Possibly the largest difference between Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games and single-player outings is this single element: MMORPGs need to keep you playing well beyond the 20-or-so-hour mark that single-player games typically aim for. Couple this with the fact that the typical MMO offers less storyline, fewer decisions, and generally less complex and involving options [...]
Archive for July, 2009
The baby steps of game development
Thursday, July 30th, 2009It’s probably pretty apparent, both from personal experiences I’m certain almost everybody has had at some point or another and from the way I’ve discussed individual systems to such great detail in past posts, but MMORPGs — and really, games in general — are not one contiguous game unit; they consist of several intertwined systems [...]
The days of the week
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009I’ve hinted at this here and there, and all throughout the previous week’s posts, but I plan to incorporate a sense of time flow into the world of Atma. Each day will represent a new set of challenges and experiences awaiting players. Each element is represented by a specific day of the week, on which [...]
Out of your element, part seven: Great balls of fire
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009Welcome to the seventh and final installment of “Out of your element”, a seven-part series dedicated to exploring the unique traits of each of the elements in Atma. In each section of this series, we’ve explored the specific traits of a particular element in the game world, and went into some depth in explaining the [...]
Out of your element, part six: Reach out in the darkness
Monday, July 27th, 2009Welcome to the sixth installment of “Out of your element”, a seven-part series dedicated to exploring the unique traits of each of the elements in Atma. Each day, I’ll introduce a new element, explaining the specific traits that element offers in the game world, and exploring at some depth the way the various personalities interact [...]