Warzone MMOnline....

[Wolftrak]

I've been playing Warzone for a long time,and i've been jumping from RTS to another RTS-es as long as I remember.I'm playing a lot of online games,so i've been wandering if we can make Warzone a MMO strategy.There is alot of work,yes,but,i'll pay out at the end.

So what do i have in mind? Every player will have a persistent base that exists even when he is not online.Every base will be on a different map.The maps will be joined next to each other as in real life.The game will probably have world view,where you can see your neighbors.

Attacking will work kind of as online matchmaking.So basicly we need a frontend (world view,politics,alliances,messages) and the battles will go on as they r now in multiplayer games.Also,there will be some changes to researches and costs.Maybe a cap for the resources.

Invading,all the stuff that a mmo strategy should have.Everything will be hosted on a server that will hold infos for all the players.The actual battles will be hosted by the defending player.I'm also thinking that every map should be optimised for 4v4 battle,so there can be a alliance battles.

What do u think?

[Kaldera]

Sounds great.
Maybe this is a superb feature for Lobbyserver. So there needn't so much changes for Warzone. MP capability is already there, some kind of autosharing maps is needed and a GUI for Lobby with the Worldview. The server only holds information of the areas owner and maybe some stuff he reached (exp., researches... there is good balancing needed), and primarily lots of different maps.
Problems in playing may be if there is someone challenged but doesn't react in some time... Should AI go in or will the challenged area go over without fighting?
How count games with connection losses? (maybe the loser provoke one?)

[Wolftrak]

Well,if the defending player isn't there,an AI would kick in and the same thing will be used for disconnected players.But,I dont mean the whole thing to be just matchmaking.It should be a persistent world with alliances,teritories and conquerings.

A total rebalance will be needed.Cap on units and resources will be obligatory.Researches will last longer,units will produce slower,so the actual battles will be pure strategic fights.

I'm up for the challenge,I can even host the server,I have programmings skills,but i would like to see the response of the comunity.

[whippersnapper]

I'm up for the challenge,I can even host the server,I have programmings skills,but i would like to see the response of the comunity.

- I think it's a great idea too... but.... the majority of peeps who visit these BBs do NOT post on anything.... though I'm sure
they read stuff that interests them and look for answers when puzzled.

- An other thing they are more likely to do (over writing a post) is Vote in a Poll.

- So I would recommend you make a Polling Thread out of your proposition because I do
strongly believe you will get your greatest response from the community in that way.

- I know enough coding to appreciate the tremendous challenges posed by your idea. I've also known
programmers who have single-handedly taken on comparable MP challenges and brought them to
successful completion. One was from this community, who went on to create his own company and is
doing well in realm of network security.

- Regards, whipper.
.

[erlando]

i think it is a good idea.It would be cool when the system can be like Rise of Nations campaining where are lots of pices-areas and they make up a big map. In warzone one area could be like one normal map(highground for example).And then you can send armies from one area to another to attack enemies or defend allies.What do you think of it, or is it not possible.
(sorry for bad english)

[Zarel]

No, Warzone would not make a good MMO. Your MMO scheme fails, because in Warzone, defending a base requires a player to be present, while you propose for the base to exist at all times. In addition, Warzone's balance isn't really made for games longer than a few hours - any longer, and the game becomes a stalemate (and ceases to be fun to play).

There are a few schemes that can make MMOs work, but once you change Warzone that much, it wouldn't deserve to be called "Warzone" anymore.

[Wolftrak]

Actually,the Rise of Nations model was just what i have pictured in my mind.But Zarel killed my hopes for MMO Warzone.

So,u'r saying that a persistent base would be a problem? Yes,It is,but it's not a really big fact when you think of it.We can make it so that when defending player is not online,only robbing is possible.It works for all other browser games like bulfleet,ogame and travian.
About the big change to game itself,I dont think that it will be such a big change.U just need to stretch the research and build time to hours and minutes instead of minutes and seconds(as it is now).

The difference here is that this will probably be the first MMO strategy that will get enough players to compete in major leagues.Sure,it needs some polishing and stuff,but with a right crew,everything is possible

The technology behind 2100 is too old,yes,i know that,but why dont u implement this feature in 2200?

I'm not a programming guru,but,sure,i can help.

[Zarel]

So,u'r saying that a persistent base would be a problem? Yes,It is,but it's not a really big fact when you think of it.We can make it so that when defending player is not online,only robbing is possible.It works for all other browser games like bulfleet,ogame and travian.

Bulfleet, OGame, and Travian aren't real-time in the sense that you can real-time micromanage. Plus, they're mostly text-based. How you do plan on making a real-time 3D looting system?

About the big change to game itself,I dont think that it will be such a big change.U just need to stretch the research and build time to hours and minutes instead of minutes and seconds(as it is now).

Then the game becomes even more boring.

The difference here is that this will probably be the first MMO strategy that will get enough players to compete in major leagues.Sure,it needs some polishing and stuff,but with a right crew,everything is possible

Why? I see no reason why a Warzone MMO would get any more players than any other game.

The technology behind 2100 is too old,yes,i know that,but why dont u implement this feature in 2200?

Ask Whipper. An MMORTS has completely different demands from a normal RTS.

[whippersnapper]

There are a few schemes that can make MMOs work, but once you change Warzone that much, it wouldn't deserve to be called "Warzone" anymore.

- Expanding on my last post a wee bit...

- How I always looked at it was taking a Novel and translating it into a movie... Changes HAVE to be made and it is often a very difficult process because you of course want to honor the original source and not so change it that it becomes a mere crappy shadow of the original.

- We first started looking at this in 2000 within NEWST and then continued to work-out the changes needed (through Pumpkin-2 and RTS.net WZ communities) in order to make it viable and fun mode . By 2004 (prior to liberation) the project was called Total Warzone MMO.Folks involved had high IQ's, monster coding skills, were thoroughly versed in the game genre, loved WZ and had actual working experience in what was involved. After the liberation, and analyzing the source, it was determined manpower and time involved was prohibitive especially when making money in RL was a pressing top priority and also under the conditions that evolved - unresolvable cultural differences between the old guard and the newly arrived OSS contingent. I actually saw this play-out again here a few months ago. As the Bard said a long time ago - "Never shall the twain meet..."

- As long as you follow the GPL & you are willing to do the work involved - you can do whatever you want with the WZ source. In the end it always comes down to skilled manpower, prioritization, fortitude and complimentary temperaments...

- Regards, whipper.

[whippersnapper]

.

- Some closing comments....

- Over the years I've been disappointed in most MMORTS. Deeply flawed in a host of ways as to be, for me, more unfun
than fun.

- There is one exception. It gives me hope in the future MMORTS. It's fun, polished, and you can play it for free. Certainly not
perfect, there are cons to go along with pros, still, overall, it's very much worth playing IMHO. And, in the context of this thread,
also merits study for its design and execution. Last I heard membership was in the neighborhood of 150,000....

- It's called Saga and you can check it out HERE

- "Saga" addresses one design change issue raised in this thread like so:

• Can other players attack me while I'm offline? •

A player's city is always safe from attack when the player is offline. However, the extra territories a player collects may or may not be protected, depending on their type.

A wilderness territory has the potential to produce many resources, but can also be raided by other players whether its owner is online or not. A safelands territory produces fewer resources, but is safe from attack.

A player may station troops in a territory's keep for additional defense during a raid. Even if the player is offline, these units will deploy to fight the enemy.

- Regards, whipper
.

[polo]

yup i olso think a warzone mmo would be nice but i was thinking more in a single character rpg, it will be like playing battlefield but everyone with tanks, with the diference that the tank will be getting upgraded, something like starting the game with a machinegun viper wheels and each lv the tank will receive a research point that can be spended in:

propultion: engine(increase max weight x point)
wheel/halftrack/track (increase speed and turning for each type)
vtol: will ask a large number of points in engine so not everyone can use them.

body: light/mid/heavy/super heavy: each one will have it own advantages and disadvantages ej:light will be small and fast making it hard to hit for slow bullets weapons such as cannons or rockets but weak against fast wepons such as machineguns and lasers, spending point will allow the equipment of better vertion of the body type.

weapons:cannons/flamers/laser/plasma/rockets/artillery/machinegun, spending point will increase the weapon dmg per shot and will allow the use of better vertions of the weapon.

add mobs to kill and lv up (nexus type) some mission to do and 2 sides colective/projetc to ceraste some nice big fights.

but since that is imposible to do a sort of x-wars could be a good starting (if posible), instead of races the game will have collective/nexus/project, a desing window just like x-wars and finaly zones capture by other players cant be captured but they can be attacked to steal resources and some random tech.

[Andrie]

No, Warzone would not make a good MMO. Your MMO scheme fails, because in Warzone, defending a base requires a player to be present, while you propose for the base to exist at all times.

I agree with you.

[Iluvalar]

Andrie, what did I said about post necromancy ?

Do not raise old topics. Specially if it's just to say "+1".

I'm not a moderator, but i'm sure you can take that as an official warning now.

[Andrie]

I'm not a moderator, but i'm sure you can take that as an official warning now.

OK I take note.