A Pinoy MMORPG?
I’ve always toyed with the idea of conceptualizing and designing an all-Filipino MMORPG, one that shouts “truly Pinoy”. It’s in my “career wish list”, so to speak.
I guess there’s nothing wrong with daydreaming. But IÂ know we’re not far from achieving it. Some of my friends have already designed Anito, the first true Filipino PC game. But when I say Pinoy MMORPG, it should have real Filipino elements, culture and flavor. One that we can call our very own.
Join me as we go on a brainstorming rampage on how we create the MMORPG that WE want to play.
The Genre
First, we have to figure out the genre. For me, I’m narrowing the choice to Fantasy, Contemporary and Sci-Fi. If we go the fantasy way, there are several routes - one can go the classic Filipino heritage and legends way; where you’ll see aswangs, tikbalangs and kapres. Imagine a boss fight with a Mananggal and you’ll get what I mean. Classes or Jobs can be Panday, Salamangkero, Mankukulam, Faith Healer (Albularyo), or a Kawal (warrior). Weapons can be those from the days of Lapu-Lapu or the era of Carpio. Exciting indeed!
Local TVÂ have also honed the creative talents of Filipinos with hits such as Mulawin and Engkantadia - these were of course inspired by the original Pinoy fantasy epic starring the late Fernando Poe Jr - Panday! This MMO that we’re designing can also derive skills, magic and races from these sources.
And we’re just starting! We can also design an MMO using contemporary or sci-fi angle. Remember the Bong Revilla movie Resiklo? It wasn’t fantastic but it could be a start. A post-apocalyptic Philippines. I can see now that the patches are going to be cities like Cebu or Davao. What can be more exciting than playing in areas that you are truly familiar with.
Elements
Magic and skills can also be derived from Philippine folklore and mythology. The provinces are a host to myriad of spells, incantations and rituals. “Mang Kepweng, pede pa baps?!?”. You get what I mean? Who needs elems or boss cards when you can craft and fashion your very own Agimats? Coolnezz!
We also have scores of weapons and even martial arts that we can use. Eskrima quickly comes to mind. I wonder what the pre-requisites for the skill will be? The game should be skill-based so that players can combine the best elements from Philippine myth.
Conclusion
I’m sure that this will be a reality one day. The only thing stopping us is the cost. There’s nothing lacking when it comes to talent or ideas (this article is proof that there are lot of good sources to cull from). I’m positive that this will be a definite hit. It’s not a joke to create and design a complete MMORPG. It can take a couple of years plus, game balance will always be a big issue.
But at least we’ve started the ball rolling.
If you were to be included in the design team, what would you want to have in our OWN GAME?
Sound off by commenting below.
Ciao,
GM T
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Paul said
am April 14 2008 @ 8:47 am
Definitely include the noli me tangere and el fili for boss drops
Blackwolf said
am April 14 2008 @ 10:16 am
Combat skills like arnis, kali and kuntao would be fun to see. Weapons like the balisong, kris (that’s one entire sword family which includes blades like the parang and kampilan) and tirador should be drops for fantasy-like settings.
For a more modern milieu similar to Ran Online, you could include the Indian Pana. Characters could get around the city using jeeps and tricycles and we could have real traffic jams with busted traffic lights, conflicting one-way signs and takatak boyz hawking cigarettes and iStork to passersby.
Hmmm… Maybe this is a bit too real…
Noel said
am April 14 2008 @ 2:17 pm
I would like to see a really Pinoy town, with nipa huts for the storage depots, etc.
Paul said
am April 14 2008 @ 9:47 pm
@BlackWolf
That would definitely eat up most of my RAM… XD
issai said
am April 15 2008 @ 1:29 am
it should be like ancient philippines (pre-spanish kumbaga), para astig… with all the engkantadas, duwendes and all the cool magic stuff. and classes like the babaylan, mandirigma, etc… di ba pinoy na pinoy?
Lix Tetrax said
am April 15 2008 @ 9:38 pm
actually back in HS my group of friends decided to conceptualize the same idea, we had this idea of having an RF chip war like battle between races that you can choose from the start of the game, races like, Itas, warays, tagalog, bisaya, badjao etc. each race having their own unique skills. Hahahaha I really like to see a game based on philippine folklore hahhaa
Ryan said
am April 15 2008 @ 10:09 pm
Really good ideas! I want to have a 3D-like MMO where we can battle Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio as bosses and they have the katipuneros as their mobs. It’s good to concentrate the details during the Spanish and American colonialism since Anito already had it i the lines of Lapu-lapu and the Datus.
kuronosakura said
am April 20 2008 @ 11:57 am
Rockin’ ideas man. Count me in if you want a storyline. I’m underage, but who said age was an issue? If you want staff, I’m in. And…yeah, Noli Me Tangere would be a nice rare item
anu daw?!? said
am April 20 2008 @ 1:20 pm
hey iam a waray and we hate manileños. hehehehe
JOKE
really interesting. funny too!! “mang Kepweng, pede pa baps?!?” or manang, paheal. hehehehe
Paul said
am April 21 2008 @ 10:44 am
Hey count me in for some creative input there
kuronosakura said
am April 22 2008 @ 7:17 pm
whut duh.
NO 3D.
It makes PCs cry.
tim said
am May 1 2008 @ 12:14 pm
exiting nito! i hope one day makalaro nga tyo ng mmorpg na pinoy na pinoy! haha /gg
GM T said
am May 2 2008 @ 12:59 am
I hope so too, Tim.
Hey guys, keep the ideas coming. Who knows? This COULD be the start of something big.
GM T
TheWarGod said
am May 16 2008 @ 12:03 pm
Should have it’s own UTS/Auction system like in RF/PW “Tambunting”, Cebuana Lhuiller” Tie-ups anyone?
you could also have “snatchers” as your basic rogue job class.
GM T said
am May 17 2008 @ 2:34 am
Ayus yan! hahaha
psychokamote said
am June 23 2008 @ 1:03 am
basta iyong manananggal kamukha ni Gloria, at yung dwende kamukha ni chavit, lalaruin ko yan hahaha! baka lvl 100 kagad ako after playing 3 days straight hekhek!
pwedeng maging epektibong behikulo ‘to para ma-educate ang mga bata sa kultura natin, kasi nawawala na, nagiging baduy na, nasasambit na lang sa mga biro’t katatawanan.
suggestions ko:
ipakita ang alibata. sa tatu man yan o nakaukit sa weapons, o tatak sa agimat ok lang basta ipakita nyo pls.
matagal nang na-demonize ang tatu sa isipan ng mga pinoy. ipakita nyo naman sha bilang simbolo ng katapangan, o simbolo ng katungkulan sa lipunan, o simbolo ng achievement o kung ano man basta hindi negatibo. example, may certain design ng tatu na makukuha mo lang once u reach a certain level… it gives stat bonuses or protection from dwende attacks, etc… prang ganun
ung mga Ifugao maraming anito. may anito ng palay, Bul-ul, anito ng kabundukan, ng ilog, ng digma etc. dun pa lng marami nang pagpipilian. my advantages and disadvantages pagdating sa skills, money-making, player-killing, etc. depende kung kninong anito mo ia-align ung character mo.
please wag niyong gawing pinoy vs pinoy, waray vs tagalog, or ilocano vs bisaya… pagdating sa geography watak-watak tyo, sa kasaysayan natin watak-watak tayo, pati ba naman sa MMORPG watak-watak pa rin? Stick na lang sa good ‘ol fashioned good vs evil, kalaban mga aswang…
iyan lang ang suggestions na naisip ko sa ngayon, napadaan lang ako eh, nagliliwaliw sa net lol. good luck sa Pinoy MMORPG na yan.
aki2o said
am June 25 2008 @ 6:21 pm
for me hehhe i lyk this article hehe makisali na rin me sa mga comment for me magandang ibase ang game natin kung sa mga jobs,race tayu magsisimula…
mdyo ibase natin sa PW or sa ragna:
meelee types: kawal(spearmen),panday(blacksmith),
basagulero(brawler)(haha),mandarambong(thief),etc.
long range:babaylan(mage),engkantada(fairy),aswang(beast),holdaper(gunmen,goons)
hahaha pede naman na isaaus ung ginawa ko hahahah
then pede silang lagyan ng mga skills den diba…
mga monsters pedeng pede kumuha sa mythology or in modern tyms but wag mga politicians kasi wasak agad ang game natin hahahha….
for mga lugar gud nga na sa philippines kukuha^^
kakatuwa
4th yir high skul me and kukuha ako ng BSIT pangarap ko makapagtrabaho sa level up hahah and sana one day makasama ko sa team na gagawa ng maganda MMORPg na true blue filipino style hahhaha
and sana makita kita sa personal idol tristan haha