Our mission in the Port of Haven project is to create a persistant game world resembling the Swashbuckler Era of gallantry and grace. With character roles such as pirates, musketeers, artisans, politicians and merchantmen we aim to create a place filled with exciting and thrilling adventure for people to enjoy.
The game takes place in a flourishing, yet politically instable, fictitious area of the Caribbean Sea in the 17th century. The geographical area is desirable for its resource richness of tobacco and gold and therefore under constant pressure from different factions who try to control it by taking over towns and villages. This is where aspiring players meet to fight together or against each other for victory.
We aim to let people play the game for FREE!
If you would like to know more about all of this, don't hesitate to write a line or two in the forums!
My main interest lies in game design and programming. I enjoy thinking about what makes a game fun and what compelling gameplay is about, and I also find it challenging and inspiring to design complex computer systems. Thus, it is probably natural that I think that this is where the focus should be in this project. In other words, our primary goal is to create a massively multiplayer online game with compelling gameplay!
If you read the previous paragraph again and really think about what I'm saying, you probably realize that I put gameplay before visual effects. If this project is going to succeed, we should not try to compete with the multi million dollar budget MMORPGS in terms of graphics and sound. What we can do is to challenge them when it comes to gameplay! Players should enjoy the game for its depth and fun factor, not because of its looks. With that said, having great graphics is of course nice too if you want to attract attention!
Port of Haven is similar to many other open source projects in that it is developed by volunteers. We don't do this to get rich or even get paid, but because it is a hobby. Nobody told me to start this project and nobody pays me for it. If you want to join this project it is up to you to take responsibility and contribute with what you can do best. Anyone can work in the area they like and enjoy, as long as that work is needed in the project. As much as I would hate to see this project fail, I still don't want anyone to be forced to work. I'm doing this in my spare time and I'm doing it because I think it's fun. I work when I am inspired and I think this is how the absolutely best stuff is made!
So, remember this - always have fun!
A project of this scale can never be done alone. That is why we are always interested in getting help from others. We are especially seeking talented individuals in the following categories:
If you want more information about the available work, please take a look at the status page or ask in the forum!
I'm not sure exactly when this project started because that depends on how you see it. The idea had been floating around in my head for several years before I finally got my act together and started writing anything down. The first words in the game design document were written in early 2003. This was also when I started working on the first prototypes for the game. I had a vision in my head and I wanted to see if it could be done.
Still I think you could say that the project really started in April 2003. At this time I had most of the design nailed down as well as a simple prototype of the game running. During the rest of 2003 I then worked hard to put together prototype after prototype until I finally had a foundation that I felt that the game could be built on. The prototypes went from fully HTML based, through HTML mixed with Java applets and finally ended up in a fully fledged Java based client with skinning support.
The project has been a one man show this far, simply because I am quite reluctant to let in too much opinions from others while the initial design is fleshed out. I believe that there should not be too many people involved in the early design phase of a game since this could cause the designer to lose the initial vision and stifle creativity. When most of the basic design has been determined it is safer to let other people in to comment and change things to make the game better. Of course, this could also mean that everyone will ditch the idea, but at least you've had time to make the design the best you can do!
So, who am I then? What makes me entitled to create a grand project like this you ask?
Well, first of all, I have played computer games for a little over 20 years so I have quite some experience with game design, i.e. what I like and not and how games have evolved during the years. I won't deny that Port of Haven is a game dream for me, but it may not be for others. The design aims to please me and my taste - but I hope that there are others that feel that this is a game they want to play too. In recent years I have also studied many game design books to learn from the pro's and maybe check if my own theories are very much different from theirs.
Secondly, I have always been intrigued by programming since I first came in contact with computers. Not surprisingly, soon after I got my first computer (about 20 years ago) I started hacking away with BASIC, creating my very own games. The games were of various quality but I learned alot and gained experience that I still benefit from today. So, starting with BASIC, I worked my way through assembler on both C64, Amiga and PC, continued with C and C++ and ended up in the Microsoft world with first Visual Basic and now C# and .NET. I have a Software Engineering degree and I have worked as a system developer for nearly five years now writing performance intensive database applications and web solutions.
I believe that my background is enough to take on a major project like this. At least, it's worth a try! I have never made any MMOG but the very nature of these games (both gameplay wise and technically) makes them such a challenge and it is a dream for me to develop one. I will be a very proud guy when the game is officially opened! Let's work together to make it happen!
Regards,
Pontus M.
Project Founder