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Massively Multiplayer Game Development 2 (v. 2)

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Manufacturer: Charles River Media Average Customer Rating: Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5

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Massively Multiplayer Game Development 2 (v. 2)

Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 794.81526
EAN: 9781584503903
ISBN: 1584503904
Label: Charles River Media
Manufacturer: Charles River Media
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 508
Publication Date: 2005-02
Publisher: Charles River Media
Studio: Charles River Media
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Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Average rating of 2/5Average rating of 2/5Average rating of 2/5Average rating of 2/5Average rating of 2/5
Summary: Few good chapters, not worth the price
Comment: As an experienced online game producer with one reasonably successful title under my belt I really felt that this book offered less in terms of game development knowledge than what can be freely and easily found on the internet.

The book itself is a collection of essay-length chapters written by different authors regarding various aspects of online game design. I found that the length of these chapters is generally too long for simpler subjects and too short for more complicated topics.

The authors aren't heavy-hitters from Microsoft, Sony, Blizzard, etc. Not that there aren't some great minds behind some of the articles, but I really felt that the majority of the articles were written by authors that didn't have nearly the amount of knowledge regarding these topics that I would expect. In particular there are a few articles from authors (some whose companies have a less than stellar reputation with their users) that contain some patently bad advice.

Overall, I'd say the book is hit-and-miss, with more misses than hits. There are a few worthwhile articles, but not enough to justify the cost of this book. You'll get almost as much from reading the chapter list and spending some time thinking about the topics covered as you will from actually reading the chapters.

I wouldn't recommend this book to a person of any level of experience in online game development. There are far better books on this subject out there.
Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
Summary: for designing games, not for source code level work
Comment: The book is unlike typical computer graphics books that focus mainly at the source code level. Alexander has compiled an impressive set of essays, drawn from game programmers at several companies. It is an industry-wide summation of publicly available ideas for state of the art coding, circa 2005.

Look, if you are hoping for tips on solving a specific coding problem, this may not be the best choice of books. Instead, the articles are more useful at the architectural design level, for a new multiplayer game. Some topics seem quite novel. Like applying graph theory to study and design a game. Including at the large ["macro"] level where you might be building a community, with economic facets. Graph theory also permits a way to classify different MM games, providing a unified and consistent view. Not the sort of thing you might expect to run into in a gaming text. But the complexities of building a MM world can be staggering.

There are many more essays, touching on numerous aspects. You need to be an experienced game developer to fully appreciate this book. Which is not to say that the ideas here cannot ultimately find expression at the source code level. Just that you need to take a high level view.
Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: Told me what I wanted
Comment: PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE SAME REVIEW AS THE SEQUELS BOOK, THAT IS BECAUSE I CONSIDER THEM TO BE EQUALLY AS GOOD AS EACH OTHER.
DON'T BUY ONE BOOK, GET THEM BOTH.

As a games programmer I wanted to branch out into a MMG and this book was one of 4 that taught me everything I wanted to know.

This book is split into 3 main sections; each section has several chapters about differant aspects of the MMP's. If you have any interest in MMP games you cannot help but to find most chapters helpful.
I will admit that some chapters bored me and I skipped them, but the amount of helpful chapters there were more than made up for it.

Each chapter has been written by a differant person and quick searches on google makes you realise that these people really do know their particular areas of expertise.

James
Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: Massively Useful Book
Comment: To the game developer, the theory behind MMOGs can be a mystery. Often it is hit-and-miss and many developers can and do get it wrong. Great games can turn to dust because designers made critical mistakes.
This book does NOT have all the answers!
But it does pose a lot of questions and provides learned and thoughtful chapters written by some of the best game people in the business.

Part one covers design techniques with eleven chapters in game theory.
Part two explores engineering techniques including automated testing, data collection and analysis and anti cheat mechanisms.
Part three gets into production techniques with eight chapters covering subjects from project management to providing online support.

Its become my Bible of MMOG dev.
Customer Rating: Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5
Summary: it is not a book for developers
Comment: there is very little detailed technical content in this book -- i mean, if you are a software developer, then a lot of this feels like fluff. i wanted a leg up on coding, and this isn't that book. it does provide a certain high-level overview, but it's not sufficient for "game development." for example, the discussions of server architect are interesting, but largely represent a kind of "we did this and were successful" summaries. if you wanted to move into this field, this book isn't an "open sesame." if you haven't thought much about the field and just want to get a feel for what the issues are, then the text is interesting but expensive.
  
Editorial Reviews:
As the MMP game market continues to grow, new challenges and technology hurdles constantly emerge. Massively Multiplayer Game Development 2 is an all new volume in this successful series written to address the challenges faced by the entire MMP development team, not just the programmers. The articles include a wealth of unique knowledge acquired through the experiences of some of the online game industry’s best and brightest developers. These developers have worked on the most successful and anticipated MMP games, such as EverQuest, Ultima Online, The Sims Online, Second Life, Asheron’s Call, Star Wars Galaxies, and more. Programmers will find a wide array of technical tips and techniques throughout the collection, while designers and producers will find numerous articles filled with readable, informative insights to successful MMP design, along with time and costsaving production methods. Most of the articles are self-contained so they can be read in any order.! There is also a companion Web site that will be updated frequently with development news and commentary from the biggest names in online game development. This collection will provide the entire team with ready-to-use techniques and innovative methods for solving all of your MMP challenges.

Key Features: * Includes ALL NEW articles on cutting-edge programming techniques, design tools, and production methods * Provides insight from industry pros who have worked on the most successful MMP games, including EverQuest, Ultima Online, The Sims Online, and more * Provides a companion Web site that will be updated frequently with development news and commentary from the biggest names in online game development

SECTION HIGHLIGHTS: * MMP DESIGN TECHNIQUES: Virtual Worlds: Why People Play, Balancing Gameplay, User- Creation in Online Games, Guild Management Tools for a Successful MMP Game, Alternatives to the Character Grind, Telling Stories in Online Games * MMP ENGINEERING TECHNIQUES: Automated Testing for Online Games, Animated Procedural Skies, Time and Event Synchronization across an MMP Server Farm, Anti-Cheat Mechanisms for MMP Games, Optimization Techniques for Rendering Massive Quantities of Mesh Deformed Characters in Real-Time * MMP PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES: Large Scale Project Management, Managing and Growing an MMOG as a Service, Community Management: Do’s and Don’ts from Those Who’ve Done ’Em, Techniques for Providing Online Support for Massively Multiplayer Games, Asian Game Markets and Game Development
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