Thread: Why isn't there a Narnia Online???

I think it would be a great experience to venture through the Wardrobe. Play as a Centaur or a Faun or a Son/ Daughter of Adam/Eve. See the Narnian world on your monitor. What opinions do you all have about it? {Turbine could do a GREAT job with that}

I can see developers being skittish about making a MMO where you have to play as a child or young teen. I can see bad publicity coming from this. If the emote system were not severely curtailed they would have to worry about players acting in... inappropriate ways with pixel-ated children. I can also see it causing confusion with non-gamer parents, 'But you play as a kid, I didn't think the game was made for grown ups.' I am a gamer and have let my son play LotrO knowing it is intended for adults, but this can not be said for all parents that let the children play MMOs.

Originally Posted by HWood

I can see developers being skittish about making a MMO where you have to play as a child or young teen. I can see bad publicity coming from this. If the emote system were not severely curtailed they would have to worry about players acting in... inappropriate ways with pixel-ated children. I can also see it causing confusion with non-gamer parents, 'But you play as a kid, I didn't think the game was made for grown ups.' I am a gamer and have let my son play LotrO knowing it is intended for adults, but this can not be said for all parents that let the children play MMOs.

You don't have to be a child. There were plenty of grown-ups in the series.

You couldn't really be a humans from our world seeing as very few ever came in. The notable exception would be the Telmarines, they would work. Not to mention you have a variety of other races that could be playable.

I don't know the status of it's copyright though. I think the idea has potential, but I wouldn't know how to implement it. If Turbine did it while sticking closely to the lore like they have for LotRO, I can see it being good.

I think if it were implemented, it could take advantage of the centuries that passed between the stories. There're even hints of other adventures that took place while the Sons & Daughters weren't there.

Then you could indeed play as adults, not children. And the world is pretty big, especially if you could sail away. Sea battles, land battles, intelligent animals and mythical creatures - lots of stuff to use for material.

Originally Posted by Mithangol

I think it would be a great experience to venture through the Wardrobe. Play as a Centaur or a Faun or a Son/ Daughter of Adam/Eve. See the Narnian world on your monitor. What opinions do you all have about it? {Turbine could do a GREAT job with that}

Who cares about a Narnia mmo when there is The Lord of the Rings mmo?

Seriously The Lord of the Rings is the greatest and most enriched fantasy story than any other
It is the most epic fantasy novel combined with the most epic fantasy world

And seeing Middle-earth is much more spectacular and majestic than seeing Narnia world(actually you cant even compare Middle-earth with other fantsay worlds because Middle-earth is so much superior)

And i wouldnt like Turbine to get busy with other games when they have already three games to work with, plus it would meen less progress for LOTRO

Originally Posted by Dankanthegood

Who cares about a Narnia mmo when there is The Lord of the Rings mmo?

Seriously The Lord of the Rings is the greatest and most enriched fantasy story than any other
It is the most epic fantasy novel combined with the most epic fantasy world

And seeing Middle-earth is much more spectacular and majestic than seeing Narnia world(actually you cant even compare Middle-earth with other fantsay worlds because Middle-earth is so much superior)

And i wouldnt like Turbine to get busy with other games when they have already three games to work with, plus it would meen less progress for LOTRO

I know this is on the Lord of the Rings Online Forums, but there is absolutely no need to be big headed about it.

Just because the Lord of the Rings is a classic (some would say masterpiece) does not mean you can shoot down someone else's idea for an MMORPG, especially one based on another classic series of literature.

I think the Narnia MMORPG would be a very good idea and there would be more than one way to go about the setting and characters available. Although it would probable be best to go with the Narnia only version, with Players been Narnian characters (of a wide variety of Races), leaving any potential problems with Players been children left out.

Not saying that they could not have a lower rating, child friendly MMO (proper safe guards in place and marketed to get the parents involved as well).

I'm not sure if Turbine would want to take another MMO any time soon, but with the Real Life connection between Tolkien and Lewis there could be grounds for connecting the two together.

Exactly!Ty f.i.t.c.!

I think it would be a great idea! For that matter - Harry Potter. WHY IS THERE NONE? My friend and I wrote to JKR's publicist a few years back, and they directed us to WB, but we never resent the request.

Anyway - the point being is that there are a lot of brilliant fantasy series that are lacking a great game such as this. I'd say Narnia is second on my wish list.

Originally Posted by KaylesX

I think it would be a great idea! For that matter - Harry Potter. WHY IS THERE NONE? My friend and I wrote to JKR's publicist a few years back, and they directed us to WB, but we never resent the request.

Anyway - the point being is that there are a lot of brilliant fantasy series that are lacking a great game such as this. I'd say Narnia is second on my wish list.

Eh, I could see Narnia maybe but Harry Potter would be a little weird. The idea is cool but really what is there to do in the lore? Buy wands? Work for the ministry? Go to class? I probably just lack the imagination but I don't really see how it could happen.

Originally Posted by falarc

Eh, I could see Narnia maybe but Harry Potter would be a little weird. The idea is cool but really what is there to do in the lore? Buy wands? Work for the ministry? Go to class? I probably just lack the imagination but I don't really see how it could happen.

Well, I don't want to entirely spoil our ideas in case we ever have the opportunity to act upon them. :P But, if players could choose an era in which to play...well, there were rather a lot of important events involving students at the different schools. But hardcore nerds like me would absolutely jump at the chance to go to classes.

The reason there isn't a Narnia game online is the same reason there isn't a Wheel of Time MMO.
Both are good series with their share of devoted fans but will bring relatively little outside influence and profit into the game.

If I couldn't roll up a little noble griffin, I'd sooo be up for a faun or centaur!
I wonder if anyone else tried the Xena & Hercules MUD that came out years back. I ran a centaur there for awhile, til it launched. But of course as with mud's, ya hafta have a good imagination for text games. (or better yet, very good immersive text descriptions.) Of course the character customization you can get in a text game versus a visually limited game, is totally not the same experience.

Originally Posted by KaylesX

I think it would be a great idea! For that matter - Harry Potter. WHY IS THERE NONE?

Jeffrey Steefel is on the dev team for HPO, being developed by Turbine, i believe, under the WB banner. that's one of the reasons he was pulled off of the LOTRO team.

after mr. Steefel destroyed LOTRO with the radiance and LI grinds that Turbine has spent the last 12 months fixing (which is why we haven't had very much new content since Mirkwood expansion) i will NEVER buy any game that mr. Steefel ever works on in any decision making capacity. that includes HPO. but to be honest, i was never into HP anyway. even though the literary form actually broke some ground... HP just bored me to death.

EDIT: as for a narnia MMO... if it follwed a f2P model, or offered me a lifetime subscription plan, i would seriously consider it, despite the fact that C.S.Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien borrowed heavily from each others' works... but that might actually be the reason i might enjoy it, too...

Originally Posted by Forgotten_Legend

EDIT: as for a narnia MMO... if it follwed a f2P model, or offered me a lifetime subscription plan, i would seriously consider it, despite the fact that C.S.Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien borrowed heavily from each others' works... but that might actually be the reason i might enjoy it, too...

Uhhh... fairly certain they did not borrow from each others work at all. Sure they were in the Inklings together, but they both stated on numerous occasions what they thought about each others work, and it was almost never good. Lewis thought Tolkien was a horrible story teller (he was by the way, but he created amazing worlds), and Tolkien openly made fun of Lewis' fantasy as being too childish, even for children (however, Tolkien was actually Jealous at how easily writing came to Lewis). They were each other's greatest critics (Tolkien was a pretty harsh critic of himself, actually). I see no evidence of borrowing.

Oh, and I would love a Narnia MMO. My second favorite fantasy world.

Originally Posted by Forgotten_Legend

Jeffrey Steefel is on the dev team for HPO, being developed by Turbine, i believe, under the WB banner. that's one of the reasons he was pulled off of the LOTRO team.

Holy ????. Seriously? Has that been confirmed?

Originally Posted by KaylesX

Holy ????. Seriously? Has that been confirmed?

No, but we do know he's working on an unannounced project, and HP is one of WB's biggest IPs. There's a big market in the younger set for an age appropriate MMO.

Originally Posted by geoboy

No, but we do know he's working on an unannounced project, and HP is one of WB's biggest IPs. There's a big market in the younger set for an age appropriate MMO.

Legendary wands anyone?

Hmmm....if they do it right it could be cool. Although I highly doubt it would be done right. Hopefully if they DO, do it, they will use a graphics engine that does not look horrible on anything but max settings.

It could be a good idea. But will not happen any time soon. Turbines got there hands full right now. Most companies can't handle one mmog they've got three. Me and my brother would probable play but again lots of problems.

Originally Posted by ThomasTyndan

Uhhh... fairly certain they did not borrow from each others work at all. Sure they were in the Inklings together, but they both stated on numerous occasions what they thought about each others work, and it was almost never good. Lewis thought Tolkien was a horrible story teller (he was by the way, but he created amazing worlds), and Tolkien openly made fun of Lewis' fantasy as being too childish, even for children (however, Tolkien was actually Jealous at how easily writing came to Lewis). They were each other's greatest critics (Tolkien was a pretty harsh critic of himself, actually). I see no evidence of borrowing.

Oh, and I would love a Narnia MMO. My second favorite fantasy world.

I assume you mean other than the fact that both wrote thinly veiled Christian allegories (Tolkien hated the word, but the fact remains: it is what it is)?

I have heard (not 100% its true) that tolkien and cs lewis was friends

If they made a Narnia MMO, I'd want it in a later period, maybe 200 or 300 years before or after Narnia gets rebuilt.
Have the major events as flashbacks told by Aslan or some of the leaders of the various races for their race.
(It's been a while since I read the series, but there was something about Narnia being destroyed and then rebuilt when the Kings/Queen went through some door.)

The Harry Potter MMO? I think it's a bad idea. Unless Europe or Great Britain was added to the map (can't cast spells in front of muggles) Hogwarts, the shops, train stations, and the surrounding forest may be way too small for an MMO.
Unless Dumbledore allowed the kids to roam the forest. Or Hogwarts is as huge as a Middle-Earth. I'm sure the school has plenty of hidden corridors and rooms, but it's still only so big.

How big would a HP MMO be? Enough to bring in enough player-base to pay the costs to make and maintain? Narnia seems to have a far better potential, as it's far more than a castle, forest, and a couple alley ways (correct me if I'm wrong on the HP series). Narnia also has different stories than just an evil lord wanting power / kill the protagonist.
I'm sure it's possible for a HP MMO, I just don't think it would be very big or in depth.

I will /sign for the Narnia MMO!

Originally Posted by ThomasTyndan

Uhhh... fairly certain they did not borrow from each others work at all. Sure they were in the Inklings together, but they both stated on numerous occasions what they thought about each others work, and it was almost never good. Lewis thought Tolkien was a horrible story teller (he was by the way, but he created amazing worlds), and Tolkien openly made fun of Lewis' fantasy as being too childish, even for children (however, Tolkien was actually Jealous at how easily writing came to Lewis). They were each other's greatest critics (Tolkien was a pretty harsh critic of himself, actually). I see no evidence of borrowing.

Oh, and I would love a Narnia MMO. My second favorite fantasy world.

They were planning a joint project or some-such, linking Lewis's Space Trilogy with Middle-Earth. Nothing ever came of it, unfortunately. (If you read the Space Trilogy, there's actually a reference to Numenor at one point. Misspelled but its definitely intended to be the same island between Valinor and ME.).

A Narnia MMO would be pretty cool. The best timeframe for that would, IMHO, be sometime between The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian.

The Harry Potter MMO? I think it's a bad idea. Unless Europe or Great Britain was added to the map (can't cast spells in front of muggles) Hogwarts, the shops, train stations, and the surrounding forest may be way too small for an MMO.
Unless Dumbledore allowed the kids to roam the forest. Or Hogwarts is as huge as a Middle-Earth. I'm sure the school has plenty of hidden corridors and rooms, but it's still only so big.

As for an HP MMO...well, the Wizarding World is quite a bit bigger than just Hogwarts and Great Britain. We should definitely be seeing the iconic locations such as Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, but there's more to see than just those places. I think it could be made to work. I don't think a class-based system like most MMOs have would work well in the setting, though.

If you recall (spoilers ahead, if you're concerned), we've had two Wizarding schools overseas (one in France, one in Bulgaria), the Weasleys taking a trip to Egypt, and a large number of international Wizards coming to watch the Quidditch World Cup among other things.

If you handle it right, you could have an expanded HP universe akin how to LotRO is an expanded universe of Middle Earth. Even better, JKR could help come up with the story and locations for the game, a definite plus for HP lore junkies. I'd love to explore the universe post-series.

I assume you mean other than the fact that both wrote thinly veiled Christian allegories (Tolkien hated the word, but the fact remains: it is what it is)?

Well, yes. Tolkien handled his subject-matter with some subtlety. Its possible to ignore it and enjoy the story. Lewis's allegories...are the literary equivalent sledgehammer to the face (in terms of subtlety and how well-hidden they are). Though I still do love the Narnia series. I fell in love with it before I discovered Tolkien.