I have started another project. I know my other projects have never even been seen beyond some screen shots. This project is much more simple than the other projects. The goal is keep it simple, cheap, generic but clever.
It’s an MMORPG where players command sea ships.
Players join together to fight against the CPU forces.
Wow. A massively multiplayer online role playing game commanding 3D ships in strategic co-ordinated battles with CPU enemies. Hmmm. That does not sound simple! It sounds like a complete nightmare and about as complex as a game can get!
How much time have you projected for this?
PS It could be that you have frameworks already from previous games, are a massively competent solo dev with resources to plough into this and that you knock out production quality code at a speed us mere mortals can only dream of. And I genuinely wish you luck, I love ship battle games. But I am not being sarcastic when I ask about your project timings, I am genuinely interested how long such a project would take.
PPS Would it not be better if players battled each other. Then at least you would not have to do enemy AI’s, or do human P2P teams and team co-ordination like orders, and who is commander etc.
I will have to take time and look at the scope of the project.
I don’t want to discourage you and I really do hope you can make your vision. Having said that I agree with pauldrewett, this doesn’t sound simple at all!
For reference Skull and Bones is a MMO about ship combat and it took over 10 years and $200 million (some rumours are claiming as high as $850 million!!!) for Ubisoft Singapore to develop. According to Wikipedia, Ubisoft Singapore has 350 employees.
Again not trying to discourage you! I just think you might want to try to simplify even further.
None of you know what the design is. You only know that it’s about ships that do battle. So how can you possible judge if it’s too complicated?
Think to yourself, why i am saying this to him for? Where am I getting this idea from to say this?
@megamodels
You are quite right but you did say a MMORPG, where players not only command multiple sea ships but combine their efforts in strategic battles against the CPU. We were also careful to just point out politely that sometimes grand visions need to be parred down a bit to face the realities of time considerations. So we were saying this because the vision is fantastic and who doesn’t want to make a MMORPG? And I cannot speak for @gentlemanhal, who was also very polite and gentle, but I got this idea from knowing how long testing and dev took for my own vastly simpler game.
However, if you took offence at our comments, I apologise. No criticism nor discouragement was meant, and it was a genuine question when I asked how long you planned for such a project? I ask because I would perhaps like to explore multiplayer for my next game, however I am worried that this might just be waters that are too deep for me.
Anyway, good luck with your next project. It is always a really exciting time planning a new project, and some might say the best part. Please accept my best of wishes for your new game.
Yes I agree an MMORPG is complex thing. But, I have played MMORPG from the 90’s early 2000’s that where very very simple.
Right now with my scope, it could be about 4 to 5 months time before I have something for people can play. I am at the same time attempting to run a violin business so I have been busy.
I plan on doing a, work in progress play. Get it running well enough, let people play it, continue working on it. Yes, If I don’t slack too much, 4 to 5 months.
So I just closed the project for today. I just wanted to announce that I am at the point in the project that I can start creating some content for it. I will be to the part soon where I can build a test level for creating some of the dynamics in it.
So about the design, the ships specifically. These are not wind powered ships, they are steam powered. They are not ironclads, they are wooden ships.
The ships and world are fictional. You might some things based on historic facts, but it’s not historic.
Small update report. The server layout is done, but much is still needed to bring it into alpha. Right now the client can; create account, log on. After logging on the lobby menu shows.
I am now in process of working on creating the ship nodes and it’s parts.
Just posting to let everyone looking at the project know what is going on. I have been busy with the violin business. Hopefully I will get things organized and get back to the project. And that’s the problem I am having, I am not organized at moment.
So like, why I lack motivation to do this project. MONEY.
I can make this project, or one of my other game ideas that is something like this one. But I have no outlook for any return from it. I would be taking donation only model, would I even get anyone to play it?
Money is what drives the work force, this is what makes people do things. It’s for that reward, the money. People tell me if you do something for money, you are going to fail at it. But this is what the point is for anything anyone does, is to get paid. Money is the driving force behind everything everyone does.
Right now I don’t know if I could even get a dollar from it.
Many people on here and many indie game devs do this around a full time job, a family and even other hobbies too. There are only 24 hours a day and sometimes you have to sleep as well.
Personally, I do this because I love it! I hope my game will be a success, but lets be realistic, the chances of that are slim. But it does not matter.
I have also written a book with near zero chance that would make any money. I also recorded a few tracks in a studio with my band, again near zero chance of making any money. But we did those things not to get rich, but because we loved them.
I currently do a job I am not particularly fussed about, but I get paid well enough to pay the bills, provide for my family and save a bit. That is enough to allow me to do the things I love. And making games is one of them.
You are right, there is no massive pot of gold at the end of the game making rainbow for most of us. You know that your violin business is hard, it is difficult and challenging and takes experience, expertise and drive to keep it earning income. Why would you think the ‘business’ of entertainment and game-making would be any easier? The business itself is totally different than the making of games.
My advice would be that if you are in it just for the money, then your efforts might be better spent doing something with more chance of success (like your violin business) than game making. Earning a living at game making is as difficult as Acting, Singing, being a Magician or Comic, or any other form of entertainment.
However you are wrong that humans only do things for money. There is also love, whimsy, passion, desire, empathy, generosity and fun. I don’t play sports in my local team for money on Mondays and Thursdays, lol, the very thought. I don’t mow my elderly neighbours garden for money either. Nor do I charge my mum for visiting her. Yet I do all these things willingly and as much for my own pleasure as anyone elses.
Anyway, I wish you all the success in the world with your game, your violin business and your life in general. Just bear in mind, money might be a means to an end, but it is not the end itself.
PS I just realised the irony that you are posting this comment on this free Godot platform, an open source FREE game engine enabled by the voluntary and charitable contributions to the engine and to the NON-PROFIT organisation ‘Godot Stitched’.
Godot gets donations, is that is a motivation for them for their project, money from donations.
Then another problem you have other than money, is the fact that people will sue you for your own work. They will sue so they can have what you built, plus your ‘money’.