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Introduction to the Primogen MMO Development Infrastructure Primogen is our primary project, hence the name. Its purpose is to provide a stable base of code suitable for the development of complex server based ‘MMO’ (Massively Multiplayer Online) games, and a develpment methodology that attempts to solve some of the traditional difficulties with such large, complex projects. This is achieved in by approaching three classic milestone-crunching areas in the development of such a game - Infrastructure, Tools and Assets. Features Linux (posix thread support required) and Windows platforms supported. TCP/UDP protocols supported via an intuitive service/subscriber pattern. Fully scalable network architecture - from single PCs to large clusters. Event driven system in self contained threads. Per-connection or shared key encryption at up to 1024 bit. Key negotiation or fixed key. MySQL Database support. Memory and resource management. Asset control mechanism to minimise patching. Server-integrated design methodology - tweak and adjust while live. Node based routing and simulation for the construction of ‘living’ game worlds. ... many more features!
Infrastructure Primogen provides a solid infrastructure for MMO development through a number of libraries, each of which will be licensed separately. These are: 1) The Open Library. This library contains standard programming ‘patterns’, such as event subscribers and resource managers, useful utility functions for memory management, basic 3D mathematics functions, and networking and encryption functions. 2) The Closed Library: This library contains more advanced features such as event scheduling and dissemination through a complex hierarchical relevance graph, routefinding via node based routemaps, animated entity representation, terrain and geographic feature representations, database access and much more. 3) The Tools Library: This library contains implementations of tools developed to use and generate the assets described in the Closed Library, in an integrated development environment. Renderer interfaces for the Closed Library to a number of open source rendering engines are also planned for release in this library. This Library also contains more complex asset management, optimisation and delta comparison systems to allow for a minimal distribution footprint, both for main release and patch releases.
Tools Primogen Tools are designed to be used in an integrated and intuitive manner by the game designer. Designers are capable of interactively selecting what attributes and behaviours an entity or area may have, allowing an unprecedented level of control over a complex world simulation. Tools are also designed to interact via a superclient application with live game worlds, meaning that many changes to the game world can be performed live, rather than causing downtime.
Assets MMO development is asset-intensive. Primogen attempts to ease this by providing high quality assets which are much more tightly integrated into the game design process. Adaptive terrain and self deforming artefacts provide a quick and intuitive world design workflow, while component based actor construction and behaviours provide an intuitive method for creature and character design from known parts. Custom specified music and sound effects for a wide range of genres and settings provide the audio component. Our assets are rigidly specified by category and genre, and provide an ideal ‘default’ set of assets for the genres we provide. We do not provide ‘special’ items, instead a flexible range of everyday assets that are designed to provide the general flavour to a game world. We are happy to negotiate with our asset creators on the behalf of our customers for the production of custom works to complement our retail range for your individual game.
Licensing The various portions of Primogen will be released under differing licences: The Open Library will be released as an open source product without documentation or support. It will be freely downloadable by snapshot releases (no source control access) from this website and also freely mirror-able and distributable. Documentation and development guides and manuals will be purchasable from our online store. The Closed Library will be released under a proprietary license from us. The license will be limited to one studio, one project and will be priced very competitively. Included with the Closed Library will be API documentation and user guides suitable to its content. This license also includes the Open Library and all associated documentation. The Tools Library will also be released under a proprietary license from us. The license will be limited to one studio, one project and will be priced very competitively. Included is all content and documentation of the Closed and Open Libraries, in addition to user guides and manuals for the tools. Assets are retailed from our online store under a proprietary, non-exclusive license.
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