Imagine a Chess MMORPG

Okay so - I was just off on my break for a brainstorming session with Xenien7 (a coworker) and we've come up with a lot of ideas, I'll post them in a moment.

 Oh yes, definitely Go, how could I forget.  I really wish I could find someone to play this with.  I bought a board and stones a few years ago and have only used it a few times.  But yeah I think this would be good with a few more games.  Just so long as no card games are allowed.  I hate the whole poker crowd.

This would be the ultimate in learning tools – an immersive exploration of the chess experience. Are you tired of learning chess through obscure books like “Play Bb5 in the Diemar gambit” or what have you – guaranteed if you spent a summer playing this MMO you’d have real world skills and applications – an MMO wherein time is well spent. Social networking – all the fun of an MMO with none of the grinding – based in a real world game – the Game of Kings – the most enduring game in human history.

To any doubters – can you imagine pitching Pokemon? So we expect that people would become obsessed with “collecting” a wide range of cartoon animals? Yeah, sounds silly, doesn’t it?

Additional brainstorms;

Global terrain – certain areas have rating-level difficulties. There are areas wherein if you simply cannot beat the denizens therein you’re “kicked” back and out. Therefore the highest rated players can go furthest in the global terrain – ultimatetly towards the “Chess Master” (this could be tied into the popular title) – initially the Chess “King” is the fritz engine in a castle in the outer reaches – if you can defeat the King – YOU become the king and usurp the land.

-         “clothing” displays playstyle – even to the nuances of if you’re a d4 player the “queenside” of your character is more emphasized. Clothing factors in the playstyle of the character.

-         “Sets” are collectable by quest and area. Imagine generic “areas” wherein you have to defeat 8 random encounters to unlock the 8 pawns, then you’re ushered into the actual area wherein there are the generic Rook, Knight, etc – beat each of these NPC’s twice to unlock the collectable set pieces.

-         Sets vary by animation – we incorporate “battle chess” style animations. For instance, let’s say you’ve defeated 8 ninja ghosts to unlock the pawns, then defeat the main Samurai-aesthetic characters in the Japanese area – you unlock the NINJA set – which you can use in your games. They present fun animations – chopping the heads off pawns with their ninja swords, etc.

-         There are strange sets – like the “ghost set” which is more translucent than normal.

-         Environmental conditions: in certain areas there are “fog/rain” conditions over the board. Unlocking boards with certain environmental conditions forces your opponent to fight you under those conditions.

-         “Items” and titles could be at stake in certain challenges. I’m imagining a whole hierarchy of titles – not just the “Chess Master” at the end – but you can become the highest rated player of certain territories – gaining titles like “Sergeant” or what have you – once a week you’re forced to confront the highest rated challenger or forfeit your title. Also, challengers can specify that the “stake” in this game is X unique set piece.

Details on “random encounters” with NPCs in the non-town areas:

Specialized NPCs will present odd challenges – for instance, you have to fight a weird wizard NPC that laughs as you do so and says “Haha your Queen is frozen for 20 moves, or unless you capture my dark squared bishop”. Other NPCs will laugh and say they’ve randomized the back rank a la fischerrandom, or you find yourself with a diminished army right off the bat.

Details on “Territories”;

Initially, you can choose to “spawn” within a few starting areas. One is like “noob-town”, wherein the puzzles are easy (mates in 1 for 10 year olds) and the hints are basic. You can choose to bypass this area altogether on character creation.

Maybe the ideal type of enviroment can be like Sherwood Dungeon:

MaidMarian.com

And instead of going straight in and interacting with other players who could scam them, players first have to be taught by a bird called the Toot-Oriole.

I'm really glad that this topic has inspired the kind of fun speculation and childhood imagination that is very important for us to be able to return to and that I was hoping for when I made this post. Even if this weren't to happen, there is worth in the thought exercise alone: what if we took the world's oldest and most enduring game and gave it the MMO treatment? What would it look like? How would we stylize it? What is it's potential?

After my brainstorming session with my co-worker I'm even more convinced that, if executed as I'm imagining it, this MMO would be all kinds of awesome - social networking, chess tutorials, puzzles, rewards, odd envoronmental conditions, unlockable unique sets with cooresponding "battlechess" animations, exciting storyline twists, fun competitive immersion... yes. I can see it now.

Another note to potential detractors - if you knew the hilarious things people do on MMO's - pointless things like spend hundreds of hours just to have the title "Explorer" of the map, or in Second life which is a simulation of just regular life... I dunno. I think there is real potential for this. Someone will capitalize on this one day. Think of it - the bulk of the work is already done - that's the immense history of chess literature we've been bequeathed by our forebears. The correct implementation is critical, of course, but if you can try and read behind the lines of some of what I've said already I know that the principle "if you build it they will come" would work.

I bet something just like this will exist one day. And I look forward to it.

My power level shall be 9000!!!!!

It sounds kind of like chess.com, but in a fantasy environment, and throw in the collecting aspect.  On this website you can play all kinds of people, you have tactics problems, chess mentor, networking, etc etc.  But this would be cool.

I'm feelin' it. I think this could definitely be created, and hopefully incorporated into chess.com.  Find some programmers and get on it... if you will it, it is no dream!

What does it stand for anyway?

Massively Monotonous Online Repetitive Perpetual Gaming?

Many Men Online Really Play Girls?

There is a difference in a thought and a dream. A thought comes with the intention of action; a dream is but an unfulfilled fantasy.

Help make this potential project come to life! Spread the word!

Join the official Facebook Group here!

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. This, of course, wouldn't be a "role playing game" per se, but MMORPG is the generally accepted name for a game of this nature.

Some interesting quests could include a mentoring aspect.  By this i mean you watch a player play a game and then afterwards you have to give him advice as to what he did wrong.

Some (imo) neccesary apects could be:

• Money - betting on games, winning money, jobs such as teaching, or making pieves.
• Quests with rewards
• Titles - Like tournament titles and the like...make these hard to get though.
• Custimazion - Being able to customise your board and you character as well as pieces.  Also being able to choose each piece individually and being able to buy custom made items from other players.
• Specific towns for high ranking players.
• Active NPC community that responds to your prestige.
• And more...

You can do some basic chess playing on Second Life, with realistic looking chess boards. I don't know if there are tournaments, though. You can also create your own chess board.

I haven't played an RPG in years (and never an online one), but I would sign up for this in a heartbeat!!  Just tell me when and where, and I'm there!!

GREAT IDEA RAEL!!!!!

Rael: Just for future reference, you might want to at least give a mention to the guy who gave you the idea in the first place.  I sat here for about 1 minute deciding whether or not I should be offended.

I'm not offended - but most people would be =)

Btw I was actually working on a real implementation of this but like most of my projects I moved on to something else.  Also most of my ideas focus on how the mmorpg would be more than just an mmorpg with chess - it could incorporate chess history and the 'quests' you get could be based on actual learning material from the beginning of chess's theoretical books up to the hypermoderns, etc.

That's the thing that drives me crazy about chess.com.  I mean I LOVE chess.  I am like a chess cultist.  And here is this site with hundreds of thousands of members - and it feels mostly empty to me.

I think alot of it comes from the fact that most players on chess.com aren't very good - probably have never read a chess book, never played a tournament, etc.

Chess.com is kind of a casual chess site - yet the 'real' chess players are out there on other sites, in battle, researching, playing, discussing, etc.  For instance, you take a famous chess opening research site, and the members of the site are very strong club to master level players who are revolutionizing the theory of chess openings. 

We have a local chess club.  And it saddens me to say that people who came to our club who were almost total beginners quickly became better than 99% of chess.com players in a matter of months.  Chess.com has been up for what, 1 year?  The thing is there is this illusion that you are getting good on chess.com when really you are facing the most horribly bad opponents in the universe, BUT YOU ARE BECOMING ACCLIMATED TO IT.

In our chess club, even the kids wipe the floor with the beginners.  But because you are experiencing real competition, you are quickly improving even if you lose hundreds of games. 

If your rating on chess.com is 1500 or something and you are proud of it, you really shouldn't be.  You should get out to a club and face real competition.  Play in a tournament.  Anything.  If you face only weak players for your entire chess career, you are always going to be weak.  Period.  This is the danger of chess.com =)

The thing that really saddens me is people who don't understand why people take chess seriously.  For instance, someone from chess.com once told me he despised players who take a lot of time on their moves and don't treat the game like some kind of casual, completely social non-competetive game. 

It's almost like the new generation of kids found a website where they could demonstrate for once and for all that they really do have an add attitude.  By add attitude I mean that once serious work is involved - once it becomes difficult - they are bored or disgusted and move onto something else. 

I want to give a better picture of the serious chess player.  Imagine players like Fischer or Tal.  Why do they play chess?  They love it.  They are in love with the game.  The complexities, the beauty, the competition.  They become so *involved* with it, have penetrated into its mysteries so deeply.  They are the opposite of the 3 minutes or less casual player.  They spend entire days just trying to figure out the answer to one infinitely complex position. 

Let me tell you something:  getting good at chess is hard.  Damn hard.  But so is almost any game of skill whatsoever.  Even though it's hard - it doesn't mean you can't do it.  It's kind of like Zen Buddhism: the 'breakthrough' or insight into the nature of chess can come in 3 minutes or 3 years.  Young kids who are 11 or younger can increase hundred of rating points in months, and people that everyone gave no credence to can become masters, even world champions.

Why is anyone playing chess?  I assume many people on this site are playing chess because it's a social thing, it's a fun way to meet people, etc.  Maybe some people are interested in chess as an avenue for personal growth, like Joshua Waitzkin was.  Maybe some people just became hypnotized by the little men moving in weird patterns.  Maybe they just want money - or recognition in a mental sport. 

I just want to say there's something deeper in chess than just a fun way to say hi to random strangers on the internet.  You can be locked in a life or death struggle over the board or over the internet and it can consume you completely.  You're poring over all sorts of possibilities, feeling the abstract become concrete, you're looking into possible brilliant attacks and counterattacks.  You may be holding on for the life of your king or you may be confidentally walking to your doom.  You may be calculating or 'seeing' dozens, thousands, hundreds of variations, or it may be more abstract so that you are approving or dissaproving of entire classes of variations at once. 

What does it feel like, to enter a tournament, an over the board tournament, and to be playing for a national chess rating, or maybe hundreds or thousands of dollars?  Everyone in the tournament is seriously pondering over their games, like Hikaru experienced in either the first or second episode of Hikaru No Go.  Your opponent is trying to DESTROY you.  If you make the slightest mistake or show the slightest weakness he will KILL you. 

People say that chess is not a sport.  I'd like them to monitor the pulse rate of chess players in almost any tournament in the world.  You're sitting still, for hours upon hours, struggling for victory.  Your opponent surprises you and suddenly you're begging caissa for anything, anything to get you out of the mess your position has come to.  Suddenly your imagination comes alive.  Diagonals, pawn pushes, knight hops, insane leaps of fancy, all or most of it completely illogical, but finally you dream up some amazing combination, some incredibly deep maneuever that defies all odds, and you pull of a victory.

Why do I love chess?  Is it the incredible excitement I feel when playing against opponents who are as strong as me or stronger and still pulling out a win, or loss?  Is the amazing beauty of this game which defies the raw calculation of computers, and always will?  I don't know. 

It's probably some combination of all of it.  Chess was a promise to me - a promise that there is a game that means something to people that I can become good at and spend time on and get recognition for.  I don't have to rely on teammates or internet lag or anything else to make my experience perfect. 

But chess holds many mystical aspects to me - believe this or not, but I often refute moves in my head while falling asleep, or having little mock battles.  You don't need an opponent to experience chess - it's very easy to play against yourself - as long as your gameplan isn't based on deception. 

Chess is many things to many people.  There are different ideologies in the game and most people are in disagreement.  Things that the hypermoderns talked about in the 30's are still being argued to this day.  Some people talk about 'pure' styles, and 'mysterious' or 'spiritual' players like Petrosian.  You can choose any style you want to play in - and will get criticized for it less than almost any game in existance. 

Have you ever played chess with a friend all night?  Bantering around, perhaps listening to music?  I've experienced this with friends where we start the games and work our tempo and pace up to a frenzy.  We start off bored and disinterested and by the end of the night we are playing like masters, we get in the flow and elevate each other to another level.  I kid you not that if you put almost any semi decent chess player into the right mood he will play like a genius.  There was a study done with Tal where they hypnotized some random club player to think he was Morphy and he came out confidently and drew Tal. 

I am sorry if people dislike me because I take chess seriously.  You know what is boring to me?  It's people that aren't interested enough in a topic that they aren't willing to spend hours going into the nitty gritty details of it. 

We have this universal language - chess.  I can communicate with anyone in the world, be it someone from Russia, a blind man from India, even a chess engine or an alien would be able to communicate with me through chess. 

And yes - there are many 'losers' in chess.  Id say a vast majority of chess players think they are winning every game they play in even if they lose the game.  There are players who make absolute statements about a position after looking at it for about 30 seconds and randomly shuffling pieces around like it was some kind of lightning game.  There is a fair share of unsocial players in chess - even people that can't seem to shower.  But there are also a great number of very inspiring chess players - like little mini-celebrities that you'd love to meet if you ever got the chance. 

It pains me every time I see chess being denigrated into a social game.  It pains me when I see all these products for sale that are supposed to 'teach' you an opening in a few hours.  It pains me when chess teachers take the easy way out and give you a few ridiculously general rules that never applied to chess since the beginning of the game and pass it off as learning material, creating robotic chess players that couldn't play their way out of a paper bag.  It pains me when people quote their engine as if it meant anything and give mindless variations like in that cheater_1 game as if it meant anything at all. 

Chess is as complicated as the physical universe can allow.  Playing it can take you anywhere from disinterested mechanical moving of pieces to total absorption and elation.  Analyzing a chess game is like looking into a fractal, the deeper you go, the deeper it gets.  You aren't playing chess - you're entering a rabbit hole. 

But please - if you don't want to take chess this seriously, don't.  Just don't hold me in disgust or any of the famous players in the past who gave their heart and soul to the 64 squares.  In some communities, people go off into the forest or a cave, leaving society, and come back as heroes, perhaps teachers.  In western society - we love to criticize and hate those who leave our group.

You may wonder why this rant happened - well - who it was intended for will know.  The only other thing I'd like to say is, if you're going to spend a ton of money and effort on making a chess mmo, something I've been thinking about for years, at least get someone on board that loves chess, understands the history of chess, and it competent enough to weave together a learning, social, and playing environment that will elevate chess to the next level.  I'm not saying it should be me - in fact I probably wouldn't want such a horrible job - but I'm sure there are some really gifted individuals out there that would love to bring the game they love alive. 

Whatever you do, don't create the game just because you can.  Sure, anyone could whip together some kind of 3d mmo chess interface.  You could do it in aweek on top of a dozen game engines or world builders if you really wanted to.  But if you're going to pull out the stops and make a chess mmo, do it for love of the game, with credible advisors,  and do it with a grand plan. 

That is the difference between a 'chess mmo' and the future of chess, and or interactive gaming in general.

Also, to anyone that is interested in this topic, I'd suggest they combine it with the pokemon phenomenon applied to chess. 

If you have heard of the anime series called 'hikaru no go' you will know what I mean.  It is an anime that is about a kid who learns the board game Go.  It's really great and all - but the point is - when this anime came out there was a huge spike of interest among kids in the board game go in Japan.  Huge.

So if you're going to make a billion bucks by making a chess mmo, you might as well combine it with a chess anime =)

I love it. Make it. Post it. Play it. NOW!

Or perhaps, when players first start off, they can be a pawn. They have to increase their ranks from pawn to say bishop, then knight, rook, queen then king in order to fully unlock all equipments. By ranking up, you would need to defeat certain NPCs and complete quests.

Just a suggestion.

 so i guess kids should only play football in their backyard if they have serious aspirations of being the next brett favre?

chill out, moodkiller. we're enjoying ourselves. nobody's trying to talk you out of seriously studying chess. stop trying to talk us out of having a good time. chess is fun.