, view, and movement all seperate was daunting and time consuming, not to mention disorientationg. After a while, we decided not to bother and played without the headsets and glove, it ws just easier.

Think very carefully about mixing it with MMORPG's, as it a disaster waiting to happen, no matter how cool and idea it seems.

 

[Escape]

There's a beat'em-up game coming out for the PS2 or Xbox which uses motion sensor gloves. You throw punches/block moves and so on and your character mimics your movements. There's a golfing game and others planned using the same technology.

Those would be good MMORPG game, if you have sword fights and what not using these gadgets.
It beats one button "I win" fights anyway

 

[Rookiescot]

Yeah ... but I'm still more interested about the pron aspect of VR ...

I look forward to the day when I tell the wife "Hmmmm not tonight dear ..... I'm having it off with Kylie... or Kelly Brook .... or ..... " ah hell you get the idea

 

[Ingafgrinn Macabre]

would be cool, been thinking about that btw, and what if you just used VR glasses that leave a little room to look underneith them so you can see the keyboard, but with a sensor on the monitor which detects the way you look, so you can still look around, in 3d. the hardware is already here, and pc's can already handle calculating from different points of views, so it should't be too hard to implement. Easiest way to do it, is to calculate each other frame from the other eye (switching left-right-left-ri.... each frame), so if you normally run at 100 fps, you now run 50/50 on each eye.

And the advantage of leaving a little space to look underneith the goggles is that you don't have to buy all those expensive gloves etc for it, plus you can write stuff down quick w/o taking off your goggles.

 

[Hansmoleman]

if it makes people disoriented and such i can imagine power gamers having a serious time accepting something like this especially for a mmorpg game, and camping things would be even more boring than they are already and how would you cast different spells lol, all the hand movements are the same

 

[Fana]

When i think VR i think of a direct feed of sensory stimuli into your brain, and a corresponding back feed to a comp directly from your brain, its the only way really of acheiving it. Would require, apart from massive computing power, a neural interface, which to my knowledge doesnt exists yet (even tho i believe they are experimenting with it for prostethics etc). We are talking the same kind of technological acheivment that will allow paralyzed people to walk again here, neural grafting etc.
Id say we are definetly heading there, but we wont see it for consumer products for another 20 years or so

You should read Tad Williams Otherworld series if you want to read about a possible future for VR gaming (and its a nice series of books as well, altho very much sci-fi).

And yes, mmorpg believable VR would rock, but just imagine how it would affect society - some people (alot probably) would likely retreat 100% into the make believe worlds, be fed intraveinously and never surface again

 

[Binky the Bomb]

Like the total immersion video game from Red Dwarf (Series 5, dispair squid).
Thats why I think VR is a bad idea.

 

[Ctuchik]

There's a beat'em-up game coming out for the PS2 or Xbox which uses motion sensor gloves. You throw punches/block moves and so on and your character mimics your movements. There's a golfing game and others planned using the same technology.

Those would be good MMORPG game, if you have sword fights and what not using these gadgets.
It beats one button "I win" fights anyway

would be diffrent yes.. but imagine a lets say 10 hour pve session where u stand and doing the same move over and over again (like the taunt style for whatever weapon u use) i can see some SERIOUS neck and shoulder injuries incomming.... think i prefer the 1 button "i win" fights

 

[Validus]

Actually i can see the magic system very fun! They could make it like black & white just with the movements of your hands!
Example: To activate Fire Element: make a swirl movement with your right arm. (3D example of movement seen on screen.)

To cast Fire Bolt: while at Fire Element mode, move your arm back slowly with your hand open. Once you reach your body with your hand, extend arm fully forward with your hand open. (3D example of movement shown on screen.)

Would be pretty cool!