Developing Indy MMORPG - Thoughts? (Also, Looking for Pixel Artists)

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

http://indiegames.witcoin.com/p/1873/Developing-Indy-MMORPG---Thoughts-Also-Looking-for-Pixel-Artists
I encourage you to upvote it and discuss it over on witcoin (I really like witcoin, but there's not enough people there,) but if you really, really don't want to, I'm not going to stop you from discussing it here.

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[Electrongolf]

This is a cool idea! Someone posted services for a pixel artist today.
http://bitgigs.com/2011/07/19/pixel-art-banners-ads-minecraft-skins-whatever/

Hope this helps 

[markm]

An MMORPG is a big big project. I have usually found it simpler to adapt something that already works instead of starting from scratch. That is how I ended up with my CrossCiv server for Crossfire RPG to provide dungeon-crawling scale for the alactic Milieu instead of contemplating starting something from scratch. Good luck, you have a lot of work ahead.

-MarkM-

[lutescent]

I agree here, there are countless numbers of people asking professionals about 'writing an MMORPG from scratch with a bunch of friends'

A project like that is massive beyond comprehension. I suggest starting with something smaller and extending the gameplay from there.

Also, are you programming in flash as with Realm of the Mad God? I have much experience with java, and most C based languages, as well as PHP and ActionScript 2 when it was popular, but have since moved on (from actionscript). I would love to help with bug fixes/patches and some minor help for free if your interested.

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

I agree here, there are countless numbers of people asking professionals about 'writing an MMORPG from scratch with a bunch of friends'

A project like that is massive beyond comprehension. I suggest starting with something smaller and extending the gameplay from there.

That's essentially what I'm doing. Starting small, and working my way up. So far, you can connect to the server and see everyone else who is connected, but all you can do is walk around.

Also, are you programming in flash as with Realm of the Mad God? I have much experience with java, and most C based languages, as well as PHP and ActionScript 2 when it was popular, but have since moved on (from actionscript). I would love to help with bug fixes/patches and some minor help for free if your interested.

I'm not entirely decided on what I will be programming in. The part I've already created is developed using love, because they accept bitcoin donations. But, as it is still very early in development, It'll be easy to switch languages if I decide (or someone convinces me,) to use something else. The languages I have most experience in that could be suitable for game development are C++, Python, Java, and I've done a little with ActionScript3 (There's probably more, but I'm in a hurry right now and don't have time to think.) And, of course, I'm perfectly willing to learn new languages. What do you guys think I should use?

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

Decided that I'm probably going to make it browser-based. I'll probably use flash, unless you guys know of any new web application languages that might've just emerged?

EDIT: I heard about unity, but that's mainly for 3d games, correct?

EDIT2: Portalarium looks really cool, but I can't see anywhere that they plan to support linux.

[markm]

Doesn't the new html make it no longer necessary to use flash? It can do all the 3d graphics and so on and so on?

-MarkM-

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

Doesn't the new html make it no longer necessary to use flash? It can do all the 3d graphics and so on and so on?

-MarkM-

Ah, yes, I completely forgot about HTML5. Thanks for reminding me, I'll look into it.

[lutescent]

People like using unity3d because of the integrated assets management system (you can load assets on the web player as the game plays), and its integration with many socket servers used for MMOs

My opinion is not to use unity3d because there is nothing special about it's 2d system, and focus on flash because of its simplicity (now that I think about it, Unity3d is like the flash for 3d games)

There are some HTML5 game engines out there (but not that you need them) but I'm not sure about support for socket servers. You would have to either use a modified web server or code something yourself and it adds a whole new level of pain.

All these pre-built socket servers are built for flash, unity3d, java etc
Smartfoxserver is already used in club penguin and many other popular games, I think its only extend-able with ActionScript and Java and is script based
http://www.smartfoxserver.com/

Photon (my personal fav) is very similar to SmartfoxServer but is much more extend-able and relies on compiled libraries, so it supports your c++
http://www.exitgames.com/

<just some recommendations to speed up the process>

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

People like using unity3d because of the integrated assets management system (you can load assets on the web player as the game plays), and its integration with many socket servers used for MMOs

My opinion is not to use unity3d because there is nothing special about it's 2d system, and focus on flash because of its simplicity (now that I think about it, Unity3d is like the flash for 3d games)

There are some HTML5 game engines out there (but not that you need them) but I'm not sure about support for socket servers. You would have to either use a modified web server or code something yourself and it adds a whole new level of pain.

All these pre-built socket servers are built for flash, unity3d, java etc
Smartfoxserver is already used in club penguin and many other popular games, I think its only extend-able with ActionScript and Java and is script based
http://www.smartfoxserver.com/

Photon (my personal fav) is very similar to SmartfoxServer but is much more extend-able and relies on compiled libraries, so it supports your c++
http://www.exitgames.com/

<just some recommendations to speed up the process>

Thanks, lutescent. I found out that html5 has websockets, but it is still being standardized, and only works on chrome and safari. As much as I hate internet explorer, I'd like the game to be playable to ie users, so I think I'm going to stick with flash. And, behold!

Thanks to our pixel artist, mushroomized!

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

Decided to go the html5 route, using http://craftyjs.com/ and pywebsockets. Everything's going well so far.

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

Just letting everyone know that we're making progress. HTML5 and crafty turned out to be too poorly documented, and we are now using python with pygame. The game is going to be an advanced multiplayer platformer (by advanced platformer, I mean wall jumps/hangs, grappling hooks/hookshots) We've got a lot of sprites and tiles made already, but still need a lot more help. I'd prefer to be the only programmer for now, but any pixel artists, musicians, etc. who think they have something to offer can either pm me or post in this thread. Thank you.

[NothinG]

http://entanglement.gopherwoodstudios.com/light
http://poppit.pogo.com/hd/PoppitHD.html

Games in HTML5...I think.
My PC is slow >.>

[cunicula]

I suggest you monetize it by draining gpu power from players to mine. For a game like starcraft 2 say, this could potentially be more money than people pay to buy iit upfront. Of course if the game sucks, you are better off relying on advertising and upfront fees.

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

I suggest you monetize it by draining gpu power from players to mine. For a game like starcraft 2 say, this could potentially be more money than people pay to buy iit upfront. Of course if the game sucks, you are better off relying on advertising and upfront fees.

We plan on letting players choose whether they want to mine or not, and the more they mine, the more in game money they get for use on exclusive items.

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

Our pixel artist has been updating this dev log: http://mangomangomonsters.tumblr.com/

[kiba]

HTML5 is poorly documented? What are you smoking?

* kiba is making a game in coffeescript and processing.js

[nhodges]

HTML5 is poorly documented? What are you smoking?

* kiba is making a game in coffeescript and processing.js

I'd think he was referring more to the js game dev library being insufficiently documented.

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

I'd think he was referring more to the js game dev library being insufficiently documented.

That would be correct. I probably should've been a little more clear.

HTML5 is poorly documented? What are you smoking?

* kiba is making a game in coffeescript and processing.js

I remember that. How is that going, by the way?

[kiba]

I remember that. How is that going, by the way?

If you're thinking of that weird celluar automata game, I choose a different project. It's called The City.

It's set in the far future when a dyson sphere literally swallowed the solar system. You build a human colony/civilization inside this universe. Your very own world with its own story. (Did I forget to mention that your world span the solar system?)

You will get to encounter evil cyborg humans like Silicon Creature tribes, the out-of-control safeguard, and maybe...just maybe....You will get a visit from legendary hero Killy, the man tasked with the effort of searching the whole dyson sphere to find and the bring the human with the net gene to cyberspace so that he can shut down the sprawling and out-of-control dyson sphere known as The City.

Other than that, it's an incredibly complex social simulation of a colony, the world it live in, and the various tribes that populate the world. Like dwarf fortress but with its own unique gameplay.  You will have hovercraft crews, marines, snipers, farmers, armorers and weaponmakers, traders, miners, scientists, naturalists, doctors, engineers, etc.

It's a long term project and I doubt it will be completed within the next two decade.