From VbGORE Visual Basic Online RPG Engine

Project Information
Title:	Dawn of Dragon Online (DODO)
Engine:	netGORE (to be confirmed), gDOD Features
Development Stage:	Planning
Last Update:	Oct 5, 2009 (16:59)
Website:	orochii.xtreemhost.com
Orochii Zouveleki (Project Leader, ehm i mean, Member, or Project itself?):	{{{2}}}

Page's Meaning

By now, the meaning of this page is to capt the interest of developers. As I am more an artist (pixel art is my strong point) than a programmer (although I can make some effort ;D) I'm in search of some programmers. Other things are needed, as making a game between more people is "easier" (the hard things remain there, but is easier to each member to focus on something than one people to do everything). To reach the interest of some "good-samaritans by there", I'm intending to explain all the planned features, and well hope to see some, expecting to be interesting ones. And well, of course im going to explain the better that i can, as a Developing Team is a hard thing to do. Developers need a common vision, if not it would be doomed at time. So here's some info about me.

And OF COURSE you can ask me whatever you want (arcboundcrusher@gmail.com, subject: DODO or like that). I'm not Messenger partidary... but I can mount an IRC channel at ircfreenode.net if needed. The game will see light even if a flying cow falls above me, so if no one wants to collaborate, well... I'm going all alone... don't worry (snif) (snif). This game is intended to be in spanish, but depending (you can vote if you want) would be first made in english and later on translated to spanish.

Videogame's own vision

As I think, a game doesn't needs to mimic reality. We have life/flight/combat/etcetera... simulators, FPS with really great physics engines, RPGs with great addons like starving, and stuff. But on earlier times of VG there were a lot of non-realistic features that made a real enjoyable game (like that plumber guy taht launches fireballs). So I'm not really going to even think about reality, just for inspiration, as it is my big and well fundamented muse.

Gaming influences

Mostly SNES RPGs. Earthbound, FinalFantasy, EVO ... and some MMORPGs like ManaWorld (OS ;D), Ragnarok Online (hopefully both RO, 1st and 2nd), Lineage 2 ... (this "listing" was not intended to act as SPAM, just some info about me, later on, this info will be on my profile, not here).

(More info about me at my profile, I'm tend to enlarge things a bit...)

General Facts

What's gDOD

It's supposed to be the name for the addons to the (now) netGORE that are going to be implemented, as it's supposed to be a heavy modification. By now, it means nothing (as the netGORE is still unreleased). Later, I plan to release the gDOD features as an addon-package (dunno how, if tutorial-based or like a customized netGORE distribution, or maybe like a library).

Story

Mainly, the story is, in a way, a "fantastic-midagestyled future". What I mean is as follows (starting on game's time, see Glosary for more info about words with italic style like this):

"Aproximately three million and four thousands of years ago, humans on our planet started to do great biologycal advances. Some of them were failures, some were great discoveries, like the superhuman ability to change the behaviour of energies, called as Magic. Between those failures, were the disproportional evolution of the planet native species. So, the problems occured. Devastation and despair stained every city in the world. Humans were reduced to hundreds, and were bound to a samll island, with strong difficulties to survive.

As time passed those 3 million years, Earth started to balance by it's own means, as the man was not playing with her anymore. But for humans, life was a hard thing by that time, as monsters were gigantic and powerful ones. By action of Real Asgardians, a powerful race of human ancestors that lived in another plane, Earth rage was calmed, and from 4000yrs ago life is a bit better (planes were not known to exist at that moment). We are still fighting for survival, survival of the fittest. That crazy war that our ancestors started without knowing is starting to fall.

Some organized people called themselves as The Academy, a worldwide army that helps people to survive when conditions are heavy. That's where you start. At first you will see the beauty of life, but if you like you will be at worst places to attain glory of humanship and alance of Earth's life. Maybe some dreadful monsters are by there!"

Races?

Well, sorta. I call them birthplaces. They're more human variants than anything. And well as classes have also their classification, some of the features that birthplaces have is that every one is better with a "class classification". The seven birthplaces are the following:

Alekian

Those that are born at the continent of Aleko. They are good at battle time, from melee combat to magic abilities. Tend to be very focused.

Parnassian

People from the continent of Parnassus. Very talented people, mostly on arts and stuff. Tend to be picky and mysterious. Ilustrations available by now: Female

Yamashiru-ren

Humans that are native of the Yamashiru Island. Are remains of asian people, as they made their own empire. Peculiarly, they have fluffy long ears, similar to foxes.

Asgardian

Descendants of human people that were born in the Asgard plane, at the Main Continent of Asgard.

Alfven

Once were servants of the Real Asgardian people, mostly by awe. They live in Alfheim.

Vellian

People that live and were born at Nidavellir, the rough continent. A bit smaller, so at times clothing doesn't look good on them or doesn't fit.

Svartalfven

Fallen ones from the alfven society. At ancient times, they planned a fight against Alfheim, but rage's fire was calmed by some heroine. They live at Svartalfheim.

And well, we can classificate NPCs races and Mob races.

NPC

(This includes PC's availables, and some mob types will appear here).

Utgarins

The gigantic race. Not near of being humans, they live at Midgard plane, passively with humans, but they don't like them, still resent them of being the reason of the disbalance on nature. Evolved monsters tended to become utgarians, but not now.

Real Asgardians

The real natives of Asgard. It was said that some of them came to Midgard when life was starting there. When humans appeared, Asgardians and humans were too close, and some descendants of both races appeared, claiming themselves as a symbol of union of both species. Later on, they dissapeared, but Asgardians blood is still between humans.

Niflheim dwellers

Native ones of Niflheim and, in some cases, even appeared on Muspell, at Asgard plane.

Mob Types

Mammals

Most of them walk. When born, they need to be feed by it's mother with some sort of special fluid that gives them better surviving spectatives.

Insects

Lots of them fly. They are creatures very adaptatives to almost every ecosystem, but have great dificulties with cold temperatures (-15º).

Liten

Blessed creatures (used as subtype).

Glooms

Creatues of darkness (used as subtype). Mostly affects its weaknesses/resistances.

Spirituals

Those existences mostly based spiritually than physically.

Birds

Most are flying creatures. They lay eggs and have feathers, and, at almost all cases, wings.

Amorphous

Those creatures without a defined shape, morphology.

Constructs

Consisting of strange materials for living creatures, like metals.

Fishes

Normally, swimming creatures. Their bodies are slim and scaled, at least at most cases...

Amphibians

Walking or jumping, cold-blooded creature. It lives at tropical zones (with some water), as it is very susceptible to temperature changes.

Reptiles

Similar to amphibians, but they like hotter places, like deserts.

Legendary

Strong creatures (used as subtype). It's recommended fight it with help... as much help as you can get. If a monster is rated with this, you can obtain strange items by defeating it, as it's respawning is longer than normal (10~20+ times, depending on the monster). A legendary creature can be de-rated if the 'Party Total Level' is lower (in which case you can't "suicide" with it) or higher (for ensuring that you don't abuse of that poor creature) than permitted.

Classes?

Currently that will fill the space, as I have to start by ordering my thoughts. Classes need to be a very balanced topic, ensuring solo and party good experiences (as I differ around the party's playrole on some MMORPGs). Mercenary will be an unique class (not very sure how but I will think very hard to make things fun, and of course with some meaning).
And well, there are three max classes on each path. The mid one would be different depending on what path you choose. Example: you´re an ensign and become a Lord. Some abilities will be different from other PC that was a Dark Soldier and became Lord too.

Elements

The elements consist of two bands: light elements and dark elements. Normally, combining those elements will make changes at damage, like enhancing a weapon, depending on the elements enhanced to it. Elements are: thunder, wind, water, light, fire, earth, gloom and non-elemental. The first 4 are light elements and the last 4 are dark, of course.

The red line explains how the elements are related between them. The line goes fire->wind->earth->thunder->water->fire. The lite/gloom relation is sort of neutral, as both are effective between them. Void is non-elemental, so it doesn't have any relation. This elemental relationing is only directly aplicated to crafting and alchemy systems, like an item imbued with fire-water elements would be at 50%-75% of their normal elemental power (if a catalyst is used, this would be from 75-75 to 85-85 depending on the catalyst nature).

Systems

Housing system

Rather than adding maps for housing, I hope to make instancing, for real estates. Some other types of housing (organizations and guilds) will have their own "real" maps, like castles, hideouts, etc. That's mainly because it's intended to use a small space for more houses.

Economy related

Market, personal vending, auctions. Every type of system takes a role and a caracteristic type of dealing. Market, for impersonal transactions (with some fee, because it's global), as personal vending being more personal (direct transactionsm without fee >.<). Auctions, for those that want to test luck with our dear society! You can sell an 5£ worth potato for 50000£, and well it's specially made for those that doesn't know how much people buys them. So... let them fight for it! But in an ordered way.

PvP stuff

There are zones with PvP enabled, and some secure areas (newbie areas and some other that need some peace). Also, some places let PvP enabled, but only to fight for opportunities (an important Mob? let's decide by PvP!). There is no penalization, but you will be returned to a special place on/near that map (based (if not entirely) at Andrew Harrison's PvP idea, from TMW community). On places where PvP is not permitted, you get karma when you kill a player, and get a warning state when attack (although you CAN'T attack players 20lvls below you, and players below lvl16 can't get in 'PvP').

Techniques, skills & Abilities

Every MMORPG player knows about Passive and Active Skills. So how we call those class-native active/passive skills? I call them abilities (long term: class abilities, very self-explanatory). They are just skills that you obtain when you change your class. Simple as water.

As for techniques, well: are active ones, those that need 'TP' and be used. For skills, passive: those that are active even if not used and doesn't cost 'TP'.

Growth

As you gain levels, you get StatPoints, right? That leaves some customization. But for ensuring some novice-proof, we get the StatUnits, that differ from one class to other, are like the base of the class attributes. Every level, variables like HP, MP, Physical Attack... will be re-calculated using the StatUnits (with the precious StatPoints you will be commanding your character to you liking). Also, there will be some items for those professionals who aren't "d'accord" with that (doing changes on the class' 'baseSU').

Enhancing & Crafting

Enhancing and crafting is possible to alchemists. The first one adds attributes to weapons and armors. The crafting would be of two main types: the potion-making and armorer.

Organizations, guilds

Organizations are groups of players with a "common" objective in-game. Those organizations can start an academy, or can be a royal guard or bandits. The organizations can form a guild, like a guild member (guild mebers are organizations, not players, but it means that players with same guild are companions too).

Glossary

Aleko

The principal city in the continent of Aleko. Home of every Alekian. Some say that the heroine lived there, after fleeing from Yamashiru.

Alfheim

Homeland to the alfven people. By years it was fighting with svartalfvens by unknown causes, but the influence of the heroine ceased the war.

Asgard

Name of the plane, and the main continent of it. Homeland of the Asgardians, as well of Real Asgardians.

Class' Base StatUnits(BaseSU)/StatUnits(SU)

First one are the characteristic StatUnits that the class have, second one are those that you add them whem you use StatPoints.

Like this

What you're going to say when the game is finished! Just kidding, as it is only an example of italic style.

Magic

As said before, superhuman capabilities for energy control. Ingame, category of some techniques.

Midgard

The human plane, as some refer to it. It is, in fact, where humans lived an still live (and will live). Polluted, distortioned, and stuff, but at least is liveable.

MMORPG

Acronym for Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. That means, what DODO will be.

MOB

Acronym for Mobile OBject. Mostly reffered on gaming as monster/enemy NPCs.

Muspell

The sacred mountains in the plane of Asgard.

Nidavellir

Homeland for vellians, in the Niflheim plane. Not much is known from that place, only that it is a very rough place to live.

Niflheim

The third plane, as humans describe it. Full of hardliving, as is very hostile, some even refer to it as underworld.

Parnassus

Homeland of very skilled artists, like famous Beth Oven and Mozz Lizard. Located in the continent of the same name.

Party Total Level

by summing up the levels of the party and dividing it by the Party Lenght (number of players in your party) you get it. Easy, right? just an average of everyone lvls.

Plane

They are something similar to dimensions, located at the same space, like they were layers, but not colliding by 5th dimension's stuff. Hard to explain, phew!

PvP

Player vs Player, means combat between players. It can be at the coliseum, PvP Zones...

Stats

Variables used on combat, like PhysicalAttack. They are calculated by the StatUnits (Strenght, Vitality, Intelligence, Dexterity and Agility).

StatPoints(SP)

Used for raising the player's StatUnits.

Svartalfheim

Home for every svartalfven. Somewhat devastated, since a great catastrophe long time ago. Thanks to the heroine, the place still exists.

TechPoints(TP)

Used for executing techniques. Depending of technique, the needed amount is different.

The Academy

An international organization, that ensures world's order and security. At first, you are trained by them, but later on, you can follow your own path.

The Heroine

Born on Yamashiru, lost her parents in a shipwreck when travelling to Fierro, a town in the continent of Aleko. When she was around 18yrs old, started a journey, where would meet the worst problems in the world, and in most cases, she did well. So, at much places, she's known as the Heroine, the lady who saved the world from nightmares. When the great beast Ragnarok awoke, she fought with him, as result she passed away. Thanks to her, that legendary beast is still dreaming, as it can't be destroyed.

The Mana World (TMW)

An open source MMORPG. It's a neat game, mostly for its portability (Mac OS, Linux, Windows) since it's programmed in C/++. They'll be my rivals, as I respect them much.

Yamashiru Island

The asian-descendant's empire. The capital city is Eddie, but most commerce is influenced by the big city of Yamashiru, that once ago was the capital, but it's evil empire was defeated by the heroine.

Information

(This will be available from Oct 07, 2009). Look at my homepage, for more information. If you sign up, the download section will appear (that's by now). They're the remains of my past... As additional info, the story of this game is based almost entirely on those games (were made with that well-known RPG Maker).

Project's History

-Oct 05, 2009- "Official" start of the DODO project.
-Oct 09, 2009- Changed the engine that's going to be used (as some things like Grhs and server packets are easier to manage). As netGORE is still unreleased, the planning is going to take a little bit longer.