5 replies to this topic

[CipherJonathan]

Hi all!

I've been working on a Matrix-themed, browser/text-based MMORPG for a few months now, and I recently released a public alpha demo. It currently has a small member community, and the bulk of the gameplay is in place at the moment. If you're interested in signing up and helping us to alpha test, we'd love to have you! You can find us at http://www.matrixunplugged.co.uk .
A few of the things which I've implemented so far include:

• In-game Events and Messages.
  
• Player profiles (you can browse the profile pages of other players, and are given options to send messages, send cash and even initiate combat)
  
• The Training System (allowing players to train their core stats: Combat, Coding, Hacking and Tactics).
  
• The Missions System (allowing players to carry out tasks in exchange for Items, Money or Experience Points).
  
• Basic in-game combat (still work-in-progress).
  
• Training Programs (programs which the user can run to not only raise their stats, but also provide them with special abilities, such as Hyperjumping or Bullet Dodging).
  
• Basic hacking abilities (still work-in-progress).
  
• Public Item Markets.
  
• NPCs (Exiles, Redpills, Agents etc.) + NPC Combat.
  
• In-Game Forums.
  
• Teleportation through District Hardlines (allowing the user to travel to various other areas within MegaCity).

Here're some in-game screenshots:

Here's the current Explore page, linking to all of the major game features which aren't directly part of the core (since all the core features can be accessed through the sidebar)


This is a snapshot of the combat system, which I recently streamlined. The graphical health bars are new, but I still have a number of ideas about how we can make the combat much more meaty. Still, it's fun to see me getting completely beaten up by Morpheus!


This is the beta version of the selection interface for Advanced Training Programs. Basically, these allow the user to learn new skills and improve their stats in exchange for a small amount of in-game money. Advanced Training Programs tend to yield much higher stat bonuses than normal training, but they can take several days to complete (depending on the program).


This is the Basic Training system, which allows users to train their core stats (Combat, Coding, Hacking or Tactics), provided that they have enough Focus (which only refills every 5 minutes). The interface is far from perfect, however.

Those are some of the main features which are available at present for anyone who signs up for our alpha. Updates are coming pretty quickly, so there's almost always something new to see whenever you log in. Registering for our alpha is completely free and only takes seconds; http://www.matrixunplugged.co.uk . We appreciate any and all feedback which you can provide!

Have a great day!

[CipherJonathan]

Today, I updated and rewrote many parts of the site's theme; mainly the game's sidebar navigation menu. Now it's a little bit more readable, slightly more organized and generally blends in better with the site's existing design and colour-scheme. Here's what it looks like now:

It's still not great, but it's definitely a lot better than it was, and I felt that it was necessary to give the navigation system priority, since it's ultimately the heart of any text-based MMO game, and therefore it's essential that it's as appealing and user-friendly as possible. Anyway, later on today I'm going to start working on coding two new gameplay features which we've been talking about implementing for a while. More updates coming on that later!

[CipherJonathan]

Today, I expanded the "Source" mod, so that not only can you refill your Focus, earn Money and gain IQ Points, but you can also refill your basic time-dependent stats (Stamina and Will Power) as well. I did this partially because I was rewriting the mod anyway, since I'd had a few complaints about that section of the game running inefficiently, so I scaled the database accessors a little. Here's what it all looks like now:

There's just one more major feature I plan to add this week, and then I'm officially putting the game into public Beta!

[CipherJonathan]

Just a few minutes ago I deployed a mod which I've been working on for about 2 days now. It's called The Chateau, and it's essentially a replica of the Item Market, except it's designed to allow players to buy and sell Code Segments, which should (in the long run) be a good way for players to earn money, since Code Segments are useful for refills, stat-boosts, power training etc., and thus will tend to be in demand. Here's a screenshot of the main interface for The Chateau at present:

The next major thing I'll add will probably be full, in-game images (similar to Mafia Wars).

[CipherJonathan]

Okay... I know I said I'd implement in-game images next, but today I finally finished off something which I've been working on for a couple of weeks now

The Hovercraft Crews system is essentially the same as a "Clans" or "Gangs" system in most other MMO games (it allows you to chat with members of your crew, earn respect for your crew, declare war on other crews, perform organised missions etc.) This system is the largest single feature I've added to the game so far (over 1,100 lines of code just by itself). Here's a snapshot of just one of the many interfaces which make up this complex gameplay mod:

I'm still planning on adding loads of new things to this system. However, this is probably the last really major feature which we'll implement before we put the game into public beta!

[CipherJonathan]

Today I added a more minor feature; the "Hall of Fame". In the Hall of Fame, users can see how they rank in comparison to other players, using a choice of criteria; including Level, Money, Stats etc. Here's a screencapture of the main interface:

I've also been doing a lot more work on improving the Hovercraft Crew system, but there's not really anything concrete which I can show off in screenshot form yet.

Also, as of yesterday afternoon, The Matrix Unplugged is officially past the 100 signups mark!