Making an MMO - by DC James 'Terwyn' MacKay, president of Missing Worlds Media

One of the hardest things to remember about making an MMO is that the goal is not to simply build a solid game to be played, but to provide a social networking platform through which games are played.

It is all too easy to fail to recognize this fact, and get caught up in trying to perfect the wrong aspects. As with any project, it is important that we note that it is impossible for us to succeed at this on our own. We may build our city, shape our new world, and record a rich and fascinating history, but only a community can give our work life.

Testing the Unreal engine with some stock assets

As we build this world and its inhabitants around the needs and wishes of a pre-existing community, there are some things that must be acknowledged. All of us involved see something good and noble about this project, as it is an effort which gives an unprecedented level of flexibility when it comes to interaction with our fans and our methods of accomplishing the goals of the project.

I’m not going to lie. Striking the quintessential balance between incredible systems and other valuable elements – whether technical or narrative – is a constant challenge.

Continual changes will be necessary to keep things going if the project is to accomplish its goal of being a long runner. This is why it is extremely important to bear a constant reminder of the community which the project will serve, and to always strive towards building a better world for its inhabitants.

LIGHTING NEEDS TO BE REBUILT!

While not everything necessary to succeed with our goals will be popular, it is an unfortunate reality of the industry. I certainly hope that everything we do will be understood as being what we think necessary to uphold the standard of quality that we’ve promised with this project.

We’re not just building a game; we’re building a world, which we hope will be able to stand on its own merits in an environment fraught with intense competition. It will only be able to do so with the support of its surrounding community.

Without the community from which we came, and which we serve, there would be no Phoenix Project, and a multitude of incredibly skilled and talented people would be bereft of the opportunity to apply their abilities in new directions.

Those of us involved have learned a great deal over these past few months, and I personally want to thank everyone involved for the knowledge and expertise they have shared.

~D.C. James “Terwyn” MacKay
President, Missing Worlds Media