Greetings from Anarchist Game Dev

[techbot 12]

My name is Rob, online I usually go by Techbot (twitter, github etc).

My goal is to build an online multiplayer RPG (via web browser) with a few downloadable RPGMAKER games for additional worldbuilding. I have licences for MV, VXace and XP but I don't actually know how to use them. I mostly use TILED - the mapmaker and my own code.

I'm hoping to learn what makes a good RPG game and team up with expert RPG makers who would be interested in building multiplayer.

I am mostly interested in Cyberpunk and Scifi settings with a bit of Mad Max thrown in.

I recently finished Witcher I and Far Cry 6 (also finished 4 and 5) , I'm a quarter way through Witcher II. Also playing No Mans Sky (the most recent Echo missions), Ark (even tho I'm vegan which is hilarous) , Cyberpunk 2077 (katanas rule) , Total War - WarHammer I . Also just started GTA 5 and WatchDogs Legion. Will probaly drop Legion and stick with GTA.

First adventure : The Hobbit the illustrated text adventure by Melbourne House

First Action RPG was Diablo

First Online RPG was the Matrix Online.

[Remi-Chan 68]

Being able to play games is very different from being able to make them.

I already said what I think about making MMOs (that its a waste of money, ambition, resources, hope and time more or less) in your other thread, but I also think if you do truly want to get people on board for such a thing, that you might be best to make some lighter games first. This will not only help you accrue rep with people so anyone might be willing to throw their lot in with someone who from all accounts right now, sounds utterly insane. It might also give you the ability to realize how insane such a venture is in the first place. You're really not settling for less when you choose not to make an MMO.

I'm one of the people who will usually say 'just make what you want first and you'll make the mistakes needed to work stuff out in the future' but MMO's are something that even a developer of twelve years (almost 25 if you count before I used RPGmaker) with over 10 games to my name would never consider developing, and not for a lack of thinking it'd be cool, but knowing that to do so means basically not being able to work on anything else ever again only for it to probably flop anyway.

I cannot truly ever state just how difficult it is to make an MMO, and that's not to go into the sheer level of devotion, commitment and uptime needed to keep it running, balanced and also it requires money.

Lots of money.

Servers that can support an MMO are upwards of 100 dollars per year and quickly scale up to over 100 dollars a month based on the growth and demands of the people playing. Netcode is a bitch and a half as well.

Well, with that all said and done, welcome to the forums.

Edited August 30 by Remi-Chan

[Rikifive 3,459]

Hello!

Yeah, I've seen some people tackling with making an MMO in RM in the past, but I never really heard of actually finished products. Only some hardly-working simple prototypes here and there. But well, that surely makes it an interesting challenge, I hope it goes better for you, good luck!  

Welcome!

[techbot 12]

"Being able to play games is very different from being able to make them."

Gotta be the most condescending  intro I've ever read. A few well trodden lines a few comments but you made loads of assumptions without asking a single question. That being said  "And never listen to anyone who tells you you can't" is another of those well trodden lines.

I spend on average 100 euro a month on assets.
I own 2 servers for 20 years.
I've been coding for 35 years.
Teaching game development at coderdojo for 10 years.

You made some valid points, but I have them covered. I'd happily discuss them if you want. But I'm not interested in negative unsolicited advice from someone who has not got enough interest to even ask a question before getting stuck in.

 

 

Edited August 31 by techbot
cool down enough to answer without typos

[AVGB;KBGaming 1,425]

Welcome to the mostly inactive, often bugged out, misfit fam, from one Anarchist to another.

[Rikifive 3,459]

I'm wondering, are you planning to make a multiplayer game in RPG Maker, or are you developing it elsewhere while keeping it RPG Maker styled or something?

If it is in RPG Maker, are you having a particular one in mind, or are you looking around for now?

 

14 minutes ago, AVGB;KBGaming said:

Welcome to the mostly inactive, often bugged out, misfit fam, from one Anarchist to another.

I guess it's time to populate these forums with NPC's, that should cover the inactivity.

As for bugs, it's a feature - a feature simulating game bugs... I guess. 🤔

Yeah.. it is what it is.

[Remi-Chan 68]

21 hours ago, techbot said:

"Being able to play games is very different from being able to make them."

Gotta be the most condescending  intro I've ever read. A few well trodden lines a few comments but you made loads of assumptions without asking a single question. That being said  "And never listen to anyone who tells you you can't" is another of those well trodden lines.

Well, a lot of that was based in the assumption you would not stick around to respond so it was more just a warning for people who might consider the same but also to someone who gave me none of the context they are presently. Forgive me for assuming, but this community has a habit of speaking big without having anything to back their claims up, sort of like what you did.

If you find my tone condescending, then that says more about you than it does me.

21 hours ago, techbot said:

I spend on average 100 euro a month on assets.
I own 2 servers for 20 years.
I've been coding for 35 years.
Teaching game development at coderdojo for 10 years.

I spend about the equivalent, generous equivalent, of 450 euros a month, and I'm not even trying to make an MMO. I really hope that wasn't some sort of flex because that amount in the grand scheme of things is small and reeks of either extortion or inexperience which given your claims should indicate you are not guilty of either.

The rest is better, but perhaps you could have put that in your OP lest people assume that you're inexperienced and jumping in way over your head which again to be fair, you would be far from the first person to do so. It's at a point now where it's safer to just assume the worst especially with red flag lines like 'I wish to make an MMO' or w/e you said.

21 hours ago, techbot said:

You made some valid points, but I have them covered. I'd happily discuss them if you want. But I'm not interested in negative unsolicited advice from someone who has not got enough interest to even ask a question before getting stuck in.

Speaking of assumptions and condescending, and unwarranted condescension at that.

The fact you've reacted so defensively says more about your own confidence (or lack of it in this case) in the matter than my words ever could. If I was uninterested do you really think I'd waste time with some complete nobody who I could ignore the existence of and lose nothing by forgetting exists?

I was providing a warning, but since apparently my word isn't enough, let me pull from someone who has made an MMO in rpgm and still said the following.

This is from the dev of Afar (one of the MMOs that almost made itself into a full blown project), I've scrubbed their name out of a respect for their confidentiality. As you can see, the discussion was had yesterday.

I do truly wish you luck on this venture, I'm just saying I don't think it'll go anywhere because its basically a deathwish financially and scaling down is only a smarter move in virtually every scenario i can think of. Especially if your budget is 100 euros a month.

If you're just making multiplayer games, it probably would be wiser to open with that, as MMO makes people assume things, things that are massively multiplayer and online. Not just a lobby-based thing. They are correct to make those assumptions because that is what MMO stands for..

 

[techbot 12]

On 9/1/2023 at 4:57 AM, Rikifive said:

I'm wondering, are you planning to make a multiplayer game in RPG Maker, or are you developing it elsewhere while keeping it RPG Maker styled or something? 

If it is in RPG Maker, are you having a particular one in mind, or are you looking around for now?

I have MV, VX Ace and XP but I only got them for reference.
I am using my own code and specific transport, physics and graphics libraries.
It's the storytelling aspect of RPG maker that I'm most interested in. How to turn a story into a game.

[Remi-Chan 68]

I don't think the 'storytelling aspect' of rpgmaker is really all that unique but I'm also pretty sure you're referring to the neat mechanical touches it tends to have like the ladders thing as an example.

It has a dialogue system that is very barebones that most people use plugins to try and make more respectable, I myself am guilty of commissioning an entire plugin for that very purpose.

The damage floor system could be brought up, although it is poorly under-designed and is hard to make any customization too without a plugin.

I'm sure I can think of more 'storytelling aspected mechanics' later but right now I'm making breakfast.

[Rikifive 3,459]

11 hours ago, techbot said:

I have MV, VX Ace and XP but I only got them for reference.
I am using my own code and specific transport, physics and graphics libraries.
It's the storytelling aspect of RPG maker that I'm most interested in. How to turn a story into a game.

Ah, I see. At first I thought you're interested in making an MMO in RM, which would be pretty challenging, given these engines have their limits and the like I imagine. A legitimate finished MMO in RM would surely be intriguing. 👀

Either way, making it in your own environment is a totally different story, that's nice. Coding on your own is what it's all about, this makes me curious what kind of stuff you were working on previously.

With storytelling in RPG Maker, well there surely are all sorts of stuff there. 😄 ---but yeah, plenty of ideas and inspiration to draw from. I hope you'll find what you're looking for!

[techbot 12]

On 9/1/2023 at 4:38 AM, AVGB;KBGaming said:

Welcome to the mostly inactive, often bugged out, misfit fam, from one Anarchist to another.

Hi AVGB, cool to meet you. Do you find yourself applying anarchist ideals to your games? There's a lot of games I've enjoyed that would totallly compromise my ideals in the name of play.

On 9/5/2023 at 7:42 AM, Rikifive said:

With storytelling in RPG Maker, well there surely are all sorts of stuff there. 😄 ---but yeah, plenty of ideas and inspiration to draw from. I hope you'll find what you're looking for!

I've already found loads of ideas (especially the maps screen shots)  going through the threads.

I need to play some of the members games.

[Remi-Chan 68]

Pretty much every major release game I have is a band of good people fighting against an authoritarian source of power and control, which i think is pretty anarchistic. Well, in one game the twist is that the real antagonist is too good at being an anarchist so you gotta stop him!

If that interests you, all my games can be found on itch.io, I've only posted a handful of them here. if you google Remi-Chan you'll probably find it, if not, googling my company 'Crazy Chimp Collective' will likely find you my website.

Alternatively, I have a link: https://remichan.itch.io/

I focus heavily on story and character building, so some of these games while having gameplay, might be a little less saturated with it than others..

[techbot 12]

👍Got it.
Will check them out.
Looking forward to them.

[AVGB;KBGaming 1,425]

On 9/11/2023 at 5:17 AM, techbot said:

Do you find yourself applying anarchist ideals to your games?

I have, yes, if politics is a needed plot device.

[techbot 12]

On 9/16/2023 at 1:59 PM, AVGB;KBGaming said:

I have, yes, if politics is a needed plot device.

Do you have a twitch.io address?

Do you play guitar? I use Rocksmith https://store.steampowered.com/app/221680/Rocksmith_2014_Edition__Remastered/

It's amazing, but my guitar playinjg isn't

[AVGB;KBGaming 1,425]

On 9/17/2023 at 9:58 AM, techbot said:

Do you have a twitch.io address?

A what address? I do have Discord, anyway...

On 9/17/2023 at 9:58 AM, techbot said:

Do you play guitar?

Bass player.

On 9/17/2023 at 9:58 AM, techbot said:

Rocksmith

Well aware of Rocksmith. Took them long damn enough to get licensing for TTFAF as an official DLC.

[techbot 12]

An itch.io address 🙂

a spot for collating your online games like  remichan.

I'm interested in how anarchy, mutual aid and community can be investigated or portrayed in games.

[AVGB;KBGaming 1,425]

9 hours ago, techbot said:

An itch.io address

Heh.
Yes. I have that.
It's right here.

[Kayzee 4,066]

Yay for anarchist game devs! *sprinkles fairy dust everywhere*

[Remi-Chan 68]

I like how Kayzee the wholesome ass bean faerie is here all like "Rowh rowh, Fight the powah!" Then sprinkles faerie dust and teeters off like some fop. Truly there is no where else in the world i can find such a perfect contradiction of existence and I love it. I am not throwing shade I'm just having a giggle about that silly thing I just witnessed.

Oh speaking of faeries n' stuff, Kayzee I'm making a game that is basically exclusively about faerie waifus and might have a demo out in a week or two! Interested Y/N?

I need to know because of reasons.

[techbot 12]

😁The world needs more anarchist fairy dust.