Game of this type - Difficulties

* See also Playing_To_Ignorance << TO BE AVOIDED
* See also Pop-a-Mole Mentalities
* See also Politically_Correct_Targets_Of_Player_Mass_Murder
* See also BioShock_MMORPG_Programming
* See also Building_Blocks for the MMORPG
* See also MMORPG_AI_Improvements
* See also Saving_The_Game_Industry
* See also Interfaces
* See also Griefers - a problem to be avoided
* See also Apps integrated wuith the MMORPG
* See also Strategic_Level_Interface
* See also Running_It_On_A_Console
* See also Game_Editing_Tools - Players being tapped for building the game World
* See also MMORPG_Localization (World language support)
* See also Game_Industry_Issues
* See also Game_Play_Expediency
* See also Player_Chat_System
* See also %27Make_A_Better_Game%27_-_Andrew_Ryan
==Game of This Type Have Difficulties - For the Needed Game Engine/Design/Implementation :==
TYPE : The Rapture Reborn Advanced MMORPG
Difficulties of running a more Complex game (and a MMORPG) on the Computers (the interfaces, the way the game is presented/accessed by the Player, How the Client and Server(s) operate)...
--- --- --- --- ---
The Truth :
At some point most Players say - "Oh that's nice, another fancy/pretty scene, but when is the interesting Combat ever gonna happen ???"
Expectations are lowered in MMORPGs because of the inevitable replication/repetition and genericizations. So Engagement with the Game World become largely mechanical.
--- --- ---
 "Measure Twice, Cut Once" :
A good dictum for making AAA games. Design FIRST, before you start squandering resources for production that will be thrown away unused or chopped up and mixed together into an incohesive mess.
--- --- ---
Someone Else's Ideas :
http://www.gamesradar.com/a-bioshock-mmo-how-it-could-work/
--- --- ---
IF AND WHEN ( THE REALITY CHECK ) :
To actually get this MMORPG done there may have to be a collaboration between one of the Big Game Engine Companies (who have alot of expertise the Game publishers DO NOT HAVE) and one of the game creator companies -- to have enough funds ($$$) to undertake what is really a Quite Monumental task.
Likely the game producing company would have some exclusive deal for using the 'product' for some period before competitors would be allowed to buy the system (the payoff for the Game Engine company)
As mentioned before, the Tools and Processes required to allow Players to efficiently create all kinds of game Assets is a Substantial task (but it IS possible that NON-game uses could help expand the payback for the required expenditures).
--- --- ---
Bane of the MMORPG :
Repetition forced on the Players is the domain of : the unimaginative/lazy/incompetent game maker.
Unfortunately MMORPG games have Huge landscapes to suck up all the Players (on simultaneously), but only so much unique specific content. Terrain can vary alot with good detail due to well developed Terrain Building Tools and Features in the Game Engines. Unfortunately, the NPC/Mission/Object development tools are not as advanced.
--- --- ---
Most MMORPGs are Rigidly Level Controlled :
So if you do something hard like fight something difficult because it is a teeny bit above the allowed range of your characters level, you earn no more than ordinary advancement. 
But when You go/explore someplace interesting, discover it, even squeak by overpowered opponents, IF that doesn't fit your current avatar's level you are denied access and interaction and achievement, etc ...
It is 'that way' Because :
* The games have simple combat interactions and rely on advancing avatar abilities via level-inherited 'powers', instead of a more diverse/complex Player learned skill/cleverness.
* Group play usually has interlocking Character 'Classes' which make any play 'difficulty' control much harder to facilitate (requiring more regimented control).
* The constant linear ramp of avatar ability improvement (and matching in-game 'difficulties') is easier to design (in order to prevent "One-Whack-and-You-Are-Dead' interactions with ambient enemies who are also simplisticly linear). 
* You can have a 'Ringer' help you, and that would be a loophole for undeserved avatar advancement).
* These MMORPG games have easily calculated 'difficulty' for what is mostly simplistic one-on-one tactic-less/repetitious combat.
* Most of these MMORPGs have content progressively added to, with higher and higher levels, with lumps of content 'expansions' being added (to keep Players playing in new levels).
--- --- ---
Control of the Player Leveling Ramp :
Players Advancement is restricted/metered/dribbled-out.
In many MMORPG games you do something extra hard and you get nothing for it.
I dislike : You go someplace outside of the proscribed 'narrative', and you get no benefit or result ("Sorry, You don't have the Required Mission")
Everything it contrived/tailored-to the gamewriters idea of what Players should do/be allowed to do.
Somebody else (Player interaction) helps you to get ahead of 'the curve' - "WE MUST NOT ALLOW THAT!!!" is their policy. The advancement levels are contrived with fixed increasing ability so that later levels act like Superman against the 'lower level' enemy opponents.
Strictly Regimented leveling is a simpletons approach to a game.
And Cleverness counts for nothing in Pop-a-Mole-type gameplay.
-
With this MMORPG's Player Created Content Element, the entire game mechanism needs to be self-regulating as it wont be able to be Hand-Regulated much by Game Company Employees to compensate by varying levels of difficulty ( See Types_of_assets ))
--- --- ---
Typical MMORPG Opponents/Enemies Who are *Pathetic* in General (What NOT to Do for a Game) :
* Local difficulty (ramped usually with a progressive set of 'world' expansion areas designed for incremental experience level 'tiers'). Enemies, when too low for the players experience level are deactivated and stand there like mannequins, unresponsive, OR if YOU are too low kill you almost instantly. Areas ( and the enemies/opponents within them ) are limited only to a narrow appropriate Player level. Usually enemies lower than the Player generate no experience ( to dissuade high-level Players grinding them and making them unavailable to Players of the appropriate level ).
* Too often singleton enemies are laid out (too) closely in a minefield-like pattern to facilitate the slaughterhouse death-counts. This is done to handle the waves/swarms of Players who generally easily clean out opponents in the same high traffic areas (when everyone in a brand new world expansion is doing the same limited sequences of Mission arcs).
* Because they are so set so close together all the enemies are also programmed to be effectively blind/myopic to ignore Players even when just 10 yards away (realistically within easy sight/detection range). This is so in open areas you don't activate all those (frequently dozens) within an area and have them easily exterminate the Player.
* Because they are so closely located apart, there is little room to maneuver (needed for a challenging fight) without activating yet more enemies (and totally f#$%ing up the fight for the Player).
* The chronic use of simplistic combat behavior : Detect Player, Activate, Charge at Player and Fight.
* No real tactics for enemies (some melee, others have ranged weapons, special attacks usually monotonously simple, few activate allies).
* Terrain or cover is rarely made use of. "Prop' terrain often has NO affect on visibility. Often defective/illogical pathfinding through terrain. Most often only the selected initial placement might make use of terrain feature ( pre-canned by the level designer ).
* Enemies generally don't call for assistance from others even within 25 feet of themselves - enemies are oblivious to what is happening nearby to their allies (which should normally should be within their easy sight).
* Little variation in spawning locations (and those often don't make any sense as to why the enemy is located there). Likewise, little or no natural activity (no apparent reason to be where they are). Often no movement/wandering, and frequently they look like they are just standing waiting to be slaughtered. Virtually no variation in the enemies normal movement paths ( 'on rails' a fixed pattern and timing ).
* Short respawn timers, where for longer difficult fights already killed enemies ( where there IS a group of them made to be somewhat more difficult ) will respawn ( including right adjacent to/ontop of the Player -- just magically appearing ) and then rejoin fight again. Usually there is NO detecting of the Player to block this "respawn" (that is BTW Programming/Scripting 101 type logic to add).
In Quests/Missions ( which can be more setpiece/planned out, and not subject to interference by multitudes of other Players ), the AI used can be 'a slight bit less-than' boneheaded generic sandbox behavior. But generally, being pre-canned, they rarely vary much in their scenario playout sequence ( no randomization or timings/positions/spawn-content, and simple proximity-activation tactics, and a few 'on-rails' movements ).
--- --- ---
Artificial Blockage In Terrain :
Movement has to be limited at some point in a game through finite traversable scenery.
We've seen many games ( especially those with quite linear plots ) which have too obviously (and illogically/forced) blocked-off directions of movement :
* Obstacles a 3 year-old could clamber over being impassible
* Magic force field walls in open terrain ( some very close to the Players path, when they could have been at a more extended distance in largely low-detail terrain ).
* Semi-Steep Terrain which the Player has no (even minor) "Climb" movement capability for.
* Locked (un-openable) 'Doors' which strangely are not openable ( especially when similar props are used for the accessible path ). Alternately : Other doors which ONLY become passable after too obviously contrived circumstances. ( Infinite had a number of doors which closed when arena battle began - even after you just came through it ).
Rapture, with its inside/outside, was assisted in restricting Player movement, as well as significant debris blocking various passages ( and things like wrecked staircases to remove paths ). In BS2 the In-Sea segments had to have Player Movement severely 'blocked' with the high detail connector scene - including restricted actions.
A MMORPG usually has "Open World" Terrain which has to be more extensive ( but still has 'Edges of the Map' which require some blockage method ).
Infinite BS had open air/space, which was a little odd with all the flying props around which could have been more versatile movement in a 'city' ( Flying Model Ts or Steampunk Flying belts )
----
----
----
BioShock MMORPG "Breaking the Moulderings Of Standard MMORPGs" :
No More Genocidal MMORPGs, where you have to slaughter 150/200 of something to win some minor 'Achievement' ( and with little variation in that activity, except maybe just even higher/genocidal body counts needed at increased experience levels ).
No More endless numbers of generic enemies - that type you have to kill in generic combat just to pass through an area ( with little tactical effect of the terrain or need for different tactics/weapons to make it interesting ). 
No More Player Repeatedly DOING the same limited number of Skills/Actions over and over (and over).
 
Lets get rid of game Worlds where most NPCs stand around like mannequins, and many only talk to you as if they were an ATM machine. No more. Lets have each one having a story, and be much more interactive and require the Player to think a little and be a little creative.
MMORPG's NPC sidekicks/lackeys/minions/helpers/butt-monkeys aren't just gonna 'throw stuff at you' ... (While they stand around invulnerable). They can also pocket stuff useful to themselves (and projects you've designated). Have them have some of their own agenda, which you have to comprehend and manage. They should also require you to best use their abilities - a little more complicated that mere 'object' tools/weapons activations.
--- --- ---
Level-itus :
In some MMORPG games, when the Player is constantly 'leveling' (often quite fast - part of the Pavlovian reward mechanism Google "Pavlov's dogs" ) adding new/more abilities and Hitpoints, and such. Tool/Weapon Objects they obtain quickly become obsolete (as they are designated BY LEVEL to give the Player new things 'as they level up', rather than allow the Player 'the good stuff','uber-weapons' early ( ie- Purchased/Crafted or as random loot or worse - bought for $ from an external game 'Store' ).
So you might get the Super-duper Vorpal Chainsaw, but have to throw it away when you will get the next 'legendary' item on the game's continuous leveling ramp. Fancy epic-named and Themed stuff (and special 'Powers') don't usually allow 'upgrades' and/or pretty decorations to be added to their distinct look ( They are easy game Assets to create/provide multitudes of so to make the Player think they are advancing/getting something 'special' ). Complex systems of upgrades almost always are rather generic, thus cutting out that 'themey' aspect had by a large diverse static progression of 'different' Weapons/Tools/Clothing/Mounts/Vehicles/Ammos/Buffs/etc ...
That kind of thing shouldn't happen in this MMORPG. Utility of items, incremental improvements, better effectiveness from skill/training/knowledge/experience-of-use (Player able for decision to aim for something they want to be able to use and get it at whatever 'level' they have attained).
You DON'T have to throw stuff away, and because things BREAK, you might need that 'second best' item eventually.
Many game Upgrade algorithms use equations with "Decreasing Returns" or improvement paths via Specialization to limit tools/weapons advancement so that they don't much retain their value when the Player levels (becoming obsolete). Some MMORPGs, when adding new higher-level content have 'inflation', and old "top end" equipment, which the Players had to slave over to obtain, are instantly outclassed by the new 'content drop' easily-gotten ordinary equipment ( and render the old play path to gain that gear irrelevant for any new players working their way up from lower levels ).
"I have Named my Grenades" (*Insane* mode name in old game : "Rise of the Triad" )
--- --- ---
Tuning a Monster/Enemy (Game Playability Adjustment) - In a MMORPG the Problem is Cubed :
The old balance problem of Tuning a game so that Players don't just walk all over their NPC opponents AND not be (too) dull or 'dumbed down', and at the same time not be a deadly frustrating abattoir (Player slaughterhouse).
This MMORPG Game, being at least a magnitude more complex (actions, props, impairment variations, potential tactics, terrain complexity, motives, NPC actions/behaviors) than advanced games out there, requires a whole lot more complicated Tuning/Adjustments/Balance for all the interrelated complex elements, to also make them consistent ( to avoid easily exploitable loopholes and optimal simple tactics which would makes the game less interesting and more repetitive/distorted ).
SO the solution is to have a Modular Adaptable System to allow continuing improvements (far more than whats offered in the majority of other games) created by talented Players to make scripting that drives the 'smarts' ( including built in 'tuning' features to assist adjusting capabilities ).
The game should have less 'god-like' buffs, and NO plodding auto-advancement grinds for the Player's Character.   That way things don't have to be variably tuned as much to 'levels' or as blatantly (immersion breaking) contrived as in games where entire World Areas 'go grey' and are useless/blocked/disabled outside of a certain  'level range' of applicable Players.
* Modular - New logic from Players can be subsequently added to allow NPC opponents to do Tactics not previously seen.  A variety of opponents of varying levels of difficulty (it is likely playtesting only will uncover how difficult Players find various elements of the game, and adjustments would need to be made incrementally post-introduction).   Hopefully, the Creation Community would get better at judging such things ahead of time and devise criteria to have a 'median' experience.
* Adaptable - more varieties of difficulty -- some made to match a Players abilities, others allowing Players to figure out how 'deep' they want to get into trouble.  Players should usually have an adequate number of ways to leave a bad situation, and for them to read/recognize/assess a difficult situation and then retreat, so as to avoid worse consequences.   Retreating (strategic withdrawal) should frequently be a viable option in many situations ( Players should be challenged by their escapes as much as by their victories ).  There always should be multiple ways to handle the same problem (preferably without one constant 'loophole' which will have Players 'shortcutting' much of the games variety of interesting activities).
* Scenario-wise/Situational Flexibility (extended interactional aspect) - Multiple Players simply start  'ganging' up on the poor Splicers ?.... Well, a bigger Player 'party' can attract more Splicers ( or Player's appearing to present a bigger threat to a Faction entity, will have the Splicers bring out more resources ). And Splicers could be made to simply try to avoid overwhelming opponents ( leaving the players to 'get on with' their bigger objective ).
* Macro Environment Complexity - Capturing a Splicer is one problem, getting it back to the New City for 'Curing' might be a whole 'nuther....  Remember these aren't mindless animals, and you may have some 'friend' of  that captured Splicer on your trail to free its associate.  Splicers will have their 'grapevine', and players will face something much more advanced/interesting than the idiotic/pathetic "Minefield of Monsters" so many MMORPGs have in their sandbox game (and even in their 'Missions').   Much more complex behavioral scripting, INCLUDING NPC Group Scripting.
* Facing the Game Industry Dumb-Down - There also may be the learning curve problem of 'too hard' -- of Players facing their first real 'smart' NPC opponents ( PvP some games offer only way they could do that ) and being overwhelmed when they actually have to think a little or face situations they cannot 'Save And Reload' til they find a solution.  Things should operate logically/as-expected so Players don't have to double think everything or try to remember how some arbitrary game mechanics work.
Stupidly Difficult Controls - That's another issue - when things are happening too fast (or then too slow) for the Player to issue commands or to activate desired actions.  Despite interface improvements, controls just never are natural to most Players, and fumbling with a poor interface is one of my least favorite part of many games ( "I'm supposed to be fighting game opponents, NOT the damned game interface !" - Me ).  And this game would have more options for player action.
* Mission selection choice, and informing/prompting the Player beforehand what they might face - So they can decide/adjust the resources they will want to apply ( "Bring your Galoshes, we are going into the sewer"... ).
* NPCs who pack appropriate stuff automatically (by default of players preference presets).
* Some Players may prefer doing many things completely Solo (not even with Team NPCs), which should have its advantages as well as disadvantages.  ( Sneaking around is easier, but facing a mob of Splicers is harder ... )
* The MMORPG should be a different game which requires Thinking/Planning/Imagination.  There may have to be a 'Dummy Corner' where many careless Players wind up again and again (hauled back as a near corpse), as they adjust to playing a game different than your typical "dumbed-down" MMORPG experience.  And if they prefer THAT, then there STILL should be enough in the MMORPG for the "Casual" players to enjoy the game ( Bunny Slope adventures, Roleplay ordinary citizens, Tourist Missions ).
--- --- ---
The Large Game City (World Map) And Being Build On-the-Fly - It Is Still Finite :
The MMORPG Game's concept would be for more realistic growth/development of New Rapture, and with successive Players penetrating/expanding deeper and deeper into the Ruins ( giving the Players a sense of actually accomplishing something as time goes on, and changing contexts for terrain they have previously gone thru ).
But MMORPGs run for years, and eventually you can run out of realistic expansion space.
So adventuring must be 'in-detail' as well as with vast Vistas of terrain.   The Player should be able to have an adaquate (possibly challenging) adventure in a single sewer maintenance chamber/vault.
There are all the 'nooks and crannies' that initially are blocked which could lead to unexplored areas right on New Raptures doorstep. ( Rapture was supposed to have 20000-40000 people so still can be quite large to encompass everything needed to have all those people exist ).
There might be quite an adventure just in the contents of a captured Splicer's pockets !!!
--- --- ---
Server 'Bubble' Scenarios For Some (Many) Missions :
Players game interactions isolated from interfering Players (run in an "Instance").  Terrain/Props/NPCs assembled/built "On-the-fly" can be composed and rebuilt specifically/customized for the event.  Less restrictions to match/fit adjacent areas, as it would have in the Open Server World ('Sandbox') map.
This allows the Player to stop/halt the scenario immediately, at that point to be restarted later - an important feature these days for people who have limited time or intervals to play. ( Stop and restart flexibility - allowing more complicated scenarios to be followed ).
Isolated simulation 'bubble' can simplify Server execution, as it doesn't need all the dynamic situational data to be passed to any adjoining areas (less server overhead), as opposed to when in the 'Sandbox' world scene there could be other Players seeing all the interactions going on in the Mission area.  ( Not a minor point when the AI and such processing is likely to be a magnitude (or three) more than current MMORPGs ).
--- --- ---
MMORPG Grind - NO THANK YOU :
The crafting/Fabrication should be more a matter of controlled chance rather than repetition, of preparation and tool selection rather than boring tedium. Objects created and incremental upgrades should NOT have automatic success and should be few in number. Production line for 'business' would be largely handled by NPC employees when possible, and most products are more custom-made -- even in Old Rapture there were limited markets which made that normal ( few warranted large assembly lines ).
'Good' created Objects (very useful to Player), should be often as possible of the one-time-use/easily breakable category, so that the few Players who bother to reach high ability fabricating don't flood the whole Game World with mass produced unbreakable 'Wonder' weapons/devices/gear. Material/tool scarcity can also help with justifying that.
Repairs should be a significant (constant) part of Object use -- it keeps 'Wonder' objects from loopholing all the activities a Player does. Permanent breakage would be a risk, facilitating tool use decisions and selection (and spares).
Take a note from the more recent Jackpot Machines, in places like Las Vegas, where many have extra 'bonus' stages/phases/rounds that come up randomly which can lead to higher payoffs and have some drama about presenting it. Once in a while you would get a 'perfect' Object which is so much better than the ordinary ones. And that often is NOT just a matter of upgrading/refining till it becomes so, just circumstance and chance.
An example is knife making, which if there is just one mistake made or contamination of the production material, the knife's full potential is lost. It still might be used for lesser tasks (craftsmen got good at making use of their defectives - expecting there to be many).
--- --- ---
Post-Apocalyptic Stuff :
Looking at some of the features of Fallout 4 (came out in 2015) which has features which look along the lines of some of those of my proposed Rapture MMORPG, but you might notice that my descriptions of similar things ( and far beyond them ) was started here on the Wiki in 2013 ( and much was actually written before that, elsewhere ).
Probably more than a few game companies have kicked around such ideas, but the advancements I have thought of ( particularly the Tools and major leveraging of Player Created Assets ) are well past the current games implementations, or ones for the foreseeable future.
--- --- ---
How To Train Players For The Big Paradigm Shift (For Game Like This) ? :
Many players have spent years killing things in video games without much thought other than "What loot or points will I gain ?" and "Why is it taking so long to stand here and kill this thing".  And, more frequently than not, having little experience in other methods of getting things done.
How do you break players of their (by now) reflexive "Kill First and then (actually) not much at all afterwards" ?
The MMORPG plot has a social mandate of "Don't kill the Splicer. Just X time ago YOU were a Splicer yourself"
Training Players to ease them into doing neat non-fatal stuff ( better effects in more varied circumstances with more things in-game to use in creative ways, more interaction ... )
Various non-human things that still can be 'blasted' ( though watch the collateral damage to stuff you might want to loot, and to your nearby allies AND yourself ).   Deformable terrain and destroyable props.
Heh- you get points for the LEAST amount of damage done to capture a Splicer ( less effort to stitch it back together before its 'cured' ... )
--- --- ---
Patching/Fixing A Game :
One thing many MMORPG game companies get away with is not bothering to fix significant game problems.  But then I've also seen companies who on most patches break more than they fix.   One would hope with this Rapture Reborn's MMORPG system's Cost Savings, that more effort could be dedicated to fixing game mechanics problems (certainly it has far more Complexity than any existing MMORPG - adding to that task).  Perhaps, if more than one game genre was done with the same Engine (the entire Toolset, etc...)  then the shared use would bring more resources ($$$) to bear on this issue.
Potentially, with the Player Creation testing tools, the Players could assist significantly by presenting the programmers with exact cases where the problems occur, and also snapshot data in game to supply more clues to a problem.  The parts of the programming/scripting created by Players would be directly accessible and fixable by them as well ( alot of potential know-how, skill and time there ... ).   Game mechanics in particular would (hopefully) get stringent testing before being put onto the production  Servers ( at least more than your typical MMOPRG these days ).
With the pathetic showing for the product of the Game Industry these days something like this has to  eventually happen or we are destined to ever declining crap.
--- --- --- 
MMORPG - The Unfortunate Typical Play Patterns :
Congratulations on being the 200000th person to play this Quest Exactly the same - You win EXACTLY the same 'special' loot every one of the others got !!! 
Set-in-Stone Quests - Just say NO :
* Only place allowed would be New Citizen's Tutorials ( and have them blatantly be Choreographed with purposely lame activities and stilted presentation. )
* Maybe a section on the Test Servers, with 'Other MMORPG' samples demonstrating what we DON'T want for Missions to be in this game.
--- --- ---
MMORPG's Game Architecture Stuff (harder implementation) :
Requiring the Server scaling (processing power) to be much greater than in these previous simpler games.
(Good) NPC AI for example (in this MMORPG), possibly with farmed-out AI processing -- and those separate NPC AI Server computers having to maintain their own local World representations - with all the World map updates flowing ( across a high speed server network ).  With a greatly increased amount of data traffic through individual World Map zone Servers ( the world-state bookkeeping process ), that starts burdening individual servers with larger loads, requiring yet more of them, each for smaller areas (and added overhead of the zone/area edge handling - used for large continuous worlds).
Communication bound limitations become a secondary effect of increased data processing (CPU bound).  More complex AI can use magnitudes more CPU processing and significantly more local data per 'smart' object (NPCs...)
Individual Server performance has not increased by magnitudes.   The new game complexity would require another O(N^2) expansion as there is far more interactions across CPUs, each handling fewer and fewer 'smarter' objects (the interaction data traffic having to go across the always slower network interface(even with 10 Gb),  instead of within one servers shared memory space).
So in other words - big/huge powerful Servers are required.
--- --- ---
The Economy MUST Go On ... :
Players in the Real World stop playing for periods of time, but this game has several magnitudes more interactions between players and between player infrastructures. Yes, there are NPCs that keep operating in similar fashion to make things run, but players will have more imagination involved and enable a more 'alive' city environment.
The Player's Avatars and 'Team' NPCs are to be able to operate on automatic, and this should be extended to longer time periods (not just short-term tasks). If a player has a business organized, part of it would be 'supply chain', which if not overridden would obtain needed materials for the business production and go on manufacturing and selling the product. With the player directly involved, there would be bonus efficiency and potential opportunities for bigger payouts, but the business should be able to lumber on automatically and continue interactions within the City community (your product passes on to other businesses as their materials or on to Consumer Players/NPCs).
As mentioned before, much of this AI operation is behaviors that NPCs will already do as a base economy system and only need be extended to player's Avatar and Teams NPCs with a little more 'policy' direction for the automatic modes. Profits are generally more than enough to 'pay the rent' to prevent player's assets from eroding. The mechanism is sufficiently limited so that you wont come back to find that your AI-run minions have sold all your 'stuff'.
You don't think this is possible ?? How long has the 'Sims(tm)' been around ? Much of the behaviors are not that complex ---  'obtain items/materials XYZ', 'work on them with skills ABC', take the resulting goods to a buyer or your 'shop'/'stand' to sell to Players/NPCs. The Production Formula mechanism would already exist to guide various manufactures. The automatic 'shop' salesman and selling mechanism would be there for that operation. A generic 'clearinghouse' for mundane items and materials is part of the game (to simplify loot disposal). The control scripts would be one of the Asset types which Player Creators could expand upon (more sophisticated/specialized operations beyond the initial Company developed ones).
--- --- ---
Some of the Following is Based on Conversations with People on Various Game Development Sites Over Many Years.
The 'Player Created Assets' with a collaboration mechanism will be a big thing in these games someday (Second Life was a step in the right direction but actually discouraged collaboration with their pay model).
Games are going to continue to cost more and more to produce, and if we don't tap into use of the largely free 'Players Imagination and Skills' to build the games, we will be stuck with a dwindling number of 'popular' subject genres and even fewer player interaction models ( like WOW being the target that investors point to when it is actually a backslide/degeneration from games like Ultima Online and Asheron's Call ).
The idea of the Mini-Games being part of the Main Game likewise can tap into all the time that Players CANNOT be on their gaming machines at home. Because of the miracles of modern technology, we have these new connected devices powerful enough to run some gaming that WAS ONCE as powerful as their game computers only a few years ago.
The increased 'AI' component and content Auto_Generation are 'subjects' I've pushed in various Game Developer forums.
Unfortunately, these idea are not yet proven as a working model, and it will take a very daring company to do a big (expensive and risk) project using them.  But once proven, with the advantages made obvious, they will likely be adopted quickly by the rest of the game industry simply to compete 
* Higher effectiveness of producing games via reuse of Logic, Assets, Tools, Player Skills
* More interesting/complex/longer games for less expense, 
* Player_Created_Assets allowing smaller niche games tapping into more genres (lowered cost to produce sufficient game content)
--- --- ---
Keeping The Players (Under Paid Subscription) :
How many Players will join this MMORPG game to look around a bit, do a bunch of tutorial Mission/Quests, and then quit ??? That's a common pattern for many Players. The payment system would be 'by the month' (no Free-to-Play/Pay-to-Win). So it is important to retain Players.
You need to get them adventuring from the first days. Flashbacks and visitations to Historic Events ( without a too-demanding of an initial Control Interface 'learning curve' ), and Revisitation of places they saw before from the Solo game(s) ("what it looks like now"), thus playing on their nostalgia and curiosity.
What would get them interested in staying in this world (or there long enough for the atypical MMORPG environment to grow on them) ?
"Bunny Slope" areas that don't get them 'killed'/maimed-alot, and offer Casual playing (but with sufficient surprises to keep them entertained.
Lots of options for things to do, yet still with a linear 'hand holding' progression to help the Players disoriented by the plethora of activities.
Early Exposure to all the elements so that they can find activities that they are interested in.
--- --- --- 
It Takes a 'Village'/Community of Expertise :
Unfortunately, one person cannot make a game like this (It is funny, in the Game Developer forums, when they have to 'read  The Riot Act' to new/naive game programmers who say  : "I want to make a MMORPG". The newbies are then enlightened about all that is involved (complexities) - They even have it in there FAQ, because over the years so many have said ignorantly presumed).
The content in this Wiki are just a few of the design ideas involved with making a better MMORPG.  ITS A Wall of Text ?? You should see how much it would take to actually explain technical details of how it would work.  Here it is hopefully enough to demonstrate that there would be ENOUGH of a game in (for example) a Main_PageBioShock MMORPG to be 'worth it' to some game company ($$$) AND to the Players to make one like what is described.
As I've mentioned somewhere, the Tools and system of processes they would develop for one game could be re-used for a dozen other games in other desirable genres (now can reach a wider spectrum of customers).
-
Unfortunately, it is a HUGE jump of faith by even the largest Commercial Game Companies (the Tool development will be is at least half such a Project's effort -- A task (and cost) equivalent to creating a whole game by itself - around $100 million these days. Most companies STILL couldn't manage to do such a Project with any competency even if they were funded).   If someone goes to the investors and says : We want to spend twice as much money (or more) on creating Something we don't know will work, and What we've never done before --- What do you think the answer will be ????
A large company would have to decide they would do the required Tool building as a primary business strategy  - intended as a basis for ALL the games they will do in the next 10 years, and use the leverage of more efficient game production (even if it does not have my ALL MY proposed Player Asset Creation feature in a MMORPG type Project).
--- --- ---
Need Good Programmers (Build the System and They Will Come) :
A Templates system (and the advanced Game Mechanics it would be used with, in this MMORPG game) is NOT easy to create (That is : One that works, and does what is required, is easy to utilize, and is largely bug proofed --- AND ONE ABLE TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND USED BY NON-COMPANY PROGRAMMERS).
Many times on previously produced MMORPGs, you have "Fixes" (game patches) which frequently Break more than they Fix because they have only Third String(tm) programmers left who remain/get-hired years after the initial production was released. Those employees also inherit the atrocious code of the "First String" (original) programmers and designers - Which the company's Management is afraid to fix properly, because of the expense (things which really should have been done properly at the very start). Also inherited are : patches ontop of patches to 'band-aid' fix problems instead of correcting them systematically (which with complex game mechanics, this means it gets more and more absurdly difficult to fix even the simplest issues).
At some point, the game company is ALSO scared to change anything significantly lest they create more problems/bugs (which makes them look real bad competency-wise when they flub a Patch - An oft occurring thing), and those further problems also have to THEN be fixed (when there's already little budget allocated to programming). Frequently, those undetected/unfixed Patch problems go 'online' in the game, and cause the Players much distress -- All because the company has no real budget for proper testing/fixing (which, BTW, you are SUPPOSED to do BEFORE it is put out for the customers to find so many bugs).
--- --- ---
SO this is a Situation the Rapture Reborn MMORPG needs to Avoid : How do you prevent the above oft seen problems ?? 
Unfortunately the business model (to afford building the Game Engine and the Tools needed for this new way of doing things) means that the Assets for the initial game will start out rudimentary, and would be expected to grow through participation of the Players Creativity and Ability. Much would be added/revised over time (many things requiring added Game Engine features - which requires, at a minimum, modifications of the low level program code).
Requirements :
* A Good Process for all of this development mechanism (and sufficient of the required Tools).
* A good Communication system to efficiently expose the found bugs and problems soonest - to make them available to the people with the skills able to correct them.
* Better organized Testing -- Some games botch their Patches so badly, you wonder if they did ANY testing. So bad that often the problems are found by the Players INSTANTLY while playing and making use of those allegedly 'fixed' basic features. (A Game Company's HOPE usually lets the Players down).
* Have Test Servers which run the candidate 'patched' code in the same manner as actually used Online/Live (with sufficient Test Tools built into them to facilitate proper/efficient testing). This would be required to happen LONG before any new code goes 'Live'. There would be Local Test Servers which run on a Player's own machine to allow them (and others) to PRETEST a great deal of their candidate code (the programmer's own and to do a check of others proposed code). Early testing like this is very useful for the Collaboration which much of this MMORPG's development depends on.
* More than a little work is to be done by Users who can review/inspect/peruse the code/fixes, and who often have magnitudes more Skill (and often Time) than the typical game company's programmers at identifying/spotting/proving problems (and they CAN do it for free). "The EGO of one Player can be equal to and outdo the mediocre skill of a dozen company-paid programmers" - Sergeant Reality
* A GOOD Design Process - minimize wasted time/effort undoing/scrapping something that wasn't right in the first place ("Measure Twice - Cut Once"). Final decision is with the company authority who sets the direction and arbitrates, but a good Process can streamline that work.
* Good Documentation Process (it is part of the communications needed to make a Project like a MMORPG work effectively). This includes well-defined Standards which can be pointed at to eliminate/reduce contention (again so as TO NOT WASTE TIME). Truth - Most Programmers are simply NOT interested (and frequently not capable) of documentation of this type.
* 'Creator' Player programmers who will originate ALOT of the new code (generating New Game Mechanics to support proposed new game features/improvements). Again there are many out there who have vast expertise which would be tapped into. Changes to the Game Mechanics of the MMORPG are more restricted/controlled (being fundamental building blocks for everything) than the next layer up - which is the Template functionality and other 'scripting' Assets. (The Tools required will likewise largely be the product of these gifted people).
* Have lots of Test Rigging functionality built INTO the Game Engine and Tools to assist with and facilitate PROPER testing as much as possible.
* Have Peer Review and Testing as early as possible (and access to a community of qualified Programmers/Testers 100X as large as any company might have).
* Templates using that Game Engine code would have, by design, Automatic Test Rig functionality built into THEM to assist in quickly finding obvious problems (and to give a legup finding and reporting harder/more elusive bugs).
--- --- ---
What's GENERALLY Hard to Do Making A MMORPG Computer Game : 
* Adaquate Challenge when the Player wants it (in MMORPG there is also times they DONT want it)
* Offering Choices - without having too many become 'easiest' and allowing Player to quickly get in a rut
* Sufficient new experiences
* Making a Game feel fun to Play (continually its a MMORPG which is meant to be played for years) 
* Keeping the Game balanced and interesting (not repetitiously boring) 
* Making all the Art Assets correctly (no bugs, consistency of detail)
* Properly Animating any/all Cutscenes (story flashbacks...)
* Setting up the Pacing correctly (cutscene/canned content vs gameplay vs Story 'Talk') 
* Ensuring the Voice Acting matches the animation 
* Setting up lots of Side Quests/Missions (Player options) that are bug free (this is VERY hard when they are interactionally complicated) 
* For MMORPGs - Don't contradict the Main Story (i.e. you can't be acting all Superman against an optional boss, reviving a forgettable character in a Side Mission; and then the Main Story treats you like you're just a regular mortal, and tosses in the Perma-Death of a main character). 
And many more details that make a game feel like an AAA game.
--- --- ---
Difficulties for Any Game Company attempting to Create this (Illuminated on this WIKI) kind of 'Advanced' MMORPG :
* Creating the Modular systems which defines every bit of the Game (done systematically from the very start) : 
**Has to be done thoroughly with completeness and understanding of all that the Game will encompass. Because making major changes later will disrupt/waste alot of existing work/effort/resources and require alot of rework. " Measure Twice, Cut Once " ... Games have to make money and the project is daunting enough WITHOUT cost overruns killing it.
* Tool Creation - alot of effort is needed to make the Player Creation Tools 'consumer grade' : 
** Developers can be trained as part of their job, but most Players will want/need a shallow learning curve, and will lose interest if it takes too long just to create something simple. 
** Player users should not have to 'Fight the Tools' when trying to get something done. Frustration levels need to be kept very low.
** WYSISYG of course (What You See Is What You Get - as much as possible) 
** The many Tools required will have to overlap/interact, and have to be well integrated to facilitate 'ease of use' for creating Assets that have many different component parts/aspects. Simple Assets often go thru half a dozen different Tools (include the submission process).
* Plugin (for Tools) able to be created/developed by Players. This should be facilitated (by simplifying additional USEFUL game tool additions -- again - The Players skills/kno-whow/genius to create/improve Tools can greatly exceed the company's ability and needs to be tapped into).
* The huge Asset Creation Community - managing it, guiding it, resolving 'people' problems :
** Managing NEW Canon and Lore (decisions for things never define by the previous Games or the Novel) Cohesion and Consistency IS needed.
** Planning for a coherent expansion of the Game World. This usually requires mapping out major World Map features (planned expansion) well ahead of time to guide the more detailed information being created later.
** Goading Players into creating/improving what is needed/missing/insufficient in the Game, and avoiding redundancy/over-coverage. Telling Player Creators that we have enough of 'X' and now need more of 'Y'. This includes the quality of Assets, not just quantity of types.
** Rewards to people for creating something shared by others (has to be more ego-oriented than mercenary). Proper credit given ... Most difficult Assets WILL take dedicated effort.
** Managing the shear amount of Game Content - the MMORPG would eventually have many times the content of the largest MMORPG worlds, both in numbers of Objects ('types' not endless clones filling Player's banks), but also in different/spectrum of new kinds/types (complex types not createable in other Games) and how they all interplay/interact/integrate.
* Server Management - A whole additional dimension : Running massive Servers 24/7 and keeping them up and accessible to Players. Companies who never did 'it' before largely have NOT-A-CLUE what problems they would/WILL face, and then have to continually solve (and this MMORPG Project would greatly exceed what common MMORPGs do these days, so even THEY will be lacking in experience).
* The manual Gamemaster tasks - how to adjust the game when things get unbalanced. Sufficient tools are required to make this work efficiently. Labor saving is ESSENTIAL to the Game's economic viability.
* The cooperative Creation mechanism (like the MMORPG itself) would include a CONSTANT transfer of Data to the Player's Client machines to update new Assets, including recently modified Client-cached parts of the Game World map. Internet speeds are getting faster, and that extra capacity will probably be needed for a system like this one (MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE RUNNING GAME where Loading of data ahead-of-need is preferred, but Load that nearest crap quick will still be a stress on the games streaming data system). 
* Disk storage on the Client is a secondary problem. SDDs (Solid-State Disk Drives) are becoming more common/cheaper, and their GREATER speed/capacities keep going up. Conventional disks also are increasing capacity steadily (may need to employ a buffering system to move 'Ready' data to the SDD from a much bigger old-tech disk drive on the Client machine is potentially still far faster than trying to push the data through the Internet real-time.) 
--- --- ---
Render Me This Mr Ryan !! :
I Saw some BS1/BS2 Assets used in a Demo of Unreal 4 which had fairly good looking visuals. The MMORPG should not be excessive in its rendering quality because it will have far more additional environmental detail and interactive Prop counts (and a larger variety of Assets being loaded on-the-fly). As usual, there is a need for the game to target medium capacity hardware. There also should be a 'leveling of detail' to not be too demanding on the many Players who will be adding so much of the game content.
--- --- ---
Game Consoles - Able to Run This Game ?? :
A Full (enuf) version, and not just Mini-Games or a significantly feeble-ized form of the full PC version?  Do you chop the heart out of the game just to fit it to the outdated consoles ? Maintaining 2 Flavors are a great deal of Work.
I guess it depends how soon a game like this MMORPG (or game with features like it) could be ready on the  market.  What advancements in consoles ...    Next Generation Consoles (and likely next gen beyond that)  to be out and a sufficient number in use?    How how much better will they be than existing the ones??   CPU/Memory/GPU/Disk-space/Network Connector.  This game calls for significant improvements to those system  resources, and consoles do get stuck for many years at the same capacity.
What console limitations would kill/hamstring the game experience ?
No additional controller buttons (limiting greater players actions inputs)?  Can we employ voice input to get past "Menu-pick-itus" (at least for 'speed' interactions like combat) ?   "Menu-itus" can ruin a game's flow and the existing/likely game controllers may be just too limited (well into the future).
Rendering the Graphics may not be too much the issue, as a median target hardware would be wise for even the PC version.  (Getting them all to the client is a separate problem).
Disk Space for the caching scheme (which would forced genericising alot of the visual effects to fit disk limitations).  Game levels now are limited in the number of different 3D objects, which is a feature this game would WANT to expand.
A game subset (like playing as a Splicer who has fewer options/resources/manipulations than a Player) could be done, but would the Console Platform development difficulties Warrant it??  Of course if it was a "good enough" game to stand by itself and resused alot of the work the MMORPG project created it might pay off.  But then losing all the rest of the game, many of the advances would be quite bad as it would dilute the player base into those who could appreciate its features and those who could only have the  'lite' version.
-
"SO Consoles May Be Problematic" :
Computer Memory may be the biggest limitation with the planned increase in World Complexity -- even just what is visible in the Players immediate vicinity will be significantly more than current games, and handling crunch/rush situations where excessive Player/Objects are in view is desirable. 
Console compatibility - ? Second-Class status for Consoles gameplay ?? (perhaps that industry will make more flexible hardware upgrading possible - but that CANNOT be counted upon).
* Consoles freeze their abilities/capacities for many years at a time. Dumbing-down the MMORPG Game's Client to fit no-longer-new console hardware is a problem. Console user-base is considerable and it would be a shame to not include that many potential Players.
* More than a few of the game advancements make use of Client-side processing and disk resources (Older Consoles (at that time) may NOT have the capacity of CPU that gaming PCs will have available).
* Upgrade issue - Insufficient resources/capabilities on older consoles ( many people would not be wanting to upgrade, but it might require whatever the latest generation might have -- inevitably by the time a Game like this might come out, even with competent resources behind the MMORPG's development it would be years).
* Disk resident Asset Dictionary is important for World detail resolution - the old-school 'baked'terrain/occupants (pre-canned 'Level' system) having been replaced with more Dynamic On-The-Fly mechanism in the MMORPG Client. Even if Consoles have large disks, can they transfer/load the needed Data fast enough (disk controller speed issue ...) ???
* Methods of 'simplifying' the data for less capable Client machines (including Consoles)?? How much can you lose before the game gets too sucky ?? How much detail could you 'cut-on-the-fly' before most of the game's advances are gone ?
* Console Interface Limitations - just too limited/clumsy for all the things/actions/commands the PC-based Player will be able to do (new mechanisms like Voice Recognition can only do so much, or aren't available) ?
--- --- ---
Assets Level Of Detail (Variable Adjustments) for Adapting to Different 'Target' Computer Hardware Caps :
* Simplified Textures and Simplified Meshes (and animations) at lower settings.
* Animated/Texture view focus limitation (one/fewer at a time)
* Simpler Lighting Effects
* Level Of Detail (LOD) adjusted for different settings (lowered/simplified details increasing with distance pro-rated for Graphics 'Setting')
* Visibility limiting Terrain (ie-View Blocking Walls) used to 'cut' non-visible renderings (including through 'Portals')
* Sounds from nearby are played, further away sounds only if loud or significant.
--- --- ---
MMORPG - Shifting The CONCEPT Of Players 'Winning' : 
Defeating (or facing off) a single foe (or group as large as your own) without casualties is a significant victory. There need not be 'body counts' (as is usually chronic in so many unimaginative games) which would, if realistic, soon choke the Ocean/the-Halls with corpses.
The effort involved to create this adjusted game-style would be far greater than required for the usual Pop-A-Mole generic opponents many games have (like the bizarre/illogical 'minefields of enemies' seen populating so many MMORPGs). Opponents can/should run away ... 
Success can just be thwarting the designs of the particular opponent (who is up-to-no-good vis New Rapture's future).
Indirect benefits of 'success' :
* (*** Add a 'Whining Splicer Captive' Asset to the game ... ***)
* You get to hear a story or some 'Intel' which might lead-in to other interesting things (indirect loot/advancements)
* A record of your activity is permanent - a 'dossier' of the opponent
* 'Progress' Measurement Indicators (for you and others to see)
* How your 'team talks (and comments from NPCs) mentioning your exploits ...
* Mention in the New Rapture Tribune (or equivalent)
--- --- ---
Improving Player Intractability :
There can be a Problem with not having enough Players being 'ON' at the same real world time. Are there enough Players around to interact with ? (AND Not busy doing other game activities even when then playing.) How many 'direct' interactions (or indirect) have to be facilitated to fill-in sufficiently for the kind of 'social' aspects this MMORPG is trying to achieve ?
--- --- ---
For A MMORPG Game with More Complex Interactions :
Playing MMORPGs has an Internet network turnaround delay, so cannot be 'twitch' type interactions (chiefly of combat ).
Enemies should generally 'telegraph' their actions (posturing) to give the Player a chance to action a Countermove ( enemy Brandishing their weapon, Yelling stuff like "Ahm Gonna Toast Yo Azz, Skumbaag!!", Charging up a Plasmid, etc ... )
Particularly in a game where the NPCs have a wide range of actions and tactics ( affects on the Player are more complicated than simply having a one dimensional Bullet-Sponge damage system. ) The Player has to be given the chance to observe what is happening next, and then time to work the interaction interface ( which often is a bit more than a 'Fire' trigger ). Likewise maneuvering to cover or to access terrain features.
-
No One-Shot-Kill (or disablement) type actions ( have to give Player a chance to figure out what happened and decide on countermeasures ). Likewise loophole against NPCs is too easy. Escalations of damage inhibiting actions, forcing more alternatives to be used.
--- --- ---
Issues with Clipping Edges (Basic Game Mechanics for Terrain Movement) :
Often they were very sloppy in BS1/BS2, with clear line of sight shot, but with the shot resulting in  hitting an edge that wasn't even close to being in the way (visually).  Better game mechanics, with more  precise Bounding Boxes and such are needed to prevent 'WTF' moments for Players when there is a  discrepancy in what they see versus what the game mishandles.  Particularly annoying are situation where your fire clips the wall incorrectly, but the same target enemy can hit you back just fine (and does).
There is really no excuse for such annoyances existing in games.  The MMORPG with some more complicated  terrains would need its engine not to have such lame problems.
--- --- ---
LET THERE BE ROLEPLAYING !!! :
Latest Levine 'Gratest Thing Evah' (circa 2017)
Levine (Talking about game ideas for 'Ghost Story Games' coming game) : "One of the most important things about what we're doing now is this concept of Radical Recognition [...] that if the player does something, the game should - as often as we can - recognize that accomplishment, or failure, or whatever it is, and find ways to have the world feed back that it cares [...] The heart of that is something that’s central to our game."
* NPCs react to your actions (instead of tree plot) - assume modify your missions.
* I Assume its a game you keep going BACK to the same set of NPCs (and/or have sidekicks ?) to be ABLE to get changed reactions from them.
* "the player can learn, act upon, and affect a non-linear narrative story,"
* Supposedly the game wont be as 'explainy' about why people react to you (and/or howthe game works)and you have to figure it out yourself
* Consider that ALOT of specialized content is needed, or the game will be too small to have much playthrough/replayability, or have too much repetition (and LOTS of content is a big budget problem).
(( Consider though the similar big claims about Infinite BS which were never realized ... ))
--- --- ---
Ambient Comments on the Interwebz : 
* "In a world where we've been sold lies over and over regarding videogames, these devs need to be more realistic and less vague. When the game is revealed and previewed, I'll believe some of these claims."
* "He's great at piling on loads of bullshit onto his games, but no real substance. Just another advertising shill loaded with buzzwords and no workable ideas."
* "I dont know.. after bioshock infinite I dont quite trust this guy anymore"
-
Levine mentions the idea used in "Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis System" . THAT is described as a combat opponent generating system with factions, classes and experience ramps, and lots of weapon/skill/appearance/tactics(?) options to randomize (and some persistence to the individuals to allow them to mutate as the game moves forward).
A NPC social system with a greater player activity scope than just 'combat interactions' will be far more complex (perhaps combat is still all this new game is mostly to be ????) Such a problem being Magnitudes more complex is the issue of how well Levine will be able to employ such a system.
-
Player Comment (About Meaningful NPCs) :
"Levines's full of shit. He spent months hyping up Elizabeth's role in Infinite, before downsizing her strictly to support, and barely that. Hell, he didn't even have the stones to fight for her inclusion on the damn cover of the game. Worse yet, he tried to feed us that tired line of wanting to give the game its best chance. Bunk. "
--- --- ---
Simulated Activities To Present a 'Busy' Cityscape and Operate a Normal 'Economy' :
Players (as their on-line Avatars) are not present much of the time, but world activities go on (NPC AI keeps things happening). The Player sets up a business/fabrication task/supply chain (causing interacting with other NPCs to get needed materials). The Player's organization remains active, the NPCs operate visible to other players.
Independant NPCs have their own 'lives' with roles/goals that require no intervention (built into their design/programming). Besides work, they eat, sleep, do recreational activities, consume commodities, reside in the City, etc... NPCs buy goods, NPC businesses continue selling or producing goods - simulating a real economy which the player interacts with (and doing jobs the player might not care to).
A Player's Team NPCs do boring/repetitive tasks for the Player's game projects (so instead of the endless click-fest 'crafting' many MMORPGs have, the Players organize/manage their minions to do the tedious stuff). Offline management (handheld interfaces to 'play' the more mundane activities) allow monitoring and 'tweaking' activities even when sets of off-line tasks can be queued up. Players can thus spend most of their 3D gaming doing the more exciting/interesting exploring and exploiting in the wilder parts of the world.
The AI for alot of this control is not that sophisticated program-wise (just a whole hell of alot better than the simplistic scripting we are afflicted with in most current games) and easily replicated/modified/varied for many different tasks/activities. Instead of a Player constantly ordering 'units' to do specific tasks, the NPCs have their own goals and a scheduling and prioritization system that has them choose their activities appropriately. Patterns of producing/transporting/consuming items or providing services are well known from normal life, and can be replicated in enough detail as a backdrop for a reasonably detailed game World. The normalcy of the New Rapture cityscape is in contrast to the violence and chaos of the rest of Rapture.
-
The Player Asset Creation mechanism allows incremental expansion/varying of the NPCs activites over time.
Players can add new 'normal' behaviors to present a 'typical' city full of NPCs (when your typical MMORPG 'City' is a virtual Ghost Town full of mostly inert mannequins). An example would be City maintenance in the form of cleaning the streets (the City Center is meant to be a showcase of Civilization - what the city once was). NPCs (and possibly the player) are hired to pickup garbage in the streets.
A new variation of this NPC activity would be designed using the game's Creation Tools ( figure animation, sound effects, scripted NPC movements, tool props used, interactions with the environment, spawning patterns of 'garbage' in the terrain, garbage disposal, scheduled patterns employing this variation ). Much of this is modifying a basic 'clean up' activity, but the variation will allow the NPCs to appear less repetitive and keep them moving/acting in a logical way (fitting the location). Instead of pieces of garbage, it might be a puddle of chemicals that requires cleanup, or a boodstains, or graffiti. Added 'game quality' would be coordinating between 2 NPCs to do the activity ( which is much more challenging programming-wise and also more interesting looking ).
Of course, ALL of this uses the same development effort/methods used to create the adversarial NPC behaviors, to have THEM do many different things/tactics, requiring the players to handle them in many different ways). Same for adding additional reactions to unusual circumstances ( in the City or out in the wilds/ruins ) - the more there are, the more real the game becomes ( versus those limited MMORPGs where NPCs hardly react to anything and then only in a few boring ways ).
--- --- ---
One thing to Fix - Crude Collision Boxes ( in '3D' Game Programming ):
A "Collision Box" is the '3D' area around an Object the computer uses to check if you hit it while moving, or for a projectile strike.
Unfortunately for odd shaped object the 'collision box' can stick way out from the actual objects '3D' surface ( box refers to a simple boxy shape used to simplify the constantly done calculations in the game ) and cause false-collision when they shouldn't happen.  I saw a number of occasions in the Solo games where this was so.   With better programming you can still use the simple box method, but then if you GET a collision with 'that box' you THEN further test with a much finer quality collision map of the Object so to get a truer collision calculation and truer game simulation. 
Consider when you Fire a projectile in a game with complex terrain and ALOT of independently movable objects that there is ALOT of calculations to perform. This goes for all Movement of Objects as will.
--- --- ---
MMORPG Naughty Word Filter (mode) :
A possibility as so many/most new Assets will be text based instead of voice actoring (and text checking can be automated as part of the toolset to mark filterable words). Might even get the original voice actor content to be reedited to bleep the words ( a project for Player Creators to identify them and/or edit as an alternate asset set ).
DECIDING WHAT IS AND ISNT ALLOWED IN-GAME - is a separate issue.
In-game Player language is a bit more complicated - text can be filtered, as in other MMORPGs (optionally in this game). But ad hoc voice communications ( unsolicited 'phone calls'/ face to face voice ?? ) are harder to police ( requiring well spelled out EULA policies about such content ). Mass transmitted voice (Radio/TV) would likely be pre-reorded and thus could be vetted ( including rewards for reporting and penalties for those breaking/abusing the policies ). Party/Group communication voice party-lines have separate rules, since those associations are voluntary.
PRE-VETTING OF everything Player Created gets the same treatment and further manual scrutiny.
--- --- ---
Game With How Many Players ? :
A Problematic Issue : Exactly how many Players (population) can there be in each game World (Server) ?? Estimate Rapture's 20k-40k population at its height, and now having shrunk to far less by 1970 after the Chaos (and Lambtopia) caused a major population decrease. It would be well under that high number.
How many Players do you allow when there are ALSO supposed to be numerous (far more) 'wild' Splicers out there to serve as Opponents ? ( That is, even with a lower-body-count style combat to keep that population up and from being wiped out after a few days after the Game Goes Live ... ).
You could have Servers with only 1000 Players each on them. BUT Is that enough for constant meaningful interactions with other Players ( Even just to be seen, the way Players (playtimes) spread out over timezones - just have different playing hours )?? Part of the game is seeing what other Players are upto (the creativity element massively enabled) and have built. With such a small (1000 Player ) Server population, it might make that far less workable/effective that having ALL the games Players crowded onto One Big World Server. If a BIG population, then having shops, residences and such likewise can get strange for the 'New Rapture' -- if they are too numerous for the story situation.
Ways of 'plausibly' increasing Rapture game time population :
* NPC Team are temporary 'hires' (or moonlight) - this allows reuse (can be more nebulous in the numbers interacting with Players).
* Ex-Splicers who keep 'Goin off the Wagon' ( recycling personalities out into the Splicer environment )
* Force-multipliers of 'Bots' assisting the Player ( less humans but still bulking up 'expeditions' )
* Splicers been breedin' ( just more of them have Survived, and even 'flourished' ) and away from Sofia Lamb's recent tyranny non-splicing "normals" have restored/maintained a modicum of civilization enough to have families.
* Non-Splicer(human) enemies/interactors ( Who didn't "die off" as much as Splicers might ) -- My longterm 'take' is that there were whole areas of Rapture preserved from the depredations of evil wankers like Atlas and Sofia Lamb.
* Outsiders - People have come in from outside of Rapture to populate some of the Missions. This would have to be carefully controlled in-story.
* Less FATAL combat keeps replacement justification lower ( instead of the whole place filling up with unlimmited enemy corpses -- the way that most MMORPGs have their 'bodycounts' in their combat ) .
* Those Vita-Chambers did actually work (frequently).
* Sorry, no Infinitized 'multiple dimensions' Raptures which Players can wander between.
--- --- ---
Balancing the Game :
A problem which frequently occurs in MMORPGs- one aspect/activity becomes too easy for Players to do to get 'stuff'/money/advancement, and many Players then never touch other more difficult aspects of the game.   As Players get more abilities (via exaggerated character development) some things may get much too easy or irrelevant.   A (more) realistic "supply and demand" Economy mechanism may allow sufficient "checks and balances" to prevent such distortions ( example- alot of something the Players obtain easily and then try to sell causes that thing's price to drop  -- til its not worth Player's effort to obtain, and THEN they have a reason go try to obtain something else ).  Similar balancing mechanisms would exist for player advancements in skills and resources.
As the game World goes on, the City may grow and Player's abilities expand,  new dynamics come into play which might not have been foreseen or planned for.    Players are very good at finding loopholes (defects) that give them an unfair/unbalanced/too-easy advantage that can disrupt the normal state of the game.   Game Economies are complex enough for many loopholes to be possible (and require elimination).
One advantage THIS MMORPG has is that much of this game is synthesized 'on-the-fly' and not static, so that if the simulation is running too fast, things like Quests can be slowed down/difficulty adjusted/loot changed.  Likewise, the NPCs can be controlled (to a large extent) to shift/balance/meter the economy better.   Some 'events' can be tossed in by moderators to effect drastic changes/readjustments in the game environments balance.
Splicer Faction activities can also be adjusted when required on a particular Server World.
Players prefer more subtle readjustment so as not to undo their longtime efforts and goals and have time to adapt, and Moderators prefer slow changes so that they don't suddenly cause a pendulum swing in the way the game works and have umpteen thousand Players complaining about "creating more problems than they fix" or "changing the game overnight".     Plenty of pretesting is part of the management process.
--- --- ---
Game Design Issue - How to Keep Certain Things From Being 'Too Easy' And Avoidance Of Harder Things :
If one avenue of generating money/material/skills is too easy, how do you prevent Players from grinding it and never seeing alot of the game which is 'harder' (or different) ??
* Same missions not repeatable - make Players have to go someplace new to largely avoid the too-easy 'well beaten path'.
* Resource Exhaustion - Player cannot endlessly go back to same 'easy spot'.  (Though going to a new resource spot shouldn't become overly hazardous).   Resource renewal patterns should not usually be predictable ( "I'll just wait til tomorrow for the trees to grow back" .... )
* Customers (supply and demand) - over-abundance of 'easy' to obtain materials floods market and drives price way down.
* Many kinds/combinations of materials required, so many different places to go to get various ones ( and different activities to obtain them ).
* Spawn shifting (similar to Resource Exhaustion) where situation at locations can change (preferably as result of Player action - Splicers don't like YOU poaching all THEIR resources, and will do something about it).
* Randomness of 'loot' so no easy pattern of targets ( prevents Player ignoring all else and endlessly targeting the 'right' one and then scooting before things get complicated ).
* Random Encounters - things can happen differently when on-the-way to that 'same' place ( hopefully interesting, newness  making the Player think, instead of endless 'safe' bean-counter-type routine. )
* Skill building - experience limits and difficulty ramps for particular things (you cannot get to "" Guild Master Alchemist ""  by boiling water 1 million times).  Advancement requires proper Context ( ie- have to use skill against real targets, not grinding action is a dry safe well-lighted place  - as they say 'its very different when the target shoots back' ).
* Changing incentives/goals to make doing that 'too easy' thing unprofitable and other things more profitable.
* Make the Avatar advancement system non-obvious/non-simplistic ( no class levels and XP ) to make it harder to find the 'grind'.
* Tools wear out - 'grind' not so simple/repetitive now.
* Player getting 'better stuff' or high skill does not turn you into a 'god' (so not making things 'wave your hand' easy).
* Likewise, simple 'easy' actions/situations can have unexpected results and precipitate unusual/interesting situations.    ( ie- Splicers figure out Player ALWAYs goes to same harvest spot, and lay a little ambush ... )
Conversely, things that are 'too hard' get avoided :
* More partial results, so Players can 'wing it' and not have to 'resurrect from death over and over' ( or always runaway from artificially unhandleable hazards )
* Free Market makes things "noone else bothers to recover" much more valuable - shortages drive up prices.
* Quest/Missions offered eventually thins down to 'ones not previously done' and/or are gateways to more opportunities making them 'worth doing'.
* Avoid Player Level specific content. I found ridiculous/contrived the  MMORPGs with 'Sorry you are too low to enter here', or 'You don't have that Quest', or Dying Instantly if you try to interact with something WAY over your level.  In this MMORPG there are no Player levels and success is less dependent on Avatars attributes than Player skills and know-how ( and some luck ).
--- --- ---
 "Open Source Code" For More Than The Game Data (Programming The MMORPG)??? :
Reasons not to use it for development(many of the 'advantages' of Open Source don't apply to a project like this) :
* Programming for a specific application has no controllability as to schedule or quality (it really needs a more cohesive effort). Libraries with well defined functional specifications are much easier for Open Source (once the standards are decided on), but irregular and monolithic programs like game server and client applications are much more complex.
* A great deal of inside knowledge is required to produce pieces of code that are highly integrated with other parts of the product (versus game data that is largely independent of other game data - and can be discarded if defective without disrupting the entire project). For a program, one broken/defective part and the entirety is broken, if one part of the program is not finished, all of it is not.
* Code standards are sometimes difficult to maintain and proper documentation takes much more work to make available to a general audience ( versus inside a company where you can walk down a hall or make a call to clarify an issue ).
* Game company wants to protect its product, and much of the data for the MMORPG is only of specialized use ( limited to THEIR game program that THEY have exclusive control over ).
* The company controls the programming code for the servers and client (and the tools). If it was 'open source' a competitor could grab the code and make it much easier to reuse(steal) the game object data ( benefit without having done the work - 'parasites' as Andrew Ryan would call them ).
* Plugin support for tools will still be allowed ( which are limited within the scope of the game tools ).
* The game mechanics do allow scripting which effectively turns 'logic' into data. The engine would allow flexible use of such ( when most other MMORPG systems are much more static ) - 'logic' having to be compiled into the game engine itself.
* External Tool programs can still be created as long as they create Assets in standard formats. Besides the usual textures or '3D' meshes, more specialized data can be XML ( with schemas provided as definition/validation/compatibility Templates for the created data ). The company tools are largely 'one-way' (import only), so the IDE would be designed to preserve the external input data for any subsequent modification.
--- --- ---
MMORPG - MY 'Only Law' - "  NO   FAKE   WALLS  " :
I have grown weary of games with tiny edge of world obstacles you can't jump/climb over ( particularly if there are other larger ones or even the same ones elsewhere WHICH YOU CAN, and you can't see any difference ).   This is an artificial mechanism used by lazy/sloppy game makers who 'guide' (force) you along the path they want you to follow, and who could not come up with something creative or fitting within the environment to properly block your path.
The Teleportation Plasmid would have made hash of such blockage, or make the forced manipulation of your path even more obvious.  SO of course, it had to go, as a Player Plasmid in the BioShock games ( It takes alot of work and intelligent design to have a generalized '3D' movement system which would allow Teleportation to work ).   You have Floaty things in Infinite BS, but the Player is highly restricted - no jet belts to the limited Skylines and those few absurd Freight Hooks. 
( Seriously, they could have saved 75 million dollars and made it a Flash platform game you play on a Browser for what you got ).
-
Artificial Gate Keeping For MMORPG Game Content :
There should not be ANYTHING in the game saying "Your level is too low to use this" (there would be no such levels in Rapture Reborn ) which are annoying in other games where you find something but it is blocked by the game's artificial leveling (and the Player's level). 
Likewise "You dont have the Mission/Quest required to use this".
--- --- ---
Touchy (Controversial) Issues -- Embrace or Flee from them ??)  :
* Children in Rapture : Result of 'relations', etc...  ( This game would obviously have a M17+ rating ... ) 
Hehe,  justification to omit : 'It is being worked on' (nah, couldn't last as an excuse).   
How many children would have survived in Rapture ?   1959 -> 1968+  (of course in the viable areas who isolated from Rapture City...)  Are Splicers sterile ?  Imagine what nightmares children with parents who were Splicers would be like (Hmmm, actually that could be quite an interesting subject).  Ex-Splicers NOW live in the New City, their health and sanity restored ...
More work for the Asset Creators - children who look and Act/Behave like children.
* Religion : (especially with restorations allowed by New Rapture - even though wasn't actually banned under Ryan who likely had a grudge against it because it did not save his family from being murdered by communists in Russia).   Out in 'The Ruins' Splicers are no longer under such restrictions, could go their own way.  There might be some entertainment value religious weirdness attributed to insanity (ex - the Cult of the Epstein the Swami machine and their war with a rival Anti-Swami cult).  But others could be more serious/realistic.  Some Game Creators could get into real issues/representations that might make certain people 'uncomfortable' - but there is alot of MMORPG Rapture to go see, so IF you get uncomfortable, run for the exit doors....  YOU have that freedom to take any time you wish, (unlike other 'lead by the nose' choreographed games).   Proselytizing of any particular one within-the-game ??  External links ARE prohibited - you have to 'make your case' within the game environment (and it IS an element of real-world-hood which this game is trying to emulate).
* Racism ?  Grace's comments sounded more like 'chip on the shoulder' exaggeration (but then we did see only a tiny bit of Rapture from a limited warped view, and that was from the 40s/50s era when attitudes were different).   Racism is a reality, even today, especially with hypocrisy of those who are the first to cast such accusations.
* Sexism ?   New Rapture is a frontier environment where old patterns are much disrupted (also even Old Rapture was Post-WW2, when many social changes were already happening).  There has to be (for legal reasons)  anti-harassment measures within the Game.  So - add to the game mechanism various anti-griefing measures which allow easy collection of recorded evidence (instead of so many games limited to charges of behavior which ill-equipped GMs have to investigate, or dim automatic systems which 'Griefers' quickly turn to their own advantage).
We've already seen whorehouses in BS2, how much further would you need to go with that ?
* Violence? Blood and Gore?  I've already mentions a wider range of interaction effects for NPCs and Players (with many more ways of getting things done, besides the usual/endless/unimaginative "slaughtering everything in sight").   Blood and Gore, if realistic, might more impart repercussions to actions.  The mandate to 'Save the Splicers' likely will also cut down on the chronic  reliance on Violence to make for a more interesting game.  Unnecessary violence could make NPCs quite uncooperative to abusive/malicious players (who may need to be broken from the behavior patterns of most other games).
--- --- ---
Handling 'Complaints' About the MMORPG Game :
As normal, there would be Forums and Discussion groups talking about the MMORPG, with addition of similar mechanisms to coordinate the Player Asset Creation Community.   One difference with THIS game is that accusations of "how bad it is" from critics can be answered with calls to the complainer to "go and do it right yourself then" which the Creation mechanisms actually would often make possible.  How many times I've heard fanbois ignorantly tell someone with a valid negative comment "then go and create your owns game", which in most games is NOT possible at all.  In THIS game, it is a major feature - that players will take a significant part in improving and expanding the game.
Of course real bugs will exist, but here there will be much more chance to get them fixed (and defective parts can be pulled as easily as added in the modular system).   An active 'expert' Community would be available to expedite corrections, versus a company where people are moved on to other projects and limited moneys are supplied to only fix the most gross problems.
-
Consider the 'Dumbed Down' product most of these games have been lately. When a typical player is NOT 'led by the nose' through the MMORPG game with its greater complexity, they will think there is something wrong. Good tutorials should be provided that such Players can be 'aimed at' to bypass the endlessly wasteful whining and online handholding.
--- --- ---
==Have The Game Engine Do A Decent Job : ==
-
Rendering "Impostors" (In Game Computer Graphics) :
No, not like Fontaine pretending to be 'Atlas' ... Its a graphics Optimization technique.
In a game when you want to/need to save on Graphics Rendering resources, the program can substitute simpler/simplified '2D' Assets for things seen at a distance (often only a texture "Billboard" object image at extreme range) -- Used when their finer detail is not visible : textures and the geometry of '3D' Mesh and facet lighting effects(shaders), and eliminating rendering of sub-parts of Animated figures/objects (simplification).
Sufficiently distant scenes might be converted into a texture 'view' ( done in segments to create a temporary 'Skybox/Skydome ), to be created and drawn WHILE the Player stays within a small area -- Where the view of distant objects doesn't change (particularly windows). Now in the MMORPG, the Player's terrain setting (their view) can change frequently ( changed by the Player's movement/actions for example ). An attempt is to be made to keep things (even distant ones) looking as real ( reflecting their current state ) as possible. This can require periodic updates for any Cached Assets of this type, as things there change ( Rebuilding the distant 'view' once a second instead of 30 (or more) times a second can be a big savings ).
Things which are unseeably dim with distance (through water) will simply not have to be drawn (the trick is techniques for figuring out which things these are). Most of the previous BioShock Rapture games' external water views (seen out external windows) were not really possible - distances couldn't to be so well lit as they appeared. Much wouldn't be visible, and wouldn't need to be drawn.
Drawn animations of a too-distant complex Object (ie- a human figure) does not have to include the smaller sub-parts ( fingers/face details/equipment/complex textures ). When distant enough, their geometries can be significantly simplified (Level Of Detail stages. Static Objects and terrain likewise can be simplified with distance to ease their demand on rendering resources which the Client program would require ( and allow more concentration on the many closeup objects ).
-
That brings up the MMORPGs various graphical setting controls. MMORPGs are usually run on a very wide range of Player machine specifications (GPU capabilities). Whereas this game's maximum detail mode would be pushing the performance of a (future) high-powered gaming PC machine, it still needs the ability to run on less god-like hardware as well. Techniques which can be controlled by degree :
* Excluding the drawing of terrain and animated objects beyond a radius distance
* Distance for mid-range objects which are to be simplified ( texture detail, shadow/lighting effects )
* Skipping complex face animations when the Player isn't in a focused view
* Eliminating advanced lighting effects ( the MMORPG would have more of this than recent games because of the many more dynamic objects )
--- --- ---
Sloping Floors :
Game Engine should be able to handle non-flat floors ( ie- ramps and such, as well as out of kilter floors due to building damage) -- floors that are not structural components of the building, but are fastened to the structural walls/floors). Floors fallen in.  Debris forms piles, etc ... Structures like catwalks can be ramps. Building blocks of this kind should be adjustable as to their dimensions and slope allowing much more diversity in the 3rd dimension.
--- --- ---
Sorry no Save+Reload in a MMORPG :
I never did care for the "Play - Save - Die - Reload - *repeat*" type of games and I like a chance to actually look around at the Game World instead of being so concentrated on just survival ( and what might leap out the next second and kill you ) - in that context the scenery/details are largely meaningless and ignored ( of course many older games really didn't have that much scenery anyway ).
In A MMORPG the 'die and reconstitute' process can itself sometimes make for an interesting situation. In Ultima OnlineUltima Online MMORPG, being killed into a 'Ghost', then being Resurrected in a Town and then having to rush back to the site of your death to recover your goodies/equipment within a time limit - usually with a quick stop at the Bank to get some spare equipment to let you survive to get to the body location.
Most games just don't have a sufficient number of variations or degrees short of 'death' as the simplicity of the combat and damage mechanisms do not offer that many options or contingencies. In the real world, you get sick/ poisoned/ trapped/ injured/ captured/ diseased/ tied-up/ knocked out/ disarmed/ blinded/ etc.. for extended lengths of time, which can completely change the Player's potential actions and goals (and priorities).
In this Main_PageMMORPG, there is the potential assistance of NPCs in your 'Team' to keep fighting or to haul you away, and there would be many more varying situational contingencies ( and ways to prepare for them ).
--- --- ---
'Good' MMORPG Game Design :
One thing I would definitely not have happen - being locked out of content because of some Mini-Game ( frustration like in GTA with buggy/sloppy/incompetant porting to the PC of mini-games, and at least one mission's activation blocked -- with the failure to complete them resulting in blocking a whole chains of missions). 
So, the standard design should be multiple avenues of attaining a positive result/prerequisite for a quest/mission ( similar to in BS1/BS2 with buying out or doing an 'auto' for Hacks ).
--- --- ---
Security Issues with Tablet and SmartPhone Apps :
Some of the Apps related to the MMORPG would be just for entertainment value. ( "All things Rapture" ) And so security isn't as important ( solo involvement with very little game-changing interactions, mainly just access ).
Other Apps would earn in-game advancement for a Player (thus have to tie-in closer with the MMORPG Servers), and those are the ones which would need sufficient protections from cheaters. 
It helps that no real money would be involved within the game (no "Store" etc..), but various account info which might be linked to Player's game payment would obviously need to be protected (even if limited to Single monthly charges).   A simple example which 2K botched for BioShock was : Their using the same Username for their Forums as the in-game Account name - thus giving any hacker half the info to start working on breaking passwords and thus access to a Players game account.
To thwart cheaters, it is possible these days to constantly modify game executables in major ways every time they are to be used (helped by increasing download speeds) and randomization of Mini-Game scenarios with some Server checking to block the usual hacks (monitoring data flows and injecting 'wins' and such).   Then the constantly required effort by even expert hackers just isn't worth the rewards (and no easy be distribution of hacks to the 'script-kiddee' cheaters).
--- --- ---
Old Problem Of Tuning The Game So That Players Don't Just Walk All Over Their NPC Opponents :
This MMORPG Game is at least a magnitude more complex ( actions, impairments, potential tactics, terrain complexity, motives, goals ) means it is a whole lot more complicated to Tune/Adjust/Balance all the interrelated elements AND make them consistent ( easily exploitable loopholes for a single optimized general tactic only makes a game less interesting and repetitive ).
SO a Modular Adaptable System is logical to allow improvements to be more than what's offered in most other games.
* Less 'god-like' buffs and advancements for the Player's Character. SO things don't have to be variably-tuned as much, or as blatantly contrived, as in MMORPG games where entire areas/map sections 'go grey' and are useless outside of a certain 'level range' of applicable Players (simply requiring a higher Player level, or too easy - entirely outclassed).
* Modular - New logic from Player Creators can be added to allow NPC opponents to do Tactics not previously seen. First - a variety of opponents of varying levels of difficulty (it is likely playtesting will only uncover partial determining of how difficult Players find the game, and adjustments would need to be made post-release). Hopefully, the Creation Community would get better at judging such things (and can pre-fix them).
* Adaptable - more varieties of difficulty -- some made to match Players 'level', others allowing Players to figure out how 'deep in the doo-doo' they want to get. To have an adequate number of ways to leave a bad situation - to recognize it and then retreat so as to avoid worse consequences. Retreating (strategic withdrawl) should frequently be an easier option in many situations. Also multiple ways to handle the same problem (preferably without one constant 'loophole' which will have Players 'shortcutting' much of the interesting game activities).
* Scenario-wise - Multiple Players 'ganging' up on the poor Splicers ... Well, a bigger Player 'party' can then attract MORE Splicers ( or appearing to present a bigger threat - to a Faction, thus to have the Splicers bring into play more resources ).
* Capturing a Splicer is one problem, getting it back to the New City for 'Curing' might be a whole 'nuther ... Remember these aren't mindless animals ( We hope the AI can make them more than that ), and you may have some 'friend' of that captured Splicer on your trail seeking to free its associate.
* There also may be a problem of 'too hard' -- of Players facing the first real 'Smart' NPC opponents ( as opposing real Players faced in Multi-Player ) and being overwhelmed when they actually have to 'Think a Little' or face situations they cannot "Save And Reload" repeatedly til they find a solution.
* That's another issue : of things happening too fast (or then too slow) for the Player to issue commands or to activate desired actions. Despite interface improvements, it just never is natural to most Players and fumbling with an interface is one of my least favorite part of many games ( Quote : "I'm supposed to be fighting game opponents, NOT the damned fricken crappy game interface ! " - Me ).
* Some Missions informing/warning/cautioning of the Player beforehand what they might face (even better if they actively can inquire), to make a decision about attempting it, or for them to adjust the resources they will want to apply and be able to do preparations. ( Many/some missions won't give the Player a clue, so that they can get real practice making 'Strategic Retreats', which is part of the realism ). Missions generally won't be repeatable so you won't have the usual MMORPG crutch of Try-Fail-Repeat ( or the "Look It Up On The Internet" Cheat ).
* Some Players may prefer doing many things completely solo (not even with any Team NPCs). Missions should scale to this game play preference ( though rewards should probably scale to the added complexity of the difficulties of running/coordinating the NPC "Team" ). Of course 'retreating' with a single person is usually easier than extracting an entire 'Party' from a bad situation.
--- --- ---
Having No Endgame (in a MMORPG) - Thoughts :
A largely 'sandbox' MMORPG doesn't have to have an 'endgame', and there certainly could always be more for Players to discover in Rapture ( The constant adding of new content by Player Creators would help deflect Players from needing the usual artificial player-level area progression ). The mutating Map system (and the Server Scenario Terrain Bubble, Auto-Generation and Build-On-The-Fly mechanisms ) can allow unlimited new locations. You can ALWAYS add via a "guess what was under that manhole cover you walked by a thousand times" ( So that is 'sideways' expansion within areas (and a city map) already defined in its extents ).
Such a system can Avoid the whole "Internet Spoilers" by the first Players to figure out the Epic 'endgame'... for those games which have a linear story (( The Ring is Destroyed and You help Frodo get onto the Elf-Ship going 'To the West', and then NOW WHAT ? Go and run through the whole World with an 'Alt' character of a different 'class' ? Usually its that, OR just quit )).
What kind of progression to 'harder' things (missions/activities) in Rapture for Player to do that takes a sufficient Character buildup (prerequisite) ? You can later go to Places you bypassed earlier (if you were smart). A system of moving/interacting/effects of NPC factions can adjust local environments -- not just static spawns as most MMORPGS have (for the most part), and thus significantly shift the same area to a drastically new situation.
Players being just 'handed money' (or other stuff) by quitting Players should have no advantage - It shortcuts alot of interesting game activities ( likewise the trading up of trained Team NPCs should be blocked - but there the MMORPG's NPCs can have a 'say', and can simply refuse to work for some unproven 'newbie' being their boss ).
Harder opponents (and their tactics) can always be created ( Playtested as they are developed to match the difficulty requirement ). Better AI for existing opponents can be improved. More complex/intricate object fabrication abilities/Formulas can be added. More 'New' missions/scenarios/activities can constantly be created and with additional tasks to rebuild the city, requiring more resources and skills.
--- --- ---
Clumsily Spawning NPCs - Interfering With Player Behaviors :
You can't have NPC 'spawns' everywhere willy-nilly when you have 'Chase' tactics/activities, else the Player just keeps activating more generic opponents, which quickly becomes too difficult a situation. Player flexibility in maneuvering should NOT be impaired like this.
MANY MMORPGS have : Minefield respawn patterns ( NPCs spread across the terrain illogical and an obvious game padding/shooting gallery ).
MMORPG Player 'Tourist' activities have to be more than just slaughtering things ( Which is why the 'ducks' are put their in so many MMORPGs - its easy to do when there is a LACK of something more interesting. ) 
--- --- ---
Sorry, No FIFTY New Kinds of Big Daddies/Splicers/Weapons/Plasmid & Tonics :
There are more than enough existing kinds of these (of needed flavors) without simply having something of a different name do largely the same thing.   No need for a new 'Super' version of any of them.  Definitely no magic ones that do things against the laws of physics.
The idea would be to broaden what there already IS and what they do (the world/terrain is more complicated ... more interactions, more uses with a variety of tools, etc... ).
Variations (ie- Big Daddies) can still be done to randomize appearance/behavior, make instances of them more unique.
Plasmids/Tonic might have 'less than standard' results (misfires, etc ...)
There is a desire for MMORPGs over time TO ADD NEW STUFF, but it can get out of hand.
--- --- ---
Character-Level Based Equipment - a Defective Gameplay Design :
In most MMORPG game Items become obsolete and your just throw them away ( or sell them for a pittance to NPC shops ).  They don't get passed on to other players ( rarely are they improved, and then not for very long ).
Likewise Fabrication, where effort (usually another long tedious grind) is put into developing the fabrication skill,which is then rewarded with making stuff little better than what everyone gets as part of the normal leveling missions ( worse - player levels also go up so fast that the items are outclassed in no time at all ).
In some cases the fabrication skill is tied to the character level, and by the time items of a certain level can be made, that character has little use for them ( besides usually being mundane anyway ).
--- --- ---
Independant Game Creations For Private Viewing/Interaction :
Just because something is created doesn't mean it gets used in the Main Game. If the Tools are easy enough to use, and there are things like open-access Test Servers, then people might create ALOT of stuff just for amusement ( or to get comments/accolades ). Vetting still being done for such content, of course.
There WILL have to be some safe way to protect the company from legal issues for these outside creations, when someone creates something with copyright infringements or other problems (with little vetting possible for this Independently created/distributed stuff). A PC-based (non-company operated) Test Server program that has sufficient (full) functionality for anyone to run the 'interesting' Assets and Ensembles themselves, which the Player could download freely from sources outside the company's control. I'm sure that if the tools are adequately handy, that Players will exceed all expectation as to what can/will get produced (Hello Game Industry - diverse uses OUTSIDE of games ...).
-
A built-in Recorder for the Test Client - An important part of the testing and review process. Makes it easier to Create Vids for Internet posting, with the Creator "working the controls" to get the results desired for the presentation. Tied in with debugging mechanism to assist with that process also.
-
Test Servers at Home - able to serve other players (usually restricted by typical upline/upstream Internet connections, and certainly by single machine limits). These could serve 'personal' Assets which would not be subject to the company vetting.
--- --- ---
Limitless Achievements (a Good Thing ...) :
"Achievements" are a popular element of the RPG/MMORPG game genre.
Thinking about 'Achievements' in various games : MMORPG Having somekind of wizard mechanism where the player fills in options (which CAN be done cleverly .. potentially with a good modular system) to flexibly generate a plethora of Player Created 'Achievements' for the game ( cute aesthetic 'badges' might be the hard part ... )
Example :
I am *name_here* the *nasty_type_here* Killer -- and I will upon killing (and possibly dragging back to civilization) quantity= [ 20 / (*nasty_type_here*.size / me.size) ] *nasty_type_here* carcasses - THEN have the me.title of "*name_here* The *nasty_type_here* Killer", forever more.
(This would be a 'wizard' type interface with simple selections/equation inputs/option which get patched automatically into a Scripter-written 'achievement' template. Additional templates would be created by 'Scripter' (and 'Programmer') level Asset Creators (using the modular system facilitating the creation of those).
Some would just be for amusement and absurdity, while others might be significant Challenges.
--- --- ---
Perhaps Player Created Challenges (Created to be Issued Openly to Other Players) ?? :
( Some people like doing these, and because it is designed/created by a different person, it is different than a self-assigned Task/Project ).
* Define one or more associated game Tasks ( potentially with a time limit and maybe level limits depending on the game mechanics ) which the Players have to do/achieve.
* Scoreboard is usually to be included ( competition drives many Players )
* Scoring criteria may or may not be used ( or have to be avatar level pro-rated ).
* Players can come up with all kinds of things for these ( of many different difficulties and interesting objectives, perhaps different from the usual game Tasks )
The game system to support such obviously needs resetable/specialized tracking of objects/locations/actions/timers etc.. and 'simple' state-machine scripted logic typical to what Quests/Missions use.
The feature should allow Inter-dependencies of such Tasks to the form a Mission Sequence for the 'challenge' ( preferably logical ones for the genre ).
A 'Wizard' type interface to design and activate such 'Challenges' (Achievements) would help increase the feature's use.
--- --- ---
Realistic Cohesion Within Game Making (The Little Details) :
Game companies have lots of problems : Memos missed, constant Revisions, Cost of redoing Assets, Limited coordination, Little Research done, or lack of possession of the knowledge of reality -- to understand how wrong things can be, and management not giving proper guidance.
Example - The tall building spires seen in some Rapture cityscape pictures - Not an air siphon, not light poles, but a great thing to (in reality) get yanked-on/bent by ocean currents, or mashed by passing icebergs. USED Repeated, over and over (overused), in some of the external window views (a low priority asset) - They are just some artist's "themey" idea. Some level designer saw a picture of the Chrysler Building (who's 'spike' was added when buildings were competing to be 'The Tallest' in the 30s), and This level designer just cloned it over and over ( AND it was a fricken Skybox texture, NOT a '3D' asset, whichwould have taken less work to do add some proper variation ) .
On the Empire State Building, it was a 'tower' ( lower part was originally envisioned (for a short time) as a dirigible mooring dock ), and later it was extended much taller to serve as a radio antenna (and lightning rod). That really narrow spike on the Empire State Building wasn't added til 1951 ( a Large Antenna atop the mooring mast tower ) so having them on a whole bunch of tall Rapture buildings in the Skyline isn't overly logical ( anachronistic with most buildings there built before that date ). Radio waves travel VERY badly through water, so those things seen wouldn't really be antennas. Structurally with Ocean currents they also would be problematic.
Multiples of the same impractical shape doesn't seem logical ( tall building stand out, its why THEY are built so exceptionally tall, and because of their cost, there are actually few like them ). If the Player's view location had been more realistically lower, then all kinds of adjacent buildings could have reasonably been shown/seen, instead of a horizon which had to be 'fillerized', so as to not otherwise look empty ( at least in Columbia you had clouds instead of inky black nothingness ).
Doing it RIGHT and from the START is NOT really that much more difficult to do.
--- --- ---
Legion of Decency (Pre 60s Public Censorship Boardhttps://rationalwiki.org/wiki/National_Legion_of_Decency) Game Mode :
All Violence is (optionally) 'adjusted' to show/be covered by "Pow!!", "Bang!", "Thunk!" and "Wham!", placardisms to keep the violence hidden from tender eyes of those unwilling to desire to witness mayhem in all its crudity and harshness.
Possibly other 'moderations' can be done such as laughter being substituted for screams, and flower petals for the blood and guts being splashed about. Similarly, violent actions might have 60s-style dancing actions substituted. All controlled substance use would have drinking and smoking substituted ( or gum chewing and bubble blowing, for the forensically cleaned content ). All Cursing will be converted to Three Stooges styled gibberish terms ... "I'll Amortize Yah !!!" ... "Take THAT!!!"... An option for 'funny' sound effects may be provided (Coconut sound being the most popular).
--- --- ---
Convenience Dealers (NPC Venders) :
Many Players don't like tedious bargaining ( "Life Of Brian" : "You MUST Haggle ...' It Just Isn't Done without Haggling !! " ) with NPC Vendors to sell the Loot the Player picks up to pay for their more interesting Explorations and things they actually want.
So there would be general NPC dealers that you just dump all your generic loot in a pile, and they give you a 'fair' price ( all kinds of weird stuff is useful, but it is alot of trouble to match it with a buyer (more than some Players are willing to do,anyway) -- that's where the vendor's profit comes from ).
Don't expect a machine to be able to do this. It was outright stupid and dim what things the Infinite BS game writers had some machines accept in payment -- jewelry/bullion ( How EXACTLY do you make change to a 500 Eagle gold bar ??? ) ... Only in the game to create some variation in 'Cash' type Loot, and then having to be accepted by their equally dim Vending machines. Seriously, Why had they thought they needed this ? (( Commercial customers in the Real World trade in money, but I guess this was one of those 'historicish' things the writer 'figgurrred out'. ))
Even more game Convenient is : when the Convenience Dealer can be found out on the edges of the Safe Areas - saving the Player from having to travel back, or dispatching the loot stuff back, to near the City Center.
Such peddlers are also known to carry some few commonly useful items the Player might immediately need.
As in Reality, Convenience has a cost ...
--- --- ---
Lotsa Toys, Beyond Most MMORPG Games :
Alot of stuff in the MMORPG would just be things you never saw before, and you get to Play with them ( Interactive Props of all different sorts, in all different ways ).
How to keep Players from Tearing Things Apart for 'bits' to use for other things ? (Possibly fixing them to make them work gives Prestige, XP, or somesuch). Apart from destroying things 'Just Because The Can' ...
Penalties if you get caught (time in the Hoosegow(jail)) for destroying community owned objects). 
* Private property theft IS a crime ("No Laws" is just Bullshit -- Ryan just said "His Laws").
 
* Boobytraps that blow bits of hands off (expensive Repair Treatments ...).
* Prestige loss for unwarranted destruction (at least within City Limits).
* Angry Mobs of outraged Citizens that 'mess you up' ... (Peer Pressure is a significant social mechanism).
--- --- ---
Game Etiquette Points :
Many MMORPG games allow you to walk right through other Players and NPCs (including enemies). Not checking for it lessens Server processing overhead ( doing all the collision tests against movable objects ), and it also prevents traffic jams (ordinary and intentional).
There also is a problem with Internet Delays not allowing accurate 'collision' prevention with typical game movement speeds. This MMORPG will likewise have that problem, but nothing stops the system from detecting when Players run into one another. From that end, consequences can be created which compel the Players to act in a realistic fashion.
Games where Griefers, even when they cannot attack other Player's directly, can bother others by intentionally blocking movement or shoving them ( if the game mechanics work that way ), or by interfering with NPCs normal behavior/activities in various ways.
More sophisticated/reactive NPC behavior scripting can have ways of handling those bothersome actions. Pretty soon NPCs would be giving the rude offenders 'The Back of Their Hands', and refusing to interact with them. Punch an NPC without reason and a complaint is filed with a Constable sending you to the Jail ( or the NPC and friends beat you up and you have to limp around for a week ). Reactions can escalate as the Player offender continues their bad behavior.
Nice orderly Player activity is to be rewarded ( as when you avoid running into people ) and disorderly/bothersome behavior is SIGNIFICANTLY punished.
You will need some detection of Player's intentionally placing themselves constantly in your path to obstruct your movement, or to force you to be 'rude' running into other Players and NPCs ( or blocking access to an NPC, etc ... ). Players are VERY creative, and some will use anything they can to be disruptive. Keeping the game's preventative measures up-to-date to prevent 'Griefer' Players subverting them as their tools (via loopholes) can take a bit of work.
One method may be facilitating in-game recordings of bad behavior, which can be submitted to the community to judge obvious bad behavior and hand out appropriate punishment ( NOTE - this process ITSELF needs protections against being manipulated and abused ). Punishments need to be severe enough to limit/dissuade continuing the bad behavior ( and intentional disruptions to a Player's game experience ).
-
The Etiquette Reward Ramp : The higher your sustained Etiquette, the more 'parties' you are invited to. Parties where 'exclusive' hints/access for goodies and such are divulged (thus is the incentive). Upscale contacts can link you to more lucrative Missions and access to resources. Just being civil in New Rapture is part of the 'Social Contract' for being allowed to live there. Society ramp ( as you move up "The Great Food Chain" ) has linkage to accepted etiquette which shouldn't be too onerous/strict .
-
Legal stuff - A well constructed EULA (End-User License Agreement) spelling out expected behavior and penalties would be needed. Perhaps there can be something more than the *scroll to bottom* and 'I Agree' which companies use to pretend that Players actually read their EULA There was even a amusing South Park episode ("HUMANCENTiPAD") dealing with the whole issue.
Maybe quizzes that earn the player in-game bonuses for answering (multiple guess) EULA information correctly may get more Player comprehension/understanding/awareness ( making it harder to say "I didn't know" ). Refreshers are important when Updates occur (Highlighting Changes and Addition would be smart - I wonder why companies usually don't do that ...).
--- --- ---
Things the MMORPG Should NOT Have In It :
* No fixable breaking of Realism, breaking of Common Sense, or Design Decency to make a needed 'game mechanic' work. Lazy/inept writers/designers/programmers come up with such things and shouldn't be tolerated.
* No Impervious Locked Doors - In the MMORPG there will Always be something there.
* No invisible walls, or obviously insufficient movement obstacles ( all MMORPG terrain is to be actual and all blockages real under the standard Game Mechanics ).
* No ridiculously needless Fetch missions ( the sad "bread and butter" of most MMORPGs who 'pad' their games to save costs ).
* No Worthless Loot. The Player (having encumbrance limits) has enough to do without wasting their time. Anything you find could have some use/value.
* Don't ignore Psychotic Player behavior - have NPCs dish them some lumps, and if they persist kill them/beat them up ( Jail cells and hospital beds to give them a chance to contemplate their errors ).
* No Islands of corpses you create in kill-for-loot/body-count Mission sandbox playing. That's for lame-arsed games.
* No Overly long NPC Monologues ( explain basics and player can have an interactive Question/Reexplain/Clarify Dialog interface ).
* No Evaporating Bodies ( game shouldn't have so many corpses - the MMORPG wouldn't be a 'body count' game ).
* Don't run out of things to spend money on - Bigger, better even if its just Residence decorations/elaborations.
* No Bullet Sponges (opponents) - damage should be appropriately matched. A harder opponent should be more capable instead of the design simply cranking up their hitpoint stats or their offensive/defensive coefficients.
* No reliance on "Quick Time Event" type of situations, where your fate is determined by how fast you can mash buttons.
* The Cutscene Takedown - Player isn't rendered powerless (controls locked) while a pre-canned sequence determines their fate ( as typically used for a forced plot ).
* No Mysteries for Crafting. Information should be explained in-Game. You need parts/pieces or Tools to make something, they should all be spelled out.
--- --- ---
Sing A Happy Tune - Element of 'Morale' in the MMORPG : 
One game I saw that wanted to avoid 'death' and blood and such (weenies) used 'Morale' as their 'Hitpoints'game mechanism attribute when driven to zero by damage 'killed' the Player. When you 'ran out' you still 'died'. And your opponents, when they ran out, laid there as if 'dead' - so was hard to figure the logic there. ( Maybe it just got the proposed game past the Investors - as not being so 'violent' and 'bloody' ? )
--- --- ---
Network Delay Issue :
Timing issues with Actions - Internet Delay
Single Player can have Client-side activation allowing fast(er) reactions (including 'Team' NPC)
Multiple Players command data and interaction resolutions must wait for transit through Server - So for this you cannot rely on fast interactions and coordinations. 
Solo player Bubble Server prevents interference from other Players.
--- --- --- --- ---
.
.