Project Luna

[Ickle Izu]

Hi guys!

So Project Luna is my big 'get my head in the game' and first step from Moderating/Admining/Contributing for games for others, to building and running one myself. So what is Project Luna?

Project Luna is 'Text Based MMORPG Fantasy 'Novel' Adventure Game'. It isn't the actual game name though and it is to a point, not only my attempt to develop and run a Web Game but also to get my name out as a creative writer. Absolutely everything in the game will be written by myself and will be done in the style that you will be playing through a Story in the Characters eyes, think of a Visual Novel except crashed into a competitve Text Based MMORPG. Not particularly a new or unique thing, so I certainly am not bringing anything thats not been done before to the table. However, each writer has their own 'style' and methods, so in a sense, the games main selling point will be my ability to write the content and create a universe that players want to be immersed into.

So here are the planned Features:

A unique expanding and multiploted Story

Written by myself, the players will play through the Story through the use of Storyline Quests, each quest would be 1,000 - 5,000 Words, which give a build up as well as give information that builds up towards the World and Characters in it. The ultimate goal is to immerse the player and potentially if doable, ask the Character's pre-set questions to learn even more about them and the World they're in. Based on the game model, I will be working a lot on content and expanding the story as I go; writing is one of my future career paths, or something I'd like to be more professional, and I can't find the motivation to write a novel, but I do write scenes every other day, so this method is a benefit to me as much as it is for players having new content regularly.

I unfortunately can't, or rather won't say what the Story is going to be about but what I can say is its inspired by different released games of various ages, such as Phantasy Star Universe & Star Ocean; but also includes inspirations from Shrink High & MonsterGirlQuest. Its an Adventure, but not just one story, but multiple.

Multiple Worlds

Each World would have its own part in the major Plot, including its own Storyline, Side Quests, Enemies, NPC's, Locations, Explorable Areas and Lore. To add to this, each World's theme changes, which adds more flavour to the overall Story and also help keeps things fresh as you progress through the game. The game would begin with only one World accessable, with each World becoming accessable as core features are built for it. This is also probably going to be one of the more challanging things to achieve and will most likely need 3rd party involvement.

Premium Access

One thing I find one a lot of games, is that although the game gives bonuses to players who support, the overall game doesn't really change, you just get a P2W Model and it can be boring. So my plan is to create 2 forms of Premium, your standard Special Currency packages which can be used for in game benefits, but also a Support Access which grants the players access to the Games more Adult Content, with a unique world, unique quests and access to specially written scenes involving the NPC's. Put it like this, once you go to that level, you'll never think of some of the characters the same way again. Why is Adult Content only for this package? Because I don't want to close myself off to the younger players who might enjoy the game, that doesn't mean characters wouldn't make any sexual references in Quests, just the more openly detailed stuff wouldn't be available in the free model so to say. oh, this Adult Content bit is completely optional; if you still want the extra's but don't want to see the other stuff, you simply don't need to play those Quests, or switch to the skin etc.

Lets face facts, if the access is set to a respectable price, labeled fully what it entails and is two figures rather then one, young players who get their parents to buy online stuff for games are not going to get in, and the more 16 - 18 year olds who can or do, obviously know what they're going into.

User Submissions

I was a Roleplayer, I enjoy roleplaying; so I enjoy coming up with short stories; so as part of the plan, I want to give players the ability to write their own Quests, essentially their own tale or story that could go into the game for others to play. Stick in a rating system and an incentive can be a reward for plays/and or ratings. Would also be a good way to keep content flowing if I get writers block.

Custom Game Artwork

One of the plans is to hire a digital artist to draw the main characters in one or two positions, this would then go into the game skin as well as in Quests. Gives the game more eye candy, also gives a face to a name and if the game flops but characters where popular among people, the images will serve towards another business oppotunity involving those characters. Everything in the game skin is going to be made using Commerical Licensed, and Commerical License Free fonts, brushes and images [manipulated] so that the game is covered from potential issues on Copyright and Licensing. In addition, I plan to make multiple game skins, so Premium's can use the more... *cough* Ecchi *cough* style ones.

Roleplay Forum

I think this is probably going to be whats going to be the most popular thing with Project Luna, the Roleplaying community is huge on the internet, I go to Steam and I see masses of Roleplay groups and people roleplaying anime characters. You can bet I want to get some of that and I figure with the Roleplay forum mixed with the Fantasy Novel like story thats set more for 'how you want to play it', it could have a much better chance at getting that branch; and since the game is community focused, I'm sure myself and anyone who I have as staff can join in too; Roleplay Forums and Groups are big things these days, Project Luna has to be a part of it if it can.

Multi World Chat

I don't know what the Chat Module is like out of the box, but I'm looking to have a chat that is World based and switchable; I say that more in respect that if I want to talk to people in World A: I can switch to that chat room, or if I want to speak to everyone in the main Chat, I can do so. I'm looking to make it a little different in the sense it has Helpers, Moderators, the Admin and new user roles could be made so Premium could have a color, or maybe players could change their chat name colour? Who knows. What I do know is a 'Mute Player' style option would need to be put in later, because not everyone gets a long and if they can't see each other, it reduces chance of clashing. A few games I've played can do this; the games that didn't had scenarios where a player fight killed chat or hurt the community enough that people just didn't want to talk much, that's not fun.

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There is a lot more planned but this is the basics on Features. Its a big project, one which I'm looking to proper sink my teeth into. I'm currently planning to use the New Worlds Engine to run it and will be funding the project myself, long term wise if the game does actually get to a stage it can launch on and it makes any money, it'll be pushed right back into the game, since my actual coding ability is pretty low and I want to expand on it as a long term project not a few months and stop.

The good news for me, is I can actually work on this almost 24/7, as my day job is Managing IT Support [and providing it] as well as Developing Websites [Wordpress, Volusion, Magento; I'm a tinkerer more then an actual Developer lol], so stick the game on one screen and keep tabs on it while I work and repeat when I get home. I also do Digital Marketing stuff, so I know all about Google Adwords, Social Marketing, Email Marketing and way to branch out to potential players through Banner Ads in voting sites, marketing campaigns in form of sign up incentives and exclusve stuff.

I'm looking to start work on this by the end of either Janaury or Febuary; if anyone is interested in following the progress I'd be happy to share, I'm keeping most details in a small group for now, mainly so I've not set a bar of what is expected and can modify as I need to. I'm looking to have the 'Beta' ready for November but I can see myself working on the game well into 2016 before I actually can 'Launch it' so to say.

Ickle~

[Sim]

I got a few questions:

How old are you?

What technologies do you know? I read you develop websites.

Is your team local based or virtual?

Are you really from Essex, Maryland?

-If so, can you get me a job at your work? I am from Dundalk.

-Bill

[Ickle Izu]

I'm 22, I don't really understand the context of your question as 'technologies', I mostly write in HTML/CSS, I'm more of a tinkerer then a solid developer; and prefer doing Graphic Design [Photoshop/Illustrator] side to hard coding, so I work with existing code and then manipulate it accordingly using Elements/Fire Bug as a test bed. At work, the main developer is more ASP.net based and we use our own custom CMS, though I mostly work in Wordpress or pre-built templated sites that allow me to manipulate the codes rather from the base upwards.

As far as work team, its local based, but I work solo on this project; except for the testers who are virtual.

Essex, England; Essex is a county in the South East of England, I'm from around Southend on Sea