Level Size, how much is to much?

[kynnare]

This is a general question, but I feel like it needs an answer.
I'm new to the Unreal editor, but am liking the flexablitie that it gives. The VTM's via 3DBuzz.com are great and allow you to dive right in and start building.

All that being said, I need to know is how much is to much, when do I start streaming levels togeather, and even then when is it just to much for the engin to handle?

In the past Ive been knowen to "break" things. I've chocked Neverwinter Nights Arora Toolset back in the day and was very upset becuase I had to redo alot of work and even then things just didn't work right.
The reason I want to know is that I would like to build a MMO style game but have it play style like the Elder Scroll games, but meets Gears of War Slaped into a D&D like skill system, ( I know, I'm nuts ). Theres other things I'd like to do, but this would be the ground work for my project.

Anyhow, thats my question. "Level size, how much is to much?"

[Nawrot]

This really depends on how you make your levels, and a lot on what lighting system you pick (or rather detail level and size of lightmaps).

Look at UT3 biggest levels for warfare, this is about limit for fairy detailed map. In udk that would be 4-8 sizes of VCTF-necropolis map with about same detail level, and up to 16 times with low details.

Keep in mind that you are about to start your project and you aiming at future hardware, so todays nut gamer systems will probaably be bit below average when you finish.

[Wyldhunt]

Lol... I remember being terribly upset when I ran out of global variables in Aurora. Come to find out, you can only have a few thousand. Who'd have thought? And then we hit the max size from our 450 maps... *Sigh* That's why we came here, in fact. Fewer limits, and we get to make money on what we make.

Anyway... Level size.
Assuming that you keep the default character size and such that Epic uses, you'll be using a conversion rate of about 2 centimeters(cm) equals 1 unreal unit(uu).
You can make a single level of up to about 5 miles across. To prevent lag, I try to keep each level 128X128 patches and stream them all in together that way.

Although each level has a 5 mile limit, you can have as many levels as you want, assuming that you don't mind a loading screen. You can load a new map at any time and they'll appear at the new levels start point.

You definitely need to study Uscript because you'll need a lot of it for an RPG. You'll also need Flash skilz for your Scaleform UI.

As far as the MMO part goes, UDK can't support more than 64 players. So, you'll be looking at the same limits as NWN had... Which wasn't bad... But, not quite what I'd consider an MMO.

If you want an MMO with the Unreal Engine, you have to buy a full license.

[kynnare]

Well good thing I'm going to college for an IT position, help me be able to buy the liecance, lol. Maybe even give me the know how to patch levels togeather on a server to server bacis. Right now this is a pet project, but in the new year things may change really quick, for I'm going to orginize a Club at my college for game design.

Anyhow, thanks for the info and the advice guys. Hopefully you all will be seeing alot more of me on here.


( Hmmmm, buy the liecance, hmmmmm...)

[Wyldhunt]

Well, since you're interested, here's Atlas. UE3's MMO framework:
http://www.epicgameschina.com/tech/t..._overview.html

You'd need to get pricing from Epic (Probably with a NDA attached), and then look in to how much more Atlas would cost. That would allow a full MMO with full support from Epic and all the power of UE3. Lots of potential.

For both, I'm guessing that your final cost probably has six zeros at the end of it.