Server Technology

At the heart of any online game is the server design. Having a stable, flexible and reliable server platform provides the firm foundations needed for long-term problem free operations and efficient content updates.

Server Features Summary

• Multiple Platforms
• Dynamic Load Balancing
• Scalability
• Security
• Bandwidth Usage Optimisation
• Advanced Database Technology
• Independent Scripting System

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Components

Monumental Technology Suite is based on a number of unique component systems. These systems integrate seamlessly to form a stable, secure, robust and feature rich toolset.

• Server Technology
• Client Technology
• Graphics Engine
• Development Tools
• Management Tools

These tools sit at various stages of the development, product and market life-cycle of online project development. We go into more detail on each in the posts below.

Client Technology

The client-side element of the Monumental Technology Suite engine contains a state-of-the-art rendering engine geared towards future expansion. We pay particular attention to level of detail to provide intimate close-up detail whilst preserving depth of vision. Environment and characters can both be assembled in a modular fashion from a collection of constituent parts, thus providing an efficient and scalable system.

The client-side technology of the Monumental Technology Suite engine development is currently for Windows-based PC hardware but plans exist to extend this technology to Xbox-360 and PS3.

Client features Summary

• Scalable rendering engine
• Full support for per-pixel bump and per-pixel specular mapping
• Advanced use of vertex and pixel shader techniques
• Real-time shadows
• Advanced environment effects
• Sophisticated Particle effects
• Procedurally generated terrain
• Dynamically tessellated models
• Modular building artefacts
• Modular player character (PC) and non-player character (NPC) models
• Advanced 3-layer character model deformation
• Impostors
• Complete Level-Of-Detail (LOD) system
• Advance occlusion culling using dPVS
• Seamless rendering of the world – no loading zones.
• Advanced animation system including fully scriptable visual effects
• Full physics and dynamics including vehicle, rag-doll and IK systems
• Full sound support
• Localised Character sets including support for extended (far eastern) alphabets

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Graphics Engine

Our engine provides us with the graphics power needed to keep us at the forefront of games in aesthetics terms. The state-of-the-art technology we develop is coupled with visually stunning artwork to make the whole gaming experience more immersive.

In addition to being used in many of the effects mentioned here, advanced pixel and vertex shaders are used to create awe inspiring special effects. The Monumental Technology Suite engine will cope with patch models with any choice of tessellation level and standard polygonal mesh models. Any or all of these model types can be seamlessly assembled in the same scene to allow complete flexibility of choice. Procedural techniques allow massive and intricate landscapes to be created and stored in the minimum amount of space with minimal impact on texture memory. Again, the level of tessellation can be dynamically controlled to provide the right balance between visual quality and performance. Whatever the mix of types of character, artefact or landscape on the screen, the engine will act to keep a constant level of vertex density. In this way we can match up the overall level of detail of a scene with the power of each individual user’s hardware.

Graphic Features Summary

• Full support for per-pixel bump and per-pixel specular mapping
• Advanced use of pixel and vertex shaders techniques
• Real-time Shadows
• Environment and weather effects including dynamic rain, frost and snow
• Advanced water effects including environment mapping and Fresnel effects
• Sophisticated Particle effects
• Full skeletal animation with advanced blending and layering effects
• High level object occlusion
• Full Level-Of-Detail (LOD) control over all aspects of the scene
• Supports both patch & polygon models
• Procedurally generated terrain

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Development Tools

All modern games are reliant upon a sturdy set of tools for development. For MMOG titles this is even more important as producing the initially released boxed game is only part of the service. Live operations and ongoing content creation are just as important if not more so. The Monumental Technology Suite engine includes a comprehensive suite of tools. Everything from the art pipeline through to in-game content creation is catered for. Freedom is the key, with many tools being independent of the game being produced. Artists and Designers are able to use the tools without programmer intervention to implement both the visuals and gameplay necessary to produce a cutting-edge prod¬uct. Many tools are network-aware thereby ensuring that assets are not lost or overwritten.

Features

• Skin snatching
• Asset resource control
• String application
• Shaders & Materials
• Model/Entity generator
• World editor
• Player character creation
• Artefact editor
• Script editor
• Sound catalogue editor
• Special effects editor
• Operation tools

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Management Tools

Developing an MMOG is only part of the process. What happens after launch and how the successful operation of the game is managed is crucial to the game’s success. With Monumental Technology Suite, the focus has been to develop the tools required to smoothly operate and progress a MMOG. Included in these tools are:

A ‘graphical super client’ used by Games Managers (GMs) to actively take part in the world, but with special abilities that allow GMs to influence the game’s operation. This is an incredibly powerful tool allowing GMs to perform everything from fixing up another player’s inventory to running special GM events.

A ‘non-graphical super client’ used by GMs to efficiently control many worlds or shards from the same console thereby saving on time and staffing costs.

Fully integrated logging that works with the built-in transaction mechanism, which allows customer service staff to have complete access to all contextual in-game events. Through the power of full database auditing and XML-style querying, staff in customer services have a wealth of information at their fingertips. Answering customer queries and petitions has never been easier.

Community support tools allow in-game information to be analysed and presented in new forms. Producing live internet feeds of your best monster killers and what players like doing most can be used to influence the production of new game content thereby maximising the life of your MMOG.