managing the unspeakable - one year of pre-production for the indie-mmorpg

Managing the UnspeakableOne Year of Pre-Production for the Indie-MMORPG

Quo Vadis

15.04.2014

Who we are

Alexander Zacherl – Founder, Design & Business - Munich Sebastian Dorda – Founder, Development - Munich Michail Mamaschew – Art Direction - Berlin & 4 pre-production team members off-site in Germany & Australia

What we‘re creating: Das Tal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WY1u9uof3U

You must be crazy! Why do we do it? Nostalgia / Dissatisfaction / Creative Needs / Destiny / Delusions of

Grandeur / „Think Big if you want to change the world“

Every second 12-year-old „game developer“ wants to make „the next WoW killer“

99.999999% of these projects fail. Even huge developers have failed: Project Copernicus (200m USD) Main Reason for failure: Scope: Size & Features (too much of everything)


Tools to manage risk

We did this and we‘ll talk about it Does anyone want this? -> Validation Board / Interviews / Smoke

Tests Will it be engaging? -> Gameplay Prototyping Can we make it? #1 -> Prototype & Server Tech Evaluation How will it look & feel? -> Setting, Art Style & Visual Design Can we make it? #2 -> Client Tech & Asset Pipeline How long will it take, how much will it cost? -> Budgeting

Validation Gameplay Tech #1 Art Tech #2 Budgeti

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The Validation BoardPro: Structured approach to challenging your assumptionsCon: Setting your success criteria right is hardCon: It can clash with your gut feeling and creative vision – what do you do then?


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Interviews Thesis #1: People Stopped playing Sandbox-MMORPGs because of

adult life time pressure (work, significant others). Method: Ask “Why did you stop playing?“ in Sandbox MMO forums Result: 26% mentioned „not enough time“, 21% mentioned

„grind“

Thesis #2: I want to play again (& I want these features) In-depth interviewed 10 „former players of Sandbox MMOs“ via MMORPG-Forums & circle of former guildmates


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Smoke Tests15% Conversion Rate 10% CR (new) vs. 6% CR (old)


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Combat PrototypeMade with LÖVE (LUA) & NodeJSSupports up to ~10 players in a Arena PvP experienceEvaluates control scheme, line of sight, skills, micro-progressionP2P & no security allows for RAPID prototypingUsability and Performance sucked


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrDXC4GE2TI

Macro Gameplay PrototypeFirst try: Board Game Failled horribly because of unit

& ressource management & full transparency

Second Try: LÖVE & NodeJS Failed horribly because it would

have required a pretty complex simulation (too much work)


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Network Server Evaluation


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Network Middleware

Which tech is a good fit?


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Style & Setting Visual Design

Uniqueness Belieavability Entertainment Timless Graphics & Modern Gameplay Doable with a few ressouces Easy access (visually & technically)

What we want andWhat we don‘t want


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Geology Cilmate Wildlife Available ressources Causality and interaction


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Creating an environment

Former civilisation Society structure Language & technology Energy sources


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Culture & technology

Less is more Color relationships Fewer FX & pleasing for the eye Visual rhythm


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Color themes and design language


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Architecture Recognizable & functional Aesthetic & entertaining


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Character Design Choise of material Attention to detail Strong silhouette

Visual Design: Why 2D? Nostalgia Personality Quick results & controllability Timless look


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Perspective Unusual perspective No depth Read- & differentiability


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Outlines Hue, saturation & value Emphasis on outlines Nuanced use of techniques Serious & mature look

Final result


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Camera Mapping


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Example Asset


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Depth Effect


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First Blockout


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In-game Test


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Export Projected Blockout


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Paint Over Projected Blockout


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Refine Mesh


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Why?


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Budgeting / Scope Estimation160 ITEMS IN A SPREAD SHEET 2.317 ITEMS IN HANSOFT


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What we have learned so far There are a lot of people out their who want our game! It is doable: A sandbox without quests or PvE = not a lot of art assets Projection Mapping & Humanoids = sane art pipeline Unity & Photon make a proven team for all your MMO needs

Pre-Production will eat up all your time if you let it Proper pre-production is less fun than prototyping / jamming

Where we are right now We have finished pre-pro. We know what to make, how to make it and with whom. Now we need the cash to pay everybody for their work. My current job: investor relations

Thanks & Please Get In Touch Fairytale Distillery UG (haftungsbeschränkt) München, Werk 1

Alexander Zacherl [email protected] +1 (0) 163 685 23 65

Dev-Blog & Forum @ http://das-tal-game.com Steam Greenlight Concepts, IndieDB, FB & Twitter

mailto:[email protected]

http://das-tal-game.com/