Why Fantasy, and not Science Fiction, Part Eleventy-Billion
by Akela Talamasca 
Jan 23rd 2008 at 10:00AM
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Neocron 2, Culture, Game mechanics, Lore, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Tabula Rasa
As my compadre Eli writes here, there is reasoning available that Fantasy MMOs have flourished due to there being a greater preponderance of Fantasy titles, in various media, upon which to draw inspiration to sustain an MMO. The lack of substantive Science Fiction titles of the time, therefore, leads to the correlating dearth of such MMOs. However, this argument only mentions in passing what I think is the more crucial element, which is this:Fantasy titles are about the Hero's Journey, or the Epic. Science Fiction titles are about exploration of ideas. One of these story types makes for better adaptation to immersive gameplay. Guess which?
Now, I will back up a bit and acknowledge that as a blanket statement, what I said does not (and should not be considered to) cover every Fantasy or Science Fiction title everywhere. Clearly, Star Wars is the most well-known Epic SF story, but then again, Lucas based the plot almost entirely on Joseph Campbell's monomyth, which was itself formulated around the epic myths and stories of history. And perhaps one of the finest Fantasy titles ever written, John Crowley's Little, Big, uses Fantasy tropes to examine the idea of the complexity of human relationships, rather than one character's journey to overcome evil. But having made those concessions, let me make my case.
Science Fiction itself does tend to fall into categories of its own. You've got 'extrapolative science fiction', which bases its tales on the 'What if?' method of story generation. What if we could create androids that were indistinguishable from humans (Blade Runner)? What if we could travel backward through time to prevent disaster (The Terminator)? What if the world as we know it turned out to be a fantasy occurring only in our minds (The Matrix)? All very famous stories, yet only The Matrix was made into an MMO, and by all accounts, not a terribly successful one.
Then there is Space Opera, the most enduring and popular exemplar of which is Star Wars. Featuring larger-than-life characters, events, and set pieces, this is merely Fantasy with technological trappings. Is Star Wars Galaxies as successful as it could be? Only slightly removed is Military Science Fiction, under which banner we can include Starship Troopers. Tabula Rasa is the most obvious connection to be made here, though you can also include Eve Online -- while its ships are not specifically military, ship-to-ship combat is certainly familiar Science Fiction fare.
Of more recent pedigree is an offshoot of Science Fiction called Cyberpunk. This sub-genre features high technology being employed at the street level; good examples of Cyberpunk stories are Strange Days, Johnny Mnemonic, and, possibly, Max Headroom. This subgenre at least provides a gritty, urban environment in which to base stories of all different types, but its contribution is merely that, and perhaps a dash of attitude. Add Neocron Online to this.
If there is a running theme throughout each type of Science Fiction, it could arguably be that of Wish Fulfillment Negated. At first, a Utopic idea is floated, with the outcome appearing bright. Over the course of the story, however, it becomes clear that complications will arise, almost in direct opposition to the idea itself, with a moral lesson to be learned: Be careful what you wish for -- it's not what you think it is. If that is the prevailing theme of Science Fiction in general, is it any wonder that there are few notable Science Fiction MMOs?
If we can take lessons from arguably the most popular MMO of our time, World of Warcraft, we can see how it compares, thematically: The world is filled with conflict, but there is honor. A hero may rise from humble beginnings to become mighty. With the use of magic, one can accomplish miracles. There is an almost ridiculous positivity at play here, in direct opposition to Science Fiction's more sober truths. Simply put, it's just more emotionally rewarding to play a hero, accruing power and prestige, then there is in playing a nondescript cipher, coming to terms with the fundamental nature of the universe. Whether it's openly stated or not, Fantasy carries within it the chance to win everything, while in Science Fiction, the goal is to understand. One is not necessarily more valuable than the other in moralistic terms, but certainly easier to turn into a game design document.
Obviously, this doesn't preclude a great WoW-level Science Fiction MMO being created, but whatever's on its way, it certainly has its work cut out for it.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eli Shayotovich said on 11:49AM 1-23-2008
And that's what makes the world go around, Wildhammer... see, I don't much care for fantasy in the typical sense. But it seems you're kinda missing the point. People (not all) are genetically predisposed to liking fantasy because it's been ingrained into our collective human psyche since... well, literally forever. Science-fiction has not.
Because of this fact, fantasy MMOs statistically have THE BEST CHANCE to succeed. It is a HUGE factor in why WoW is successful. But it doesn't mean it's the end all be all. Gaming companies are in the business to make money. They don't make a game unless it has a shot at earning someone huge chunks of money. And that's why there are dozens of MMOs in business, with dozens more on the way.
Not everyone likes fantasy. Personally, I can't stand WoW. It's boring, ugly (it reminds me of a cheap Disney movie graphically speaking)... it simply has ZERO appeal TO ME. But I understand WHY it works - 10 million people can't be wrong, and it all boils down to the collective predisposition that humans have for fantasy-esque stories. I'm a total non-traditionalist though. Games like Auto Assault, Tabula Rasa, City of Heroes, Pirates (both of the Caribbean and Burning Sea varieties), Stargate Worlds, Jumpgate Evolution... those will always and forever appeal to me more than something filled with orcs, elves and mages.
As for just dragging this out for the sake of posts... hmmm. I've been a "game journalist" for over 4 years. What makes this any different than the 1,983, 476 posts about Halo 3 that were found on every single gaming site on the web for months? I'll tell you... this thread actually has legitimate EDUCATIONAL value.
Akela's post deals with the other side of the coin I was talking about. It was something I wanted to touch on, but due to brevity left it out (the Ancient Gaming Noob does talk about it). This is a great continuation of the topic because I'm a HUGE fan of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, and as Akela mentions it's the very basis of Lucas' Star Wars films (which I was a freak for back in the day). Ironically, it's also the very basis for virtually every fantasy story ever told, so there is a deep rooted connection to the fantasy genre and the best sci-fi has to offer.
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fred said on 11:58AM 1-23-2008
I know one sci-fi series that is never m). entioned when it comes to MMOs, its Frank Herbert's Dune. You could have 3 factions warring over the planet Arrakis for control of the spice (Harkonnen, Fremen, and the Smugglers, or possibly even the Spacing Guild).
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Eli Shayotovich said on 12:28PM 1-23-2008
Absolutely! Good point, Fred. That would be a great MMO. Geez... I feel like an idiot for not mentioning Dune. What makes that faux pas worse for ME... Kevin J. Anderson is a very good friend of mine. And if you're a Dune fan, you know who KJA is (http://www.wordfire.com/). ;)
Freddie Fuentes said on 12:53PM 1-23-2008
Thats awesome, I have yet to read Sandworms of Dune, but I enjoyed his previous works in the Dune Universe.
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akela.talamasca said on 1:01PM 1-23-2008
How the hell did I miss DUNE? I'm a big fan of the boardgame, which lets you play one of 6 factions, including the Bené Gesserit and the Guild, and when you have even just 3 factions warring at once, it gets pretty back-stabby. Would the intricate dance of espionage and tactical troop movement make a good MMO? It could certainly do worse!
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Freddie Fuentes said on 1:14PM 1-23-2008
I have never played the board game but I definitely think that the Dune Universe could work in an MMO. Maybe we will see it when the new Dune movie finally gets made, Pre-Production is being held up by the writers strike.
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fanguad said on 2:02PM 1-23-2008
I liked this post (I've only read a handful of the posts on this topic), and generally agree with what has been said.
One of my favorite universes is Shadowrun, and I've thought about what it would take to turn that into an MMO. My conclusion is that it can't be done [well], and some of the reasons I came up with are like those above.
1) Shadowrunners (criminals) make up a teeny-tiny fraction of the world. You certainly won't see them standing on street corners yelling "LFP RENRAKU ARCHOLOGY RUN".
This contrasts with fantasy worlds slightly. It's true that adventurers would still make up a small percentage of people in a fantasy world. However, if hunting the dangerous fauna that inhabits such MMO worlds is profitable, you'd see a noticeable increase in adventurers. If you think of adventurers as mercenaries, especially in a setting like WoW's, where anyone who can fight is useful, it becomes more realistic for large numbers of adventurers to exist.
2) Most of what shadowrunners do is illegal. If 10 million hardened criminals decended on the universe, it would be impossible for the authorities to ignore them.
Adventuring is (generally) legal. Authorities might have some issues with them, but most of what they do is beneficial or neutral to the community at large.
I have a few more, but I'm posting from work, so I'll leave it there for now.
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Breck said on 4:44PM 1-23-2008
Why does everything have to be either sci-fi or fantasy? Some of my favorite video games are really a mixture of both. Games like Oddworld, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Beyond Good and Evil, and Final Fantasy. Hell, Star Wars is the best example of a sci-fi/fantasy story.
Fantasy is basically defined as a story that takes place in a fictional universe and sci-fi is defined as a story that takes place with fictional technology. There's nothing mutually exclusive about the two. The best experiences are achieved when you actually combine them.
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Wildhammer said on 9:11PM 1-23-2008
@2
I'm not saying that sci-fi isn't valid. There's some sci-fi I like (Warhammer 40,000), I just like fantasy more. For me sci-fi is too "shiny". Everything's bright and towering graphically impressive. Fantasy tends to be darker and I believe it typically has more engaging backround stories.
I'm just saying, I think this particular site has done it to death. This is a site dedicated to posting about MMOs as a whole and most of the posts as it is are already incredibly short. Fantasy vs. Sci-fi MMOs seem to have become the new filler topic.
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Tealc Dagger said on 3:49PM 1-25-2008
Not all sci-fis are "shiny" as you put it. One of the best examples, although not an MMO, is Half-Life 2. Yes, everything is towering and impressive, but at the same time below the shiny surface, you see destruction and urban decay as the antagonists slowly but surely destroy and absorb humanity.
Wildhammer said on 9:14PM 1-23-2008
@9
Breck has a point. He actually named two of my favorite game series of all time. (Jak & Daxter and Rachet & Clank) Both have aspects that intruige people, why not mesh them together? The result can easily be the best of both worlds.
Why not have melee and guns in the same game? Or technology and magic? It worked for Naughty Dog.
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spiral-soldier said on 10:17AM 1-24-2008
@11
shh. Stop giving away all my ideas.
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GothikX said on 4:41AM 1-30-2008
Can't believe that in such an article there's no mention of one of the oldest sci-fi MMOs out there, Anarchy Online. Certainly not as successful as other giants out there, but still has a dedicated player base (of course offering a part of the game free as a sort of extended trial to get a taste of the game had some part in increasing subscribers but probably not as much as they, Funcom, hoped). And for those that look at the graphics first, it will have its looks significantly upgraded, starting later this year, since of course they are dated. The mechanics of the game are top notch in my opinion though.
It's still a very fun, complex, huge and entertaining game to play, and I prefer it to any fantasy MMO I've played (not that many, but a few nonetheless). I do love sci-fi more than fantasy generally, bar the classics, so I'm probably biased.
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SaraPickell said on 4:30AM 2-15-2008
Wild Hammer, I must honestly say... you are the very first Fantasy fan I have ever met who doesn't like sci-fi because it isn't dark enough and does like fantasy becasue it's so dark...
So here is a reminder to everyone - A Genre cannot be light/dark, only particular stories and settings. Which is kind of the grand moral of Sci-Fi vs. Fantasy, neither holds any advantage over the other, only particular stories within them are more or less popular than each other.
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Wildhammer said on 10:12AM 1-23-2008
Or..... You know..... People may just like fantasy more. I know I do. = /
It seems to me that this is being dragged out simply for the sake of posts. I'm pretty sure this site has anaylized this subject to death. What else is there to cover?
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