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Developers Corner 

MMORPG Game Concepts  » How to get started?

4 posts found

Novice Member

Joined: 12/04/12
Posts: 2

OP  12/04/12 2:34:08 PM#1

This is my first post so sorry for any rookieness... Anyways I don't plan on tackelling an MMORPG as my first project, however I have a concept for Android and other touch interface devices that I think could (If my concept is possible) revolutionize its genre. The game would be mostly skill based taking aspects of Mabinogi's combat system and Infinity blade. I would be looking for Animeish graphics and highly customizable character items, and a buttload of life skills (Like Mabi). I'm fairly certain that higher end Android and iOS devices are powerful enough to run an MMO like this. Or at least will be able to within the next two or 3 years.

I'm fairly certain there isn't much place in the gaming world for someone who has a game concept but no programming knowledge so I'm going to start. Basically though I want to know if anyone would have any ideas for me to start? Is there a tablet game engine that could do what I want or would I need to build it from scratch? What do you think I should work on with my first project and whatnot. Or I guess I wouldn't mind working with people on the concept and having them take the game concept if I could retain just a tiny bit of ownership (but whats the chance that that will happen?) Anyways I hope whatever I'm saying makes sense -_-... I feel like a complete newb haha... If you want me to explain in more detail what my concept is I could try my best to write it out in detail to you in an email or reply.


Novice Member

Joined: 12/24/10
Posts: 698

12/05/12 4:34:11 PM#2

The best place to start learning to programming is from books.   While books have quite a few flaws like going out of date fast(really even from day one due to time to market), having fewer authors than online articles, and inaccuracies/annoying dogma.  I really value that you're learning from one constant perspective and voice makes things a lot easier for beginners, and online tutorials you're going to be missing so many small and tiny gaps that authors assume you learned elsewhere(a problem books have less of).

If you're attempting to rush things along and want to target android start with Java, for apple objective-c(though it's a lot more varied now).  possibly C# with XNA for windows phone/tablet.

If you want to program on a PC/xbox game really fast  with tutorials use C# and XNA(I'd recommend: and his book: available just about anywhere though).  

C# is my recommendation since you can get results really fast with XNA, and getting the initial results fast is important for getting the "feedback" you need when you're teaching yourself something.  


As for there being no place for someone who is just a designer that's not completely true. However the concept of designer is flawed in most peoples minds, you're not making ideas you're compromising with your team's ideas and trying to make a coherent whole. Further I expect a "designer" to work above me be better at it than myself. Seriously anyone could make stable and fair lemonade stand game, but a game designer has the ability to make it pure magic in any medium(Card games, board games, computer games, in the wrong genre, and even sillier things like sticks and stones). A real game designer could talk about a silly lemonade stand game for the better part of a week.

Basically programming is just recommended for indy games because to get to the point where a team wants to work with you "for cheap/free", you need to be at a 90% point so the last 90% of the work can get done. Programming gives a great skill set to get to the point where stuff moves. After you have a team, programming also puts you in a position where you can ensure continued forward progress to encourage your team to move on their end of the project.

In the end you don't really need to be a "Programmer" to make and release games. I consider a programmer someone who takes pride, methodology, and other intangible things in their work while programming(Carpenter VS. handyman type deal). There have actually been a nice rash of very interesting games released by people who are artists/designers/writers who learned to get something that works in a very short amount of time, and to be honest this is a right way since the users never see the code. Getting to the point that you get something that works should be counted in months(many but under a year) if you have real skills elsewhere to back yourself up. Basically you shouldn't worry about being a bad programmer or code looking like crap as long as the user doesn't see crap.

As for you having an idea that will revolutionize a genre, it's laughably unlikely. You're thinking too highly of yourself and lowly of too many others. Really if your idea is original(according to market) it's going to be closer "many people have decided to ignore that in favor of other things".

Really starting with an RPG is going to be suicide for getting yourself interested in programming and design. Starting with anything multiplayer is going to be worse.

Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent.



Novice Member

Joined: 12/04/12
Posts: 2

OP  12/05/12 6:06:07 PM#3

I suppose revolutionize was a bit cocky huh? :/ What I meant by revolutionize is something that I havn't seen anyone else do before, and I would be a giddy little child who just found out he gets to go live in Disney Land if I saw the concepts (Polished and worked over and edited with a team of course) come to light. I'm also well aware that this would not be something I would tackle as my first project. I would die from frustration, I was just wondering where to begin so that I could get the skills and begin getting to know people that I could work with. I wouldn't expect to have a chance at making an MMORPG for at least 10 years (and I think thats pushing it a lot!).

Thanks for the info though. I'll probably pick up the books and also start delving into graphic design. Since I've got a few years left before college and I have more free time then I can use.


Novice Member

Joined: 3/13/12
Posts: 320

12/05/12 6:16:46 PM#4

this is a great place for learning code .!/exercises/0