MMOFPS?

[trainguy]

I'm trying to find the right engine for an MMOFPS game called Alpha 5.

 

I'm wondering if the Leadwerks Engine would work for an MMOFPS game.

I'm the Leader of a FPS gaming clan.

 

Me and my team of 3 want to work on a Combat Arms style MMO, but with vehicles like the Battlefield series has.

 

We've tried UDK without much success, Too hard for my team. Would Leadwerks be any easier?

 

Thanks in advance,

Trainguy,

Leader of the Suicide Possum Clan.

[Rick]

What are the skills in your clan?

[Ywa]

A MMOFPS is possible in Leadwerks. But you would need to write all netcode yourself. Which is relatively difficult.

[Josh]

I recommend raknet for the network code for an MMORPG.

[Laurens]

Leadwerks any day. As said before, you will need to write all the (net)code yourself though. However, if your team found UDK to much to handle then you might want to start of with a project far more limited in scope. Doing an MMO as a first ever project is bound to fail.

[Ywa]

Leadwerks any day. As said before, you will need to write all the (net)code yourself though. However, if your team found UDK to much to handle then you might want to start of with a project far more limited in scope. Doing an MMO as a first ever project is bound to fail.

Actually, any idea as a first project is bound to fail. First make some test projects for yourself.

[Rick]

I have to agree. Your first 50 projects shouldn't be an MMO

[Canardia]

Try to make the smallest possible 3D game you can imagine with LE. A professional game developer should be able to finish one in 8 hours, but not much less. Try how long it takes you to finish one, and then multiply the time by 50 to get the time how long you need for the simplest MMO.

 

Here's a chart how long it takes to develop different kind of games:

http://leadwerks.com/werkspace/index.php?/topic/2364-one-reason-why-there-are-few-leadwerks-games-maybe/page__p__21654#entry21654

[L B]

Learn a language thoroughly, then use it. Of course, it will take you a tremendous amount of time to make your own MMO - I don't think it's *impossible* though. Perhaps improbable. Depends on your motivation.

[Rick]

I'm going to go ahead and say unless one is using an engine designed for MMO's, that a 3 man team wouldn't be able to make an MMO. My advise would be to look for an engine geared towards MMO's. There are a few out there, but I think they aren't cheap.

[trainguy]

My team is my parents and me. No I'm not a kid I'm 17.

 

I'll talk with to them to see if we can do a mmo.

That's the ultimate goal.

 

I have a few more questions.

 

How can you import models?

 

Does the demo not let you import models?

 

What export format models can we use? dae, fbx, 3ds?

 

How could we go about network support? Does LE have network support pre-built at all?

 

Thanks in advance,

Trainguy.

[Canardia]

I recommend to use FBX as export format, and SDL_net as networking library.

There are many reasons but the most important are:

FBX is supported by the most modelling programs, and it has most features.

SDL_net can handle over 30000 players, while RakNet can handle only 64, besides you need SDL anyway if you want to use PS3 or XBOX controllers in your PC game (and SDL_haptic is the only cross-platform API which supports forcefeedback for them too). SDL has lots of stuff which LE lacks, and it's very lightweight and easy to use, so it complements LE perfectly. I would make it part of LE3 anyway, but of course in a way that you can always upgrade it, so it should be used in DLL form.

[Ywa]

My team is my parents and me. No I'm not a kid I'm 17.

 

I'll talk with to them to see if we can do a mmo.

Really. Stop with your idea and try to make something else. MMOs are nearly impossible to do for just a few clan members or people.

 

But then again it's an advice. Do whatever you want.

 

@ Lumooja: What are you talking about? How can SDL_net be related to the use of controllers. Plus: Raknet can handle a lot more players than 64. I've seen Raknet projects that handle 500 connections fine. I don't think there's actually a hardcoded limit.

[Rick]

Lum, you are insane sometimes. Raknet can handle as much as your bandwidth and hardware setup can support. Why are you on this SDL kick the last month or so?

 

No I'm not a kid I'm 17.

 

I want to quote this, btw!

 

It's good to high an ultimate goal, but I suggest you meet some smaller goals first. You can even do a smaller online game to get the idea down.

[Josh]

I believe you could make an MMO if you are really dedicated. It may take longer than you originally thought, but you could do it.

[Pancakes]

I believe you could make an MMO if you are really dedicated. It may take longer than you originally thought, but you could do it.

 

 

quote for the win

 

josh is a dreamer who makes ideas into reality which makes him one of the rare people who can actually talk like that without an ounce of bs

 

I would say the same thing but it would be practically worthless coming from me

[Laurens]

May I ask what sort of experience you and your parents have?

[Mumbles]

For the graphical part of the game, I believe Leadwerks should be much easier to write your game in, when compared against UDK. The built-in networking isn't brilliant but it will get you started. I would say, don't go straight for MMO, stick to 8-16 players at first. When you're happy that's all working smoothly with both client side prediction and server side correction working properly, then try increasing it to 64 or more.

 

At that point, you will probably want to look at using a third party library. The code to send/receive your data will need to reflect the new library but that should be a relatively quick process.

 

I'm no genius but I'm working on a smaller scale multiplayer project, and I'm still laying down the ground work, and not even ready to add-in the networking components yet. But when I am ready, it will first be limited to just 4 players, then 8, then 16, and finally 32 when I think it's handling the load decently. I'm not building an MMO, but that build-up process should still apply - it's a common mistake to try and support 64+ players right from the start, and then not being able to figure out why your server can't handle the load.

[L B]

17 falls into the kid category, sorry.

However, I don't see how this would stop you from making a MMO. If a 1-man-army can make a Cry-like engine, why can't 3 people make a great game with it.

Again, as Josh and I said, take the time you need and keep your motivation.

[Rick]

However, I don't see how this would stop you from making a MMO

 

It would stop him from making an MMO because at 17 you have many other things going on that tend to take priority. If you really want to make an MMO around that age, once you are done with high school, don't go to college. Instead, work on your MMO, because you won't have time for both. But of course about .01% of the population who wants to make an MMO at age 17 will ever do that because it's not logical. When someone does that and it works we call them great, but for all the people who do that and it doesn't work we call them stupid. It's amazing how fine the line really is between great and stupid.

[L B]

It would stop him from making an MMO because at 17 you have many other things going on that tend to take priority. If you really want to make an MMO around that age, once you are done with high school, don't go to college. Instead, work on your MMO, because you won't have time for both. But of course about .01% of the population who wants to make an MMO at age 17 will ever do that because it's not logical. When someone does that and it works we call them great, but for all the people who do that and it doesn't work we call them stupid. It's amazing how fine the line really is between great and stupid.

Great is if you succeed, stupid if you fail.

[Josh]

He's probably got more free time in the next few years than he ever will again in his life. I started programming when I was in college.

[Pixel Perfect]

Half you guys seem to be living in cloud cuckoo land .... he's not going to make a successful MMO of any sort in the next few years unless he's had extensive experience of writing game engines beforehand ... end of. Stop leading the guy on. The advice given so far that suggests he tackles some smaller projects first and builds on those is the good and sensible advice! Trainguy ... build small, but think big. You'll get there if you’re determined but you'll need lots of real game design experience behind you and your team (or be prepared to pay big bucks recruiting it) and also lots of finance as just setting up and maintaining the servers you'll need isn't going to come cheap! People who succeed are those who tackle realistic goals, make sure you're one of them!

[Marleys Ghost]

I thought the OP's question was about trying to find the right engine for an MMOFPS?

[L B]

People who succeed are those who tackle realistic goals...

 

And people who go big are those who don't.