This Zombie Wednesday post is being partially co-opted by the Gaming category…
I’ve run into a problem with my Zombie MMO design. I’m trying to think ahead a bit and not just blindly dive in and I have one point which I can see will be a major problem later if I have chosen incorrectly. Do I approach the whole thing as “chat with a game wrapped around it” or “a game with chat as a feature”.
Personally, I want to start with the chat. Mostly because I think ultimately this is going to be a more social game than it is going to be an achievement type game. The current design doesn’t even have levels beyond the length of time you have survived.
However, starting with chat means I need to stop and go learn how to build either an IRC or a Voice Chat system, so its very tempting to just begin building the game, the world and its mechanics, as I am already a database and user interface programmer.
So, that would be the question… should I start with chat or should I start with the “game”?
It only depends on what you want to do with the chat.
If chat is a gameplay element, and not just a socializing tool/add-on, then i would say, start with the chat.
In Dofus you can use the chat to give your current coordinates to your whole group just typing a command ( %pos% ) or the experience needed for the next level ( %xp% ), and show items with an hyperlink (left click on a item and it shows on the chat highlighted as a link).
Maybe in your game you can use links heavily on descriptions, you enter an area and you get a description:
“you see a large *door* and a *cat* and some *flowers*”
*click* on any of the links and you get a closer inspection pop-up on a modal window:
*cat* (click)
“Its a black cat, and it is wearing boots”
My question to you;
since you can embed javascript elements on a blog, using frames and modal windows (like lightwindow, that i love), would it be possible to build the game modularly as intercommunicating widgets embeded on a page built using CSS (like making a game that runs inside wordpress or blogger)?
It would be lovely since you could get a waaay better presentation, making maps and images pop up in modal windows inside the page, minimizing loading time.
if you want to see how those windows work, take a look at the comments on this blog i’m building (it has no content it’s only to test stuff). Click on the comments link on the first page and you will see what i mean with the modal windows:
craneosrevueltos.blogspot.com
I ask you this question, because i’m already working on a team developing a game, but i handle visuals (not yet on the live server) and i got no idea about the server/database side subjects. So i would really like to know before i make an ass out of myself 🙂 when i get to say my idea.
anyway, happy blogging, and good look (i must say that, even tho i don’t comment often on your blog i read it everyday, language barriers keep me from commenting on all your posts, but it is indeed a good read)
PS: I meant “good work” not “good look” (you should really allow commenters to edit their posts :-p)