Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Note
One of the benefits of having the client download the client software is that you can pass a lot of
the effort from the server to the client
s PC. Content such as graphics and sound will be stored
locally, while movement, position, and saved information will be saved on the server. This means
that less bandwidth is required to run the game, which in turn should mean lower costs.
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Planning
You can
t make an MMO without some serious planning. As you can imagine,
making something as complex as a normal game requires detailed plans.
However, if you are making an online game that even a few people can play,
it still requires a good deal of planning to ensure it gets made, but also contains
the right feature set that the players will want.
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There are a few different times when planning is very important:
n Pre-production: Before the game is made, you need to consider what
plans you have in place to make the actual game. These plans should
detail who is working on the game and which areas they will be respon-
sible for. You should break down each
“
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that will need to be
handled by someone and consider how long it will take, how difficult the
task is, and what skills the person who takes on the task will need (do
they need to be a C# programmer, for example). Once you have done
this planning, you will have an idea of your potential start and finish
dates.
n In-production: Things never go according to plan, so while you are
making your MMO, make sure you keep your plan up-to-date and
change any details and timescales as the game evolves. For example, if
you decide to add a new feature, this will need to be detailed and
planned. If one of the people who is helping you with the game becomes
ill, you will also need to modify your plan so that your timescale
is reflecting the lack of work on a particular feature.
n Post-production: Once the game has been completed, there may be
other ongoing tasks that you need to consider and plan for, such as
regular server maintenance (many MMO systems require routine
maintenance and reboots to ensure they run smoothly), fixes to the
game, and content updates.
task
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