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Massively multiplayer online real-time strategy

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File:Shattered Galaxy screenshot.jpg

Massively multiplayer online real-time strategy (MMORTS) is a genre of online computer game that combines real-time strategy (RTS) with a large number of simultaneous players over the Internet. Players will often assume the role of a general, king or figurehead of some kind, leading an army into battle, while at the sametime maintaining the resources needed for such warfare. The titles are often based in a sci-fi or fantasy universe and are distinguished from single or small-scale multiplayer RTSs by the number of players and common use of a persistent world, generally hosted by the game's publisher, which continues to evolve even when the player is not currently playing.

History

Unlike MMORPGs, the MMORTS genre is still in its infancy with only a handful of active games, none of which have come from a large publisher. Vibes, a French developer, created the first MMORTS, Mankind, in 1998 starting the genre rolling. Mankind (not to be confused with Face of Mankind) defined what the MMORTS persistent nature means. Even when players are not online, their mines extract ores, factories create equipment, ships continue commerce, and combat units continue to do battle. In 2001 Nexon Inc., now known as KRU Games, released Shattered Galaxy. It is very different from Mankind in that it focuses on squads of units fighting in 15 minute intervals.

Just recently many new games are coming out Saga, Beyond Protocol, Dreamlords, and Call of the Kings to replace the original mmorts genre founders. In the next few years we will see the definite shape the genre will take. This is exciting times for mmorts players because publishers heard the players cries for more 'professional' titles and are quickly moving to take up the previously unexplored territory.

Current Problems

There currently exists a large problem in dealing with offline players. While MMORPGs typically have a user's character disappear from the game world upon logout, the same idea can not apply to an MMORTS. Most MMORTS titles place the player as the leader of some sort of nation-state, whose disappearance would not make sense. Therefore, when a player logs out, the nation would be largely unguarded. Developers have been trying to compensate for this problem with advanced artificial intelligence to control a player's army, restrictions on destructive acts against offline users, and placing the player in control of a handful of units rather than an empire.

MMORTSs must also deal with resource competition. In a single player real-time strategy, resources are mostly limited. The genre almost forces the game designers to use an unlimited resource system as in Total Annihilation, but this forces each successive new player to have to build more quickly than the last. A possible solution is a periodic server-reset of resources alloted to players.

MMORTS also poses several technical problems. Because the player controls not just an avatar but tens if not hundreds of units simultaneously, this puts an enormous price tag on bandwidth if the level of interaction is to compete with modern single or multiplayer RTSs. Most MMORTSs reduce the level of simulation that needs to be synced with the server which puts serious limitations on the types of simulation that can be preformed. The limitations include limited view rules such as radar and terrain blocking algorithms, limited physics simulations such as artillery arcs and shock waves, limited air and undersea combat. Simulation has to rely on simple mechanisms to stay in budget which by the player of the RTS genre might be considered outdated.

Community problems also emerge. Several large groups my ally together giving significant advantage to its members. This might leave independent or new players at mercy of the larger factions. The large faction might battle together to take up all limited resource cosing real problems for the community. But this is also the fun part that sets this genre apart from other mmo the diplomatic part in mmortses is just astounding even if no guild system is built into the game they form on their own with tight bonds and comradery. This diplomatic arena can be both cruel and unjust to new or independent players but can be quite rewarding to the players that participate in the political strategy.

Map technology and path finding algorithms are even more complex in mmorts. Boundless planet seems like the only game that got it right. Most mmortses opt out for even the simplest lets avoid that mountain because of the huge maps path finding will tax any server but a server that has to keep connection to hundreds of people its almost impossible. Some mmorteses like Beyond Protocl even opt out of unit and building collisions making the maps or battle fields practically irreverent. Path finding is closely related to the unit AI and mmortses try to keep the AI for each unit a bare minimum because being massive in nature gives you thousands if not hundreds of thousands units moving at the same time.

Most mmortses look really bad graphically because of the low budget of the games. Getting the mmo frame work right is not a simple matter. Even to get the most basic online rts is complex and therefore costly. But most mmorts as in the game play not in best 3d graphics. They cut costs whereever they can. And most mmorts players think having the next gen graphics is not a big deal because the designers of the mmortses are right its all in the game play.

Released MMORTS Titles

Beta Titles

This section contains games in active open or closed beta.

  • Dreamlords - 2007 fantasy title developed by Lockpick Entertainment
  • Saga - A 2007 fantasy title developed by Saga Games Ltd
  • Beyond Protocol - 2007 sci-fi title developed by Dark Sky Entertainment
  • Call of the Kings - 2007 fantasy title developed by Gamalocus Studios

See also

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