Dardalani
MMO project principles
1. Our goal is not to create a new engine; our goal is to produce an effective, modern and marketable MMORPG game using available tools insofar as such serve the purpose of the game. Our business is not technology, it is content and a game service.
2. Strategy is the exploitation of a defendable and sustainable niche in lieu of pursuing a general mass market. A niche game requires fewer design compromises, is more easily defended against potential competitors and is cheaper to produce. This indeed means many fewer potential users, but those users whom the game does draw in will be much better served than a game designed for broad mass market appeal can possibly serve them. This will also result in a far lower churn rate and a far longer lifespan.
3. Theme is dark fantasy (gothic overtones) built on the original IP of the Glanye Cycle works.
4. Roleplaying supported and encouraged by the design (i.e., name filtering does not qualify as "roleplaying"). The design will not reward or otherwise encourage a kill-and-loot model.
5. Immersion is a priority. Everybody cannot save the princess. The world should change based on the actions of the players. This means that nobody can have exactly the same game experience. This is fine.
6. Mature rating. The point is not to be gratuitous, but we will not shy away from adult content where it is appropriate. This is not a game designed for 12 year olds.
7. Microtransaction based. Payments should never break the game, nor should it be possible to buy your way into success, but certain things will be purchasable including aspects that do not affect game mechanics, only appearance, but also resource auctions under controlled conditions.
8. Combat is not the dominant gameplay. While combat may be available - and if so will probably even deadlier and with more severe consequences than in conventional MMO design, combat will not dominate the game experience. Gameplay will be focused on coded system-supported social interactions featuring economics and organizational interplay.
9. Mechanics that encourage and enable the playerbase to take control of the world around them will be prioritized. The players should feel like they own the world and that their actions will result in meaningful and sustainable changes. This does not mean that players will be able to do anything or make any changes; the design and mechanics will dictate the rules of what (and how) changes are made. This is necessary, too, to build into the game checks to prevent any player or player faction from so dominating gameplay that other players are de facto excluded.
10. Quests and monster killing are not the focus of the game. Gameplay is focused on immersion, roleplaying, economics and politics. Exploration is a lesser part of the game, but even there it is the exception rather than the rule.
Comments
Private page
For private, internal only, go to the Development page. That is restricted via the Taxonomy to Jubal Staff only. Add comments there not for public consumption.
12. As was pointed out to me: Griefers. We have a a point in our Acceptable Use policy of no harassment and this certainly falls under harassment. They are attempting to make the game less fun for players. How do we handle them? Personally I think the game should have a 'logging' function built in so we can go back after the fact and see exactly what someone did. Exploiting bugs of the game should be listed as forbidden. Staff reserve the right to refuse access to the game for people who use that access to negatively impact the game.
Logging will be necessary,
Logging will be necessary, yes.
We will need separate
We will need separate statements/lists for public/development consumption, and internally to development, principles vs. details.
3. The Glanye Cycle theme is a little bit in flux, so I think this is fine for now. Clearly, this will have to be spelled out in far more detail later, but as a guideline/direction we are going, I think this covers the major points. It's a little semantical, but how the game is played is something that other points should cover - by "theme" I mean "feel", but others may take a different definition from that.
7. Re: Pay and Free. I think we want to go further than simply customization in what can be obtained, but it should not be limitless and it should be built into the game system so it does not unbalance anything.
8. Re: Combat. I think this will require a fair amount of more debate and, possibly, experimentation. Generally speaking, however, we want combat, we want the game to feel real and deadly, but we also don't want it to be simply a gank fest. The exact way we accomplish this goal, however, is very much to be nailed down later.
10. I had originally been a big proponent of "quests", but the more I have thought about it the less convinced I have become that this is the way to do this. The content budget, the repetability, the immersion aspects all make this problematic. I am increasingly thinking the way to do this is to specifically focus on socially interactive systems from which quests organically emerge. For example, a crafting system results in me wanting to make x item which requires y component which character z has the monopoly on. Voila - de facto quest.
Clarifications and comments
1. Define what game services we are willing to support.
2. Agree with this completely.
3. More explanation is needed. That statement is more of the 'mood'. The Theme should include some additional items not quite what is in the "Lore" link, but more of how the game is expected to be played, too.
4. PvP will be allowed and coded so that staff are not necessary to be involved in conflict. The code should be developed with the Role Play in mind.
5. Additionally, if someone does try to save the Princess and she dies in the attempt, she's dead. The Game has to be flexible enough to go on without her. Players should realize as well that though their actions have affects, certain points of theme are ingrained so strongly that trying to change those could be a futile effort.
6. Adult situations like combat violence and death. Adult language. And a note to players: Leet Speek or other such will be frowned upon. Be literate, use vocabulary and spelling! This is a game for mature players. Keep the net-styles of speech in the Non-IC rooms or communications.
7. The game should always be Free to Play, but customization and flexibility are two things we can incorporate for the paying customers.
8. Combat should not be automatically deadly. Allow people the chance to indulge in good conflict without requiring death of one or the other. Different venues should be allowed. An Arena for gladiatorial type conflict. Perhaps an underground/criminal element can host fight club style combat for gambling. Certain parts of the city are well patrolled by the guards that the Shak hire to do just that. Combat in those parts of the city will be squelched.
9. Need good personal spaces. Perhaps a minimal space for players who play the Free to Play style and simply purchased with in game money and greater spaces with customization for those who wish to buy it through micro transaction.
10. I think a better way to put it is: Gameplay will be focused on immersion into a setting and them where the social interactions will gain you more rewards than simple quests and monster killing. Quests should exist in a manner that doesn't cheapen them (everyone might be able to do a quest to learn to gather herbs, but not everyone should be allowed to do a quest to deliver a message from Crime Lord X to Criminal Y) and have reasons, in Setting, to exist. Since the combat will be difficult and coded in a manner to make it likely injury will happen, combat style quests to kill a specific monster should in fact be significant and the players that succeed at such get some sort of significant gain.
11. Role Play Aspects: Need a good, easy to use, even encouraged to use, communication system. Talking and Posing ICly with flexibility and high standards of play are a must. Need good ways for players to connect OOCly as well as ICly so that plans and schedules can be worked out. Want methods for players to connect via web site to gain things like current stats or inventory.