I guess it depends on whether or not you consider max level the "goal." Most games that follow this paradigm are tedious grind fests with nonexistent end-game. I think WoW is so successful because it focuses more on the end-game and less on the leveling part. The fact that you are making a StarCraft map that cuts out a significant social aspect (no economy plus 8 players per "server") makes me feel like shifting it even further in that direction will be more successful.
But that's just my opinion! It is your game and I will probably play it regardless =) I'm just saying Guild Wars is definitely less social than WoW, and leveling is definitely not as much fun, but the endgame is very rich!
"Instance" maps would be a great way to do PvP. I know World PvP was mentioned, but it would be great to have a PvP instance i.e. a battleground, where teams of high level characters and go face to face with specific objectives and such. WoW meets DotA!
Second, even if XML data is encrypted, there is still potential for abuse. Unless the game automatically saves an XML every time an item or money is transfered, I can make a game, give my money to a friend, leave without saving, and then he can save. I can reload and I have all of my money back but my friend still has my money too. I'm not sure if saving after every transaction is feasible, and even if it is, the user can presumably copy the XML file and rename it, so that even if you overwrite the first XML after he gives away his money, he can just put the other XML back in. I know it's just a game, but given the scope of this project, I would give some thought regarding whether there is any way to prevent this.
Finally, on the issue of "instances" and maps specifically for higher leveled characters, I think it may be best overall not to make leveling up a huge grind in this game. Take a lesson from Guild Wars, where reaching level 20 and getting good gear was not difficult, but there were still plenty of things to unlock and tons of content to explore once you got there. It was very good for keeping players on equal footing, and allowing players even with vastly different amounts of time spent in the game to enjoy content together. I think one of the popular WarCraft 3 ORPGs did this. They basically had a single map for "leveling up" with a vast diversity of encounters available, and then made dozens of maps for maximum level characters to enjoy. If you are worried about "level up" content becoming unpopular, I feel that the key is in not making the "level up" content too lengthy. Just my two cents.
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@SCMapper: Go
I guess it depends on whether or not you consider max level the "goal." Most games that follow this paradigm are tedious grind fests with nonexistent end-game. I think WoW is so successful because it focuses more on the end-game and less on the leveling part. The fact that you are making a StarCraft map that cuts out a significant social aspect (no economy plus 8 players per "server") makes me feel like shifting it even further in that direction will be more successful.
But that's just my opinion! It is your game and I will probably play it regardless =) I'm just saying Guild Wars is definitely less social than WoW, and leveling is definitely not as much fun, but the endgame is very rich!
@MasterDinadan: Go
Okay, four things.
"Instance" maps would be a great way to do PvP. I know World PvP was mentioned, but it would be great to have a PvP instance i.e. a battleground, where teams of high level characters and go face to face with specific objectives and such. WoW meets DotA!
I have three things to say.
First, this looks great!
Second, even if XML data is encrypted, there is still potential for abuse. Unless the game automatically saves an XML every time an item or money is transfered, I can make a game, give my money to a friend, leave without saving, and then he can save. I can reload and I have all of my money back but my friend still has my money too. I'm not sure if saving after every transaction is feasible, and even if it is, the user can presumably copy the XML file and rename it, so that even if you overwrite the first XML after he gives away his money, he can just put the other XML back in. I know it's just a game, but given the scope of this project, I would give some thought regarding whether there is any way to prevent this.
Finally, on the issue of "instances" and maps specifically for higher leveled characters, I think it may be best overall not to make leveling up a huge grind in this game. Take a lesson from Guild Wars, where reaching level 20 and getting good gear was not difficult, but there were still plenty of things to unlock and tons of content to explore once you got there. It was very good for keeping players on equal footing, and allowing players even with vastly different amounts of time spent in the game to enjoy content together. I think one of the popular WarCraft 3 ORPGs did this. They basically had a single map for "leveling up" with a vast diversity of encounters available, and then made dozens of maps for maximum level characters to enjoy. If you are worried about "level up" content becoming unpopular, I feel that the key is in not making the "level up" content too lengthy. Just my two cents.