Online MMO Question....

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Douglas_o

New Member
Apr 6, 2008
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I'm developing a game for online, with the possibilities of going to xbox live, wii, and playstation online style game play where numerous people can connect.

My question is...how do I develop the game in the unreal engine to let people play my game without having to own Unreal?

For example...They will play my game called "MY GAME." It has nothing to do with Unreal. It is a total conversion. I want them to log into my website and play over my server. A good example of this is CLUB PENGUIN. You log on and play...no downloading or installing is required.

I can make the entire game myself, including the programming. I can obtain the servers and such. BUT, I don't know where to start when it comes to connecting a video game to the internet. I do know how to create a flash game, put it on a website, and have a person play the game from the website. I just can't figure out how to get 50,000 people into my game at the same time, without them owning a copy of the game and going into a room.

Can anyone help? Does this make sense to anyone? If it does make sense and you know how to do it, there might be a job for you.

Thank in advance!!
 

dub

Feb 12, 2002
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all looks a bit messy tbh

I think that if you want to spread your game over xbox live, wii and PS you're going to hit a few hurdles right up front.

For one, the new unreal engine won't run on the Wii.
Second, your players would need at least the base game to play any mods.
Thirdly if you would want various platforms, you'd have to be aware that the various platforms could not play with each other, just with people on the same platform.

If you want to make any kind of standalone product you would have to buy an unreal game license, as far as I am aware. (which isn't cheap)
As far as I know , you have to have a copy of unreal to play any of the mods.

Having said all that, you haven't actually said which unreal engine you are planning to make anything on...

I don't totally understand what you are planning but judging by your tags, you want it to be a web game?
If so... that has never been done before - and doesn't really sound feasible at all.
Having said that I think I remember a rumor of UT doing something similar to quake zero?
 
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Douglas_o

New Member
Apr 6, 2008
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let me be more specific...

I'm creating a game in either UT3 or Torque Game Engine. I prefer UT3, but Torque is way cheaper. Either way, it will be for PC users. They will log into the internet, go to the website, and log in to play. I would prefer to have the game totally on a server, but I will have people download it if needed. I'm not worried about the $300k licensing. Yes, to play the game or mods, you have to own the game. But, I'm creating a total conversion...a totally different game that has nothing to do with unreal and has totally different programming. I'm just using the engine to create my game since it is the most user friendly and I can get 90% of the game finished without using any coding. The only thing I am stumped on is how to get it on a server for 100's of people to log into.

Does this help?

For example...with a flash game, whoever visits the website can play the game..let's say it's CHECKERS. You and I can even play against each other...but neither of us has a copy of a game/engine called CHECKERS, but we are playing over a server on the net.

Thanks.
 

SleepyHe4d

fap fap fap
Jan 20, 2008
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If they don't have to download the game to play then it would have to be pretty bad quality. If you were using UE3 it would cost thousands to license the engine anyways. I'm not exactly sure how that streaming game stuff works anyways. Blockland.us is a good example of a downloadable free game that uses the Torque Engine but it's not a MMO, it's online but you create your own servers.

Wait, wtf am I talking about I went way off the question:
how do I develop the game in the unreal engine to let people play my game without having to own Unreal?

I think the only way is you'd have to license the engine. :p How they can play without having to download your actual game or the engine before hand? Well like I said I have no idea how that streaming game stuff works. :lol:
 
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DeeperShade

Banned
Dec 8, 2000
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www.tar-valon.com
This isn't the first time we've been told the game will be for PC players, and find out it's actually for X360, PS3 or whatever console is paying the largest brown envelope.
 

haslo

Moar Pie!
Jan 21, 2008
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www.haslo.ch
Hm, network code is kinda sensitive. For a total conversion, you'd use the standard UT3 network code, but I'm not sure if that can handle thousands of players - so you'd basically have to implement your own network stack anyway (and a database to go with it I'd imagine, at least different handling in the server's memory, because UT3's is arguably optimized for less than 100 players online). So I doubt you can pull this off easily without completely rewriting the network code.

On the other hand, I'd imagine it is possible to code an entire new network handler in UnrealScript, but the thing is that since UnrealScript is interpreted you'll surely run into performance issues then. You can't recode anything in the C++ core with even a total conversion AFAIK (though I might be wrong), so when it comes to performance you're hitting feasability ceilings with your project I'm afraid - at least, you'd have to do extensive tests before deciding on the Unreal Engine.

So I really doubt that thousands of people online at the same time are feasible without licensing the engine (or taking one like the Quake 3 engine, which can still yield reasonable results and is open source) and building your own game with it.

I have some limited networking experience myself, but a) not enough to build a game's core without more research, and b) I'm running out of time with my daily job and my studies, so I can't really help you. Either way, if you really want stable code without all that much work you should look into prebuilt libraries, and/or DirectPlay (if you wanna lock yourself into Windows, which obviously you don't). Otherwise, you'll need a networking expert :)
 
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Douglas_o

New Member
Apr 6, 2008
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Thanks Haslo...

That was way more helpful than the last results. Again, I'm not worried about the money. I have investors and I am a professional game developer. It just so happens that this is my personal idea and I'm leading the entire project so no one can steal my idea and I can create a business out of it. Everything from initial programming outlines to art assets have been created or are already in the works.

I do not have to use Unreal...it is just my favorite engine.

So, for arguments sake...let's say it is only for 50 people...so it will not overload the system.

1. What is the UT3 standard network code?

2. What is a network stack and how would you implement it?

3. Quality is not an issue because the game is based on different styles of art.

4. What is a prebuilt library and a Direct Play?


Again, I will pay to have it created or do it myself with a small group. Money is not an issue. The issue is that I have an idea worth millions and I have to make it work. No is not an option for me. Any knowledge is helpful. The project is totally for PC, but once it is developed, the highest bidder will obviously do whatever they want with it.

I have seen 3D online games and I just need to know how they do it totally online. Go to candystand.com to see what I mean...no downloading, just have the updated shockwave player and push play to play a 3D game.

The nitty gritty of my idea...the most basic level of it...would be to have 2 players from different states across the USA log into the web and play each other in the same game of checkers. That is the easiest example. I can make a full checkers game in 3D and have multiple players play it. I can even do it over the internet, if they each have a copy of it. I just can't figure out how to get them to play it on the site or over the server hosted on the site. My idea is way tooooooo complicated to discuss over the internet, but the checkers idea should lead you in the right direction.

Thanks again for any help or insight.