MMP gameplay system

Overview of Presentation : 

Overview of Presentation Overview of MMP gameplay systems Definitions of terms Differences from single-player games Examine problems and their solutions How do you increase player retention? How do you modify the world in real-time? How can players customize their play experience? How can players modify objects in the world? How do you encourage magical secrecy and diversity? Summarize lessons Design Implementation

MMP Gameplay Systems : 

MMP Gameplay Systems Gameplay Systems Combat, Magic, Inventory Game objects that players can interact with Gateway to content What they are not Networking protocols Database storage solutions Physics or rendering engines

Gameplay Systems:Single-Player vs. MMP : 

Gameplay Systems:Single-Player vs. MMP Functionality is virtually the same MMPs have neither dramatically nor radically innovated RPGs have honed player-expectations Additional requirements Live team has to live with your sins Content generation tools Buggy code Service aspect

MMP Service Concerns : 

MMP Service Concerns Reliability Need for 24x7x365 stability Security Players are now in competition with each other Maintainability Original programmers move on Scalability Bandwidth costs for 300,000+ people

Problem: Player Retention : 

Problem: Player Retention An MMP must strive to retain players for as long as possible Increases revenue Subscriptions create the majority of revenue Product ROI is directly tied to retention Grows fan community Creates loyal fan base Generates word-of-mouth buzz for product Community becomes its own retention point

Episodic Content : 

Episodic Content Episodic content is the regular addition of game material Modify content Advance world plot Add new art and gameplay objects Modify the landscape Update code Fix bugs Tune for performance Add new features Expand on existing features

Episodic Content – Tech : 

Episodic Content – Tech How are executables updated? Automatic download latest client Server executables are updated on farm How are data files updated? Data files are versioned Server knows the diff between client data files and the most current data files Pre-login download of art assets On-the-fly download of landscape Limit bandwidth spike on patch day

Design Lessons : 

Design Lessons Design for open-ended systems Craft System and Quests compliment each other All code is for the content team Systems are only as good as the content they use Unusable systems are worse than un-coded systems Emphasis should be on “bang for the buck” Avoid monolithic systems: start small and iterate Create systems for the content team to tell stories End goal is a gameplay system that is used every month Every system should explicitly address a problem If that problem doesn’t relate to player retention, why are you trying to solve it?

Implementation Lessons : 

Implementation Lessons Code for the live team Bullet-proof code (Players are only part of the problem) Document content flow Work with live team to develop useful tools Code for the long-term Segregate data and code Develop a code upgrade system Simple data structures are best Use throttles