MMOWorkshop Store and Stuff
by Prairie Games · 07/09/2007 (9:14 pm) · 25 comments
A few updates...
Minions of Mirth
Minions of Mirth is a hair away from 50,000 registered players. The game is continuing to be improved and we'll have a new patch with even more content, fixes, and goodies soon.
It is still selling and at least keeping the boat floating :) Though, it is a financial worry to have our entire household entirely dependent on it. We have a few things in the cooker that should help with this... for one thing, we're putting together some content packs based on its assets. There's more about this below.
Torque MMO Kit
We've been really busy at Prairie Games working and charting a course. GarageGames approached us nearly 9 months ago to take the Minions of Mirth technology, organize and clean it up , and create the Torque MMO Kit out of it. We agreed that this was a good idea and now have a lot of work into the kit. There is still a lot of work left to do...
I knew when starting on the journey to license this technology that I didn't want to work alone.
There are now some really talented guys (under NDA) hammering on the C++ sources. The port to TGE 1.5.2 and AFX 1.0.2 has been making good progress and the quality of the code style and cleanups is awesome :) The TGE 1.5.2 port will aid the port to TGEA (now in experimental form) greatly as well due to their core similarity.
MMOWorkshop.com
The MMOWorkshop.com site has been a lot of work. I have learned a lot about web development in the process... it isn't always fun, but when web stuff comes together and all the bandaids and string works together, it's very satisfying. Take for instance, our newly integrated store and account system that is up on the workshop and available for testing:
1. We needed a store... so, it was yet again time to do some web work. We'll start with the main store page. Not much to say about this... it's pretty much a wiki page we have locked from edits and can easily update:
2. Next, we have a product page... We, like GG, believe in Indie and Commercial availability for products (though, prefer the word Enterprise as it doesn't suggest Indie is noncommercial). The product page is a breeze to layout with the wiki and embedded html markup.
3. I originally had multiple buttons on the product page and decided it was much better to to come up with a quick license/payment method selector....
4. Prairie Games has a merchant account with Bank of America and a PayPal business account. We accept both forms of payment (important)... and use their secure web forms. We never touch CC information and certainly don't store it... this helps me sleep at night.
Bank of America:
PayPal:
5. We use both the Bank of America and PayPal services web notification system to communicate on the backend. We're able to check lots of stuff and provide immediate delivery of downloadable goods to the purchaser's account. We can update the files at any time and they can easily be redownloaded. :)
Whew, this has been some work. The store functionality is currently up on MMOWorkshop.com and in testing... It should be a really interesting few months coming up...
See ya soon!
- Prairie Games, Inc
http://www.prairiegames.com
http://www.mmoworkshop.com
Minions of Mirth
Minions of Mirth is a hair away from 50,000 registered players. The game is continuing to be improved and we'll have a new patch with even more content, fixes, and goodies soon.
It is still selling and at least keeping the boat floating :) Though, it is a financial worry to have our entire household entirely dependent on it. We have a few things in the cooker that should help with this... for one thing, we're putting together some content packs based on its assets. There's more about this below.
Torque MMO Kit
We've been really busy at Prairie Games working and charting a course. GarageGames approached us nearly 9 months ago to take the Minions of Mirth technology, organize and clean it up , and create the Torque MMO Kit out of it. We agreed that this was a good idea and now have a lot of work into the kit. There is still a lot of work left to do...
I knew when starting on the journey to license this technology that I didn't want to work alone.
There are now some really talented guys (under NDA) hammering on the C++ sources. The port to TGE 1.5.2 and AFX 1.0.2 has been making good progress and the quality of the code style and cleanups is awesome :) The TGE 1.5.2 port will aid the port to TGEA (now in experimental form) greatly as well due to their core similarity.
MMOWorkshop.com
The MMOWorkshop.com site has been a lot of work. I have learned a lot about web development in the process... it isn't always fun, but when web stuff comes together and all the bandaids and string works together, it's very satisfying. Take for instance, our newly integrated store and account system that is up on the workshop and available for testing:
1. We needed a store... so, it was yet again time to do some web work. We'll start with the main store page. Not much to say about this... it's pretty much a wiki page we have locked from edits and can easily update:
2. Next, we have a product page... We, like GG, believe in Indie and Commercial availability for products (though, prefer the word Enterprise as it doesn't suggest Indie is noncommercial). The product page is a breeze to layout with the wiki and embedded html markup.
3. I originally had multiple buttons on the product page and decided it was much better to to come up with a quick license/payment method selector....
4. Prairie Games has a merchant account with Bank of America and a PayPal business account. We accept both forms of payment (important)... and use their secure web forms. We never touch CC information and certainly don't store it... this helps me sleep at night.
Bank of America:
PayPal:
5. We use both the Bank of America and PayPal services web notification system to communicate on the backend. We're able to check lots of stuff and provide immediate delivery of downloadable goods to the purchaser's account. We can update the files at any time and they can easily be redownloaded. :)
Whew, this has been some work. The store functionality is currently up on MMOWorkshop.com and in testing... It should be a really interesting few months coming up...
See ya soon!
- Prairie Games, Inc
http://www.prairiegames.com
http://www.mmoworkshop.com
#2
"THIS IS A TEST!"
07/09/2007 (10:08 pm)
Was I not supposed to buy anything yet? I bought the commercial critter pack but the download only contains a text file with:"THIS IS A TEST!"
#3
Edit: I also added a note on each product page that these packs are specifically designed for the Torque MMO Kit and are not compatible with stock TGE without engine modifications.
-PG
07/09/2007 (10:12 pm)
@Peter: We're currently testing the system. The backend is only going through the motions and not actually processing anything. I'll add an additional note about the testing on the ordering page. Let us know if you run into any quirks... thanks!Edit: I also added a note on each product page that these packs are specifically designed for the Torque MMO Kit and are not compatible with stock TGE without engine modifications.
-PG
#4
Oh man, I would snap those up in a heartbeat if I could use them without the MMOKit. I'm a pretty good programmer and quite comfrotable with TGE, if it wouldn't be too much work to get them in it would be well worth the money and time for me, especially in comparison to the hours it would take me to create those models myself.
Also, by the sounds of it the clothing pack is well layed out into various body parts already. What's the licence? Can I take them, apply them to my own models I've created? Or can I only use them with the avatar pack? Again, I'd snap them up in an instant if I can use them with my own models. :D
07/09/2007 (11:56 pm)
Dagnabit. I was hoping to snag the creature packs at the very least. What isn't compatible about them? Is there anywhere I could find out what is needed to get them working in stock TGE, without the MMO Kit? Is it just a case of different (more limited than the TGE Player) animations? My single player RPG could use some dragons. :POh man, I would snap those up in a heartbeat if I could use them without the MMOKit. I'm a pretty good programmer and quite comfrotable with TGE, if it wouldn't be too much work to get them in it would be well worth the money and time for me, especially in comparison to the hours it would take me to create those models myself.
Also, by the sounds of it the clothing pack is well layed out into various body parts already. What's the licence? Can I take them, apply them to my own models I've created? Or can I only use them with the avatar pack? Again, I'd snap them up in an instant if I can use them with my own models. :D
#5
07/10/2007 (12:11 am)
Can you explain the differences between these models and stock TGE?
#6
BTW, the Torque MMO Kit does single player well too and is really pretty cool. So, that might be an option for you? If you haven't player Minions of Mirth in single player... maybe grab the free edition and give it a shot.
-PG
07/10/2007 (12:38 am)
The MMO Kit has a customized player class with a material based clothing system, scaling that works for giant and tiny players and creatures, weapon/shield/helm mounting , and different animations (more in tune with RPG, less in tune with FPS). This stuff wouldn't be terribly difficult and should probably be done for an RPG anyway...BTW, the Torque MMO Kit does single player well too and is really pretty cool. So, that might be an option for you? If you haven't player Minions of Mirth in single player... maybe grab the free edition and give it a shot.
-PG
#7
07/10/2007 (12:42 am)
Sounds great, I'll be purchasing the commercial combo pack when you go live.
#8
DRAFT MODEL SETUP DOCUMENTATION
-PG
07/10/2007 (12:43 am)
Oh, and here is some draft documentation on the player models so you can see:DRAFT MODEL SETUP DOCUMENTATION
-PG
#9
I have played the single player MOM and it is pretty cool, but, well, I've got my own way I want to do things, and I have sunk 2 years into coding it up for my requirements, the code base is about 80% complete, so you understand....
07/10/2007 (12:45 am)
I was planning to do a lot of that anyway, but I would probably give you money just for that player code, lol :) . Its not that I couldn't do it myself, it's just I have limited time to Dev and unfortunately I haven't shaken off the need for "sleep".I have played the single player MOM and it is pretty cool, but, well, I've got my own way I want to do things, and I have sunk 2 years into coding it up for my requirements, the code base is about 80% complete, so you understand....
#10
07/10/2007 (12:46 am)
That player model you use, is that a standard Character Studio skeleton? The same as Kork?
#11
07/10/2007 (2:01 am)
I love the payment stuff! It's the right way to do it, with the notifications shaving off precious human admin time. Well done :) 
#12
07/10/2007 (4:32 am)
Nice update, this is looking more and more solid!
#13
07/10/2007 (4:33 pm)
@Gareth its the standard biped. Tho not the Kork Setup. Afaict it has one more spine than Kork and its roughly 1.8 meters tall (25% smaller than Kork)
#14
07/10/2007 (11:46 pm)
Hmmm, ok. The Torque Motion Pack and Ragdoll Pack use the standard skeleton, will they then work fine with these models, even with the extra spine?
#15
07/11/2007 (3:28 am)
Unlikely, even if they'd work, kork is larger and fatter, which would deform the character somewhat strange. 
#16
07/11/2007 (6:10 am)
I can say pretty much for certain that any animation pack (or the stock torque animations) won't work. These models were made for Minions of Mirth, it wasn't really my intention that they would ever end up as "content packs" when I made them.... =)
#17
Yup, stock animations and animation packs for stock/standard torque models aren't going to work with the avatar models. The creature models of course have entirely different skeletal systems in the first place... yet another reason for the changes to the player animation system for an RPG.
07/11/2007 (7:29 am)
@Magnus: Hah, we haven't intended most of what we have been working on for the last, well, almost year! :)Yup, stock animations and animation packs for stock/standard torque models aren't going to work with the avatar models. The creature models of course have entirely different skeletal systems in the first place... yet another reason for the changes to the player animation system for an RPG.
#18
What about using the clothing/armor textures with our own models? Can we do that? And can we modify the textures for our own game?
07/11/2007 (7:33 am)
Ah well, its the creature packs I'm most interested in, and I wasn't going to use the animation packs with them anyway, so it's not that big a loss.What about using the clothing/armor textures with our own models? Can we do that? And can we modify the textures for our own game?
#20
07/12/2007 (4:21 pm)
Amazing. 
Associate Andy Hawkins
DrewFX