Building an MMO Game: Challenges and Our Approach
Building an MMO game is challenging, especially with a small team. At HapzXR, we frequently get asked about these difficulties, and we want to share how we’re tackling them.
MMO stands for Massively Multiplayer Online. Our goal is not to match the scale of AAA giants like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy 14 — that’s unrealistic for our team. Instead, we aim to create a persistent, cozy world for you to enjoy with friends, offering great gameplay and plenty to do.
Inspirations and Objectives
Cozy games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing inspire us. Their charm lies in stress-free exploration, creativity, and an immersive world. However, their multiplayer features are limited. Today’s MMOs focus on competition and combat — we crave worlds that offer a more relaxed experience. HapzXR aims to merge the best aspects of both genres.
Better Tools — AI in Game Development
Technology has advanced significantly. Modern tools and cloud-based infrastructure make it easier for small teams to build large-scale games. Tools like AI-assisted scripting, 3D model generation, and cloud services help us deliver projects before timeline and save budget.
Prototyped and Tested
We’ve implemented and tested much of our MMO infrastructure. We’ve run tests with hundreds of concurrent clients, demonstrating our ability to scale.
Game Design
Without combat, our game has less state to manage, allowing us to support more players. Each sky island is a self-contained world, reducing the load on individual servers. Player items and quests are stored in cloud databases.
Our Team
Our team includes seniors with 5+ years of engineering expertise with experience in Unity and Unreal Engine and large-scale cloud projects. This experience is crucial for building an MMO.
Acknowledging Roadblocks
Despite our confidence, we recognize potential roadblocks. If we can’t support a thousand players per server, we can scale down to a few hundred without changing the core game. We are committed to delivering the full dream and have plans in place for any unexpected challenges.