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.