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02/19/2005
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204,481
Since 03-1999
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Browser-Based Multiplayer Sci-Fi RPG Adventure
Design, Program, Story, Music & Art by M.Snyder
Copyright ©1999-2005 by Prowler Productions
Available Now, For Free!
StarLock is open but unfinished at starlock.com Please play fair. Be friendly, or be banned.
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Saturday, February 19th, 2005
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StarLock Has Been Opened:
After six years, it's possible that StarLock will never be finished. We
might do something with the engine to make it usable for other, different
online games. Or we might look for a buyer to take over entirely. Or we
might seek assistance from other developers, to complete StarLock and
turn it into the adventure that I had planned. It's a huge world, and
it is now open for play. I'm not sure how long it will remain up, so
enjoy it while it lasts. If cheaters or disruptive players become a
problem, I'll take it offline. If it gets so popular that it's no
longer possible to run free of charge, I'll take it offline. For now,
it's available to play for free. It would be a shame if such a large
amount of work went to waste... so... enjoy!
The Future:
I need to write a “post-mortem” essay on the development of StarLock. I
did a lot right, and a few things wrong. It was simply too large a
project for one person to handle, especially in my spare time. The
real-time nature of space travel and other game events has made a much
more realistic world, but sometimes being “fun” doesn't require that
level of detail. I have my doubts about the browser-based game market,
after seeing a large decline in
Lunatix Online subscriptions.
To finish the game, as it is currently designed, would take several more
months -- more likely, years. It just doesn't make sense to continue
development on a project for a shrinking market, when it's already very
unlikely that a fully-completed StarLock could ever come close to paying
for itself in subscription income. It was a grand, if quixotic endeavor.
The engine is done, more or less. It's simply the scripting of locations
and quests that hold it back. If designed differently, it might have been
easier to introduce new content. All gameplay works on a scripting
system. It requires a lot of coding, even if the scripts aren't difficult
to create. It just takes a lot of time. Even though the game is already
large, plenty of content hasn't been added -- planets and characters that
are created but not implemented, items you can't obtain because they were
intended for later quests, monsters and weapons that are designed but not
in the game, etc. Still, it has plenty to offer, and it has the framework
for a great community experience. You can even rent an apartment and
invite friends over.
I don't know how long it will remain online, or what the future holds for
StarLock. If you have several thousand dollars to spare, and you are
looking to buy the rights to the game, just
email me an offer. :)
You'll need to be a Perl programmer to work with the game code (the
quest scripts are a variant of LunScript, which is interpreted by one of
the Perl CGI scripts). Perhaps, at some point, multiple developers could
band together to finish the game. It's such an epic game, with hundreds
of planets just waiting to be implemented.
At the present time, StarLock is no longer in development. If an
opportunity presents itself, that may change. So, enjoy it for what it
is. Remember, you aren't being required to pay, so complaints will
probably be ignored. :)
Lunatix Online:
StarLock can be run for free, because
Lunatix Online still
earns enough in subscription fees to pay for the additional hosting.
Although it's not nearly as epic and free-roaming as StarLock, I would
encourage you to try it out. Consider Lunatix the benefactor for StarLock.
If you like StarLock, please consider subscribing to Lunatix Online, to help keep
StarLock online. Thank you.
There are currently no StarLock Polls.
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