Large multiplayer online games with limited play schedules that also have a limited total time, so there's more of a plot.
Like say you have one game that's 7PM-9PM three times a week for a length of three months. Sort of like how you might schedule a Dungeons and Dragons game, but a bit more frequently and with the benefits of online play and other computer things, whether they be physics, scale, graphics, mechanics, customization with material impact, etc.
That way there's no real penalty for joining late, you can just play the next game or find a game with a different schedule that's closer to the beginning, or do multiple games at once. Also perhaps hidden goals that can give you a bonus towards your next game, but they would only carry over for one game.
Space Station 13 does some of this with one hour scheduled games, but I'm thinking something halfway between that and an MMO.
Like say you have one game that's 7PM-9PM three times a week for a length of three months. Sort of like how you might schedule a Dungeons and Dragons game, but a bit more frequently and with the benefits of online play and other computer things, whether they be physics, scale, graphics, mechanics, customization with material impact, etc.
That way there's no real penalty for joining late, you can just play the next game or find a game with a different schedule that's closer to the beginning, or do multiple games at once. Also perhaps hidden goals that can give you a bonus towards your next game, but they would only carry over for one game.
Space Station 13 does some of this with one hour scheduled games, but I'm thinking something halfway between that and an MMO.