Various MMO game engines exist, including custom engines for each MMO and general-purpose engines. 3D persistent world engines are the most common, with multiple servers or shards to distribute player loads. Some engines use instantiation to generate copies of gameplay areas for individual players or small groups. Other MMO engines act more like game servers, allowing players to find each other and record match outcomes. Browser-based MMO engines also exist but may have limited player interaction.
A large variety of massively multiplayer online (MMO) game engines have been developed. Almost every MMO has its own custom engine that is sometimes released as a game engine later on, although there are engines that have been specifically designed as a general purpose MMO engine with no game content. Some engines are designed for classic three-dimensional (3D) graphics where all players exist within the same server and can interact freely with each other, while other engines distribute player loads across several servers. Match-style MMO engines are designed to host player versus player matches only, and have no persistent game world outside of the current match. Some engines go to great lengths to create a simulated environment, complete with physics and dynamic objects that move realistically when they interact, like a flight simulator would.
Of all the types of MMO engines, the type that is used most often is a 3D persistent world engine. This generally maintains a persistent world on a server that players can interact with. The engine could support multiple servers, meaning players can choose which server to play on to help spread the player load so that no system is overloaded. Alternatively, this type of engine may use a system where all players are technically on the same server, although several computers, called shards in this case, are actually working together to distribute computing tasks as needed.
Some MMO engines address the problem of massive player loads by using a system known as instantiation. These MMO engines have a persistent world area where players can interact with each other, sometimes just socially. When players enter areas where more complex gameplay occurs, such as a combat area or subgame, the engine generates a copy of the area that only the player or a small group of players can actually access. This can save processing power, as the instanced area is usually run on the player’s computer through the game client. It also avoids overcrowding popular areas because groups of players aren’t constantly bumping into each other, allowing for more controlled play.
Some MMO engines, including some spawned from single-player games, act more like game servers for players than immersive online worlds. These engines do not have a persistent world for players to move around and interact with each other, but instead serve to allow players to find each other, after which they use their own software to launch and play. A player’s performance statistics are usually persistent and can occasionally be used to improve some aspect of a virtual character, although this is not always implemented. Most of these MMO engines basically work like an organized sports roster, pitting players or teams against each other and recording the outcome of matches. Game servers require relatively little overhead to run, because the actual game is run entirely by the player’s computer, even though it makes the MMO more vulnerable to client-side cheating.
There are also browser-based MMO engines, although some players don’t consider them true MMOs. These engines allow a game to be played solely through a website interface and can be indistinguishable from other types of MMOs. In some cases, however, they may more closely resemble a single player offline game. Interaction between players in a browser-based game can be severely limited by web server security issues and can be limited to posting messages to bulletin board systems. However, browser-based MMOs remain popular because they are accessible, don’t always require a dedicated server, appeal to casual players, and can be played on a mobile device.
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