Author Topic: Chrono MMO in consideration  (Read 1071 times)

Schala Zeal

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Chrono MMO in consideration
« on: June 27, 2008, 05:10:24 am »
As well as the almost-in-development Chrono Flux, an MMORPG is in consideration. Code named "Chrono Revolution," the exciting new perspective of Chrono gaming is expected to give Chrono fans an epic new experience. As an avid MMO gamer myself, I know what Chrono fans and MMO gamers expect. The storyline is still in the early stages of writing, but what I can tell you is that it will act as the sequel to Chrono Flux. The main plot of the story, I can say at this point, is that after events that take place in Flux that I shall not spoil, reminants of the Time Devourer/Lavos attempt to make a last ditch effort at diminishing spacetime once and for all by travelling to various events in history to alter them for the worst.

The heroes in previous games will be unable to fulfill their roles to keep history intact without your help. Join along in the Chronoverse with other players and embark on an adventure that will build on your skills and fill your role to ally with others and prevail over old villains and new.

Beloved characters from the Chrono series can be expected to make a reappearance. Reexperience events from past games such as the infiltration of Magus' Castle, the Black Omen, and the Undersea Palace allied with up to NINETEEN other players. Each player will fill a vital role in progressing their party further into the dungeons. Expect revamped boss battles with different strategies for each, including Magus, Azala, Lynx, and even Lavos itself. With time altered, experience exciting new changes to old events!

This game will focus on player-versus-player and dungeon party content, with respect given to the casual solo gamer. Thought is still being given whether this should be 2D or 3D. The battle system will be an appropriately redone version of Chrono Cross' field effect system suitable for multiplayer. The main protagonist NPC of the game will be Schala, who has, since the events of Chrono Cross, ascented to claim the title Guardian of Time and will play a large role in the gameplay. She will be located in an area known as the Spacetime Nexus, which will be the central location of the game.

To explain Schala's role a bit, the reason why I think the role of Guardian of Time suited her was not only because of her limitless magic long forgotten from Zeal, but from the power she received during her ordeal in the Darkness Beyond Time. In the MMO story, and possibly Flux's story, the Time Devourer unintentionally transferred a good deal of its power to Schala, thus giving her the ability to manipulate the fabric of spacetime to a degree. You can possibly relate this to Harry Potter unintentionally receiving some of Voldemort's powers during his attempted murder as a baby, if you want. But I chose to make this so because I believe if she was partially fused with the Time Devourer, she undoubtedly HAD to gain something from it, though unintentionally from the Time Devourer's perspective.

Please check back periodically for updates!

MDenham

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2008, 05:17:47 am »
Two comments:

First - making an MMO is, to put it mildly, not for the faint of heart.  Assuming no reuse of copyrighted material, your minimum team will consist of at least one of each of the following:

* a programmer;
* a graphics person;
* a sound person;
* and someone managing continuity (if not with the series itself, at least within the game).

3D will generally increase the requirements of the first two.

(You'll also need enough computing power to run the whole thing - though this isn't necessarily something that needs to be in place RIGHT.  FREAKIN'.  NOW., it's something to keep in mind.)

Second, concerning how to redo the field-effect system for multiplayer:

Why not have it actually be an effect on the playing field - in other words, each player's character has an elemental overlay associated with it (with respect to color), and, depending on level, a certain maximum range beyond which this overlay ceases to have any effect.  As more spells are cast, the overlay gets shifted outward to cover more distant tiles...  and the overall effect on any tile is based upon the sum of all overlays at that tile (this works best with a map that uses hexagonal tiles, even if the game is in 3D).

Schala Zeal

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2008, 05:36:05 am »
Two comments:

First - making an MMO is, to put it mildly, not for the faint of heart.  Assuming no reuse of copyrighted material, your minimum team will consist of at least one of each of the following:

* a programmer;
* a graphics person;
* a sound person;
* and someone managing continuity (if not with the series itself, at least within the game).

3D will generally increase the requirements of the first two.

(You'll also need enough computing power to run the whole thing - though this isn't necessarily something that needs to be in place RIGHT.  FREAKIN'.  NOW., it's something to keep in mind.)

Second, concerning how to redo the field-effect system for multiplayer:

Why not have it actually be an effect on the playing field - in other words, each player's character has an elemental overlay associated with it (with respect to color), and, depending on level, a certain maximum range beyond which this overlay ceases to have any effect.  As more spells are cast, the overlay gets shifted outward to cover more distant tiles...  and the overall effect on any tile is based upon the sum of all overlays at that tile (this works best with a map that uses hexagonal tiles, even if the game is in 3D).

Well, firstly, this will be done open-source, since obviously otherwise, copyright would cut it off. Unfortunate to say, unless someone can invest the time to host game servers at their own financial expense (which I doubt), the server-side software will be included. Server admins may advertise their servers to be public to attract attention, but though I recommend otherwise, I respect that. However they themselves will be held responsible if Square asks them to stop. I use the term MMO to be specific about game-play but it's more intended for small scale server populace, maybe for friends and family. The admin will be able to adjust difficulty levels obviously because not everyone has a truckload of friends who play the same online game, let alone the same server.

Second, the server will depend on a SQL database to hold information such as player character progress, enemy functionality assignments, scripted AI... As for graphics and sound, I'm in favor of SDL mostly because I've seen a few games, 2D and 3D alike, made with it. This game's planned initial development will start after a milestone release of Chrono Flux, if it is still considered at the time.

Your explanation of the ideal battle system confuses me though. If you could perhaps provide an example or two, that'd be good.

MDenham

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2008, 07:18:34 am »
Your explanation of the ideal battle system confuses me though. If you could perhaps provide an example or two, that'd be good.
Well, the easiest explanation is with a picture here.

In the attached picture, the first row shows the first three stages for a character with an effect range of at least 2, casting spells of the colors red, green, and blue.  As you can see, it simply moves outward.  Colors that would reach further than the range end up being dropped entirely (not shown).

The second row shows three sets - one blue-yellow-red, one black-blue-white, and one yellow-green-blue.

The bottom left corner shows what happens when these three are overlaid onto each other (the brown cell being the center of the first, the pale green cell being the center of the second, and the dark blue cell to its upper left being the center of the third).  Some of the cells (in fact, most of them in this example) are odd mish-mash colors where little or no effect on any element would be observed.  Others, such as the darker blue cell that lies at the center of the third player's region of influence (2x blue, 1x black) and the blue cell three rows down and barely to the right (2x blue, no other effect) would have a stronger effect on elements of the same color (for example, if the second player were to follow up their white spell with some other spell, this would push their black "ring" further out, if not off completely, and likewise with the other colors, thereby making a cell with 3x blue for its effect, which would probably be the bare minimum for summons to be possible).

Obviously this makes it a much more team-oriented game, though!



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Schala Zeal

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2008, 03:50:19 pm »
Hm. It seems intriguing. I think I grasp the idea. Still, I think, just to be safe, I should assign the battle system work to someone who for sure knows how this work. I'm a wee bit in the dark still but I love the idea!

Schala Zeal

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2008, 04:35:52 pm »
I've been wondering how to eliminate the need for a mana system also. In Cross, characters had elemental trees that they could only use each element per tree level once, but since the party dungeon system in the MMO will involve hacking down very strong bosses, I think it must be modified a bit.

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2008, 06:04:39 pm »
If this actually came to fruition I would be super impressed.  And I would kiss everyone involved.  Like ten times.

Schala Zeal

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2008, 06:38:49 pm »
Meanwhile, I just spent about an hour explaining the Chrono Flux battle system in depth. I hope it's a good read.

Yourgingerestfan

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2008, 04:13:22 am »
wow online chrono !

Schala Zeal

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2008, 04:18:22 am »
If this actually came to fruition I would be super impressed.  And I would kiss everyone involved.  Like ten times.

Wouldn't ten times make it officially making out? ^_~ How flattering...

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #10 on: June 29, 2008, 11:31:06 pm »
Oh, it would probably end up in babies.

Schala Zeal

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #11 on: June 29, 2008, 11:47:57 pm »
Oh, it would probably end up in babies.

Me getting pregnant....let alone losing my virginity.... That would be a first...

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #12 on: June 29, 2008, 11:49:28 pm »
Ya know, after my comment, I deserve that influx of information.

Schala Zeal

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #13 on: June 30, 2008, 12:00:10 am »
Well it just shows my patience til I wed *shrug* Losing my virginity ain't on my list.

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Chrono MMO in consideration
« Reply #14 on: June 30, 2008, 12:05:27 am »
Good for you!  (That's not sarcasm)  Nice to know that there are still people who treasure saving it for "the one".  That's not always a common sight these days.