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Zoticus · 12-10-2014, 02:24 PM

Hello -

Speed and stability are two major interests, obviously. The reason I'm looking most at bare bones engines that I can build on top of is twofold -

Firstly that it means I'll have more to learn. I have a nasty tendency to shortcut myself, and rather than learning how to properly do something from scratch, I'll modify something that already exists until it does what I want. While this isn't a bad thing, it does mean that I ultimately have issue moving forward with new ideas that don't have an existing variation I can work with. It also means that I don't know how to streamline or optimize very well, since my work ends up a frankenstein project.

Secondly, it'll keep licensing fees either very low, or non-existent. I don't plan - and may never plan - to monetize the project, but removing or avoiding issues in that department from the start seems like a good idea. This is largely a hobbyist endeavour, and may forever remain one. But if it does gain the traction to be a self sustaining hobby, that'd be nice too.
--

With regards to my plans, they're pretty simple. I've played many free-to-play and commercial muds alike, and while many have features I appreciate (especially the polished feel of the Iron Realms offerings) none of them have the setting, or the complete array of options/opportunities. A small sampling of things I'm interested in incorporating:

o Balance based, involved combat - those who've played Iron Realms games know what I mean.

o A more modern setting. Nearly every mud I've ever encountered is medieval in nature. I'd like one that mixes more modern ideas with some desirable fantasy/sci-fi flavorings.

o A game-within-the-game setup. That is, people have their 'player avatar' that they connect to the game with and is usable within an 'out of cannon' area. A place where players can talk and post things and generally interact with other players as players. Upon exiting the designated 'out of cannon' area, players would select a different avatar to interact with the game world. This avatar, unlike their 'out of cannon' avatar, would be subject to permadeath rules and such. Part of the reason I want to do it this way is to negate the need for a forum system, but also because it'd let me implement things like a bank/storage system that's tied to the main account, so that even in a permadeath situation, players aren't forced to start entirely from scratch. While many RPI enthusiasts would say that defeats the point, I say it opens up more avenues of exploration and opportunity- people are less inclined towards bold actions when it'd lose them months of time investment. Obviously, the storage/bank system would have some limitations, so that brand new avatars aren't as desirable as long lived ones.

o A system of reward/prestige that encourages the play of a single, long term avatar over many alternates. This would also help discourage people from rolling a character, banking/storing things and committing suicide to start over.

o Reactionary quests/npcs - different races would react differently to one another, some quests would change based on allegiance or other criteria.

o A player volunteer shell system. Allowing those who've proven their strength as role players to create or inhabit NPC's to strengthen and further the lore of the game.

o Instanced bashing on a smaller scale. While most areas would be 'classic' in that mobs/quests would respawn normally, I'd like a few areas where one could be guaranteed to quest or bash even at high traffic times.

o A dynamic identity option for the rogue/stealth class. One thing that always struck me as restrictive was that player names would become instantly recognizable signs as to who and what they were - forcing players to create alternate characters to explore different avenues. This felt particularly restrictive for those who played stealthy classes, who should be able to blend/adapt. I'm hoping to create an ability that'd allow them to disguise themselves as a different, unique PC for purely role play purposes.

I've seen some games that give you a generic descriptor line, and your name is unknown to a person until you introduce yourself. This is -sort- of what I'm talking about, but I'm thinking of something that'd allow you to adopt a different appearance/name entirely - even to those who do know you. It'd be entirely for role play, so most combative actions would strip the disguise. It'd open up new avenues of exploration and espionage, I think.
-

As you can no doubt tell, my major interest is role play, with a side of bashing/grinding. I actually enjoy grinding a character to a higher level, but I understand that some people don't. I've found that many games with a level system are sort of restrictive as to the avenue that pacifist characters or people who simply don't enjoy the grind can take, and I'm hoping to strike a balance.

That's more than enough for now, though I'm eager to hear more suggestions as to where I can start learning to begin bringing my vision to life.

Zoticus

12-10-2014, 02:24 PM	#3
Zoticus New Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 6	Re: Seeking advice Hello - Speed and stability are two major interests, obviously. The reason I'm looking most at bare bones engines that I can build on top of is twofold - Firstly that it means I'll have more to learn. I have a nasty tendency to shortcut myself, and rather than learning how to properly do something from scratch, I'll modify something that already exists until it does what I want. While this isn't a bad thing, it does mean that I ultimately have issue moving forward with new ideas that don't have an existing variation I can work with. It also means that I don't know how to streamline or optimize very well, since my work ends up a frankenstein project. Secondly, it'll keep licensing fees either very low, or non-existent. I don't plan - and may never plan - to monetize the project, but removing or avoiding issues in that department from the start seems like a good idea. This is largely a hobbyist endeavour, and may forever remain one. But if it does gain the traction to be a self sustaining hobby, that'd be nice too. -- With regards to my plans, they're pretty simple. I've played many free-to-play and commercial muds alike, and while many have features I appreciate (especially the polished feel of the Iron Realms offerings) none of them have the setting, or the complete array of options/opportunities. A small sampling of things I'm interested in incorporating: o Balance based, involved combat - those who've played Iron Realms games know what I mean. o A more modern setting. Nearly every mud I've ever encountered is medieval in nature. I'd like one that mixes more modern ideas with some desirable fantasy/sci-fi flavorings. o A game-within-the-game setup. That is, people have their 'player avatar' that they connect to the game with and is usable within an 'out of cannon' area. A place where players can talk and post things and generally interact with other players as players. Upon exiting the designated 'out of cannon' area, players would select a different avatar to interact with the game world. This avatar, unlike their 'out of cannon' avatar, would be subject to permadeath rules and such. Part of the reason I want to do it this way is to negate the need for a forum system, but also because it'd let me implement things like a bank/storage system that's tied to the main account, so that even in a permadeath situation, players aren't forced to start entirely from scratch. While many RPI enthusiasts would say that defeats the point, I say it opens up more avenues of exploration and opportunity- people are less inclined towards bold actions when it'd lose them months of time investment. Obviously, the storage/bank system would have some limitations, so that brand new avatars aren't as desirable as long lived ones. o A system of reward/prestige that encourages the play of a single, long term avatar over many alternates. This would also help discourage people from rolling a character, banking/storing things and committing suicide to start over. o Reactionary quests/npcs - different races would react differently to one another, some quests would change based on allegiance or other criteria. o A player volunteer shell system. Allowing those who've proven their strength as role players to create or inhabit NPC's to strengthen and further the lore of the game. o Instanced bashing on a smaller scale. While most areas would be 'classic' in that mobs/quests would respawn normally, I'd like a few areas where one could be guaranteed to quest or bash even at high traffic times. o A dynamic identity option for the rogue/stealth class. One thing that always struck me as restrictive was that player names would become instantly recognizable signs as to who and what they were - forcing players to create alternate characters to explore different avenues. This felt particularly restrictive for those who played stealthy classes, who should be able to blend/adapt. I'm hoping to create an ability that'd allow them to disguise themselves as a different, unique PC for purely role play purposes. I've seen some games that give you a generic descriptor line, and your name is unknown to a person until you introduce yourself. This is -sort- of what I'm talking about, but I'm thinking of something that'd allow you to adopt a different appearance/name entirely - even to those who do know you. It'd be entirely for role play, so most combative actions would strip the disguise. It'd open up new avenues of exploration and espionage, I think. - As you can no doubt tell, my major interest is role play, with a side of bashing/grinding. I actually enjoy grinding a character to a higher level, but I understand that some people don't. I've found that many games with a level system are sort of restrictive as to the avenue that pacifist characters or people who simply don't enjoy the grind can take, and I'm hoping to strike a balance. That's more than enough for now, though I'm eager to hear more suggestions as to where I can start learning to begin bringing my vision to life. Zoticus