Pony Online: Recruiting Modelers and Concept Artists.

[Sky Warden 2,243]

Untitled Pony Online

 

 

Predicted F.A.Q.

What is this untitled game?

Simply, just say that this is an MMORPG pony game made in 3D. The game is about a war between the Lunar Republic and Solar Empire. The story will be told later, but it's done already. The player will be given a chance to join a faction, and organize a massive war (massive PVP) with their mates against the opposing faction, and win a global bonus for their faction. New factions will be added as the game grows. We're planning to let the player to stay neutral between two factions, but we're afraid that this will be implemented late.

We haven't gotten the right title. We once used "Tale of Equestria" but later we found out that it's used already. Maybe we will use "Equestria Online" since the previous "Equestria Online" project has changed its name. Any idea in this is welcomed.

Well, then how is the game play?

This game adapts the hack-and-slash game play. We understand that click->auto attack system brings boredom faster and isn't interactive nor realistic, which doesn't fit our motto:

"We create the world, you live in it."

You will be able to move freely. You can use your weapon to block, or jump aside to avoid attacks. You can walk, run, and if you're a pegasi, you can fly. You will rely on your skill to survive, not only mere attributes and skill level. You won't win if you just click at your enemy once and wait for it to die. We want you to drop your sweat when playing this game. Gaming is healthy.
You can eat muffins, cook some cupcakes, and develop any skill you like.

What? Develop any skill I like?

Aye. Anything wrong with that? We implement a non-job system, not like most MMORPGs you can find today. Why? We understand that sometimes you want your character to be unique, and job-system prevents you to do it. Just say, you imagine that you have a character who fights with a sword, and is good at healing with herbal medicine, but there's no job "Herbalist Swordman" in the game. Maybe you want your character looks like this?

 

 

 

Especially in a pony MMO. I bet you want your OC to be unique. To be different. They have a back story. Of course. Maybe your OC is an archer who's skilled in music, or cooking? Who knows? That's why we implement this system. We provide you with the skills, you choose it.

Won't this non-job system make the player over-powered?

Nope. We've planned about this already. Developing any skill you like doesn't mean you can rise the skill freely. You will spend skill points to rise your skills, and everything will be balanced. Also, there will be some attribute limits in rising your skill. If your OC is really that powerful, we challenge you to make it.

Again, we make the world, you live in it.

Then, what kind of people ponies do you need?

Now, we're only recruiting ponies who can do :

• Concept Art. Description:
  A concept art is the first thing we need to make when making a model. A concept art can be a simple pencil sketch of a creature or a building, or can be a sophisticated piece of art, crafted with either traditional media or inside a paint program. Concept arts are made to give the 3D artists a blueprint to follow. It also provides an opportunity to set a consistent themes across the various art. You don't need any special computing skill to do this. Just take your pencil and draw something 3D.

• 3D Modeling. Description:
  After the concept art is created, we will move to create a 3D animation. Before making the animation, we need to create a 3D model of the images, of course. You may create the model from scratch. Making objects such as cubes, spheres, cylinders, and so forth. It's also your job to attach these objects together. You may want to play with a library of existing models, or whatever. Also, you may use any tool to add natural looking features to the model, such as wrinkles or cracks. The final face of a 3D model will be a set of polygon thingy.

• Texture Mapping. Description:
  We won't play with only plain models without colou. The 3D model needs to be painted, or else it would look like little more than a sculpture. This work is pretty hard, so you may just take the 3D model or texture mapping. Texture artists are responsible for creating images that are wrapped onto the 3D model, making them look like they’re supposed to. A texture map is simply a 2D image that is wrapped onto the geometry of a 3D model, in case you're wondering.

• Bump Maps. Description:
  Just for some additional glitters. Sometimes a traditional texture map can looks “flat,” especially when it's applied onto a flat surface. Just say a bump map is a kind of special texture that assigns a height to each pixel, which impacts the way light is received by the surface. A pixel which has a negative height will look like a depression on the surface, swallowing up some of the light. You can make a realistic-looking crack on the surface, allowing much greater detail to a surface. Even so, this isn't necessary.

Please note that we're not recruiting musician, voice artist, programmer or story board YET. We don't want to recruit a bunch of people at once without making sure that they will be assigned to a job as soon as they join the team. We've planned about this. We will recruit people when we need help, and keep the project as efficient and effective as possible. Also, we won't recruit any official tester to the team.

We're on glaring at your skill in particular things. We're looking for dedicated people. Everypony can learn to be better at their things as they join this project. We only need some handful hoof-full ponies to help.

How about the current team?

At the moment, we only have three active crew. They are :

• @shadok2012: Leader/ Concept Artist/ Modeler/ Texture Artist/ Developer.

He's the leader of the team. Our only modeler. He's pretty talented in this. If you know an old project called "NLR" he revived the project. You will see some images which are made by him soon. His dedication in this project is unquestionable. He's the leader, and he was working all alone before I joined him.

• @Sky Warden: Programmer/ Database Manager/ Network Builder/ Website Maker/ Story Writer/ Supervisor.

This is me. I'm not the leader of the project. I just help Shadok in making the recruitment thread. I handle the computer thingy, as you can see above. Just like Shadok, I won't pull back from this project. At least not until we finish the alpha.

• A concept artist who's an IRL friend of Shadok. He doesn't have a forum account. He's working directly with Shadok, and is a useful concept artist.

For a record, I'm not the leader. I'm just a supervisor who assigns and maintain the crew jobs whenever Shadok is off.

Isn't that too few for an MMORPG project?

Why of course! That's why we're recruiting now. Even so, almost everything is covered already. We have a pony for almost every position needed to finish this game. The progress is slow, I must admit, but it keeps moving and we just need a time.

We will recruit more when we need it. Everything has been planned. A long period planning has been set.

How's the progress?

At the moment, we've done it very well. Shadok has finished the basic pony model, and almost finish an epic map of Ponyville which will be the place where the alpha takes place. Example of his works :
The base pony model.

The map of Ponyville (from above).

And he asked me to put this one.

The game database is almost done. I just need to set some foreign keys, security thingy, and then the database will be ready to be filled. I haven't worked with the website at all. I won't do that until we finish the alpha. We're focused in that at the moment : Finishing the alpha. The basic concept of the system is done. Even though it's still 'Build One' I guarantee it can work. I just need a time to write it. Ah yes. I write it in Python.

What software are you using?

We're using Unity 3D. Shadok uses its terrain tool. If you're a programmer and may want to join when we open the next recruitment, you can use C#, Boo (similar to Python) or Java.

I just use the humble nano in my Linux.

Do you know about Hasbro? They may shut you down, especially because it's a violence game.

We do know about it. In fact, that's our biggest concern at the moment. We've planned to contact them for permission to release the alpha when it's done, so we may need a silver tongue when the time comes. As for violence issue, it's not that big. The game is wrapped in a cute cartoon 3D world, and there won't be blood, intense sharp weapons, gore, sexual contents, or any other NSFW stuff.

What are the playable races?

There will be Unicorn, Earth pony, and Pegasi. Every races has its own strengths and weaknesses. Other races like Zebra will be added as the game grows. Alicorns are just for admins. Deal with it.

How's about the items, weapons, armors, skills, attributes, and monsters?

Hold on. This post is long already.

PLEASE DO NOT:

• Join just because you want your name written in the credit part.
• Offering yourself for an official tester position.
• Join then leave before the sunset.
• Join and only chat with the other crew without doing anything productive.
• Talking about your awesome skills to be accepted and leave soon after you join.
• Join just because you want an Alicorn character.

Game Summary :

Title: Untitled Pony Online. (seriously, help me with this one.)
Genre: MMORPG.
Modelling Engine: Unity 3D.
Game Play: 3D Hack and Slash.
Main Features:

• No-job system.
• Races.
• Massive PVP. (for glory! For freedom!)
• Military rank system. (ponies who're respected can be selected to be a military leader for various ranks, and then they can manage for a war.)
• Magics. (you don't bucking say?)
• Quests lines.
• Self-upload Cutie Mark. (every Cutie Mark will be approved manually by some admins, so don't worry about NSFW Cutie Marks)
• Relationship system. (RP yeah!)
• Item crafting. (*hitting an anvil with a hammer* Hayayaya~)

This game will be bucking free to play, and perhaps there won't be any premium account thingy.

I will add more information when I remember, so keep watching this thread if you're interested. I have a bad memory.
If you're willing to join, specify your skill and which of the available positions do you want. You may launch some questions as well. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Wardy.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Sky Warden