Let's make a list of universal features every MMO should have

[WarderX]

After taking a tour of free trials this weekend, I am surprised to see features missing from many of these new MMOs that are very annoying to play without. Some are old things that have been around since EQ or even MUDs that are just stupid to leave out now, some are new things we didn't realize we couldn't live without until they were perfected.

Take note, game developers

-UI customization (based upon XML or Lua or equivalent)
-Ability tooltips that aren't vague, give us exact values and/or percents
-Visual indicators of what we have targeted
-Base run speeds that are not terribly slow
-Macro making ability
-Abilities should have a hotkeyable button and optional slash command
-Atleast one of the playable races needs to have male characters that are manly and don't look gender confused (i'm looking at you, japan)
-player to player private messaging (tells)
-ninjas

There, now next time you go off and start to develop a MMO, start with making sure you have everything on this list, and THEN start to add whatever other gimicky features you want. Those of us that are used to these features will find it hard to play without them, i'd immagine.

[biteablegravy]

Not being able to jump up and down in guildwars killed it for me.

[Etadanik]

None of the things on your list are necessary or universal, especially if we expanded the definition of MMOs beyond, say, EQ and WoW. Example of a game in which none of those things are true:

UI customization: entirely unnecessary; if the game's own UI is sufficient, then this feature is purely cosmetic and, therefore, of little consequence
Ability tooltips: doesn't apply if abilities are straight-forward, ie in a MMOFPS
Visual indicators of what you have targeted: Unnecessary in any game where your targetting is based on physics
Base run speeds: Irrelevant if your game doesn't take place on land
Macro making abililty: Irrelevant if all the features offered by macros are present
Hotkeyable button/slash command: Unnecessary in a MMOFPS
Player characters: Irrelevant if races aren't humanoid (robots? ships? monsters?)
P2P messaging: Unnecessary, depending on your perspective, if the game has direct voice-chat
Ninjas: Okay, I'll give you that one.

[Malakriss]

Private chat channels with working moderator system (I say working, given the piece of shit WoW has 5 patches running)

[Zuuljin]

Please God no macro's. What ever happened to playing a game, and not having something else play it for you?!

[Warrik]

Unlimited Ignore lists.

[xilsharn]

Originally Posted by Etadanik

None of the things on your list are necessary or universal, especially if we expanded the definition of MMOs beyond, say, EQ and WoW. Example of a game in which none of those things are true:

UI customization: entirely unnecessary; if the game's own UI is sufficient, then this feature is purely cosmetic and, therefore, of little consequence
Ability tooltips: doesn't apply if abilities are straight-forward, ie in a MMOFPS
Visual indicators of what you have targeted: Unnecessary in any game where your targetting is based on physics
Base run speeds: Irrelevant if your game doesn't take place on land
Macro making abililty: Irrelevant if all the features offered by macros are present
Hotkeyable button/slash command: Unnecessary in a MMOFPS
Player characters: Irrelevant if races aren't humanoid (robots? ships? monsters?)
P2P messaging: Unnecessary, depending on your perspective, if the game has direct voice-chat
Ninjas: Okay, I'll give you that one.

Most of your bullshit in this post seems like arbitrary disagreement. "Run speed doesn't apply if it's not on land"? What the fuck, how idiotic can you be?

[Havelock]

While maybe not entirely universal, having separate offensive/defensive targets would apply across most of the genre regardless of setting and could make a huge difference. I don't know if any games currently have this, but Sigil's been talking about it for Vanguard and it makes a lot of sense.

[Hardcore Cracka]

Everything needs to be smooth, and run well. The characters can't look totally retarded in their environments, and not jittery when they move (see EQ1).

[Cybsled]

The ability to jump is definately needed. That pissed me off the most in SWG and FFXI...the fact a 2inch rock or flowerbed would force you to run 50 feet to get past it.

Other stuff

1) Ingame mail system
2) Means to sell stuff while you are offline
3) Ability to "skip content" that you've been through 10000 times, AKA means of swift transport or teleportation as you progress

[Yermum Onceme]

working servers and a well paid cs team.

[Zuuljin]

Something that shouldnt be in a game is invisible walls. If you dont want me to go somewhere, give me a reason I cant go there. Nothing is more immersion breaking seeing an area I can run too, but not being able to because of an invisible wall.

[Plaeroma]

Originally Posted by Warrik

Unlimited Ignore lists.

This will only become more and more necessary as MMOs get more popular.

Originally Posted by Yermum Onceme

working servers and a well paid cs team.

Pretty please?

For me, the physics engine (movement, jumping, collision etc) needs to handle roughly like a FPS would. This is one of WoW's biggest strengths imo, and is pretty much what keeps me from playing other MMOs at this point.

[Kreugen]

Corpse humping

[Kailyn]

Robust /who and/or /lfg. At least as good as the original EQ /who system (eg /who cleric 60 lfg).

*looking at you wow*