Stages Of Development

[nickko]

This is a tutorial on how to develop an MMORPG plain and simple…

1: **Begin with a broad concept**…my concept was 2 factions fighting each other...

_write it down on paper_…things you would like to do...do it very roughly...what kind of PvP you want..if you want any...dungeons...raids etc.

2: **Start thinking**…what problems will incur if i do this...will this take to long...will i ever finish. What should players be doing at X lvl

3: **Narrow it down a little more…**
Write on paper some questlines…a worldmap, monsters dungeons and npc's you want to use. and classes level advances and such

4: **Start gathering resource's**…if your game requires custom graphics such as items or tilesets...go make them, rip them, have someone make some for you...or make them yourself...

5: **Map**…do not develop any content...such as items or npc's yet... just make maps...map the entire world out...or at least a large portion of the world...such as in my game 2 factions fight...sacred swords and black rose's, so i mapped the sacred swords out before i started making items weapons and npc's

6: **Test YOUR MAPS**….See if they are eyecandy or if they are too dull...if you think they are dull create a post with screenshots of the map you think is dull. Remember you want every MAP to be EYECANDY

7:**Develop some Content** After testing maps start making npc's and items…and skills
get as many as you can possible fit in there...its always nice to have a monster not only drop some gold but...a fur that you can sell too.

8:**Get the fine sheen on that polish with the main point**- Develop some questlines, maybe skills if your implementing them… also if your game includes a main quest make sure its working and that it follows with your storyline.

9: Have people **test** your items and monsters…see if they are balanced...a lvl 1 sword shouldn't do a 34000 to a lvl 14 monster. More eclipse games have been ruined because of balance issues in equipment and monsters...it takes a good designer to develop the statistics to equally balance things.

10: **Make adjustments** if necessary, fix any bugs your beta might have had…set out a list of what you have fixed so that in the future if it bites you in the ass again...you know what to do.

11: _Your game is done_…advertise it and get a community going...run regular updates and events to keep players interested.

On a side Note: Take the final client and server of your game...and put it on a CD, always back it up...