Plan for Michael Wales
by Michael \"Evic\" Wales · 04/04/2005 (12:26 pm) · 10 comments
My first .plan ever I believe! This is primarly for myself although Matthew aka King Bob, should find it useful as we were discussing some TorqueDB issues earlier.
First and foremost, if you do not have T2D - get it! It is simply amazing. I have had a TGE license for almost a year now (maybe more) and I have hardly ever touched it. I can't take my hands off of T2D! It's like a 19 year old blonde with firm breasts and a bit to much to drink!
Anyways, on to the real purpose of this .plan: to layout some ideas for my current project, Eleytheros (that's Greek for free). Although I just had an epiphany and I believe I will start calling it EleyChronos... anyways.
This game is essentially a free MMORPG developed around the T2D engine, with a Zelda-ish look (what was that Zelda game on the SNES?). I know most of you just groaned when you heard MMORPG, but hear me out on this - I'm not a newb, remember?
Why an MMORPG?
Because it's hard. I'm always one that is up for a challenge. Yes I have other ideas, most of which I will develop to learn T2D, and many of which I feel have the potential to sell. I'm a big fan of a game called Enigmo, and I plan to work on an updated version of it, which should turn out pretty good.
Besides an MMORPG being hard, they are popular. People love MMORPGs, and many people in the under-18 age-group look around, and beg for an MMORPG that is not pay-to-play (I know I did way back then).
Why free?
There are quite a few reasons for this, and yes I know running an MMORPG is expensive. First of all, I'm in the Air Force, and I can not dedicate the 100% of my time that is required for support. I feel if I can not adequately support the game, I shouldn't charge for it.
Second, this game will act as a form of advertising of sorts. I am working on starting my own consulting company, and this will be an excellent reference and traffic attractor.
Third, although we won't be making money directly off of the game, we have various ideas to allow us to earn income off of the game around the game. Primarily, Google Ads on our website. I have had excellent experiences with Google Ads (I was earning $8K per month on wowcensus.com for a few months), and I feel our website will provide enough information that users will continously visit it (item databases, enemy databases, population statistics, etc).
Tell me about the game
Honestly, not a lot of it has been fleshed out yet. It's a very new idea. What we do know is the following:
The gameworld will take place across multiple times in history - at least 3, thus the Chronos reference above. While the starting timeframe will be medieval in nature, we do plan to offer a far future timeframe, and a prehistoric timeframe. This will essentially work as follows: at a certain point in the game, you will earn an item/skill that will allow you to travel to a certain timeframe. At anytime you may use this item and you will be transferred to the exact same location you are currently at, just in that timeframe.
We haven't yet fleshed out the storyline, or much of the design document, but trust me - it's on it's way. I have been involved in far to many projects that crashed and burned primarily because there was no design document.
Any Technical Issues You Care to Share
We have a few technical plans I'm willing to share, to get ideas from you guys.
First, all "secure information" (player locations, items, etc.) will be stored on our server via TorqueDB. This data will be exported to a MySQL database during our daily maintenance, for use on various pages within our website.
Second, if the game does necessitate the need for multiple servers, we want this as seamless as possible. Therefore, we intend to design a "server cluster" using multiple T2D Dedicated Servers that will constantly share information with one another. Our current plan is, when this occurs, have one server act as a dedicated TorqueDB server, while various other servers handle immediate player information, and share this information with the other servers. This will allow us the ability to eliminate a server selection screen, and support a theoretically infinite number of players within the same gameworld.
Third, we will offer various character sprites a user can choose from, and each item in the game to be displayed (armor, weapons, etc) will have it's own "masked" sprites which will be loaded and mounted to character's. This allows player's to achieve a unique look of there very own, much like you see in the 3D MMORPGs of today.
How Can I Help?
At the moment we are not prepared to setup a team for this project. As stated earlier I need to get the design document done, and various other things. Also, we are waiting on T2D to move to a more reliable release, and obtain it's networking structure. The best way to help right now is answer my pleas for help on the forums - lol. I can always use placeholder artwork as well.
First and foremost, if you do not have T2D - get it! It is simply amazing. I have had a TGE license for almost a year now (maybe more) and I have hardly ever touched it. I can't take my hands off of T2D! It's like a 19 year old blonde with firm breasts and a bit to much to drink!
Anyways, on to the real purpose of this .plan: to layout some ideas for my current project, Eleytheros (that's Greek for free). Although I just had an epiphany and I believe I will start calling it EleyChronos... anyways.
This game is essentially a free MMORPG developed around the T2D engine, with a Zelda-ish look (what was that Zelda game on the SNES?). I know most of you just groaned when you heard MMORPG, but hear me out on this - I'm not a newb, remember?
Why an MMORPG?
Because it's hard. I'm always one that is up for a challenge. Yes I have other ideas, most of which I will develop to learn T2D, and many of which I feel have the potential to sell. I'm a big fan of a game called Enigmo, and I plan to work on an updated version of it, which should turn out pretty good.
Besides an MMORPG being hard, they are popular. People love MMORPGs, and many people in the under-18 age-group look around, and beg for an MMORPG that is not pay-to-play (I know I did way back then).
Why free?
There are quite a few reasons for this, and yes I know running an MMORPG is expensive. First of all, I'm in the Air Force, and I can not dedicate the 100% of my time that is required for support. I feel if I can not adequately support the game, I shouldn't charge for it.
Second, this game will act as a form of advertising of sorts. I am working on starting my own consulting company, and this will be an excellent reference and traffic attractor.
Third, although we won't be making money directly off of the game, we have various ideas to allow us to earn income off of the game around the game. Primarily, Google Ads on our website. I have had excellent experiences with Google Ads (I was earning $8K per month on wowcensus.com for a few months), and I feel our website will provide enough information that users will continously visit it (item databases, enemy databases, population statistics, etc).
Tell me about the game
Honestly, not a lot of it has been fleshed out yet. It's a very new idea. What we do know is the following:
The gameworld will take place across multiple times in history - at least 3, thus the Chronos reference above. While the starting timeframe will be medieval in nature, we do plan to offer a far future timeframe, and a prehistoric timeframe. This will essentially work as follows: at a certain point in the game, you will earn an item/skill that will allow you to travel to a certain timeframe. At anytime you may use this item and you will be transferred to the exact same location you are currently at, just in that timeframe.
We haven't yet fleshed out the storyline, or much of the design document, but trust me - it's on it's way. I have been involved in far to many projects that crashed and burned primarily because there was no design document.
Any Technical Issues You Care to Share
We have a few technical plans I'm willing to share, to get ideas from you guys.
First, all "secure information" (player locations, items, etc.) will be stored on our server via TorqueDB. This data will be exported to a MySQL database during our daily maintenance, for use on various pages within our website.
Second, if the game does necessitate the need for multiple servers, we want this as seamless as possible. Therefore, we intend to design a "server cluster" using multiple T2D Dedicated Servers that will constantly share information with one another. Our current plan is, when this occurs, have one server act as a dedicated TorqueDB server, while various other servers handle immediate player information, and share this information with the other servers. This will allow us the ability to eliminate a server selection screen, and support a theoretically infinite number of players within the same gameworld.
Third, we will offer various character sprites a user can choose from, and each item in the game to be displayed (armor, weapons, etc) will have it's own "masked" sprites which will be loaded and mounted to character's. This allows player's to achieve a unique look of there very own, much like you see in the 3D MMORPGs of today.
How Can I Help?
At the moment we are not prepared to setup a team for this project. As stated earlier I need to get the design document done, and various other things. Also, we are waiting on T2D to move to a more reliable release, and obtain it's networking structure. The best way to help right now is answer my pleas for help on the forums - lol. I can always use placeholder artwork as well.
About the author
#2
04/04/2005 (1:59 pm)
I'd rather loose the pinkie toe.....
#3
04/04/2005 (2:15 pm)
Quote: I would recommend staying away from MMORPG, there I said it my conscious feels better.Care to say why? Maybe you have thought of something I have not as of yet. But just saying you recommend staying away from an MMORPG is pretty much useless, need reasons. If I come across a reason I have yet to think of, and one I can't think of a good solution to, then yeah I guess I would have to.
#4
04/04/2005 (4:26 pm)
8k a month? how many years ago was this? how many hits?? thats a LOT of cash these days.
#5
04/04/2005 (5:39 pm)
That was last month Phil.... it was a site for population statistics for World of Warcraft... you know, that game with 1.5 billion subscribers... figure a small portion of that visited wowcensus and clicked.... you get a bit of cash. 
#6
04/04/2005 (7:42 pm)
I am not meaning to insult, just to raise awareness. MMORPG, requires a huge investment in a team.
#7
Actually it being a T2D project a team can be very small yet still effective. Personally, I code, produce music, and artwork. That's not even tapping into the skills of 4-5 close friends who are willing to help.
Add to this the fact that I care nothing of a timeline (I'm not trying to make money from this) so if it takes me 2 weeks to get an enemy's pattern just right, so be it.
The only team portion I am concerned with is a support team, and I think a carefully selected portion of player's acting as GMs will work fine.
It all really comes down to this game being free. So the support isn't top-notch, so a dungeon has been bugged for a week, guess what - the game was/is free.
Hell who knows, this game may never be released - but at least it's something to work towards. :D
04/04/2005 (8:03 pm)
@AnthonyActually it being a T2D project a team can be very small yet still effective. Personally, I code, produce music, and artwork. That's not even tapping into the skills of 4-5 close friends who are willing to help.
Add to this the fact that I care nothing of a timeline (I'm not trying to make money from this) so if it takes me 2 weeks to get an enemy's pattern just right, so be it.
The only team portion I am concerned with is a support team, and I think a carefully selected portion of player's acting as GMs will work fine.
It all really comes down to this game being free. So the support isn't top-notch, so a dungeon has been bugged for a week, guess what - the game was/is free.
Hell who knows, this game may never be released - but at least it's something to work towards. :D
#8
There is another 2d game out there that is run on a shoe string.
www.realmserver.com/ was once a part of Sierras online thing they had going. It's still up and running and from what I understand, it's not that expensive for them to do so.
There is a lot less information that needs to be spread over a network in a 2d game. I think it there is a good chance that it can be done, if it is done right.
Thats just my opinion though
04/04/2005 (10:19 pm)
I think it can be done.There is another 2d game out there that is run on a shoe string.
www.realmserver.com/ was once a part of Sierras online thing they had going. It's still up and running and from what I understand, it's not that expensive for them to do so.
There is a lot less information that needs to be spread over a network in a 2d game. I think it there is a good chance that it can be done, if it is done right.
Thats just my opinion though
#9
I love the idea... quite honestly I think you are going at MMO's at such a different angle that I think it will be very successful... by making it free you avoid competing with the leading MMO's and pull in a huge audience (heck who wouldn't try an MMO for free - well other than those that don't like MMO's =p) while still making money on advertising... brilliant !
04/05/2005 (8:23 am)
Thx for the plan Michael, really helps me clarify a more focused goal and niche for TorqueDB... (I will still release the base I have now with the journal system for free as a resource - as I promised already- though I'm getting more comfortable with the idea of porting it to C++ and adding those features we discussed :)...I love the idea... quite honestly I think you are going at MMO's at such a different angle that I think it will be very successful... by making it free you avoid competing with the leading MMO's and pull in a huge audience (heck who wouldn't try an MMO for free - well other than those that don't like MMO's =p) while still making money on advertising... brilliant !
#10
04/05/2005 (2:06 pm)
If you had funding, would you use it or does that destory is vision of your plan? 
Associate Anthony Rosenbaum