Originally posted by Teala

James don't let anyone tell you you cannot do something and just keep on going.    By the way graphics are not everything, it is game play that matters.   There are some games out there with awesome graphics but the game play totally blows.   What 3D model maker are you using to create the objects in your game BTW?

Oh and you said you might use Python for scripting.   Good choice.  It is very flexible and easy to work with.   :)

Thanks. Yeah I like using Python for scripting. Before I started making my own engine I was using the Torque MMO Kit and that uses Python for scripting. I loved how easy it was to script quests, items, npcs, and things with it but I found it was very limited in what it could do (The MMO Kit not Python)  so I started creating my own engine.

The Models are some models I got in a pack of models for Torque. The came with the dts models for torque and the original .obj or .fbx models. I imported the models into 3DS Max and exported them as .mesh for Ogre3D. These models will not be used in the MMO but they are just being used in this demo for testing.

Nice job. Its better than I could do, I wouldn't even know where to start with making my own game engine. The only thing Ive ever used was the NWN toolset to create a campaign and it took me forever to do that.   I have a fairly decent computer 3ghz Dual Core, 4 gigs of ram and a ATI 4850, id be willing to test out the engine to see what framerates I get.  

This is where the kids go to bed and their parents computer is off limits to their under developed minds come into play.

James...good go at it so far and you should keep goin. They all look at what's going on in the main stream of MMO's. Discounting what you do. Keep at it bro!!

The models themselves are not much less detailed than those of an average MMORPG. Neither the sky nor landscape. What's missing is the stuff like bump-mapping, shadows, haze, volumetric light and fog, reflecting surfaces, more detailed textures and such.

Would I play it? Depends on the rest of the game. Graphics are nice but secondary. I liked the graphics of War and AOC but now I play FE. :)

Looks really nice but gameplay is what interests me-

I would play a game with SNES Graphics if it were deep, complex and took some intellect and skill- But thats just me- Today games need flashing pretty colors and big explosions to sell anything. Sad, but true.

As long as the mechanics are solid and the game play is compelling, then yeah those graphics are fine. Just remember there are still people out there that value the game over the graphics and you'll do fine.

I am getting ready to release the client for any one who would like to test it out and let me know what their FPS are. I was able to find some much better trees so those have been added. In the Rar package is a Read Me which contains the instructions.

If I can help at all...send it my way

;)

Ok here is the link to where you can download the client.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/vnmje2mmhnn/Bin.rar

If graphics gets too good it will not feel like a game anymore.  more like a movie. And if it gets way too good why even bother with games when you have real life.. Real life have better graphics :P

More seriously. I think that content and talent by designers are more important (read:  wow ). Graphics comes third or foruth.

The graphics do not turn me off.  Now the game play is what is something I am more interested in.

Gameplay > graphics always

So ya if game had good gameplay sure id play it

I might, depends on what the game was about more than the graphics. Anyone that has played tetris or runescape with glee can tell you that graphics aren't key. Saying this I think that if you go 3d just to ignore its features than you have little reason to use it. If your textures are cruddy and your characters don't animate often, you could have left it 2d, know what I mean? Your interest should be in why you are using 3d instead of another way - in this case I'm guessing it was the tool available not specifically saying your textures are bad. If you have good reason to keep it 3d, just make it the best quality you can because others have done that in their games.

I do though know ppl that must have the newest cellphones and that lease cars. Now, their previous cells and cars worked just fine and dandy - they just want the newest and shiniest and those ppl will not be your marketshare if you aren't being competitive with more and more picture realistic textures. Those players will fade quickly if they aren't impressed to show off your game to others. They are extroverts in a way that gain their happiness when others are impressed by what they have. Since wow brought so many non gamers to the market they will judge you by that game so you had better be past it to get their attention or they will label it a downgrade and soooo 1990s knowing they didnt even game in the 90s!

I still play UO, so obviously I don't care about graphics. As long as a game is fun, I don't care how the graphics look (within reason of course).

Not bad at all. Keep us all updated on your progress.

 Yes I would. Gameplay > graphics by FAR.

I have started work on a Server side Battle Manager and ran my first few simulated battles to test out the equations so far. Right now there is nothing visual for the battles but if you type in the chat box /Simulate Battle it will run the simulated battle and display the results on the server console. If a level 1 player was stupid enough to take on a level 50 monster and win they would get 3,125,400 EXP for winning.

Here is the method for figuring out how much EXP you would get:

int BattleManager::calc_exp(int monsterlevel, int playerlevel, int monstermod)
{
int base_exp = 35;
int lvldifmod = monsterlevel / (playerlevel);

int exp_gain = ( (base_exp + monsterlevel * monsterlevel * monstermod) / 4 ) * lvldifmod;

return exp_gain;
}

monstermod is a modifier and how I figure it out is by Monsterlvl * 2 / Playerlvl so if the player and monster each had the same level then the modifier would always be 2.

Well I will have more later.

Probably not something I would play, but I definetly have to give credit for building something like that. No matter what happens its all a good learning experience. Best of luck on the project, and don't give up doing what you enjoy.

There is a reason why game developers hired professional artists.

In today's world, there is no reason to sacrifice graphics for gameplay. Players demand BOTH. Graphics like this just won't cut it. Sure you may get a few people trying it out, but don't expect any commercial success.

Concerning your code post. Might be nice to have some conditions in there that sets variables if they are barren. Don't want to divide by zero and blow up the world : )

There is also no sanitization - not sure how the player level is being set but that should come from a reliable source or if the client can send it along with the monsterlvl they could adjust things in their favor. For this you may have to tap your storage system instead of letting them tell you their input. There should also be a high limit, a max lvl in case someone does get an alteration through their damage is minimal.

Originally posted by nariusseldon

 

 Graphics like this just won't cut it. Sure you may get a few people trying it out, but don't expect any commercial success.

Please, Tibia has 200k paid subscribers and is a 8-bit style 2D MMO, with no sound effects and its doing extremely well!  Graphics will never determine the success of an MMO, even though the majority of players that visit this site like to complain about graphics a lot.

Sure better graphics will attract a rush of certain players from the start but does not dictate its long-term success, its all about the game mechanics, depth of options and the adventure one has.  How fun is it!  For the most part all this massive bling does little for an MMO if there is nothing behind it to support the gameplay!

quite frankly, the graphics are awful - not because they're low-tech, but because they are generic,  uninspired, and lack style.
I'd never touch a game like that. look at other indie games and how they create stylish low-tech graphics with little effort.

I wouldn't touch a game with graphics like this unless the 6-month reviews agreed that it was the best MMO on the market. Meaning that the gameplay would be well worth the headache I would get from the visuals.

On a side note...Near by is one word...Nearby!

Originally posted by JamesP

Back the start of the year I created a thread showing off some screenshots from a MMO I was making using Multiverse. Well now I am making my own engine for my MMO and I was wondering what people thought of the graphics so far. Please remember this engine is still being created and some of the models are just being used for testing such as the trees.

 

Static Skybox

 

The graphical quality would not drive me away so much as the world density.    I understand that this is a demo and not an actual world as of yet.  However, from a visual aspect, I am not turned off by the simplistic graphics show, but I am very turned off by the large amounts of emptiness and general blandness of the plain that everything is on.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I will avoid a game that is not graphically pleasing to me, but that graphical pleasing has less to do with the artistic quality than it does with the overall complexity of the surroundings.

Graphics don't mean a ton to me if the game mechanics are solid. Especially since THAT is what makes a game great, not pretty graphics.

So many players out there now that are so hung-up on graphics. They have no idea what truly makes a game great.

I'd have no problem with those graphics if the game had the features I wanted.