Maybe some of you remember me from before, but it doesn't matter anyway.
As days go by my MMORPG project is evolving into something bigger and better everytime I add features and perfect the existing ones, but now I'm kind of curious if I will hit a wall since I've done so well this far, being my first attempt at making an online game even. I have previous programming knowledge, so I am able to think outside the "Clicking" box and use less primitive ways to do things.
For example, I am using the following extensions:
String Parser 2 - Parsing the messages sent/recieved in both server- and clientmode.
Array Object - Constructing the maps and being able to modify maps remotely and simply for easy management. [Negative Effect = Big files unless you make a gridsystem of the X and Y positions of 8x8 or 16x16, which is not that good]
INI Object - Storing variables for each user on the server, and stores information that might need to be recycled on the client. [Negative Effect = Is this really optimal? Unless the INI Object uses virtual memory, it sounds extremely inefficient to use the INI Object instead of some other storing object with the same layout]
MooGame - Very easy to take care of. Does the job fine without addition code which I already have enough of [Negative Effect = Can cause trouble with setting the name if you do it without waiting a second or so after you've attempted to set the name. Causes a slower connection process, and the connection is neither kept when the client proceeds to the next frame]
Date & Time - Simply to log events in a sexy way [Negative Effect = Doing a nice formatting like "12h 23m 12s" is a rather ugly expression/formula in the code!]
Advanced Direction Calculator - Saves alot of time when I need to use my 360 degree movement system for all the characters to move with my Move-To-Click movement system [Positive Effect = Very useful and has never troubled me!]
Layer Object / Layers - I'm planning to include as much as possible from the game into a single frame. This will keep the connection to the server but will make it a rather messy job, so I will have to group it well [Negative Effect = I don't know much about layers, and some objects seem to go through layers sometimes]
That's the extensions I currently use.. Is there anyone more I should have in order to make my life easier making this MMORPG? Here is some additional information about the MMORPG:
* It started off as some isometric blocks. It did not use a single extension but I have now evolved for months and months slowly but steadily. I wanted to make the whole MMORPG be an isometric 2D game with a medieval RPG theme. After awhile I realized (and were told) that this kind of game was simply too unoriginal and I'd never be able to wrap it up, being a pretty dull game with all the ideas already made for identical games. Therefore I went back to my original idea that I never mention to anyone, which is making it a hacker game where every character walks around with a laptop and can control it, along with other stationary computers and devices in a world
* The game used to have the arrow buttons as movement, and when you pressed a button it would send a request to the server to move, and after that the server would tell the client to move an exact amount and the movement style was really simple (If Alterable Value A > 0, X+1), but as I started testing the Move to Click principle, I realized that I would have to learn more about the 360 degree engines with sinus and cosine, which most of you probably think is easy as hell.
* I am done developing the move-to-click feature, and I am now re-modeling the code for the movement of all users on the map. Before you would simply use the basic stuff and make it happen to those who have Alterable String A (username/owner of object) identical to who was moving, but it collided with the common Unique/All bug, which is a term I do not know if everyone has heard about but is rather messy anyway. I am currently implementing a better system which is abit too complex to explain without boring you.
* The graphics are still a bunch of Zelda sprites which is rather shameful. I am looking for graphical artists to make cool isometric pixel stuff in fake 2D, as my only artist who is part of my group (AlphAdapt) hasn't been active on this project lately.
Please give me suggestions, I have been talking to networking administrators, coders, fellow clickers, and even some idea-pitching with my girlfriend (dont laugh ), but I can never get enough help for a project as huge as this. My engine is pretty damn nice, so I'm almost proud when I tell you that nothing is impossible to add in the engine. If you have a suggestion or some knowledge in this area, please reply now. Else who want to wish me luck are free to do so aswell, and may even beta-test some when that day arrives.
What's wrong with pitching ideas with your girlfriend? I do it all the time regarding storyline-issues, her being a Jungian-Psycology student makes for some really interesting ideas and aspects. Don't put down girls.
Eternal Entertainment's Code'n'Art Man
E_E = All Indie
...actually Ell Endie, but whatever.
Assault Andy Administrator
I make other people create vaporware
Registered 29/07/2002
Points 5686
24th March, 2007 at 23:48:53 -
I would never pitch ideas to my girlfriend, but hey, if she likes that kinda thing then why not?
Anyway, after two comments about women and none about your actual code. I don't really see any problems with your game structure so far. I mean, your post seems to be just an update on how your game is going, which is always good to see.
They only things I can suggest are:
"Array Object - Negative Effect = Big files unless you make a gridsystem of the X and Y positions of 8x8 or 16x16, which is not that good"
It's a binary map editor that I made. The filesizes are tiny (we're talking less than a kilobyte) for a relatively large map - Each tile takes up one byte of data, so a map 32x32 tiles is only going to take up about 1kb.
As for the Ini problem that you mentioned, that is absolutely fine. In mmorpg engines that I've made it seems to work fine. You just have to make sure that you save all the data in an intelligent way. I made it so that each account has a different INI file. That way there is no chance of going over that filesize limit that I keep hearing about but have never experienced. It makes you feel more powerful as a server administrator also, because you can look in your folder of accounts and watch new files being created as new people sign up. It also makes it easy for account deletion and modification.
Otherwise, good luck with the project and I'd love to beta test it when it's ready. Feel free to add me on msn (address is in my profile) if you want to talk about your game directly. I might be able to help you optimize the code some more.
depends on how cool ur girlfriend is
i asked my girlfriend if i should make a platformer or a zelda-style game
and she said - nothing, she was too busy with other things
btw the way I love the idea of walking around with a laptop
Thats cool - u can really add a lot of features to it - like making each individual character's laptop customizable
I cant really give u any advice On coding (since Ive never done an mmorpg) but Ill give you moral support by saying that I'd totally play and probably love it.
Its not enough,I need more
Not enough to satisify
I said I dont want it, I just need it.
To believe, to feel, to know I'm alive.
Knuckle deep beneath the borderlines.
This may hurt a little but its something you'll get used to.
Relax. Slip Away...
Andy, I will check out that link you gave me. Lets just hope I won't have to edit alot. And I save each user as a group inside one ini file? Maybe I lose something on doing that, but it seems like having groups and items is enough to use it in that kind of way without making an ini file for each user. Though I loved the idea of doing that, I have too much to edit and I need to stop perfecting the engine and go forward instead. I will add you to my msn, but it will probably take at least a couple of weeks before I have something ready to beta-test.
For the rest of you guys, my gf did tell me her opinions, but she wasn't exactly interested in it either.. She's more of an artist. And Sniper, thanks for liking the laptop idea.
Yeh they're mindfucks alright.. Got a phonebill yesterday on 200 bucks.
Anyway, I'm almost done with the Move-To-Click movement engine, now I just have a tiny glitch left of the visual stuff, but the code is untouchable. I'm gonna make afew changes to the whole game, maybe transform the zelda sprites I've been using for so long to isometric blocks to simulate how the isometric world will look like later on, and make a slightly better interface (including a 'Disconnect' button and a 'Register' button. )
Assault Andy you seem to be a real expert at MMORPG, judging by that mmorpg you had released that I've read about.. Did you use any particular methods when you made that mmorpg and how big is it? And the binary thing you showed me is rather difficult.. But I'm gonna have another look because I truly need a filesize reduction!
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), but I can never get enough help for a project as huge as this. My engine is pretty damn nice, so I'm almost proud when I tell you that nothing is impossible to add in the engine. If you have a suggestion or some knowledge in this area, please reply now. Else who want to wish me luck are free to do so aswell, and may even beta-test some when that day arrives.
