Matrix Online

[Bonegavel]

Seeing news about matrix online (YAPOU - yet another online persistent universe) coupled with the infamous thread (http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?t=24878) by Glengoyne is what got me intersted in trying City of Heroes which I am currently enjoying (if they don't spice things up in the next month or so, I can see interesting dropping to zero).

Has anyone heard news and/or is a beta tester for Matrix Online? Regardless of what you thought about the movies, this is a perfect vehicle for a YAPOU. Screen shots I've seen are eerily similar to CoH (minus all the FXs) but I'm hoping they have a more diverse set of goals/missions to accomplish. A lack of which is going to kill CoH's fun-factor.

[Chubby]

I've been keeping up with the website anticipating it's release.

[Easy Mac]

Last I heard UBISoft left as the publisher and they were searching for a new publisher. I think the development team stayed the same, but maybe not.

[Chubby]

Sega is the new publisher along with Warner Interactive. I think there's a link to an article about it on the frontpage of...

http://www.matrixonline.com

[Nyarlahotep]

As far as content, I took a survey on this game a while ago and they said that the Wachowski brothers would be around for at least a few months (maybe longer, been a while) to work on content.

[Calis]

I remember reading about this one, and they were doing a lot of work to make the combat real "cinematic".

Of course in the process of doing so they took out most of the interaction during combats. Sounded REAL frigging dull. Don't know how true it is though.

[Anthony]

Matrix Revolutions took a lot of the wind out of the sails for me. i was all set to hail the Matrix franchise as my generation's Star Wars, but that's not possible with the collective groan heard 'round the world after Revolutions came out.

unless matrix online wants to close up all the loose ends that the 2nd movie gave us my interest level is minimal.

what i'm really waiting for is the MMORPG based on LOTR - middle earth online. count me in on that one. boo ya.

[Bonegavel]

As I've said countless times in other threads, IMHO these first few generations of MMOs are disgustingly bad. I've tried several of them and they are/were extremely repetitive and limited. I guess if I was doing it with friends (like with CoH) it would have raised the fun-factor a few notches, but EQ, for e.g., was so horrible that it scarred me for some time.

My criteria for an MMO are simple:
1) super-customizable characters (appearance)
2) easy to grasp, yet endlessly combinable skills/traits system that ensures you will never play the exact same character twice
3) simple system of tracking other users online
4) WASD control scheme ala Quake and plays like an FPS ala Planetside. I've heard that SWG doesn't allow characters to jump?!
5) Give me control of my environment. That might be deformable terrain, constructing a building or shrine or business.
6) Constantly updated mission/objective system.

Number 6 is probably the biggest. Currently, CoH has a *very* simple mission system to the point of tedium. I want variety.