My MMO and what happened. (WARNING: WALL OF TEXT)

demc

We talk of others mmos and how we would like to build one. I am sure some of you have seen me talk about a game I was working on. What happened to Whren? What the hell was Whren? Why did I stop?

The game originally was in paper design about 9 years ago. I spent 6 months thinking and writing a novel based on a world that was once inhabited by man 50,000 year in the future. Whren was at one time earth itself. The nuclear Holocaust had destroyed most of the human race and most of the animal life. Technology was completely lost and animals had mutated into intelligent beings. The humans had mixed with the beast in order to survive and some mutations had caused a new race called the Grogre similar to a cross between a ape and human. The wolf like had settled in an area inhabited by a Minotaur type and Grogers. The elf and humankind had their territory as did the snake beings and Lizard beings. However over several millennium they had formed factions consisting of all the intelligent races and had shifted their settlements accordingly.

Those that believed in domination of Whren and were know as the House of Conquest. They had moved to the northern parts. Those that were deemed the holy light were called the House of Redemption. They settled in the Far southern part and those that deemed themselves neither were call the House of Whren. They settled in between.

None had the technology to make better than the basic swords, bows or clubs but some had lived for centuries because the mutation of nuclear fallout had altered the aging process. The scholars as they were called had amassed a vast library of books on the history of the planet and those that were granted access to this could learn that there were many places on Whren that had artifacts and the artifacts had power. Those that discovered these artifacts could alter their technology and allow building better and more sufficient weapons including siege weapons. There was war which ravage the lands in these areas as they fought to control the artifacts.

This was the start of Whren. I called it Whren because the kingdom that ruled the majority of the lands had a Whren for its crest. That kingdom was the house of Whren.

The thing about the game design was everyone started neutral. Everyone was player versus Environment. Through an epic storyline you determined faction. Every quest had 3 outcomes. Everything you did on Whren had a consequence. You could not attack anyone neutral therefore neutrals were always free to wonder the planet EXCEPT in war zones or arenas. The opposing factions could war anywhere including cities however some cities had no fighting rules and anyone attacking anyone else was moved outside the city by the guards. Except one city which had the arena and arena was where you dueled for status in a faction. ANYONE could duel but that was one city where you drew your weapon outside the arena guards killed you. No faction was lost only gained in the arena. The other factions used a faction system where you could kill either side but you messed your own faction to much you switched sides.

Example you were House of Conquest and attacked a House of Conquest you lost faction in the house of Conquest if you the attacker won but the defender gained faction on your death and you still lost faction. A neutral could battle in a war zone and actually loose neutral faction and that he could not ever go back to neutral but could switch sides. Now the thing to keep you from killing your own was status. The more status you had meant the better prices for goods, better housing and most of all BUFFS for warfare. The neutrals used the quest system for faction. EPIC quest system on both sides to gain faction. Governments formed and gain and lost faction according how their members were viewed so a government could gain faction faster and get better buffs.

I being a avid gamer wanted to make a real planet. I just don't like the zone shit and I wanted the planet to be round. Now here is where it starts to get tough cause I had to create a world that was round and the terrain needed to be somewhat realistic. I found a terrain making program for free but I wanted to make a very large world so I paid 30 bucks for the program and started designing the terrain. The time involved was over six months to get the basic design and it took almost 2 months to run the generation of the map.

Now I had a map but no engine to run it so I set out to find a engine that would do what I wanted. Nothing around that really did it so I had to build my own. After 2 years of work I now had a basic engine to display my map a modified Ogre engine. I started exploring the map to finding any holes and work on physics of the real world principle that if you fell you go hurt. Another 2 months to get a physics engine in it. The map was 34.6 GIGABYTES! Think about the number of DvDs required to distribute that monster AND that was the terrain. I was happy with the frame rate and I really liked the fact it took a couple days to run around the world but I had to reduce it. More work!

I finally got a map of 5 gig and settled on 4 hours running in one direction to get around the thing. I had a world! I set out to make the weather system. A real world model meant I could make a sphere that could surround the world. A year later I had a basic weather system that made its own rain, snow and wind BUT the insane amount of processor just kill the framrate. Wait for new technology. OK so now I been doing this all I decided I need help. I ask a few people to start helping me for free. I mean I been working on this now for 5 years we should have a little concept art. One guy I found was just a hell of an artist another wanted to do combat system that I already had the skill system for a mage.

Skill system was level based but you could choose from one of 4 trees or mix and match anyway you wanted. The tree of fire was mage, the tree of earth was warrior, the tree of water was priest and the tree of wind was the archer. Some of the skills were really neat like Flaming Tongues of hell which was a mage buff that added fire damage to the group. I had all kinds of good little spells made. You could bee a cloth wearing mage with a big two hand sword or a warrior with healing. There was no classes because you made your own class. At certain skill levels you got better things in the tree and the skill leveled on a expeditional curve.

I just gave up on it and wiped the drive because I am now 54 years into life and I doubt this would ever take off. Technology is not here yet for the ideas I have. You see I spend 9 years working on this and I haven't even gotten to the network, database and all the shit that goes with it. I did not want to continue on this dead end anymore so this dream of Whren died last month but I had FUN. Lots of fun making a MMO.

Don't give me any sympathy because I don't want it. I want someone to maybe take this idea and make a real good MMO. I would play it!!!

 

Padre-Adamo

Great read. I really hope a developer/publisher reads this and possibly purchases your idea mate. It sounds awesome. You deserve a medal for doing that all yourself.

 

 

-Padre

Waterlily

Cool, you should post a video of it if you made one.

Vetarnias

If I were you (OP), I'd just remove this entire post, write a book with a large copyright sign on it, and then try to develop a franchise around it that someone could be interested in buying the rights to for the purpose of making a game.

The fact that you can't turn it into a game yourself doesn't mean you have to throw out the idea where everyone and his rich uncle can rip it off.

It's like those people who write original screenplays and post them on the net because they can't afford Tom Cruise's salary.

daarco

Find some fun likeminded people and get on with it again. Too many good ideas dont even get out on the paper. So you beat 99% of everyone else trying to do something similar.

Remember, its always easier to not do things : )

I make movies myself, so i know how it can be.

SirLorn

Heh, sounds like you could of used VTech (VWorld), I bet liscencing is cheap these days........./chuckle, idea's decently creative, but no offense, I am more opt to believe it is just that, all an idea.  Doesn't make it any less creative though...

RavZterz

Thats impressive.  I'd love to see a world like that put into existance in an MMO.

demc

Originally posted by Vetarnias


If I were you (OP), I'd just remove this entire post, write a book with a large copyright sign on it, and then try to develop a franchise around it that someone could be interested in buying the rights to for the purpose of making a game.
The fact that you can't turn it into a game yourself doesn't mean you have to throw out the idea where everyone and his rich uncle can rip it off.
It's like those people who write original screenplays and post them on the net because they can't afford Tom Cruise's salary.

 

I thought long and hard about that Vetanias. Many times over the last couple years I wondered if I should stop the design of the game and just document the thing. Humm.. I'll think on it a bit. As for what I posted here I can't undo it and if someone can finish it then so be it.