Yea i guess you got a point there...dont think the story would suit a MMORPG tho, cos you'd need to be able to customise the character and have a more varied storyline for many people to play out simultaneously. This'd be an exclusively SP experience.
The gist of the
idea is basically a free to explore world, like STALKER/Morrowind but in a more urban setting, and with that kinda gritty realism, rather than the cartoony style of GTA. And having a scripted story within that, playing it out as an adventure/RPG rather than an action styled shooter (there'd only be any violence in choice places so you dont get immune to it all, you know?). So obviously the story actually has to start, go somewhere and end, unlike HL2.
The HL2 idea i
did want tho was having cutscenes that you are part of and interact with. In fact if the story is intricate enough (like as intricate as a novel), the entire game would be like interacting with a huge well written cutscene. And the purpose would be the story and experiencing that from the FP perspective.
Of course if the world isnt big, detailed and varied enough, and the story is bollocks, then it'll become another Deus Ex 2!
AND THERES MORE :P
I thought id be cool if when ur in free look within the car, you could fiddle with the stereo (of course have a good soundtrack/customisable playlist) or fiddle with a Doom style monitor GPS system, which will tell you in a voice how to get to your chosen location within the world. That'd be awesome!