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Post by Voidster on Jan 31, 2009 13:22:22 GMT -8
Hey,
I've been reading the MotG webpages and this seems like a very interesting game concept and I would be interested in trying the game out. Apparently there are no gaming sessions going on lately, right? I was just wondering if there are going to be any in the near future?
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Post by Charles on Feb 1, 2009 22:46:48 GMT -8
Hi,
I'm the lead developer of MotG. I'm glad to hear that you are interested in the game.
You are right that we have not had any game sessions in about two months. I don't know when we will get going again. I'm hoping it will be some time in February. The problem is that we found some rather serious bugs including one that is causing the server to crash.
My plan is to start over and rebuild some major components of the game to get rid of some legacy code that is probably causing the bugs. Then, I plan to see if the bugs are fixed and if they are still there, do whatever it takes to fix them. I am also hoping to integrate this with a new rendering engine that will integrate with DX9 and give us dramatically improved graphics.
If I did all that, and nothing more, it would still be the same game, it would just look better and not crash. That's not really good enough since there were some things that so obviously need to be added to the game, such as more crafting. After this much of a delay, I think I should also add considerable amounts of new content. Some of it is already half-finished.
The other issue is that I have some other things going on in my life that I need to deal with before I do more work on the game.
So the current estimate on the website is that the game will be online again some time in February 2009. I really hope I can get it done that soon, but I'm not sure. You can check back here from time to time to see or you can register on this board and send me a private message with your e-mail address and I'll send you an e-mail when it's online again.
I am really tempted to just turn on the server and have another session and we could do that, but if we did, there would still be bugs that crash the server. Everybody would still be waiting on the crafting additions and in general it would be stagnating instead of moving forward. That's why I think it will be better to do the work first and then put it online.
One other thing I will reveal at this point is that when it does come back online, a lot of time will probably have passed in the game world. Probably many years. Maybe decades or even centuries.
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Post by Voidstar on Feb 2, 2009 6:00:01 GMT -8
If the crafting and skill and other systems are still at an early stage, I'd like to share a few ideas.
Of course this might be a bit absurd that I give development ideas for a game I haven't even played ever! But you know, don't judge so that you won't be judged, right? Anyways...
About the crafting system, the experience I've had with gathering and crafting systems in mmorp games is not much, but mostly the system is always the same of going alone to gather stuff or buying stuff from random people then crafting your items in a dark corner all alone...(Maybe not always so dramatic but) Basically the systems don't really inspire or even require social actions at all. In my opinion it should require more involving several people to work together, because that's what really separates mmorpg from non-mmo. Of course that's just my opinion of what should be done and I don't really have a clue of how to make the change into a better system. That's still cooking...
About combat and the skills involved, I've been reading through the website, wiki and forums, and it seems MotG's combat system is the basic where the computer does the actual fighting movements. What I would see as a better combat system is the one they use in Mount&Blade. I'm not sure if it's used anywhere else. Basically in it you actually make every swing and parry yourself and damage is dealt depending on how well you hit and where you hit. This makes the combat system actually rely on the player's skill and not on the numeric value that you can grind beating wolves or such. Of course if we're realistic, even if you got into this and wanted to make it so I wouldn't expect to see such a system in many, many months as it would very likely require a huge amount of work on the game engine. Or if one of us won in the lottery we could always buy Mount&Blade's engine. Despite that I put this here to inform you of some options.
Please do share any ideas or comments.
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Post by Charles on Feb 2, 2009 14:31:06 GMT -8
Feel free to make suggestions even though you haven't played the game yet. You're not the only one to do that and your suggestions sound pretty good.
The idea of having social interaction be part of crafting is something we are already planning to implement. The idea is that we are striving to develop a player-run economy. When this is fully developed, you would not buy raw materials from a non-player character or gather them, do the crafting alone and then sell the products to a non-player character shopkeeper. At the very least, you would gather raw materials, make the product and then sell it to a player character.
As the player-run economy gets more complex, I would expect to see interactions more like this:
A player character hires other player characters to gather raw materials, then sells them to another player character who specializes in transporting them to market. The transport specialist hires player characters to drive wagons and others to guard the caravan and takes the raw materials to a market where such materials are often sold. Possibly player or non-player middlemen buy these and resell them to craftsmen.
The craftsmen, also player characters, then use the raw materials to make products, but many products will require more than one type of crafting skills so it may require a woodworker, a smith and a weaver to get something made.
The craftsmen then sell their products in the market, perhaps to player character brokers and end-users then buy these. Also, merchants from other cities may buy the products, transport them to other cities and sell them there.
Of course, this is a highly evolved system with a lot of specialized skills being used. I have an advantage in setting this up in that I know a lot about real-world economics both in terms of economic theory and practical experience. I know what is necessary to get this to work. If it seems like any of those roles are simply too boring for any player character to want to do, then maybe that one won't be done. More likely, someone who finds it more interesting than you do will choose to earn money that way.
One reason that we don't typically see this kind of thing in other MMORPGs is that most players want to max out all crafting skills themselves. In Runescape, for example, the same character will typically mine the ore, smelt it into ingots, then go to a smithy and hammer it into weapons and armor and then use it himself in combat. There is, in that example, no economic cooperation whatsoever.
One reason this doesn't happen in real life is that someone who specializes in blacksmithing, for example, rapidly develops greater skill in this area than someone who only does it part time. Also, in real life, you don't have smelters, forges, hammers, anvils and other blacksmith tools, not to mention fuel for the fires, available to anyone for free like you do in Runescape.
My current concept for crafting in MotG is that every once in a while, you will lose a skill level. Skill levels are easy to get so for a skill that you regularly use, this won't matter. You can rapidly regain it and keep increasing your skill level.
On the other hand, this will cause your expertise in skills you don't use to automatically deteriorate over time, just like in real life. You will have the option of maintaining a lot of different skills, but this will make your character into the proverbial "jack of all trades and master of none." That can be a good thing in some situations, but the ability of craftsmen who specialize to develop greater abilities in their chosen field will lead to a situation where it makes more sense if you are a skilled miner to sell your ore to someone else and let him smelt it and get back to mining. If you own a mine, it will make more sense hire others to mine it with you or for you to produce vastly more ore than you could mine alone.
In MotG, it is already possible for craftsmen who have enough skill and knowledge to invent new products that nobody else in the game knows how to make and then to teach their trade secrets to others if they so choose.
On the subject of fighting systems, suggestions like yours have been made before. I like the idea, but I'm concerned that lag between the player and the server would make this approach a lot less fun than it would be if we were hosting this on a LAN instead of over the internet.
As a compromise, we are planning to have various types of attacks or defenses you can do during combat that will alter the outcome, but while the server is waiting for your command to carry out a special attack to arrive from your computer, your character will automatically fight with more mundane methods in the meantime.
If you can help us figure a solution to the lag issue, we could do it differently.
P.S. I have received your private message with your e-mail address.
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Xulai
Junior Member
Posts: 73
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Post by Xulai on Feb 4, 2009 8:13:51 GMT -8
You could have one or two gaming sessions, probably on one day or one and the next or something. With the world a bit changed if when you finish this downtime the world's going to be in future. Maybe the gnomes could have found a new town instead of using that camp? And it's still being built. Depending on how far on the future it could be. If time was too long perhaps all current characters get sent to the underworld, Or would there be a wipe?
Basicly i'm thinking of a game session to test anything currently done and to have a little time for players to try to change the future a bit. Heck the water could have started drying up so the world would have more land.
I have no idea to solve the lag issue so we could have the combat he suggested. But for the various types of attacks and defenses. What do you mean. Attacks with fancy names and moves? Or attacks that change the way you attack or do a one time different hit (for example Hit for the head then click a skill to attempt to hit the stomach and as the other character has a stance to defend the head he will get hit and lose a bit more health then if he got hit in the head)
Also I think the class choices should also give a weapon for that type of class as well as change the stats a little. For example A Swordsman class for example will get a either a leather armour or clothes depending on how much you wanna start a player with, a sword and they get +1 strength or something. You could make it so you dont pick a class at start and you can pick and change classes by doing training quests which will give you the armour. But if you already have a weapon and outfit from another class the class master wont give it unless they do a swap. Same with the stat upgrade.
That would be a good way to have classes but be free to live how you want.
I like your ideas for skills and crafts Charles. Also Void happy to have you here with us and giving ideas for everyone to think about and hopefully Charles will keep the final edited idea which is a best for all and keeps with the game's idea.
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Post by hywalker on Feb 10, 2009 5:08:05 GMT -8
ohhh! great time laps. I can just see it now, Val has put on Poundage and her hair due is just wicked. But i of course am still that Sexy looking Bailed guy that likes to pick on Crazed Chickens......:lol: and PK is now known as KP = :Kitchen Patrol:... LMAO... had to PK just could not resist.
I vote to Finish it first.
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Post by hywalker on Feb 17, 2009 18:12:48 GMT -8
Knock! KnocK!...............
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Post by Charles on Feb 18, 2009 4:23:20 GMT -8
Yes, I'm here.
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Post by hywalker on Feb 22, 2009 15:45:35 GMT -8
Puts whip away and closes door..........
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Xulai
Junior Member
Posts: 73
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Post by Xulai on Feb 27, 2009 11:20:00 GMT -8
Two days left till the end of Feburary Charles.
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Post by hywalker on Feb 28, 2009 13:21:50 GMT -8
Smacks PK up DA side a da Head....................... LOl
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Post by Charles on Feb 28, 2009 17:32:22 GMT -8
Two days left till the end of Feburary Charles. I know, that's why I've now changed the website to say the game will resume in April 2009.
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Post by lordborral on Feb 28, 2009 19:32:19 GMT -8
April? nooooo... ah well
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Post by hywalker on Mar 17, 2009 16:45:12 GMT -8
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHCHeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwww........... Oops....... Heeheeeeeee....
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Post by Charles on Mar 18, 2009 18:54:47 GMT -8
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHCHeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwww........... Oops....... Heeheeeeeee.... Gesuntheit.
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