Under Development: Multiplayer City Simulation…
http://blog.aevumobscurum.com/__oneclick_uploads/2007/06/2007-06-21-citygamescreenshot.jpg
Sounds like a clever catch! A Massive Online Sim City!!! You could make millions 
uh, nice! - looking forward to that!
Looks and sounds very promising!
Especially since I think that AO is a really top notch game
Keep us posted on the progress, and when we can start help you test the game 
I am not sure about making millions ;D. Anyhow, I am planning to eventually upload a webstartable version. Still waiting for the artist to come up with the interface graphics … I keep you guys updated!
lol, I know but it’s a nice thought anyhoo 
I must say, very nice idea, game looks good!
Has lots of potential… When are you expecting a beta release 
Why do you think immediately of money? This project seems impressive and I would still find it interesting even though the author told me that he would earn no money with it. It doesn’t make me smile. >:(
Now I wish to ask some questions to the author of the game with an innovative principle :
Which technologies have you planned to use for the graphics and the remote access? Java 3D? LWJGL? JOGL? RMI? Corba?
Will this project be open source?
If you need some help to use Java Web Start, I’m here. I had some difficulties with my own webstartable version but now, it works.
[quote]Has lots of potential… When are you expecting a beta release
[/quote]
Probably a single-player version half a year down the line. However, I am planning to upload demo releases to show the current status of development. Depending on my artist, the next one is due in a couple of weeks!
[quote]Which technologies have you planned to use for the graphics and the remote access? Java 3D? LWJGL? JOGL? RMI? Corba?
[/quote]
Java 2D + HTTP. Will probably try LWJGL if Java 2D turns out to be too slow. HTTP if the game is turn-based, some direct socket connection if the game is real-time. Not so sure yet. The plan is to create a single-player demo first (Applet) and then program the multiplayer version. This way it’s possible to get some initial feedback on the game play through the single-player demo, before taking on the networking part.
[quote]Will this project be open source?
[/quote]
no
Java2D is quite quick and interoperates with JOGL. Without thinking about it, you will implicitely use JOGL through Java2D if you use at least Java 1.6. The class called “JOGLAppletLauncher” might help you. RMI is based on TCP sockets, I don’t think you will really earn a lot of time by using direct sockets. Did you write a script to describe the game design of the game (the story, the rules, the items, the power ups, the levels…)?
I agree with you. It’s better to do a single-player version first before complicating it to build a multiplayer version. Good luck! ;D
[quote]Did you write a script to describe the game design of the game (the story, the rules, the items, the power ups, the levels…)?
[/quote]
Nope - I discussed it with some people, including the artist, but there is no formal plan.
What’s wrong with making money? Game developers need a home and food too. If someone has a good idea and could stand to make money from it, great! If they have no intent to make money with their work and contribute, great as well!
Project is impressive, a new twist on an old genre, stands to entertain and make the developer money. Don’t see anything wrong with that at all.
- Chris
Ok but that’s not the point. I denounce the fact that, when something seems interesting, some people think immediately of making money. I find it is a little bit too simple, a game is not only a source of money, I think that is not the main aspect. It is a work of art.
It is very very hard to earn enough money to live by developping games. In France, only about 1200 people develop games at work. Then, if you can’t earn enough money to live from your games, you can plan not to look for money from them and this allows poor people to have access to them too ;D.
Many people don’t own a personal computer but use it at work or during their studies at school or a the university. Insisting on the costless aspect of a game is not completely ridiculous. I got my first own computer at 21 years old as I had only a little money.
Finding money when developping games, open source games above all, is difficult. Sometimes, you can get money from some associations or from the State (subsidies of the “House of the Student Initiative”, others…). The most evident source of money is the customer but it is not the only one, there are other kinds of contribution.
Think in pennies and everything is pennies. You need to pay rent and bills so I wouldn’t expect to earn 0 in life unless you wanted to be a vagrant, and there is no reason why you can’t get paid for doing work your enjoy. I’m not saying that everything should make money and nothing should be free, no, but what could be less wrong than charging for the work you’ve done. If it is not worth buying then don’t sell it, if it is then don’t be the the unwise carpenter who starved to death making a free coffin for the undertaker who buried him
I do plan on making a masterpiece that will be freely available with the expectation that people with money will pay the typical cost of the product. And making a game that makes money is a challenge in itself, if you can do that then you have created a masterpiece. Look at runescape and habboHotel, free to play, yet it generates millions through paying users
Bit of a rant there, gouessej :-* Stay calm, there’s plenty of freeware about still. Meanwhile the rest of us trying to scratch a tiny living out of making games can dream of how to scratch a bit more money.
Cas
[quote]I find it is a little bit too simple, a game is not only a source of money, I think that is not the main aspect. It is a work of art.
[/quote]
Money has always been a big motivation to create art. Most well known and respected artists could afford to be artists because they were payed for their work.
To me it just seems logical if you have some artistic talent for something like creating games, that people consider how to turn that talent into money. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. After all, creating art = hard work.
Not that I have anything against free games, but it strikes me that oftentimes money inspires bigger things which can definitely be a good thing, also from an artistical point of view.
There’s nothing wrong with charging money for a game! Don’t see it as “taking” money; rather people are “giving” you their money for what you have created. And if you make great games and get enough to do it for a living why not take that chance? I don’t mind paying someone for a great product.
Making money is not about the money itself. I believe greater games are created this way. I have a game running with dedicated server: the member fees are (a) a motivation to keep the game up and running and (b) pays the hosting fees. I don’t see a lot of free/open source games out there that draw lots of attention? Also, still a dream, my goal is to create games for a living…
I disagree with you on two points :
- I’m not sure that you are more motivated when you know that you can turn your talent into money
- Money does not inspire bigger things, it depends on the way of thinking of the artist. Maybe many people think that you are right.
It is a political choice. Charging money for a game means that if someone don’t have enough money, he won’t afford it. I respect your dream and I have the same kind of problem, it is even worse : I have no dedicated server and currently, then, I can’t plan to creat a multiplayer online version of my game. My motivation is not money.
You don’t take into account the social consequence. This means that there is a piece of culture for poor people and the rest of the culture for the others. I’m calm, I don’t understand why you asked me to stay calm. You can dream but I try to show you the reality. It’s better and more motivating to have some reachable objectives. When you reach your aims, you can plan some more ambitious projects. If you succeed, you can plan more ambitious projects anew etc… If you don’t realise your dreams, maybe you will become discouraged. It’s only my point of view and I gave some examples of other way of earning money without charging the users directly.