Why is there no space shooter MMO?

JeffH · 10 Oct 2011 at 11:39

I posted before about a new game hopefully coming out this year called SOL : Exodus which is a spaceship shooter like X-Wing/Wing Commander with some BSG type storyline. But, as I was playing Eve Online the other day I was wondering why there isn't a similar game in terms of skills/levels/trading but with the combat style of a space shooter. The ships you could fly and weapons/modules you could use are determined by a set of skills, but the combat would be like X-wing. In an MMO type environment this would be amazing. Flying on missions in a cockpit perspective with your buddies as as wingmen taking on NPC's in PVE or other players in PVP.
I like Eve, but it feels so detached when you zoom out to see the whole 'battlefield'. I'd pay good money to be in the thick of it like these old favourite games, but with my buddies flying next to me.
Why is this such an ignored genre and developers continue to churn out ground based FPS?

JeffH · 10 Oct 2011 at 12:06

I have yet to try the Star Trek MMO. I'm thinking more along the lines of single (or maybe double) man cockpit ships. I guess the ultimate would be Death Star type attacks with friends.
Lag may well be the problem, or sheer processing power when people are aiming rather than a set of formulas deciding if you hit or not (like Eve).
Fingers crossed, the upcoming Indie Space shooter does very well and the genre is revitalised.

JeffH · 10 Oct 2011 at 12:18

I'll give Black Prophecy a go. I avoided it at release as I heard about the bugs etc, but these should be ironed out by now.
I'll try vendetta Online too although it doesn't look as polished as BP. The fact it's just been released on Mobile platforms actually put me off a bit. How deep can it be?

JeffH · 10 Oct 2011 at 13:45

Firefall and Planetside 2 will cater my ground based FPS needs and I'll definitely be jumping into both. I'll stick with Eve and try Black Prophesy until something better comes along.
Cheers all, fingers crossed for a Star Wars Space combat MMO (not TOR - yawn).

JeffH · 11 Oct 2011 at 09:18

If it was done well and grinding missions was avoided, that would be perfect. If anyone can fill a void it's Blizzard.