Empires MMO

I know I am new to the forums, but I've played empires for quite some time. Brilliant game, and I really love the blend between FPS and RTS.

I've been thinking though, that this game could take the concept a step further. My idea is to make empires into a MMO. I'll just run through my complete idea, so please bear with me.

First off, I'll address the issues of stats and keeping everyone's achievements and info. Steamworks offers the services needed for this, however I don't know if those services are available to mods without paying valve or being invited to use it. There are currently seven mods listed that use steamworks. Using the achievements service, a players stats can easily be tracked and logged. Thus the rpg parts of a mmo, where a player can level up, gain access to new weapons and increase skills, is available. Basically the same thing that is already in Empires but instead of it only being available during your stay on a server, it's tied to your steam account.

Next, one of the larger issues that I think people will have is how to do the maps? Well my thinking is we would want to create sort of a virtual world, with the two sides fighting across it. Doesn't necessarily have to be a world, could just be a continent. In order to makes this so, my idea is to simply chop the "world" into different servers. When you get near the edge of a map, it will warn you, but if you keep driving/walking off it will then just transfer you to the next map on whatever server it is running. It's just like how in Half Life 2, when you cross the threshold of a new map/next scene it gives you the "loading" for a few seconds as the server changes maps. Same thing, however the loading will be a little longer as it's a completely different server. Now one way I was thinking of cutting down the load time would be to preload the player into the next server, when they approach the edge of the combat zone, and are given a warning, about being on the edge, and maybe a countdown like there is in Battlefield 2. As it's counting down your initial information can be transferred to the next server, and then when you are sent to the next server less info is needed. This could be (quite) tricky, so it's just an idea. While the idea on the whole might be tough on the side of the mappers, on the coding side it's simple.

There is also the issue on how to keep a less than idea commander out of the commander position. Nothing ruins a game like when someone who doesn't know or care what they are doing hops in the cv. (I don't mind when a new person wants to learn, but when a kid doesn't know what he's doing and will not take help, well time to change servers). I propose a system of achievements like what America's Army does. You have to go through training to use it. Not simply a tutorial but a decent course. Possibly implement an entire system like this. A player can earn unlocks and upgrades by going through training (to a point) or by simply playing and gaining experience points. Using the system of stats, players can earn ranks. The highest ranking commander, will be the one to be the commander for the duration he is in the server. However there will be three ways for the commander to get kicked. A team vote called, the commander steps down, or if someone else joins the server and has a higher % of wins as commander compared to the current commander a vote will be called, on to keep or replace the commander.

The object is to conquer the continent, so each maps is fought that way, to the death. When one side kills all buildings and soldiers in a map, that side gets it. Now that doesn't kick players out from the map. No they can stay there as long as they want. The enemy could launch a counter-attack at anytime. To launch a counter attack, the enemy has to move soldiers and a cv up to the front. They would literally have to drive from map to map. I'm thinking the simple time it takes to traverse a map, or more than one maps, will keep players from all running back to the previous map and buying a bunch of tanks, or apcs. Although there would be nothing against that. I could also see adding possible side missions, such as destroy this refinery, behind enemy lines or something and giving more experience points for that.

Lastly would be the organization of everyone. I'm thinking when you sign up, and pick your faction, your character and class, you'll be put into a cops, division, brigade, battalion, company all the way down to the platoon. When you are in the actual battle you can create your own squad. This will organize players, and allow for clans to be created along a similar setup. Also to make it more of a team play, your movements will be limited to the sections your battalion is assigned. So if your battalion is sent to a set of maps, you can't go somewhere else till you guys take/defend those maps.

I've got to go to work, but I've got some more ideas that I'll post up when I get back. I just want to say that I love Empires the way it is now, and in no way am I bashing the devs at all. This is just something I've been thinking about for a while. I've always wanted a massive rts/fps blend game that gives the experience that I've found with empires. To me and I'm sure others here, this blend of fps/rts seems only the next natural in gaming.

 

I skimmed through your post, and while the idea is good somewhat....

No, this will never happen. First of all, you talk about creating, making, editing etc. Who's going to do all that? You? Then who? The dev team? The same dev team that does this voluntarily and gets no pay except from donations (read: no pay)?

We all have ideas on how to make some MMOs, and you barely covered anything in your post regarding how the game is going to work. (Yes, I know that you'll get back from work)

Furthermore, the mod is based on the Source engine. You seen an MMO based on Source? Me neither. That means they would have to either create their own engine, or do something else fuck knows what.

 

Why does this sound like "Shattered Galaxy"

 

empires mmo?

seems like a technologically impossible task, we dont have a decent enough dev crew for that imo

unless someone finds a large pile of cash (over 10000 euros will do) and devs are "hired" this isnt gonna work

 

Do you mean literally or figuratively? :p

 

Well my whole thing, was I believe this is possible on the source engine and steam as it is now. I know the devs all volunteer there time, and I am grateful for everything they do. I wouldn't expect them to do anymore than they already are. I'm just throwing around some ideas I've had. I'd love to help the dev team out too, but my coding skills don't go much behind playing around. (Done a little with the Wine projects for some wrappers but that's about where I end).

To address actual game mechanics, I believe the overall feel to the player will stay much the same. I think there will need to be an additional resource added tot he game, ore. The commander will also have the ability to switch the refineries from producing money or producing oil. Vehicles will now cost oil and ore to produce. However there will also be aided an helipad, where vehicles can be air dropped in instead for $$ instead of oil and ore. However they will be much more expensive. A vehicle can only be dropped in if they have a stockpile of that vehicle in maps that are deemed controlled by that faction. Now when you build a vehicle instead of it being produced and it rolling out, it will be "put in a lot" so to speak. Where at the main screen of the factory you built it you'll have the ability to select it and then "roll it out". That way someone could built a few tanks, and then have them waiting to be airlifted. When someone at an helipad purchases a tank it's removed from the inventory at that factory. As you can see it's more economical to build a vehicle, but in a warzone you might not have the time or resources to produce said vehicle in the time of need, so there is the helipad.

How will all this work? Well the ore can be extracted by building a mine, easy enough to implement, since refineries are already there. For the refinery to produce oil or funds, that can added without much difficulty I'm thinking. As for keeping track of the vehicles built, and whats available for airlift or not, all that is needed is a simple database, that is updated by all servers(maps), and checked. The database contains what vehicles are "in the lot" and from where. When someone takes a vehicle out of the lot, or orders it for helidrop, then it's removed from the database.

Alright, from start to finish, I'll go through what I imagine a player seeing. He starts empires up from steam, and he's dropped at the main menu. It's basically the same, but instead of find server, it's "join battle", or whatever. When he clicks this, if this is his first time he will be asked to create a character. With this he is asked what faction and what class. Based on these choices he will then be assigned a platoon based on his class. Trying to keep a balance of classes. Being 30-60 people in a platoon that is a decent size to keep a good balance. I am thinking clans will be on the platoon level.

If he's already setup a character, he is brought up to a world map, showing all the territories, color coded, by who owns what. Then the ones where a major battle is taking place will be colored a different color. Major battle being there is at least ten players on each side. On the territories which the player can join will be outlined in yellow. The territories which he can join is determined by his platoon. I haven't decided whats the best manor to decide this. Does the devs/mods of the game control what platoons can work where, or do we let the platoon commander decide? How high of a chain of command gets implemented? I am thinking it stops at the platoon level, but maybe it should go higher?

Being a military game team tactics are important and thus the clan based model I think works. I'm not saying to force people into a clan, but if we implement features of such into the framework of the game it will be beneficial. The commander of a platoon, is voted on by members of the platoon. There are prerequisites such having passed the training to be a commander (to drive the cv). This whole voting will take place outside the servers/game itself. I believe steamworks will once again provide the necessary features and API for this to take place.

When you want to join a battle you select the territory and it'll connect you to the server. However if it's a territory that you can't join, the server first checks your name/platoon against the database and list of platoons that are authorized to join the server. If your platoon isn't there, it's a no go. You'll then be told and kicked back to the map of territories.

When you join a battle or map, it will play out much like it does now. However when the enemy cv is destroyed the battle is not over. When the enemy cv is destroyed the territory is considered captured. However there will still be enemy units and buildings to take care of. In order to attack a captured territory, a cv must be driven into the map from a surrounding territory. This is the only way a cv can move into a new territory. Once there the play will go on like normal. Any vehicle or personal can move like such from territory to territory (server to server), as long as your platoon is assigned that territory. (There will be a limit on the number of territories a platoon can be assigned). So one could build a strike force up and then drive to enemy territory to attack. Once the cv leaves the map, a new one will respawn in 30 seconds. This should give enough time for if a player is not allowed to go to the territory they tried to cross to, to be rejected and returned to the server.

If a player drives a cv onto another friendly map with a cv already present, there is two possibilities I can think of. 1) The server rejects the cv, and instead the player who just joined the server is given a basic APC. Or 2) The cv is disabled in terms of being a command vehicle but allowed to travel through. Option 2 seems more idea but difficult to implement.

As far as how a player takes a vehicle from server to server, when he crosses the border and goes to leave the map/server, along with the player data, the vehicle data is transmitted, what vehicle, stats, and all is transmitted too, then that is also spawned in the new server with the player in it.

If a player wants to gain experience points or earn the ability to be a commander/drive the cv, then he can load up the “training”. This will be below the “Join Battle” at the main menu. This training will have a basic training to get players use to the new blend of FPS and RTS. Also there will be commander training to teach a player the ropes. Once he has completed all this then he will gain a few experience points, enough to grant him once basic unlock, and the ability to drive the cv and be commander in battle.

I'm sure I'm leaving out many many details, but just ask and I'll clarify or expand anything for you. I've thought about this for quite some time, and I've tried to think of everything that would need to be done. I'm sure there are things I didn't think of. I'm also sure that tomorrow I'll wake up and remember something I didn't post. This post is long enough as it is though.

As I said to begin with, I'm just throwing my ideas out there. I don't expect anything from anyone, but I figured there is no harm is posting up. I'd love for something like this to get off the ground, and I'm more than willing to work on it. I think empires is a great game, and I only wish to see it expanded. I know everyone here volunteers there time, and I thank them greatly. This game is fantastic the way it is now. If nothing ever changed I'd still be playing it. It really is amazing that everyone designs and creates a mod like this for the sake of having a good enjoyable game.

 

My level 50 Roflman is equipped with an Ion Vaporizer.

Sorry, I've dealt with too many MMOs within my lifetime and I'm sick of them. I would like to keep Empires the way it is.

The work to put into "remodifying" Empires would make the project complete in the far far future.

 

Krenzo has talked about it before. Search forums before posting.

 

nothing really has to change for it to work, something like very heavily extended rank system with loads of little perks and a personal resource system

the "under the hood" changes would be the things that are technically impossible