You can do like most Korean company and just license a Unreal 2 or 3 engine and start designing games right away lol. Of course you wont be able to afford a license so just bootleg it ^^. like check out TERA being develop right now using Unreal 3 engine.. its amazing.. www.pvpve.com or Blade and Soul.. google it

Originally posted by WyreWizard

Hello.  I've recently decided my life's goal will be to build an MMORPG based on my book.  But I am curious to know what it takes.  Can a guy build one on his laptop, or does it take teams of developers on hundreds of computers and servers?  What are the costs?  Can I build one for just hundreds of dollars or do I need to win the lottery?  I've searched for answers to these to no avail.  If anyone can help me, I'd be grateful.

Heres the best help you'll recieve.......get off this gaming forum and get serious if that truly is your plan, go to school and learn. Coming here to a gaming forum asking how to make an mmo....good god man :P

You need:

1 Artist, 1 Sound and music artist, 1 programmer, 1 storywritter and 1 people manager. If you multiply any of thouse jobs, your game will be faster done. It can be done by one person but I have given these cause I do not believe that one person alone can be expert in all of thouse fields. It is better to have a small good team of willing people that trying to be one man army.

You could do it on laptop but it will need to be good laptop. Also there are some free mmorpg software makeers out but best solution is to make your engine or modify existing one.

If you need help all you need to do is ask :D

 I say it's better to ask than to sit around weighing things for eternity.

Originally posted by bboneheadd

What would it take to make a browser mmo like Ikariam or Travian in terms of money, time, skill needed?

to sure of money, it would still probably take several years and at least a decent amount of skill. A game is still a game, in the browser or not.

Originally posted by DaX.9

You need:

1 Artist, 1 Sound and music artist, 1 programmer, 1 storywritter and 1 people manager. If you multiply any of thouse jobs, your game will be faster done. It can be done by one person but I have given these cause I do not believe that one person alone can be expert in all of thouse fields. It is better to have a small good team of willing people that trying to be one man army.

You could do it on laptop but it will need to be good laptop. Also there are some free mmorpg software makeers out but best solution is to make your engine or modify existing one.

If you need help all you need to do is ask :D

Lol, people manager...  Every fool coming to these forums wanting to make a mmo thinks they are going to be the people manager (aka the job that requires no skill) and lead a group of non-paid volunteers in creating a great mmorpg.  Until they realize that people with abilities do not want to be told what to work on by someone who has an idea but no money and no ability.

IMO, you need to be a programmer.  Code a game, and an artist will come, a musician will come.   Once they know you are for real and a game is actually almost made they'll be happy/proud to become part of your team.

Originally posted by wormywyrm

 Lol, people manager...  Every fool coming to these forums wanting to make a mmo thinks they are going to be the people manager (aka the job that requires no skill) and lead a group of non-paid volunteers in creating a great mmorpg.  Until they realize that people with abilities do not want to be told what to work on by someone who has an idea but no money and no ability.

I agree on this, it is true that everyone wants to be boss and go around telling all others what they must do. But I think that without people manager or someone who will organise whole project, project is most likely to fail. I have experienced this myself, every project without one who will keep track and get people organised is most likely to fail, exceptions are always present of course.

If you're going indie:

http://www.mmorpgmaker.com/

If you're not going indie, then license the Hero Engine which was used to make The Old Republic.

http://www.heroengine.com/licensing-a-services

A license for one area, like Europe, or USA, is only about 300K.

Originally posted by DaX.9

Originally posted by wormywyrm

 Lol, people manager...  Every fool coming to these forums wanting to make a mmo thinks they are going to be the people manager (aka the job that requires no skill) and lead a group of non-paid volunteers in creating a great mmorpg.  Until they realize that people with abilities do not want to be told what to work on by someone who has an idea but no money and no ability.

 

I agree on this, it is true that everyone wants to be boss and go around telling all others what they must do. But I think that without people manager or someone who will organise whole project, project is most likely to fail. I have experienced this myself, every project without one who will keep track and get people organised is most likely to fail, exceptions are always present of course.

True. The misconception is that programmers can't be people managers. They can. So a programmer can do actual work on the game, AND manage people.

You want to work with that guy, or the person that can only manage people?

Basically the programmer doesn't need you to manage him, because he can manage himself and other people, and guess what? He's got an idea for a game too. Everybody does.

Originally posted by Caleveira

Your best bet if you want to produce your own MMO is to get a job in the industry and start working your way up the ladder.

Work your way down into the sewer, that is.

The software tools available for making the game are getting better all the time. Spend your first few years designing the core systems and writing the lore (including quests).

TEST THE HELL OUT OF YOUR SYSTEMS. Tweak them until they work - separately as well as together. Get a group of gamers together and test, test, test. Don't forget that the internet allows extensive networking for creative processes. Ask everyone for ideas. It's easy to dump bad ideas.

Then, test them some more.

Good luck to you.

 Two ingredients... Hype... and EA.

Release the book first though... then have EA do the Hype and $ backing. The world will know of your IP when they're done, but not after they destroy your MMO after a year or so and cut your funding. However the IP and book(s) will live on in immortality.

If you choose the hard road, EA will just absorb your IP into the collective by purchasing your dev team or buying your publisher out and then either setting your IP on the backburner or doing the first thing but with less of a cut in it for you... resistance is futile.