Build Your Own MMOG

yebb writes "CNet reports about a company called Multiverse that has just begun beta testing of its platform for creating and integrating online virtual worlds. They are allowing developers and companies to use their online framework to expedite development of online games. Their network is free to use as long as you don't make any money from it's usage, but they also provide open source client applications to use or modify as you see fit." From the article: "'The business model is long-term,' said Richard Bartle, one of the pioneers of online games and an editor of Terra Nova, a leading Web site about virtual worlds. 'Although Multiverse's software will help speed up the to-market time for companies, it's still going to take developers ages to create content.' While Bartle is cautious about Multiverse's business model, he's fascinated by its potential."

Comments

Distributed MMORPGs

[VGPowerlord]

I wonder if anyone will ever get around to making a distributed MMORPG. Something where different parts of the game world would be hosted by different operators.

I suppose that would open a whole new slew of issues, though.

Re:Distributed MMORPGs

[cmstremi]

The overhead and lag would be unbearable using something like BT to keep the world in synch.

A 'distributed world' would make more sense (and probably what the parent post was saying) if 'zones' would be distributed. So running to the edge of one 'zone' might switch you to another one that might live on a different server at a different location. This of course might include a different type of game server if the client would be able to manage both. So you go from a street-based game and hop in a rocket and go to a space-based game.

Re:Distributed MMORPGs

[Siberwulf]

The whole issue with distributed MMORPGs is the lag factor, as the parent said. You need to figure out which content is where, and that requires a centralized node. That node of course, subject to all the lookups and the likes. Clustered boxes are the closest you can really come to this. Certain zones are on certain machines. If you want to switch zones, you go into a load screen, and then your server connects to the new zone, you get your characater serialized and moved to the new box, and then your client sees the new zone.

Re:Distributed MMORPGs

[Anonymous Coward]

Depends on your implementation. NWN allows for inter-server gateways between worlds without any kind of centralization, where the interaction is arraged entirely between the two world-operators involved. Great if you want to go from the streets of some city to space to the moon in completely un-related game systems, but bad if you want centralization of such a relationship and editorial control over all content.

Re:Distributed MMORPGs

[bigpat]

I started working on the Varium MUD server with a couple other guys over 5 years ago, but frankly I wasn't a very good programmer at the time and I was supposed to implement the distributed stuff. It was written in Python, but we never got the distributed part working (my fault). But I had thought that we could put a graphical layer on top of the underlying game engine, to make a distributed MMORPG.

The goal was to have a server that could be distributed, so that say you direct your avatar to go through portals which would transfer your avatar and any compatible objects you were carrying to the linked server. Really the idea was to make the equivalent of hyperlinks, but that the servers would negotiate a transfer of the avatar and in game objects.

Some of the issues that came up (all solvable)

*security - ensuring that game objects could be transferred from one server to another without violating any rules of the local server.
      - we looked at parsing the incoming python for undesirable code in the same way that "Wizard" created code would be validated on the local server.
      - also having several levels of trust available between servers. (ie peered servers, trusted servers, unknown servers, banned servers and the ability to specify what individual privileges would transfer and correlate between servers)

*saving game state - assuming what if the remote server crashes, would we save any game state in the client (but what about cheats?) Probably just leave reliability up to the local admin and have a inactive copy of the avatar left on recently visited world servers so that you could just reconnect and pick up where you left off (more or less)

*also, game experience. What would you do about themed world servers? So, that if I was say on a Star Wars themed virtual world, and then went through a portal to a Barney themed world server, would my Chewy avatar suddenly turn into a Purple dinosour or would there be some sort of "Customs" border process where by you went through and specified preferences the first time you visited someplace. But that might really interfere with game play...

Anyway, those are a few of the things we talked about. The project is dead, codebase didn't include any distributable elements. Seems like distributed MMORPGs are wide open for an open licensed and non proprietary standard for connecting MMORPGs together to really create a workable metaverse.

Re:Distributed MMORPGs

[MindStalker]

Just felt the desire to comment on the theoretics. Regarding Themed World, you simply wouldn't connect them, obviously one would only want to connect world that have similar rules. Sure I guess you could setup portals to other worlds more as a universal login/registration system. But gamestates would definatly need to be completly seperate per conceptual world. Think of it this way, say I travel to another country, I can probably bring with me something of value to trade with, but say I slip into a parrellel dimention not only would my gold be worthless but I could cheat and take thousands of pink tulips (their trade standard) with me.

Same with Security if you decided to allow untrusted servers, to connect you could theoretially send all their data with them when they leave, it would then be up to that server to decide if that data was worth something. Then when you returned said data can be accepted or dumped by you in which you would return them to their previous state.

You could even then setup an escrow service in which items of value can be traded into a central value store then reused in another service, any value at the new world would soly depend upon its creators and what it felt this central value system was worth.

Re:Distributed MMORPGs

[bigpat]

Just felt the desire to comment on the theoretics. Regarding Themed World, you simply wouldn't connect them, obviously one would only want to connect world that have similar rules.

Actually I was thinking it would be more fun and interesting the more exotic the differences and if sometimes you could have arrangements between differently themed worlds to allow migration of items and characters with all their traits across worlds. Likely such linking could only be done across trusted servers, so that you would likely start seeing networks of trusted servers evolve. But ideally you could retain your original avatars identity similar to email you could just be known by your "full name" when you leave your home world. Really, there is a lot that can be drawn from the way that people travel from one country to another with different systems of laws and currency.

But the key is to make it easy enough to set up that people with very little prior knowledge can set up servers. Say on the level of setting up apache with PHP or some other type of application server.

Re:Distributed MMORPGs

[_ph1ux_]

The idea of the actual game world being distributed is a tough one sure, but the idea that the characters can be tranferable is not. I had come up with an idea whereby one could build an avatar and use that model in any game. I called the idea BinaryBeing - basically you would have a site where you have an account which stores your various avatars. You could have one that was a general avatar used in any games that allow your fully customized char. but you could also have theme-compliant avatars where a certain world/fantasy archetype is employed.

The ultimate goal is to allow users to build a character which they can carry with them in the long term. and be able to unlock certain character atributes based on the games they use that character in. For example, you might receive the ability to display certain physical atributes in your character or tatoos on your skins based on what games you have accessed with the avatar. Aditionally - if you and your peers guild together in one game, you could develop guild markings/styles/tatoos/apearances which could remain consistant in all games.

The development would be done in cooporation with the various game devs in an effort to ensure that the characters could comply with whatever base rules the developers designate.

All avatars would be hosted on a site and an in-game connection to your binaryBeing account would be made which would grab the avatar model to the game you are playing - or would show you the useable models to pick from...

One could provide a much more in depth character development UI - and the game devs wouldnt have to focus on that as much.

Umm...

[ndansmith]

I guess by Massively Multiplayer they mean "like 5 or 6 of your buddies."

I just cannot see anyone getting a large community of players together without a large development and advertising budget. Large development budgets also lead to independent, customized systems with total control, which is the opposite of the Multiverse concept.

Re:Umm...

[swilde23]

I just cannot see anyone getting a large community of players together without a large development and advertising budget. Large development budgets also lead to independent, customized systems with total control, which is the opposite of the Multiverse concept.

Didn't people say the same thing about Linux (and its variations)? Look at all the different flavors, and then consider the select few that have a reasonable following. I imagine that's what will happen here, assuming the base code is worthwhile. We'll see a handful of good games emerge from a cool idea, but we'll also see several thousand others that die.

Let Users create content

[glengineer]

How about an MMORPG wherein the users can create content? So, after I play a while and become famous, rich whatever, I can build my own dungeon, castle, create my own army, my own artifact, create my own quests that other players undertake... There are a LOT of users out there with good content ideas who cannot get past the large undertaking to create their own game system, but who would love to create their own content in an existing one.

Re:Makes me want to ask...

[Anonymous Coward]

Neverwinter Nights isn't open source, but it meets most of your other criteria. There's a lot of persistant worlds built on the NWN engine.

It's pretty good for small groups of friends, if you don't mind the outdated graphics.

SuperNodes?

[bhsx]

The concept of trusted supernodes comes to mind. Let's say you require one supernode per ten servers. The supernodes update each other as frequently as possible, use secure logins, and store your encumberance, your portable items and your traits. Depending on the style of game, how much you can carry with you could develop with character. These servers would also keep track of themed worlds and out-of-theme worlds and your personal config for each. For those who use the "standard" rule systems and themes, they would all share the default info. Those worlds that defined their own rules sets would set those up on the supernodes and could decide weather or not and with whom to connect.
This also takes care of the intermittant server crash/take-down problems. Just start-off on another server, keeping perpetuance; this could even be automated to be less annoying to the player.
Hmm, I've always thought I'd be good at designing this sort of thing. Too bad noone would listen to me as I can't code to save my life. sigh