It is not hard to imagine most fan-favorite fantasy novels making excellent games, but not all have the potential to fulfill the requirements of an MMO. For such books to translate into a game that can be accessible to hundreds or thousands of players on the same server all at once, there is perhaps one prerequisite: a lot of land for players to inhabit. Still, a huge map is not going to guarantee a good or intriguing game. The potential for a good MMO adaptation is going to be reliant on the depth of the world the author has created. With that in mind, here is a list of popular fantasy novels whose massive and magical worlds are game ready.
5 The World of the Wheel (The Wheel of Time)
Predominantly written by the late Robert Jordan, and finished by Brandon Sanderson, The Wheel of Time fantasy epic is set in a land that does not have an official name. While lacking in name, it is not short of depth.
Fans of the franchises have taken to calling this high fantasy world either The World of the Wheel or The Randlands, in reference to one of the novel’s lead protagonists. These books have the required landscape that one would expect from fantasy MMOs, but the main attractions lie in their unique features. It isn’t hard to imagine the magic wielded in this matriarchal epic translating into gameplay. Weaving flows in the Source to defeat The Chosen and their minions, the Trollocs, is an exciting prospect.
4 Midkemia and Kelewan (Riftwar Cycle)
The Riftwar Cycle is a fantasy series featuring the highly regarded novels, Magician and Silverthorn by Raymond E. Feist. This epic plays out in nearly 30 novels that take place in the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan. Two separate worlds, in different in-universe universes, that are connected by the deeds of magicians manipulating dimensionless space. The prospect of an inter-dimensional MMO between different planetary worlds certainly has appeal.
Midkemia is an Earth-like world with three major continents each with its own unique races and cultures that wield magic and technology based on the Early Modern period of humanity. This planet is located in the universe known as First Hell. Kelewan is an ancient world that also has three continents and is less advanced, but much more diverse in its unique six-legged Cho-ja and the Thūn, and human races Tsurani and Thuril.
3 Roshar (The Stormlight Archive)
Featuring the now-classic high-fantasy novels The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Oathbringer, and Rhythm of War, The Stormlight Archive take place in the world Roshar. Just one shard of Brandon Sanderson’s multiple-world tapestry that exists in the wider universe known collectively as Cosmere, Roshar has more than enough depth for a fantasy MMO.
The world of Roshar is regularly bombarded with deathly storms that impact most of the planet. The only thriving area, protected by the peaks of the Misted Mountains is the region known as Shinovar. The prospect of players stepping out of this safe zone to brave the weather, explore the planet and interact with the world’s numerous races of people is one MMO fans would welcome.
2 Wu (Malazan Book of the Fallen)
While the expansive world featured in Malazan Book of the Fallen does not have an official name, it has been jokingly called Wu by its creator, Steven Erikson. Spanning a timeline of thousands of years, this epic is one of the most character and narrative-dense fantasy creations available. As such, there are numerous elements of this series that would translate nicely to gaming.
Magic in this series is wielded by sages tapping into what is called the Warren or Hold. The mysterious effects of what is known in-world as Deck of Dragon and Tiles of the Hold show an evolution of a magic system that would be fun to control and manipulate in-game.
1 The World of the Rune Lords (The Rune Lord Series)
If any fantasy novels are primed for a gaming adaption, it has to be The Rune Lords series. Written by the late David Farland, it hardly matters that this epic is an incomplete piece of work. While this series does not have the narrative depth of many other high-fantasy worlds, it is the mechanics of the Rune Lords’ world that would offer a fabulous gaming experience.
The world is made up of typically allegoric real-world medieval tropes, that offer the right amount of comfortable familiarity for the consumer. In addition to this, the series offers unique enemies in the form of the Reavers, a giant spider-like race whose caste systems include warriors, priests, and magicians.
The main draw for adapting the world of the Rune Lords into an MMO is the treatment that Farland gives his major system of magic and how that would translate into a game. Through the use of blood metal, those known as Rune Lords are able to enhance specific physical attributes – eyesight, grace, stamina, strength, wit, and more – by drawing power from their willing (or unwilling) subjects. These subjects are known as Dedicates, and they must be protected in order for the Rune Lords to retain their powers.
Fantasy novels are numerous, and there are countless epics that hold enough geographical and narrative depth to be adapted into excellent games.
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