What 2D space MMOGs exist?

[techbear]

I'm thinking about leveraging my existing tech to make a massively-multiplayer space game. I need to research the market space, but I don't trust myself to do a good job Googling it, so I could use some help.

What MMO space games exist, in any state or quality?

Thanks!

[GBGames]

If any MMO game counts:

http://www.planetarion.com


According to your subject, though, you seen to imply 2D games rather than browser and text based.

xpilot is a fun game that is available for Linux and BSD. It is server based, although I don't think you can really call it MMO really.

Otherwise, I don't think I know of any 2D MMO games that are specific to space.

[terin]

Hah, 2d space mmogs? There are tons!

Lets start a list:

Star Sonata just launched: www.starsonata.com

Earlier this year another good 2d space game took the stage and tried its best: Starport Galactic Empires www.starportgame.com

A bit over a year ago Dark Space Asia took the crown as most successful non-3d space game. Its not top down 2d, its isometric with 3d camera angles (but in a 2d plane and that makes it 3d). www.darkspace.net

Going WAY WAY WAY back into the recess of the first mmogs ever: Netrek is STILL around. www.netrek.org

Holy crap! There's more!

In the early 90s, greatest 2d space mmog ever from VIE software: Subspace! www.subspace.net Now known as Continuum.

From the creator of subspace in the late 90s came Cosmic Rift, which is part of Sony Online Entertainment.

But wait! There's more!!!

You then have your browser based, sometimes visually enhanced space MMOGs. Yes, Planetarion is one, but not the first and not longer the most successful. Galactic Conquest is probably the largest now. Also you should probably note Space Federation, which may have been the first as it was little more than a MUD on AOL in the very early 90s.

Don't end this rant yet, im not finished with non-3d mmogs set in space: The visually enhanced browser space games... most noteably Space Pirates which used a flash interface and is STILL around, having originally launched in like 1994. Also games like Space Merchant (gone, now replaced by a less cool Space Merchant Realms) and TDZK (one of my personal favorites) which uses a graphical web interface for its game.

And, coming very soon, probably now actually done: From the creators of Archmage comes the UNinspired title: Archspace.

I'm currently working with the above mentioned Star Sonata on doing a post mortem, which will be on gamedev.net in a couple months.

VGsmart. We do marketing because we know... stuff like this :-)

PS: These were just off the top of my head, I am sure you can find many more by doing some research.

[Yossarian]

Star Sonata looks like an ineteresting project... I'll be looking forward to he post -mortem on that one...

Although I think I'll have to agree with their forum posters, that a hard committment of $10/month will be a lot to swallow from an indie game for most players. Running indie MMOG's generally requires a LOT more flexibility than that in its revenue streams.

[techbear]

Actually, Terin, I'm NOT having much luck finding more. That's why I posted for help.

Your list is quite helpful, thanks!

Star Sonata and Starport are definately gonna be my direct competition. Are there any others like them?

[Pyabo]

I was a fan of Sub Space back in the day. I believe that's still running in some diehard user-managed incarnation.

[tolik]

I would contribute EV: Nova as my favorite 2D offline space adventure.
www.ambrosiasw.com

[terin]

Starport and Sonata are not exactly unique, there have been a couple that came before them with the (relatively) identicle setup. To my knoweldge, they have all gone the way of the dodo. I did remember an unidenticle one, Astrobattle, but that is not similar at all to this.

There are flaws with the entire theory and execution of space empire MMOGs.

As I said, the most successful has been Dark Space, which really IS the same as Star Sonata and Starport. I wouldn't call it a smash hit either.

My advice is to send me an e-mail on this subject, unless the entire indiegamer world wants to hear about your ideas and my reasons why some of them won't work (and some of them WONT work).

If you don't do that, my advice is: Create a game *concept* not based in space and THEN put it in a space setting.

[Teeth]

oops, sorry. I was going to post a link to a game but I suddenly realised it's single player

[Blick]

There's a browser based one here:
http://www.newage3.com/

Probably not what you're looking for, but it's worth mentioning.

[Phil Newton]

There's Eve Online, which looks really cool but my laptop couldn't run if it tried.