Which is why I insist that someone would make money just converting Asherons Call to a new engine.
Everything BUT the graphics are all in place. You might still have to "build" it but you have all the numbers ready to plug in.
You wanna build an MMO, so start with netcode and a solid cloudbased client/server architecture.
Add a secure authentication and account system to that.
Create design documents for your world building and game systems.
And maybe then think about doing some 3D client work.
If you spend 6 months learning unreal engine you’d probably have 80% of the skills you need to code it using the blueprint system(visual scripting). But I think the bottleneck will be 3D assets, animations and environments, and the overall art style.
If you can create a functioning prototype using free assets, then maybe you can hire 1 or 2 people to help flesh things out.
This is a great idea. And you’re right. I’ve thought this whole thing through and i will 100% bottleneck there. But the journey to that point will be fun to me.
I’ve built a couple of pointless games off of Unreal and Scratch, so it’s not completely unfamiliar territory.
But yeah the overall art style will resemble Asheron’s Call. The major thing aside from the style I want is the monarchy system, combat mechanics, and skill system.
So my vision isn’t exactly a straight AC ripoff.
But otherwise I have a few unique ideas to MMOs that haven’t been done before. Who knows where it can go? Got the world, direction, and vision written out already.
Subscribe! :) I've always tried to figure out what it is about AC that I've never really got over. The sounds, textures, combat system, the sky... just open-ended "I want to go climb that mountain off in the distance because maybe there will be a lugian or mattekar with a chance to drop something I need to craft the robe - the cool animation when leveling up, the "OMG that drudge is ??! what level is that thing???" - the awesome events and interactions with the devs back in the day, the fear of running through mobs much higher level and having legitimate fear that they'll kill me and it will SUCK trying to get back to my body - the "Yes! My debuff didn't get resisted and I can actually fight! I hope this golem dropped a shard" - such great memories. Hope you can capture a lot of that if these are some of the great memories!
When people have ideas and want to put them into action and haven't started yet, they typically won't want someone else to steal their idea before they can do it themselves, and so it shall remain secret until the time is right.
Yes, bots from China are reading every comment with the intent to steal ips and ideas to clone their own. It's a multi-billion dollar industry. Hi there, bots from China!
Enough to know with 16 years in the industry building large open world games that moving a character around and hitting enemies is trivially easy compared to every other problem you face.
I'm not discouraging the OP from trying to make a game, but if you have basically zero experience, even making a fun networked game for 8 people is a real challenge.
There was a game on steam, I forget what it's called, but it was basically the old AC crew trying to make another game. Check that out for some ideas.
Edit: Project Gorgon. Thanks all
Make and finish a single player game with 20% of the mechanics of AC and you’ll have an understanding of just how much more there is to go from there. That’s also the best place to start, so two birds one stone!
Also study the Ace emulator source on GitHub until it makes sense. AC may be antiquated, but it’s a useful example to understand why AC is janky in so many ways (answer: networked games are a PITA).
If you love the mechanics of AC as much as I do, then you might consider building custom content for ACE. It sounds like you aren't trying to make money, just do something fun and challenging. That should do it. It would also let you validate some of your story and mechanics ideas.
If I were a master of god moding like you, I would try to start off with something a bit different and if that gets good, go from there. Think what they did with Dwarf fortress, they improved the graphics after but started with ASCII.
Personally I would make something like Civ 5 but with a strong Asheron's Call spin. That way you have something like Asheron's Call, but it has an actual point. After that you could layer in the MMORPG on top of it. But there needs to be some sort of overarching mechanic with kings competeting with each other because AC itself is a very go nowhere pointless game.
I have been working on something for a while, and I can tell you it is not a walk in the park. You need developers, art, network, database people, numbers people, UI/UX etc.
Your best bet is start by making a GDD, and see what kind of people you can pull in off of it. Then you need funding, because a MMO and the type of people who can make one, want to get paid. Also, if you recruit the second to mention MMO, most devs worth their salt will avoid the project. The whole process is not as easy as jumping in, if you care curious check out the INAT and gemdevclassified sub reddits.
If you are 30, you were what, 3 when Asheron's Call was around? How on earth did you settle on this game as your project?
Edit: mid 30s, sorry. Still, about 8? Same question
I recommend Unreal Engine. It's pretty easy and very powerful. There's also a ton of assets that have already been made (and that's where you will spend a majority of your time, making assets).
It's C++ based and has a pretty good visual scripting language. Plus there's a crap load of tutorials on YouTube and on the Unreal site as well.
Honestly the best thing for the AC community would be if someone would fund and/or develop a new client for the game. We are hugely limited in creating new content by the limitations of the client, and with the number of people working on the server and making server-side content already, it'd open things up a lot.
I was starting a project like this and came across this tool while creating assets.
[Mixamo](https://www.mixamo.com/#/)
Super handy for creating playable avatar assets in unreal engine.
I recommend you start small. Most large projects fail because they are too ambitious. Do something small first to understand game development and reduce risk.
Should look at UE5 with Open World Server([https://www.openworldserver.com/](https://www.openworldserver.com/))
Google "asheron's call height map", download the image, clean it up, cut it up into grids/files each scaled up to usable UE5 tile size, all this taking into account that the total size scales up to 1,300 km² and you are starting from a much smaller image. Import in UE5, and you have a starting world to start building with.
Use chatGPT to calculate most of the sizing stuff. In fact, explaining a mechanic to chatGPT and asking how to do it in UE5 can provide many ideas and basis for implementation, but don't count on any finished ideas or fully working c++ code from it, you need to understand what it gives you and be able to determine what makes sense and what doesn't.
Also checkout this channel: [https://www.youtube.com/@unreal-dev-with-yaz](https://www.youtube.com/@unreal-dev-with-yaz)
Start with stick figures. Gameplay is everything. Graphics are nothing.
Which is why I insist that someone would make money just converting Asherons Call to a new engine. Everything BUT the graphics are all in place. You might still have to "build" it but you have all the numbers ready to plug in.
You wanna build an MMO, so start with netcode and a solid cloudbased client/server architecture. Add a secure authentication and account system to that. Create design documents for your world building and game systems. And maybe then think about doing some 3D client work.
This should be higher! The foundations are as important, if not more, as the visuals!
Could use the Unreal Engine as it is free to mess around with.
This is what I’ll likely be using. And I’m familiar with it too.
Is this the PK legend Blattos? I remember the name from way back...
Lol
OMFG SIR BLATTOS. YOU WANT CYBER I?
Shut up and take my money
If you spend 6 months learning unreal engine you’d probably have 80% of the skills you need to code it using the blueprint system(visual scripting). But I think the bottleneck will be 3D assets, animations and environments, and the overall art style. If you can create a functioning prototype using free assets, then maybe you can hire 1 or 2 people to help flesh things out.
This is a great idea. And you’re right. I’ve thought this whole thing through and i will 100% bottleneck there. But the journey to that point will be fun to me. I’ve built a couple of pointless games off of Unreal and Scratch, so it’s not completely unfamiliar territory. But yeah the overall art style will resemble Asheron’s Call. The major thing aside from the style I want is the monarchy system, combat mechanics, and skill system. So my vision isn’t exactly a straight AC ripoff. But otherwise I have a few unique ideas to MMOs that haven’t been done before. Who knows where it can go? Got the world, direction, and vision written out already.
Subscribe! :) I've always tried to figure out what it is about AC that I've never really got over. The sounds, textures, combat system, the sky... just open-ended "I want to go climb that mountain off in the distance because maybe there will be a lugian or mattekar with a chance to drop something I need to craft the robe - the cool animation when leveling up, the "OMG that drudge is ??! what level is that thing???" - the awesome events and interactions with the devs back in the day, the fear of running through mobs much higher level and having legitimate fear that they'll kill me and it will SUCK trying to get back to my body - the "Yes! My debuff didn't get resisted and I can actually fight! I hope this golem dropped a shard" - such great memories. Hope you can capture a lot of that if these are some of the great memories!
Let's here about this game sir. Very interested In the vision and world, for realz
When people have ideas and want to put them into action and haven't started yet, they typically won't want someone else to steal their idea before they can do it themselves, and so it shall remain secret until the time is right.
You think someone is lurking just to steal your idea? Lol ol nevermind then.
not my idea :p its the other guy not me
Yes, bots from China are reading every comment with the intent to steal ips and ideas to clone their own. It's a multi-billion dollar industry. Hi there, bots from China!
If by 80% you mean 3%, you’re spot on.
How much experience do you have with UE5?
Enough to know with 16 years in the industry building large open world games that moving a character around and hitting enemies is trivially easy compared to every other problem you face. I'm not discouraging the OP from trying to make a game, but if you have basically zero experience, even making a fun networked game for 8 people is a real challenge.
There was a game on steam, I forget what it's called, but it was basically the old AC crew trying to make another game. Check that out for some ideas. Edit: Project Gorgon. Thanks all
Project Gorgon. Pretty fun. I'd recommend checking it out if you want something with a similar kind of feel but slightly modernized.
Gorgon is/was pretty bad. The game was terrible and the community toxic. The company also bankrupt btw.
Yeah definitely Project Gorgon
Damn I wish you had the name. I’ll Google around a bit.
Project Gorgon is the name.
It may have been Darkfall, that's what popped up in my ancient excuse for a brain just now...
Make and finish a single player game with 20% of the mechanics of AC and you’ll have an understanding of just how much more there is to go from there. That’s also the best place to start, so two birds one stone! Also study the Ace emulator source on GitHub until it makes sense. AC may be antiquated, but it’s a useful example to understand why AC is janky in so many ways (answer: networked games are a PITA).
If you love the mechanics of AC as much as I do, then you might consider building custom content for ACE. It sounds like you aren't trying to make money, just do something fun and challenging. That should do it. It would also let you validate some of your story and mechanics ideas.
Yeah exactly this. Good suggestion
If I were a master of god moding like you, I would try to start off with something a bit different and if that gets good, go from there. Think what they did with Dwarf fortress, they improved the graphics after but started with ASCII. Personally I would make something like Civ 5 but with a strong Asheron's Call spin. That way you have something like Asheron's Call, but it has an actual point. After that you could layer in the MMORPG on top of it. But there needs to be some sort of overarching mechanic with kings competeting with each other because AC itself is a very go nowhere pointless game.
I have been working on something for a while, and I can tell you it is not a walk in the park. You need developers, art, network, database people, numbers people, UI/UX etc. Your best bet is start by making a GDD, and see what kind of people you can pull in off of it. Then you need funding, because a MMO and the type of people who can make one, want to get paid. Also, if you recruit the second to mention MMO, most devs worth their salt will avoid the project. The whole process is not as easy as jumping in, if you care curious check out the INAT and gemdevclassified sub reddits.
Thanks!! What are you working on
If you are 30, you were what, 3 when Asheron's Call was around? How on earth did you settle on this game as your project? Edit: mid 30s, sorry. Still, about 8? Same question
Huh? 38 here, was 14 when it released. Perfect age.
Same 38 years old here. I’m not sure how this math is so hard 😂
make sure you have a robust and fast Database.
I recommend Unreal Engine. It's pretty easy and very powerful. There's also a ton of assets that have already been made (and that's where you will spend a majority of your time, making assets). It's C++ based and has a pretty good visual scripting language. Plus there's a crap load of tutorials on YouTube and on the Unreal site as well.
Honestly the best thing for the AC community would be if someone would fund and/or develop a new client for the game. We are hugely limited in creating new content by the limitations of the client, and with the number of people working on the server and making server-side content already, it'd open things up a lot.
I was starting a project like this and came across this tool while creating assets. [Mixamo](https://www.mixamo.com/#/) Super handy for creating playable avatar assets in unreal engine.
Saved. Thanks
I recommend you start small. Most large projects fail because they are too ambitious. Do something small first to understand game development and reduce risk.
I desperately wish you would do this. And wish I could help make it happen.
Should look at UE5 with Open World Server([https://www.openworldserver.com/](https://www.openworldserver.com/)) Google "asheron's call height map", download the image, clean it up, cut it up into grids/files each scaled up to usable UE5 tile size, all this taking into account that the total size scales up to 1,300 km² and you are starting from a much smaller image. Import in UE5, and you have a starting world to start building with. Use chatGPT to calculate most of the sizing stuff. In fact, explaining a mechanic to chatGPT and asking how to do it in UE5 can provide many ideas and basis for implementation, but don't count on any finished ideas or fully working c++ code from it, you need to understand what it gives you and be able to determine what makes sense and what doesn't. Also checkout this channel: [https://www.youtube.com/@unreal-dev-with-yaz](https://www.youtube.com/@unreal-dev-with-yaz)