The Daily Grind: What type of ship combat is ideal in a sci-fi MMO?
The coming years will bring numerous options for sci-fi MMO gameplay. While EVE Online is presently the reigning champ, other ship-based MMOs are on the way like Star Trek Online and Jumpgate Evolution. There are also a few dark horses in the running like Taikodom and Black Prophecy. Despite their differing game mechanics, what all of these titles share is combat that takes place in three-dimensional space. While there's still a default horizontal orientation, you're not fixed to that horizontal plane, giving you more vectors of attack and evasion. Each game has (or will have) its own twist on combat, though.
EVE Online's combat is methodical and somewhat difficult to master. However, it's also a blast once you know what you're doing, especially given that that when you get into Tech II and Tech III ships, there's real loss involved that can get your heart pumping. Combat in Star Trek Online has been described as being above all else a tactical experience, but from the video footage we posted yesterday, it's faster-paced than we anticipated. These ships seem fairly agile. But when it comes to dynamic joystick-style space combat in an MMO, Jumpgate Evolution will likely be in a class of its own.
With these differing approaches to the game mechanics of combat in these titles, what do you want out of ship combat in an MMO? Do any of these games fit what you're looking for in a space-based massively multiplayer online game?
