Kavadas
Tue 22 Apr 2008, 1834, Tue 22 Apr 2008
Cool flash stuff:
Parallax (http://blog.alternativaplatform.com/ru/files/2008/01/characterparallax.swf)
The Interior (http://blog.alternativaplatform.com/ru/files/2008/04/bunker.swf)
The Exterior (http://blog.alternativaplatform.com/ru/files/2008/04/temple.swf)
Good info:
As a clarification, users are not limited to our "pre-generated code". If it can be scripted in Lua, it can most likely be done in Metaplace. We have a set of full build tools on the web which includes a script editor that allows advanced programmers to make practically anything they want. We have physics, collision, XML/web integration, etc. We're still in alpha testing right now, but so far we've had everything from basic RPG's to space shooters, to puzzle games, to social chat spaces.
Having said that, alpha testers can export their whole worlds as stylesheets so that others can build up on them. Testers can also create modules out of their code, which are small chunks of useful snippets (think, a health bar and nametag, or a click-to-move movement system, or a chat box/chat bubbles). What this does is allow you to make a world and then pull in scripts, art, templates, etc. that you want to include. They're not set in stone though, since you basically just pulled in the scripts you can tweak them however you want. So it's a good starting point if you're someone who likes to save yourself some work from scratch and just tweak something someone else did.
Everything is open sourced, so basically right now as an alpha user you can browse every single game made by other testers and Metaplace staff and steal any scripts you want for use in your own game. There is the option to make your creations private, but most people are all about sharing so that our repository of code snippets grows.
I'm not trying to sell you guys on using MP, but I did want to clear up a misconception that it's not a 'real game engine'. You'll be able to script up any game you want in Metaplace, and the difference is that your final product (and even your work in progress) will be instantly viewable on the web by any user who has Flash installed. And for those of you who are obsessed with requiring client downloads, we have testers who are working on standalone clients as we speak.
Sure it's not 3D yet, but there have been some amazing advances (http://www.raphkoster.com/2008/04/18/3d-in-flash-is-getting-better/) in Flash 3D on the web as of late. And you'd be pretty surprised how damn good "2.5d" can look and how well it plays.
What is MetaPlace?
Our motto is: build anything, play everything, from anywhere. Until now, virtual worlds have all worked like the closed online services from before the internet took off. They had custom clients talking to custom servers, and users couldn't do much of anything to change their experience. We're out to change all of that.
Metaplace is a next-generation virtual worlds platform designed to work the way the Web does. Instead of giant custom clients and huge downloads, Metaplace lets you play the same game on any platform that reads our open client standard. We supply a suite of tools so you can make worlds, and we host servers for you so that anyone can connect and play. And the client could be anywhere on the Web.
We hope there will be millions of worlds made with Metaplace. It could get hard to find stuff if we're right, so the portal lets you easily search, rate, review, and tag worlds and games of all sorts. You also get a user profile so you can find each other.
Parallax (http://blog.alternativaplatform.com/ru/files/2008/01/characterparallax.swf)
The Interior (http://blog.alternativaplatform.com/ru/files/2008/04/bunker.swf)
The Exterior (http://blog.alternativaplatform.com/ru/files/2008/04/temple.swf)
Good info:
As a clarification, users are not limited to our "pre-generated code". If it can be scripted in Lua, it can most likely be done in Metaplace. We have a set of full build tools on the web which includes a script editor that allows advanced programmers to make practically anything they want. We have physics, collision, XML/web integration, etc. We're still in alpha testing right now, but so far we've had everything from basic RPG's to space shooters, to puzzle games, to social chat spaces.
Having said that, alpha testers can export their whole worlds as stylesheets so that others can build up on them. Testers can also create modules out of their code, which are small chunks of useful snippets (think, a health bar and nametag, or a click-to-move movement system, or a chat box/chat bubbles). What this does is allow you to make a world and then pull in scripts, art, templates, etc. that you want to include. They're not set in stone though, since you basically just pulled in the scripts you can tweak them however you want. So it's a good starting point if you're someone who likes to save yourself some work from scratch and just tweak something someone else did.
Everything is open sourced, so basically right now as an alpha user you can browse every single game made by other testers and Metaplace staff and steal any scripts you want for use in your own game. There is the option to make your creations private, but most people are all about sharing so that our repository of code snippets grows.
I'm not trying to sell you guys on using MP, but I did want to clear up a misconception that it's not a 'real game engine'. You'll be able to script up any game you want in Metaplace, and the difference is that your final product (and even your work in progress) will be instantly viewable on the web by any user who has Flash installed. And for those of you who are obsessed with requiring client downloads, we have testers who are working on standalone clients as we speak.
Sure it's not 3D yet, but there have been some amazing advances (http://www.raphkoster.com/2008/04/18/3d-in-flash-is-getting-better/) in Flash 3D on the web as of late. And you'd be pretty surprised how damn good "2.5d" can look and how well it plays.
What is MetaPlace?
Our motto is: build anything, play everything, from anywhere. Until now, virtual worlds have all worked like the closed online services from before the internet took off. They had custom clients talking to custom servers, and users couldn't do much of anything to change their experience. We're out to change all of that.
Metaplace is a next-generation virtual worlds platform designed to work the way the Web does. Instead of giant custom clients and huge downloads, Metaplace lets you play the same game on any platform that reads our open client standard. We supply a suite of tools so you can make worlds, and we host servers for you so that anyone can connect and play. And the client could be anywhere on the Web.
We hope there will be millions of worlds made with Metaplace. It could get hard to find stuff if we're right, so the portal lets you easily search, rate, review, and tag worlds and games of all sorts. You also get a user profile so you can find each other.