Comments on: Metaplace Madness: 5 Questions http://theserverisdown.com/2007/09/19/metaplace-madness-my-5-questions/ Offline Commentary for Online Worlds. Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:03:47 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: DamianoV http://theserverisdown.com/2007/09/19/metaplace-madness-my-5-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-267 DamianoV Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:00:38 +0000 http://theserverisdown.com/2007/09/19/metaplace-madness-my-5-questions/#comment-267 The reassuring statement, for me, was that Raph was planning to make a worldy MMO on the platform. If the processes and tools are robust enough for that, they'll be good enough for nearly anything a smaller, less experienced individual or team would want to try. I certainly hope I get a chance to beat on it a bit... I have more than a few ideas (including both a Flash-based GMUD and an XNA/webservices client/server app) that are currently set on the backburner in hopeful anticipation... The reassuring statement, for me, was that Raph was planning to make a worldy MMO on the platform. If the processes and tools are robust enough for that, they’ll be good enough for nearly anything a smaller, less experienced individual or team would want to try.

I certainly hope I get a chance to beat on it a bit… I have more than a few ideas (including both a Flash-based GMUD and an XNA/webservices client/server app) that are currently set on the backburner in hopeful anticipation…

]]> By: No Signal Input http://theserverisdown.com/2007/09/19/metaplace-madness-my-5-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-256 No Signal Input Sat, 22 Sep 2007 19:13:01 +0000 http://theserverisdown.com/2007/09/19/metaplace-madness-my-5-questions/#comment-256 <strong>Metaplace - The Next Big Thing?...</strong> The majority of products fail to live up to the hype but I guess there's no harm in putting a little faith in reserve for those things you believe may be the next big thing.... Metaplace – The Next Big Thing?…

The majority of products fail to live up to the hype but I guess there’s no harm in putting a little faith in reserve for those things you believe may be the next big thing….

]]> By: Aaron http://theserverisdown.com/2007/09/19/metaplace-madness-my-5-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-233 Aaron Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:25:57 +0000 http://theserverisdown.com/2007/09/19/metaplace-madness-my-5-questions/#comment-233 Wow, Cuppy's everwhere I go. She's really on top of this. --- I blogged just last night about the need for formal accessibility contracts in <i>Metaplace</i>. You don't just need permission from someone to use their content... you need <i>proof</i> of permission, and an agreement of how ownership will change if profit becomes involved. Perhaps someone let you use their asset for free when you were making a free game; but if your game becomes wildly popular and you have to start charging for it (to be Areae for hosting fees), then that creator might want compensation for their asset. In any event, it's a good idea to give folks credit for their asset work in your game credits. Hopefully, Areae will facilitate that. If the assets are exchanged through their site, then Areae could design the exchange program to automatically record that sort of info and add it to the game's "Credits" page when the asset goes into the game. If the asset is later removed from the game, the Areae program could automatically remove that credit from the page. --- I posted a question on Raph's site this morning (it relates to your first): "Raph, I finally got around to watching your little demo, and it raised a couple questions. You showed how the toolset is currently divided into sub-toolsets for different types of games (space shooter, arcade, etc). Will it be possible to combine genres with <i>Metaplace</i>? If not through a graphical tool, would someone with at least a little programming knowledge be able to take a few lines of code from one genre template and try to apply them to another genre? For example, if I wanted to combine an arcade-type air-combat game (ala <i>1942</i> or <i>Galaga</i>) with an RPG-style character panel (for attribute and skill upgrades, visual customization), might that be possible? Or say I wanted the player to be able to eject from the plane and parachute down to the ground, at which point he could fire rockets at the planes in first-person view? I'll understand if it's too early to know or comment, but does enabling that sort of genre crossover sound like something y'all are considering?" We'll see if he or Tami are able to respond. Wow, Cuppy’s everwhere I go. She’s really on top of this.

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I blogged just last night about the need for formal accessibility contracts in Metaplace. You don’t just need permission from someone to use their content… you need proof of permission, and an agreement of how ownership will change if profit becomes involved. Perhaps someone let you use their asset for free when you were making a free game; but if your game becomes wildly popular and you have to start charging for it (to be Areae for hosting fees), then that creator might want compensation for their asset.

In any event, it’s a good idea to give folks credit for their asset work in your game credits. Hopefully, Areae will facilitate that. If the assets are exchanged through their site, then Areae could design the exchange program to automatically record that sort of info and add it to the game’s “Credits” page when the asset goes into the game. If the asset is later removed from the game, the Areae program could automatically remove that credit from the page.

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I posted a question on Raph’s site this morning (it relates to your first):

“Raph, I finally got around to watching your little demo, and it raised a couple questions.

You showed how the toolset is currently divided into sub-toolsets for different types of games (space shooter, arcade, etc). Will it be possible to combine genres with Metaplace? If not through a graphical tool, would someone with at least a little programming knowledge be able to take a few lines of code from one genre template and try to apply them to another genre?

For example, if I wanted to combine an arcade-type air-combat game (ala 1942 or Galaga) with an RPG-style character panel (for attribute and skill upgrades, visual customization), might that be possible? Or say I wanted the player to be able to eject from the plane and parachute down to the ground, at which point he could fire rockets at the planes in first-person view?

I’ll understand if it’s too early to know or comment, but does enabling that sort of genre crossover sound like something y’all are considering?”

We’ll see if he or Tami are able to respond.

]]> By: Cuppycake http://theserverisdown.com/2007/09/19/metaplace-madness-my-5-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-227 Cuppycake Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:22:00 +0000 http://theserverisdown.com/2007/09/19/metaplace-madness-my-5-questions/#comment-227 Alrighty, I'll take a stab at a few of the questions here =) 1. At this point we have several different building clients available, with a variety of tools for a variety of skill levels. We expect that people will also be wanting to create their own clients as well - so we should be seeing others surface that might be better suited for different projects. For folks who really know their stuff - well, everything can be done in script. And if it can't be done, we want those people to let us know so that we can MAKE it possible. 2. Think of the rating system a lot like YouTube. 95% of the content on YouTube is stuff that people upload for their friends and family, or stuff that isn't worth watching. Do you have to watch it? Not at all, because your friends give you direct links to the video they want you to watch. That's how our games will work. In addition, our rating system will be fairly robust with 'badge' type awards and numerical ratings that will help the 'good stuff' stay in the limelight and easy to find. We also have plans to do "Community Spotlights" for games that we find to be extraordinary, and we'll have our own awards that we'll give out to exceptional games. It won't be difficult to find the "gems" so to speak. 3. Also a lot like YouTube - go ahead and upload/make whatever you want, but you can be assured that if the property holder complains to you or to Metaplace - it will end up being taken down (either by you or by us). It's probably a good idea to get permission if you're not going to be doing something completely original. 4. There will be opportunities for the builders of games to make money, yes. Regarding rushes for URL's - we assume that people will take the big brand names, but if the companies request them...they'll have to give them up. Copywrite is copywrite after all. =) Like any MMO where character names are unique - world names in Metaplace will be unique too. I don't see that being any bigger of an issue than unique character names on servers in MMORPG's. 5. More info on Raph's MMO will be coming in the future. For now, you'll have to rest assured that there really isn't a limit to what can be made in our platform. Hope that helps to answer some of your questions =) Alrighty, I’ll take a stab at a few of the questions here =)

1. At this point we have several different building clients available, with a variety of tools for a variety of skill levels. We expect that people will also be wanting to create their own clients as well – so we should be seeing others surface that might be better suited for different projects. For folks who really know their stuff – well, everything can be done in script. And if it can’t be done, we want those people to let us know so that we can MAKE it possible.

2. Think of the rating system a lot like YouTube. 95% of the content on YouTube is stuff that people upload for their friends and family, or stuff that isn’t worth watching. Do you have to watch it? Not at all, because your friends give you direct links to the video they want you to watch. That’s how our games will work.

In addition, our rating system will be fairly robust with ‘badge’ type awards and numerical ratings that will help the ‘good stuff’ stay in the limelight and easy to find. We also have plans to do “Community Spotlights” for games that we find to be extraordinary, and we’ll have our own awards that we’ll give out to exceptional games. It won’t be difficult to find the “gems” so to speak.

3. Also a lot like YouTube – go ahead and upload/make whatever you want, but you can be assured that if the property holder complains to you or to Metaplace – it will end up being taken down (either by you or by us). It’s probably a good idea to get permission if you’re not going to be doing something completely original.

4. There will be opportunities for the builders of games to make money, yes. Regarding rushes for URL’s – we assume that people will take the big brand names, but if the companies request them…they’ll have to give them up. Copywrite is copywrite after all. =) Like any MMO where character names are unique – world names in Metaplace will be unique too. I don’t see that being any bigger of an issue than unique character names on servers in MMORPG’s.

5. More info on Raph’s MMO will be coming in the future. For now, you’ll have to rest assured that there really isn’t a limit to what can be made in our platform.

Hope that helps to answer some of your questions =)

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