I've already posted twice in this forum, both really long, wandering advice columns. But this one will be short (er. Probably)! Promise (maybe)!
Going back to my old point, don't overreach. Don't try to add everything and end up adding nothing. One of the most endearing things of SAS1 was the original design, the simple gameplay, the easily understandable concepts.
PVP is controversial. MMOs especially. I'm not sure people who are calling for that know what it even means. MMOs are Massively Multiplayer Online games. Massive as in absolutely gigantic. There are clans with thousands of people, making deals and trade agreements worth tens of thousands of real world dollars. Other MMOs are completely empty, with no one willing to pay for deluxe membership, which is the only way to actually play and use anything other than a stick.
Lets be real. No offense, you seriously don't have the resources for that. MMOs requires massive servers and intense programming by lots of people beta releases, favorable reviews by gaming magazines, extra packages, minute long ads on Youtube, investment deal, constant updates, new characters, and connection across the world in an instant.
Swords and Souls isn't like that, doesn't need to be, and shouldn't be. We are charmed by the little Easter eggs and achievements, that adorable house, the unique, quirky art style that pervades everything, the simplicity and clarity of it all. I can understand adding more armor and skills and choices. I can understand a skill tree, where you can choose to get one skill before another because it fits your style better. I can understand having a story to draw you in, and cute pets to help you fight, and side characters to recruit and modify to have strategy. Your creation would add new shades and bloom a little more.
But if you must have multiplayer, keep it simple. No chat, no clans, no raiding bases, no resources stealing. Taking inspiration from other games, such as their skill tree abilities, armor styles, that stuff is fine, but copying their style would wreck the original, comfortable feel of the game. We want a bigger world, with continents and stuff, but an MMO would blow apart the whole thing. Your talent would be buried inside vines, branches, leaves which would obscure the perfect flower, which should have been the focus. People would spend more time trying to recruit into clans, or steal back resources, instead of focusing on the art and the game. Thousands might join, but they would do so because their clan friends from other games requested help, and it would end up in this struggle among clans, with the main story line and the simple art forgotten.
Chat has been requested, but how many times times have we seen that, and how has it worked out? On Youtube, we have anti atheist and anti theistic and and racist remarks and lots of cursing. On Clash of Clans we have the world chat filled with clans recruiting and people trying to get recruited. The armor games chat rooms seem relatively clean and orderly, but are you willing to risk your game on other's good behavior? Will other players add to the game, or steal from our experience and distract our enjoyment? Do we want a world filled with random people commenting curse words or friend requests disturbing our dreamy little paradise of quest and adventure?
If there must be a multiplayer, have it be cooperative. A few friends you can take along into a dungeon or a open room where 1 or 2 random people can join you and go on a short quest together, and maybe you can friend them after. A list of friends you can invite to dungeons, see if they're on. No special multiplayer bonuses, massive clans, no gifting equipment, no downsides for people who just want to quest alone and explore the world through their own eyes.
Sorry, this was probably longer than my other two posts combined. But one last question.
Giant trees can be mighty and powerful in their grand majesty, but would you give one to your loved one over a beautiful, unique flower?
