030 – Level Grind Online (open source mmorpg)
http://levelgrindonline.com/post/Welcome-to-Level-Grind-Online.aspx
Level-Grind online is a 3D open-source, “Sword & Sorcery” style MMORPG being developed in combination with the book Programming an MMORPG in C# with XNA. It has been in development for approximately 6 months, and aims to accommodate many of the same features present in modern MMORPG’s. This is being done in an attempt to demonstrate the process of developing a complete MMO using contemporary languages and tools.
029 – Video of Visual3d.NET 0.9.6.3 (Beta 6.3)
028 – Visual Studio 2010
We’ll start off after the break talking about hardware and then moving onto the headlining subject.
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027-New Release of Visual3d.NET
Version 0.9.6.2 (newest as of 11/13/2009)
article
download link http://game-engine.visual3d.net/download
026 – a perfect mmo engine (if you have funds)
My favorite game engine for developers who have a REAL budget is called the Vision Engine by a company called Trinigy.
Unfortunately, when they don’t even list the price, that usually means it’s put of my price range. Nevertheless, I highly recommend the Vision Engine for small to medium sized developers interested in MMORPG (or other types of games across the various platforms) development.
Random Useful GameDev things to look up on Wikipedia
Direct3D 11, MMORPG, Bullet Physics
025 – Nvidia Strikes Back
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GT300_(GPU)
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2009/09/nvidia_geforce_gt300_coming_this_year.html?src=rss
ATI already has DirectX11 parts in the IT jungle, as well as having a more open approach to technology. Nvidia (the “Other” graphics card company) has fired back.
They have announced a technology called ‘Fermi‘ which allows general purpose computing tasks (applications and other things that traditionally used the CPU before) to use the massive processing power of the GPU (aka CUDA).
They have now announced the targe of November 27th, 2009 as their launch date for their next generation DirectX 11 cards (and the CUDA technology they support)
List of games with DirectX 11 support (including three MMORPGS)
dev 018 – economics
traders and banks
we have no singular “server wide per side” auction house. we use a system of traders that offer most goods, either npcs or actual human players. i went through a period where i actually played lots of different mmorpgs. i played on official servers and development ones.
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misc 016 – in game footage
i wanted to take this time to apologize for the lack of in game footage, screenshots of bits and bobs and this and that.. i have made them over the years and i delete that sh@*
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023 – audio
some bits and bobs about audio production and music
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dev 015 – hardware (realtime cg) directx 11
this article discusses a bit of computer graphics, realtime graphics, effects, and hardware evolution. it also talks about our target hardware for the project (not a minimum spec)
totally unrelated.. according to Wow.com, Blizzard is tracking 180,000 bugs.
read http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/opengl-directx,2019.html (OpenGL3 & Directx11)
Ruby, a CG character developed by ATI also see Directx11 Features and ATI Releases new GPU/
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022 – Visual3d.NET Version 5.0
Visual3d.net has released Beta version 0.9.5 (Beta 5.0) over at their site for test and review. The Visual3d engine is really nice (albeit not a full MMO game engine, of course) with a TON of really cool editors (the terrain Editor is cool and supports infinite sized seamless terrains)
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020 – community site code freeze
ive decided the combination of systems we are using for the new official site is stable enough to leave alone and move to the next stage (layout and design). it is using a combination of wordpress mu, buddypress, and bbpress for forums
please go there sign up post forums stuff or whatever.. theres nothing there yet but its a decent starting point
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019 – garbage collection
misc bits and bobs that dont go in other sections
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misc 014 – preproduction takes long time
30 people several years preproduction.. versus just me.. at 5 years preproduction (unpaid self funded) im doing okay indeed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Force_Unleashed
misc 013 – tv after 4 years
i havent played video games (except a run through of gears of war and occasional bouts of world of warcraft) in years.. i havent watched television (except when visiting others) since maybe 1999.. im catching up on what is reality for most.. a bit of everything and special little bits of.. wendy williams, family guy, lots of movies, pawn stars..
aint no future in yo frontin (one of my fav songs.. mc breed)
mmorpg suitable engines – commercial
just a note http://www.trinigy.net (lacking default mmorpg components but seems to be out of indie budget? http://www.trinigy.net
misc 012 – hot ass action
as production slowly stirs and preproduction comes to an end (does it ever end? no) the bar is ever raised higher.. not just because of the new action and effects set pieces that are released, but because of older pieces of interactive art that i may have missed before
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misc 011 – Pantheistic Solipsism
misc 010 – MySQL 5.4 (Evolution of a DB)
MySQL intellectual property was snapped up by Sun Microsystems a few years ago. Sun Microsystems is currently being purchased by Oracle.. We love MySQL.. here’s why
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misc 009 – mythology – japanese dark chaos
this seems to fit in with azathoth somehow.. even though there are seperate worlds of mythology, i try to have a unified cosmology that connects them in layers.. Mikaboshi (from wiki)
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design 002 – vampires
i must admit, as a writer, my concept of vampires is very different from most depictions (with some similarities to those seen in “I am Legend”.. although unintentional as i detailed mine several years before that film (and seem to recall a similar description before))
the nature of vampires in the game affects and reflects (portions of) that game world in itself. what does that mean? read on
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design 001 – natural selection
i have a heck of a time managing this site during the temporary period between now and when building begins (during which time we will be recreating the heavily structured “Neopangaia Nation” community site (and the final url will be posted here).
until then i have a loose system of numbering which basically serves a relational marker at best. i spent the previous two years developing the history and technology of the virtual world (itself set approximately a “few hundred” years after now, but in an alternate dimension with differing rules that govern reality, although an extremely similar history to our own Earth).. design001
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misc008.1 – open source mmos (http://awakenedmmo.org/ and more)
just a quick link to another open source mmorpg early in development. dunno much about it and not planning to investigate more.. http://awakenedmmo.org/
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misc 007 – IndieZen Open Source
it had always been my hope that by the time i released UMMO (underworld mmo), there would be sufficient technology available for $1000 or less (preferrably open source) that could be used by anybody to create a triple AAA mmorpg. and i could disseminate it. document it deploy it and manifest with it.. IF i didnt arrange other funding by then. i ont believe in copyright law but i obey it.
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misc 006 – absolutes in design
the benefit of mythology and the curse, a list and description of combat mathematics in a format where characters strengths and attributes are relative only to one another, not to any set laws and definitions from the natural world. and yet THOSE must be given defined laws for a virtual world to function. not defined amounts, however.
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misc 005 – design absolutes
this article will discuss some of the game specific methods of dealing with pre-release design issues, while allowing for evolution after release.
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misc 004 – first release dec 22, 2010
after nine years of an internet presence (started in may of 2000 with an online book of poems called “Hunger” (http://www.postpoems.com/members/heru) and leading up to the set in stone initial design parameters of the game called UMMO (Underworld MMO). the original site (minus any release dates) is still perfectly valid, if not more valid now than it was when it was first published in may 2005. and the big day is finally here August 21, 2009. why now?
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Misc 003 – Media
the latest stuffs list of art that has been thoroughly reviewed recently many times for detail and design.. construction and commentary.
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018 – Flying in Ummo
Flying.. I was inspired to create this game very largely by a comment Terrance McKenna once made predicting virtual worlds capable of visualizing the psychedelic experience.
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misc002 – news – blizzard adult mmo
The makers of “World of Warcraft” announced working on an adult mmo based on the film “Basic Instinct” some point in 2008.
Article here
http://news.mmosite.com/content/2008-03-31/20080331232810438,1.shtml
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Misc001 – Excellent Article About Adult Content
Was doing research today and came across this excellent article about some of the connections between cultural development and adult art. It reprints some commentary by Alan Moore on the subject. Most relevant to Ummo is the idea that pornography needs to be transcended or supplemented with a more artistic for of erotica that can allow deeper appreciation and communication regarding sensuality.
http://www.chrismclaren.com/blog/2007/01/14/bog-venus-vs-nazi-cock-ring/
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=8851
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017 – Mythology – 9 Worlds – Norse Cosmology
originally published mar 2005
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015 – Magic Part 2 – Schools & Scrolls
originally published mar 2005
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014 – Magic Part 1 – Invocation & Weather
originally published in mar 2005
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013 – Geography Part 2 – Realms & Mythology
originally published mar 2005
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012 – Geography Part 1 – Realms
originally published mar 2005
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011 – Familiars – The Ummo Pet System
originally published 2005
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009 – mythological realm travel
also originally published in mar 2005
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008 – what sets apart the underworld
originally published mar 2005
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007 – intro to ummo philosophy
originally written june 2005 when i expected to have a beta done in a year and a product in 2008. as a single developer with limited funds, im more realistic now.
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006 – Blog Background
005 – Tools and resources
Game development requires lots of tools, and most of the time they are expensive. As an independent developer, it is important to find lists of free or inexpensive content creation tools. Here are some links.
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004 – Open Source Game Dev/Engine Lists
I saw this really good article about the use of Open Source technology in game development and wanted to share the link.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/gaming/64843.html?wlc=1246392687
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003 – Engine Update
In short, I’ve decided to go with the (under $1,000) commercial simulation/game engine Visual3D.net for a variety of reasons. (built using primarily open source technologies, but not open source)
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002 – Arcane Literature
A lot of authors have utilized the concept of the magickal grimoire or ancient text or scroll, but it was HP Lovecraft’s (HP Lovecraft Arcane Literature) who really polished the use of Arcane literature with the Necronomicon. Here we will discuss in more detail both those origins and the usage in Ummo.
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001 – Random Inspirational Notes
Lovecraft has been a huge influence (and in fact creative element) of this project from the very beginning. I look forward into the unknown with a stronger respect for that which came before.
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000 – Release Schedule
Tentative Release Schedule Below
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