The peril and promise of interdependent MMO systems
The closure of many Pirates of the Burning Sea servers last week is regrettable, but not terribly surprising. In the Next Generation article exploring that event, CEO Russell Williams explains that the interdependence of their ambitious MMO's systems made them difficult to test. Veteran MMO developer Raph Koster picks up that thread and carries it forward in a blog post to his personal site.
Using his experience on past titles (especially Star Wars Galaxies) Koster describes the enormous complexity of getting different systems in MMOs to work. The challenge is that while interdependent elements are complicated to test, they're also some of the most important pieces of any online game. Interwoven systems encourage player community and allow for overlapping groups to form. Independent (or 'silo'd') systems are also easy to cut, something he notes from the days of SWG's development. "This, for the SWG followers, is why stuff like vehicles, cities, and mounts, were more easily pushed off than dancing. Design interdependence. Vehicles improved the game, but they weren't required for it to function."
It's a really interesting look behind the scenes at Star Wars Galaxies, and a peak behind the curtain of a current MMO's troubles. Something to think about as new Massive titles hit the marketplace this year.
