Added terrain demo videos (It is a voxel terrain using the polyvox library):
[youtube]5lv31oibgZ0[/youtube]
[youtube]_bUQCJ324h8[/youtube]
Talent needed:
We have a world up and running, as you can see in the videos, however you also notice the graphics are very bad. Now we got a studio making really good assets for us, as you can see by the model screen shots.
Our issue is that we don't really have any programmer on the team that knows Ogre3D and shader programming well, therefore we are looking for an Ogre3D programmers with experience with shaders.
Team Name: Epic Online Entertainment
Epic Online Entertainment is a newly started (sole trader) company in Ireland. The purpose of the company is separate the Abydos Online projects funding/finances from the author's personal economy. In the following 6 months I will personally push about 10000 euro into this project, we are supported by the Irish government and is getting help from Enterprise Ireland (http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/) and DBIC (http://www.dbic.ie/) to work on our business plan.
Project Name:
Abydos Online
Background Story:
Millennia before our current times, lived and ruled the ancient gods. Our knowledge about those times is limited, but it is sure that nature flourished and magnificent beings populated every part of the world. Mighty kingdoms and great empires rose to power, it was a paradise. The ancient gods gave birth to children, demigods, who were gifted with the wisdom and power of their creators.
Conspiracies and secret plots took root among the gods and their children, this lead to conflict and ultimately to war! This great war among the divine spread savagely across the lands, consuming everyone and everything. The ancient races followed their gods into battle. Powerful spells scorched the earth as their magic wrought unimaginable destruction. As the ancient races followed their gods into battle, vast armies clashed together, bathing the land in a sea of blood and steel. Above, the heavens thundered while the gods waged their war.
As the gods destroyed each other, one by one their cosmic powers unleashed chaos upon the world. Entire continents sank into the threatening ocean, others were brought into darkness by maddened beasts. The people changed, happiness was forgotten and disparity took its place.
For generations, our city struggled against the harshness of the war-torn world. Then something unexpected happened, a miracle: The wishes of the exposed and hopeless of our city were heard and new gods came to us. Understanding the power of prayer, new religions were born to the people.
This is the age we live in. The lands are healing, nature slowly repopulates the world. Though the wastelands remain filled with deadly creatures and dangerous remnants from the great war, old battle spells show signs of weakening. The people of Abydos are no longer forgotten. With new gods and new hope, we will build a future for ourselves.
Only one world
There is only one world, no instances or shards.
No classes, no levels.
There are no classes or levels, only skills and attributes.
Unique RPG style Gameplay
Abydos Online has its own universe, rediscovering the roots of today's fantasy history to create a unique world. Gameplay focusing equally on world building, crafting, mental/social activities and combat.
Dynamic Environments
Tired of seeing nice surroundings but not being able to interact with them? In Abydos Online, if you see an item, for example a wall, a tree or a bucket on the ground you interact with it as expected, for example you can travel in a forest with ten thousands of trees, cut down one and returning one month later it will still be lying on the ground (perhaps now covered with moss). Terrain can also be raised to lowered by players.
Scalable
Every experienced that to many players in one place creates lag? Abydos Online has an scalable backend allowing several thousands of players being active in one zone/area without lag. So far we load tested with over 10,000 players in the same area with response times between 10 and 30 milliseconds, test results can be viewed here:
http://www.next-gen.cc/uploads/2010_5_2 ... report.txt
MUD style Development Structure
The closest developers of the MUD are considered as core staff, they are responsible for the client and server development. Ever dreamed of creating a MMO yourself? In Abydos Online, if you show enough skill you can apply for godhood an join the ranks of the immortals, shaping an area in the world according to your ideas.
Target aim:
Free client download, account must be purchased to play (the payment method is not finalized yet). Aiming for player base of older teens and adults.
Milestones:
2011 - May - Alpha Release (Reached)
2012 - Closed Alpha Release
2013 - Open Beta Release
2014 - Final Release
Compensation:
Open for both volunteers and paid by contract positions.
Technology:
The client is written in C++ and using MyGUI and Ogre3D libraries.
The server is written in Erlang and C.
We are using Bullet Physics and PolyVox (voxel terrain) on the server and client.
Team structure:
Server Development Team
Christian - Lead Server Programmer, Project Founder
Greg - Server Programmer
Haitong - Server Programmer
Client Development Team
Scott - Lead Client Programmer
Abi - Client Developer
Graphical Team
Cody - Art Director, 3D modeler
Writing Team
Jasmine - Lead Writer
Kawan - Writer
Ian - Writer
Sound Team
Chad - Composer
Freelancers
Frederick - Concept Artist/Illustrator
Ukrainian Studio - Concept Art/3D Models
Website:
http://www.abydosonline.com/
Contacts:
recr@abydosonline.com You can also apply through dropping a message in our forums.
Previous Work by Team:
MMO engine built Christian (the project founder) http://www.next-gen.cc.
Abydos Web Comic: http://abydosonline.smackjeeves.com/comics/
Old tech demo (over two years old):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIGkKCyI1gI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8Q_bZP2sgs
New Alpha version of the game (placeholder graphics):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNo6yqXQPWk
Artwork:
Illustrations:
Models:
