MMO and AAA - Confusing Mechanics.

[SunEarthMewsic]

With my overall staff of 4000+ D/T and 2500+ S/R, I can easily get 8-10 consistently in reviews when making large games. However, as soon as I try to make a AAA, MMO, or AAA MMO title, I can only look in agony as those very same critics give me a 3-5 consistently. I can generate on average 1000+ D/T points during development. I can average about 400+ hype, but those critics never give me higher then a 5, which means my potentially awesome game suffers in the end despite all that hard work my employees put in.

Does anyone have any expertise with making uber successful AAA MMO titles? What am I not understanding here?

[SunEarthMewsic]

Edit: It seems as though creating for any combination of multiple genres/platforms is what's causing the score to be generally low. My relatively low stats seem to contribute as well I suppose? My employees have an average of 400-600 D/T each.

[oshmoo]

I've made two MMO's so far, here's what I've got:

Make a bunch of other games and game research it until you get no new insights
The more fans, the higher the chance
There is no shame in using publishers
MMOs will eat your money if the game isn't good enough.

[howlingwolf]

Is MMO a mod? I have completed the game but it never popped up.

[SunEarthMewsic]

Originally posted by Mr. SantaMan:

I've made two MMO's so far, here's what I've got:

Make a bunch of other games and game research it until you get no new insights
The more fans, the higher the chance
There is no shame in using publishers
MMOs will eat your money if the game isn't good enough.

I've done some further research. The three things causing low critic scores seems to be AAA, Multi-Genre, and Multi-Platform. My theory is that AAA requires absurdly large amounts of D/T, and that Multi-Genre and Multi-Platform requires certain ratios of D/T at huge amounts.

Only problem is, no matter what proportions I aim for, the game report always generates the same things, saying the the audience, combination, and platforms are all good while critics think otherwise.

Money is not an issue at $1 Billlion in surplus, plus I am following an expansion strategy I read from another thread.

Originally posted by smcnair89:

Is MMO a mod? I have completed the game but it never popped up.

MMO is a R&D project that provides an unlimited revenue stream. You need certain requirements to unlock the project for research, but I don't remember it off the top off my head.

[howlingwolf]

Does anyone know the requirements or should I make a different thread?

[mrazael]

You need to research MMO from R&D lab before you can make one, and you need to create an MMO Engine (which you research with one of your designers after you've gotten it from R&D lab) to actually make an MMO, normal engines don't work.

[Sol]

Don't release an MMO or AAA right after upgrading game engines. Get your Graphics Tech Level high first, and get your staff over 700 Design/Tech so you can make 3 design specialists and 3 tech specialists in addition to specializing your staff.

You may notice any time you upgrade graphics and have 3D Graphics V6 at Tech Level 1, you get less points than if you had 3D Graphics V5 at Tech Level 9.

You might also want to train staff in between releases under "Game Dev Gems" once then once under their actual specialty (Design or Tech).

When making MMO's, and AAA's, you want to use at minimum 3D Graphics V6 at Tech Level 5 or higher. You can begin using 3D Graphics V7 at Tech Level 5 as well. Otherwise, stick to large games.

Also, only make AAA or MMO's out of combinations where your Genre/Console/Topic/Age all line up to +++, and best if a sequel to a successful game.

Release on only 1 or 2 Consoles in order to preserve +++ if you must. Better to have "slightly less" sales from releasing on one less console, than to have "slightly less quality/ratings" from releasing on all the consoles you can.

In fact, when creating a game, pick your consoles first, so you know what ages to pick, then select everything else.

[SunEarthMewsic]

@Thadian

Wow, you seem to be really knowledgeable on this! One thing I'm curious about though. What are these Tech Levels that you are referring to? How do you unlock 3D Graphics beyond V1? Do you need a certain amount of D/T points?

[Aleron]

Originally posted by Rizing Azure:

@Thadian

Wow, you seem to be really knowledgeable on this! One thing I'm curious about though. What are these Tech Levels that you are referring to? How do you unlock 3D Graphics beyond V1? Do you need a certain amount of D/T points?

You unlock the next level of graphics once the current version hits tech level three(as in, gains enough experience to reach said level via releases). After that, you'd have to research it then make a new engine with it. Just a note though that higher-grade graphics needs larger games, otherwise it won't fit fully, especially if you have the - so to say - enhanced graphics option.

[Sol]

When releasing your game, that screen that calculates EXP you get before reviews, will tell you your Tech Level in each area.

The higher your slider for an area, the more work goes toward it, thus the more exp.

[oshmoo]

If your company's cash and fans are good enough, you can create multiple MMOs. Careful, though. MMOs can sometimes kill your company (Not literally)

[SunEarthMewsic]

Ahh. I was always raising my D/T levels and constantly using 2D V6 in hopes that 3D V2+ would become available for research,

[Blademage]

Well, I tried a lot but dont get a reall "cash-cow"-MMO even if it gets a 10,25 Rating, I can't develop another game, but have to push addons for the mmo constantly. Otherwise it ruins me. How does Blizzard manage this?

[Sol]

I will tell you some secrets I have learned:

1. MMO = Suicide. If you leave it up forever, it WILL bankrupt you no matter how much money you have. The only way to prevent this is to time out your Expansions. Release them too late and you will "Red-Zone" and lose all the money you made during development. Release too early and people get mad you released it too soon.

Once you make an MMO, plan on leaving it up for about 8-12 months then making an expansion, and cancel it once the expansion starts to red-zone.

2. If you get 2 MMO's running, you can cycle between their expansions but you can't miss a beat or screw anything up at all. When releasing an expansion, just like a sequel, you can change topics and genre, to maintain "different types of game". Take advantage of this!


The real thing I learned making MMO's is this: They can stay up forever but it costs you. Even if you are breaking green, it is costing you. Eventually, the quadratic prices versus linear sales will bankrupt you. So, take a page out of Kenny Roger's book. Come on, with me:

"You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away... know when to run... You never count your money, when your sitting at the table, there's time enough for counting when the dealings done..."

[sagevallant]

It is important to note that you will suffer a penalty on a Triple A game if you do not have 3 programmers specialized in aspects of the game important to the genre. For example, if you wanted to make a Triple A RPG, you would want one of your dudes (for example) specialized in Dialogue, Story/Quests, and World Design. I think that Graphics, Gameplay, and Level Design are also acceptable specializations, as they are still important, but not the most important.

As for making a highly successful MMO, I'm not sure on that one.