New Idea: Singleplayer and Multiplayer RPG in one

I'm not sure what you're descripting here; are you wanting to make a single player RPG that can also be a (non-massively) multiplayer game, for example like some of the Bioware RPGs (Neverwinter Nights, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale)? Or are you wanting to make a single player RPG that can also act as a MMO?

If it's the latter, I think you've made it much harder for yourself by an order of magnitude from a standard MMO game (which is already a feat by itself). Most single player RPGs follow a single hero or band of heroes where the entire world revolves around the protagonists, whereas an MMO is more about defining the world as a playground for players to interact in. It might work if you're thinking of something more along the lines of Sid Meier's Pirates! or Elite rather than Baldur's Gate/Final Fantasy, but it's still a big ask to marry single player and MMO gameplay together in the same game.

Edit: Maybe it would help if you described more about your idea? I'm not that sure what you're wanting to do.

What I'm looking at is making one game with similar gameplay on single player and multiplayer modes. It is technically an MMORPG as it connects all the players into one who work together to kill the other faction and take care of chaos in their own home realms. But with slight variations mainly with merchanting for a single player mode.

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Original post by Adriac What I'm looking at is making one game with similar gameplay on single player and multiplayer modes. It is technically an MMORPG as it connects all the players into one who work together to kill the other faction and take care of chaos in their own home realms. But with slight variations mainly with merchanting for a single player mode.

I'm afraid I'm still unclear on what you mean; I'm not sure what "merchanting" means in context for the single player mode. Plus I can't see how this will be any easier than a standard MMO, which I thought was the reason for the change of idea.

Maybe you could post what your question is regarding your idea, as that might be the problem; I'm not clear on exactly what help you are asking for re: your design idea.

However, if the question is "is this a good idea?", I'd say yes and no, with much more emphasis on the no if you're planning on making this game. If you could get it to work I think the game would be a great game. However to get this to work you'd require a great development team capable of making a solid MMO and it seems a top notch A.I. framework previously unseen in games. As such I doubt a team of indie developers could make such a game, and it would be much wiser to aim for something more reasonable, such as a single player only version of the game.

Thing is I originally planned to make an MMO, however so many people look at me saying "Your so stupid for even thinking it" so i decided i could make it singleplayer but with possible multiplayer with all others playing on multiplayer.

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Original post by Adriac Thing is I originally planned to make an MMO, however so many people look at me saying "Your so stupid for even thinking it" so i decided i could make it singleplayer but with possible multiplayer with all others playing on multiplayer.

I've skimmed over some of the other threads you've posted - I don't think people were necessarily calling you stupid, it's just there's a lot of beginners who post in these forums wishing to make an MMO game and sometimes posters get a bit irritable with their replies.

The problem with aiming for an MMO game is that for it to work it requires a fair bit of expertise in software design, networks, asset management and art creation, and it would take a medium sized team several years to create; assuming they are already experienced and working full time. It's certainly not an appropriate project for a team of beginners as the failure rate is very nearly 100%.

However, if you're planning on making a single player game that could also work as a MMO game, you've still got all the problems of making a standard MMO game with the added difficulty of making it work for single player. You've made the project even harder.

If your dream is to make an MMO game, I'd put that as a future goal and work your way up to it by making smaller projects, with an aim to getting to an MMO once your experienced (or possibly even joining a professional development house). I'm not sure what skillset you're wanting to develop besides design (programmer, artist, etc.) so I don't know what to recommend; most people here (include myself) are more experienced with programming so I could offer a few recommendations there. Or there's always the MUD scene; working towards designing text-based multi-user domains, the precursors of MMOs.

Diablo is made for single or internet play. The fact that it was made with the potential to play online is the reason the single-player mode has that empty feeling to it. That machine-driven, nothing crazy happening, I'm just a robot trying to reach the bottom floor without an elevator, feeling. Such is true with all games that I've played that allow both modes. Either it can't be done well, or no one has found the correct balance of elements.

I recommend choosing between an MMO adventure game and a single player RPG. Or if you have a ton of time to spend on it, create two seperate gameplay modes that use the same engine.

Just my 2 cents pocket lent.

I ended up ditching the whole "beginner team" idea. I am going to start learning graphics programming, probably won't get to use it on this game due to the fact I know nothing of it yet. I am primarily a designer.

I think what you are trying to say have been achieved (although not intentionally designed, and not legally) through the patched version of Ragnarok Online, thus calling it Ragnarok Offline. In this version, you can play in the world and fight monsters without signing up. Although, the character you created cannot be played in RO sanctioned servers, there are private servers that allow you to do so. Although i'm not sure if you can still continue to play your character offline after uploading it to a server.

The Conan MMO (don't know what happened to it) was proposing to do exactly this, kindof. You'd buy the game and play to level 20 single-player. At that point the single-player campaign was over but you could opt to pay the monthly fee and bring your lvl 20 toon into the MMO world.

-me