MORPG Project: Which Engine is Right For Me?
by KP · in General Discussion · 02/27/2006 (1:07 am) · 10 replies
Hello, and thanks for reading - I appreciate you taking the time to help me out with this question! :)
I've crafted a handful of simple 2d games from game-making kits, modded NeverWinter Nights a bit, and I've played and run various roleplay-themed MU's for a loooooooong time!, and basically all I really want to do is take the same roleplaying dynamic from those MU games, but put it in a 3d world. So I don't need a complicated combat system, or enemies - or thousands of players. I just want to make a game that about 200 people can play, make it free but only available to people I personally invite, make it possible for folks to build up some nifty characters that are truly unique in appearance, walk around, explore, and roleplay with one-another basically in the same way they're used to from the MU's...which amounts to just a lot of chat-typing. And that's basically it!
I've dabbled in 3d modelling, and I've got passable skills -- but I don't need anything fancy. I care more about customization of character 'looks' than I do about final quality...that is, tons of "decals" for facial features, scars, hair colors/styles, etc, that people can pick out. The same general polygon count and texture resolution of the old "Alice" game is about where I'd like to be! (and no, in case you were wondering, the game would have nothing to do with Alice). As for the complexity of the world, well, there I'm a bit pickier - I hate the 'terrain creation' tools that limit you to a bland, heightmapped world that really all you can do is walk over... I want something with nooks and crannies, ravines and ridges, caves and forests -- I want climable trees and plains of tallgrass-sprites that can actually conceal characters or NPCs, truly unique geographical areas (mountains to explore, misty valleys, smoky wastes...) Junk like that! :)
I want administrator priveleges to drop items, to delete/rename characters, to grant special abilities (invisibility/speed/flight whatever) and super-unique models/textures to specific plot-essential characters but no others...I'd like various emote commands that initiate animations of both the 3d-model and certain textures on them (like for speaking, lips move, and if a characters gets angry, their upper eyelids will droop at an aggressive angle, stuff like that)...a way to tweak the distance that the roleplaying chat messages carry, a way to have special/weather effects, I'd like to have zoned areas so that I can restrict certain locations to specific character-types (but through doors rather than borders)... Basically just a graphical revamp to the whole MU-roleplay experience. I'm ready to put in the work of building and modelling - but of course, whatever I can get that's ready-made, I'll be glad to take. ;)
I've heard about Multiverse, and considered waiting for it - and from what I've seen of Realmcrafter, I don't think it allows a world-landscape as "natural" as I'm after... So, what are your suggestions? :) How much programming does it sound like I'll need to do, and what language at that?
Thanks again! :D
I've crafted a handful of simple 2d games from game-making kits, modded NeverWinter Nights a bit, and I've played and run various roleplay-themed MU's for a loooooooong time!, and basically all I really want to do is take the same roleplaying dynamic from those MU games, but put it in a 3d world. So I don't need a complicated combat system, or enemies - or thousands of players. I just want to make a game that about 200 people can play, make it free but only available to people I personally invite, make it possible for folks to build up some nifty characters that are truly unique in appearance, walk around, explore, and roleplay with one-another basically in the same way they're used to from the MU's...which amounts to just a lot of chat-typing. And that's basically it!
I've dabbled in 3d modelling, and I've got passable skills -- but I don't need anything fancy. I care more about customization of character 'looks' than I do about final quality...that is, tons of "decals" for facial features, scars, hair colors/styles, etc, that people can pick out. The same general polygon count and texture resolution of the old "Alice" game is about where I'd like to be! (and no, in case you were wondering, the game would have nothing to do with Alice). As for the complexity of the world, well, there I'm a bit pickier - I hate the 'terrain creation' tools that limit you to a bland, heightmapped world that really all you can do is walk over... I want something with nooks and crannies, ravines and ridges, caves and forests -- I want climable trees and plains of tallgrass-sprites that can actually conceal characters or NPCs, truly unique geographical areas (mountains to explore, misty valleys, smoky wastes...) Junk like that! :)
I want administrator priveleges to drop items, to delete/rename characters, to grant special abilities (invisibility/speed/flight whatever) and super-unique models/textures to specific plot-essential characters but no others...I'd like various emote commands that initiate animations of both the 3d-model and certain textures on them (like for speaking, lips move, and if a characters gets angry, their upper eyelids will droop at an aggressive angle, stuff like that)...a way to tweak the distance that the roleplaying chat messages carry, a way to have special/weather effects, I'd like to have zoned areas so that I can restrict certain locations to specific character-types (but through doors rather than borders)... Basically just a graphical revamp to the whole MU-roleplay experience. I'm ready to put in the work of building and modelling - but of course, whatever I can get that's ready-made, I'll be glad to take. ;)
I've heard about Multiverse, and considered waiting for it - and from what I've seen of Realmcrafter, I don't think it allows a world-landscape as "natural" as I'm after... So, what are your suggestions? :) How much programming does it sound like I'll need to do, and what language at that?
Thanks again! :D
About the author
#2
02/27/2006 (1:15 am)
Oh!, I should clarify -- unlike in MU's, I don't want world-navigation to be accomplished by typing in exits - I want travel to be freely accomplished with button-presses, like in any proper 3d game. 
#3
You are likely going to get a lot of replies about how expensive it is to do MMO's, and how much work, but for the sake of a good reply I will leave those comments out of this post.
First things you will need is likely a programmer. To make something original, in the genre you are looking for, you will need somone who is weatherd in programming to help seeing as how you sound as if you are limited in that aspect.
Secondly, finding a decent game engine to handle a MMO of any type is hard to come by, but with the right programmer you can likely mold whatever option you take into something that will work.
In terms of costs, they can go all over the place. With a 200/month budget for server cost, it may or may not work. It may work at first as you build a subscriber base (as many people seem to forget that you don't need server that can handle thousands of simultaneous users if you don't have that many to play anyway). Once your speed starts becoming a problem, you will likely have enough income to upgrade your connectiong and/or move your server box to an ISP.
In my opinion your idea seems like it can happen with the right amount of effort (just like anything else), although doing something like that alone does not seem as likely to me.
Just my two cents. There are many other, well weathered game development vets here, so you should get some good advice from them.
02/27/2006 (1:55 am)
Well, let's start at the begenning.You are likely going to get a lot of replies about how expensive it is to do MMO's, and how much work, but for the sake of a good reply I will leave those comments out of this post.
First things you will need is likely a programmer. To make something original, in the genre you are looking for, you will need somone who is weatherd in programming to help seeing as how you sound as if you are limited in that aspect.
Secondly, finding a decent game engine to handle a MMO of any type is hard to come by, but with the right programmer you can likely mold whatever option you take into something that will work.
In terms of costs, they can go all over the place. With a 200/month budget for server cost, it may or may not work. It may work at first as you build a subscriber base (as many people seem to forget that you don't need server that can handle thousands of simultaneous users if you don't have that many to play anyway). Once your speed starts becoming a problem, you will likely have enough income to upgrade your connectiong and/or move your server box to an ISP.
In my opinion your idea seems like it can happen with the right amount of effort (just like anything else), although doing something like that alone does not seem as likely to me.
Just my two cents. There are many other, well weathered game development vets here, so you should get some good advice from them.
#4
02/27/2006 (2:15 am)
Check this out: http://www.realmcrafter.com/ 
#5
I will say that real crafter looks pretty interesting, looks like you should check that out as well, since it provides more specifics geared toward RPG's which sounds like the type of game you want to make.
since you said you wanted it to be free, you dont need a billing system just some sort of access control so you can just let your friends in.
sounds completely do-able, get a programmer, create a game design, and some art peeps and you
can make it happen.
02/27/2006 (8:08 am)
I was gonna say since your only looking to support 200 of your closest friends you dont need to worry about all the typical MMO issues. Even with the TGE i've been able to get 1000 players with several thousand AI's running about which is more then enough for your game.I will say that real crafter looks pretty interesting, looks like you should check that out as well, since it provides more specifics geared toward RPG's which sounds like the type of game you want to make.
since you said you wanted it to be free, you dont need a billing system just some sort of access control so you can just let your friends in.
sounds completely do-able, get a programmer, create a game design, and some art peeps and you
can make it happen.
#6
02/27/2006 (8:49 am)
Finding a decent team usually is the hardest part
#7
02/27/2006 (4:02 pm)
Well what aspects of what I want will the engine itself not handle? I mean, with something like Torque, or RealmCrafter (which I did say in my message I didn't think was right for me...), or Multiverse, don't they take care of most of it?, or have their own easier-to-use propietery scripting systems? I mean - what am I going to need that they don't provide?, and what languages am I looking at having to find someone with experience for?
#8
02/27/2006 (4:08 pm)
Does it sound to those of you familiar with Torque and Realmcrafter that all the features I want are served better by Realmcrafter than by Torque?
#9
02/27/2006 (5:35 pm)
Hey! I've run through the demos for Torque and Realmcrafter, Torque definitely appeals to me more. But what will be involved in implementing the features I've outlined?
#10
See you on the requesting-help-with-such-and-such-problem boards. ;)
Thanks again!
02/27/2006 (10:12 pm)
Hey! Sorry to have spammed your board so much, but I've been rereading the feedback and messing around with Torque's demos, reevaluating the demos and videos/screenshots of the likes of Realmcrafter and Multiverse - and I'm going with Torque and its new improved-shader edition!See you on the requesting-help-with-such-and-such-problem boards. ;)
Thanks again!
Torque Owner KP