In this timeline, MMO is still a concept that, although it has quietly emerged, remains confined to a small circle.
MMO stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Game.
As its name suggests, before the internet became truly widespread, the survival environment for MMOs was extremely precarious.
Although there are already some MUD-like text-based games operating on ARPANET, not many people have played them due to the limited internet penetration.
If we really want to trace back to the first proper MMORPG game, it would be Neverwinter Nights in 1991.
As for " Ultima Online," which truly ushered in the golden age of MMORPGs, that didn't happen until after 1997.
Not to mention World of Warcraft, the absolute king that was born at the beginning of the millennium.
Hardware, software, infrastructure, and humanistic thought----
The true MM0 is still a very long way from the present era.
Fortunately, GAMENOVA isn't trying to use some kind of supernatural technology to bring World of Warcraft out of the game ahead of schedule.
The project we're working on this time is actually very simple, or rather, very clever.
Screeps: World
Commonly known as a programmer's "poison-raising simulator".
A work released in 2016.
As mentioned in the previous meeting, this is an MMO-RTS sandbox game.
Players need to control their entire colony entirely through scripting, down to the smallest detail: the actions of every unit and every frame must be written by the player themselves.
At the same time, all players will be placed on the same server, scattered across small territories.
Players can write scripts to make their units mine, build bases, develop technology, and engage in foreign trade.
Of course, conquest and occupation were also indispensable.
Yes, despite its very nerdy gameplay, it's actually a genuine RTS.
"Stop, stop, stop."
Upon hearing this, Sam quickly interrupted Lin Lixin.
The more he listened, the more suspicious he became.
"We're going to control all the units by writing programs, right?"
"That's right."
"And at the same time, we want them to fight? Like in Command & Conquer?"
"Right."
If the previous idea of having units gather resources and farm was somewhat plausible and even sounded quite interesting, then this RTS gameplay seems rather baffling.
Even Sam had a feeling that Lin Lixin was trying to imitate the design of " Core War " and attempting to introduce a battle mechanism to stimulate players.
They've done this kind of thing before.
In their early days of internet experimentation, they conducted many inhumane experiments in Pixel War.
He got scolded a lot for this.
Admittedly, the introduction of competitive gameplay can effectively stimulate players' initiative, encouraging them to delve deeper and hone their skills.
However, forcing this approach into an unsuitable environment might backfire.
"Even if we assume everyone actually buys into this approach—what about the real-time nature of RTS games?"
The key to RTS (Real-Time Strategy) lies in this "real-time" aspect, isn't it?
Programming is not something that happens instantly.
From writing the code to debugging, and finally compiling and running, the steps involved are numerous and complex.
Wouldn't that turn into a bunch of people holding keyboards and competing to see who can type the fastest?
"Hmm----that's true, I use RTS to describe it because I can't find a more suitable tag."
Lin Lixin nodded, "However, this 'real-time' is the opposite of 'turn-based,' meaning that all its battles are real-time, not turn-based."
In fact, this is precisely the essence of "Screeps".
"What players actually need to do is write a set of code smart enough that the base can react to various situations."
"For example—our base can automatically generate an army to respond after detecting an enemy attack."
"At the same time, the AI of these armies is entirely written by the players themselves."
"The process of the battle is actually a test of both sides' coding skills, just like ' Core War,' only simpler and more WYSIWYG."
While the gameplay of " Core War " is advanced, it's undeniably too nerdy, which doesn't align with Lin Lixin's needs this time.
Of course, this also doesn't fit the positioning of NovaScript as a new language.
Upon hearing this, Will's expression grew increasingly fanatical.
It's worth noting that his role in Gamenova has always been related to the unit's AI.
Even Carmack couldn't compete with him on this point.
Hmm... okay, Lin Lixin might be an exception.
As is widely known, Lin Lixin is excluded by default from discussions of combat strength.
"I understand what Lin means!"
Seeing that everyone was still hesitant, Will became a little anxious.
This project is indeed quite different from before.
In the past, Lin Lixin's ideas were often strange at first glance, but their fun could be quickly understood after a simple discussion.
But this time it's different.
The more you explain it, the more puzzled you become by its bizarre design.
Even if everyone trusts Lin Lixin unconditionally, it's hard not to have doubts.
"This—this might indeed be a very polarizing work."
Will's throat tightened, and he swallowed hard.
He rarely expresses his emotions as strongly as he does today.
To others, he was a typical bookworm, highly skilled but always a bit dull.
"It is indeed selective, but let's not forget that the current internet penetration rate is only about 1%."
Upon hearing this, Sam, who was still scratching his head trying to figure out Lin Lixin's idea, suddenly paused.
After a brief moment of confusion, a look of astonished enlightenment appeared on his face.
"Ha! I get it! Cater to their preferences, and tailor your approach to them!"
Yes, I've been comparing this game to other mainstream works, but I've overlooked this crucial point.
The internet is nothing more than a plaything for a niche group of people.
Thanks to GAMENOVA's many efforts, although progress has been slow, its popularity has indeed been gradually increasing.
Several ISPs have even recently expressed interest in joining NEXUS and planning to connect their networks.
In the long run, the Internet is indeed a clear future trend.
Nowadays, workstation and multi-purpose PC manufacturers are gradually making network connectivity a mandatory option.
Dell and other manufacturers are indeed working hard to promote its widespread adoption.
but----
Even so, the Internet is still not accessible to everyone.
Most people are still used to playing single-player games and using media such as floppy disks and magnetic tapes to transfer data.
Unlike cable TV and landline phones, which are essential expenses for a household.
But the internet is different.
Email may be interesting, but phone calls and voicemail are sufficient substitutes.
The same goes for video games.
Most people would rather spend that monthly fee on cable TV.
In this day and age, those willing to install the Internet in their homes, besides die-hard GAMENOVA fans, are mostly just geeks who are passionate about tinkering.
It's more accurate to say that the latter actually accounts for the majority of this.
That is precisely why "Screeps," a seemingly niche and unconventional work, actually catered to mainstream demand when it was released on the internet.
Those university students, and the scholars who are slowly migrating from ARPANET to NeuSNET—
Faced with such an opportunity to hone one's skills and access the latest information in the IT field, I would never refuse to give it a try.
"That's right."
Lin Lixin smiled and nodded, "However, we still have to be prepared to lose money."
Lin Lixin has a very bold plan for this project.
Upon receiving Lin Lixin's notification, Gerald temporarily put down his work and went downstairs to the conference room.
The moment he pushed open the door, Lin Lixin's voice reached his ears.
"We want to set up multiple servers like Pixel War, aiming to have one in every state, and at the same time—the game itself will be completely free!"
Gerald froze on the spot, incredulously picking at his ear.
Did I open the door wrong?
I think I just heard something incredible.
"Yay, you've come at the right time, Gerald. Contact Vivian and see if you can set up a few mainframes; we need servers."
Oh no, it doesn't seem like I'm hallucinating!
"Uh... I feel like I've missed a lot?"
Gerald leaned over to look at the other people in their seats.
Their expressions varied, clearly indicating that they too were quite shocked.
"Oh, is that so?"
Lin Lixin chuckled and explained again, "I plan to make this game completely free. How about that? Isn't that bold?"
By doing this, it's as if Gamenova is paying out of its own pocket to cover operating costs and various miscellaneous expenses in order to promote the popularity of NovaScript and the Internet.
"This is pure money-burning!"
Gerald felt a headache coming on just from estimating the potential server costs.
This is equivalent to throwing money into a fire every single day.
"Hey, don't rush me, I haven't finished yet."
Seeing Gerald's despairing expression, Lin Lixin laughed and continued, "Later I thought about it and gave up on the idea of making it completely free, but instead, the game itself will still run as free."
"Not only that, we'll also allow players to earn money in the process."
He returned to the whiteboard and wrote down a word.
[Token]
"This is key to our profitability and breaking even, and also key to keeping players playing."
"Yes, the game is free for players, but—the server resources that each person can control are limited."
"Each player starts with only 20 CPU units," meaning they can only control 20 CPU units per frame loop.
Milliseconds.
Every action in a game incurs CPU overhead, and the more sophisticated the algorithm, the lower this overhead.
"But no matter how ingenious the design, it will eventually reach its limit."
"And that's when it comes to making its appearance."
Lin Lixin tapped the word "[Token]" on the whiteboard with his knuckles and grinned.
For a continuously operating MMORPG, the buy-to-play model is not a suitable business model.
The market performance of the Mighty Eagle has proven the potential power of this business model.
With just a little guidance, it can be transformed into a new money-printing machine.
"By purchasing our tokens, players can obtain a higher CPU quota for a certain period of time."
"Besides----"
Lin Lixin paused, "It can also be freely traded using in-game currency."