Is a browser based MMO with Java (applet) and simple 3D grafic possible?

[element_of_void]

I know there have been topics on this (I read through some of them) but many are a bit older now.
I know (and played) Runescape.
I don't want to choose another language because I have to learn JAVA anyway for my job.

I was thinking about creating a small playground for testing simple game mechanics with friends in my free time. I am currently learning java (still on beginner level) and I know that java is often used for little web and mobile games. What I'd like to know are the limits of java and web applets.

I know that I won't be able to start working on the game until I know quite a lot about java, game design, graphics and stuff. I'll take one step at a time but I'd like to know if there are limits to what java can do.

The idea is a java applet that serves as an mmo (no profit low budget indie project).

• character creation (models for races with different heights)
• character customization (clothes, items, armor and stuff)
• game world interaction (planting and chopping trees, placing Items on the ground and building houses)
• character interaction (grouping, trade, combat and stuff)
• different chats/channels
• pvp
• free camera
• day and night (different light sources and stuff)

I know that regular games tend to have problems with large masses of players in a zone. How many (or how little) is a java applet capable of?
I know that character customization can become a problem because of more informations for the clients to load. Will a java applet be able to cope with 12 races, about 300 weapons in different sizes(for different races) as well as about 1,000+ pieces of armor and clothes?
Will pvp and group play be possible or will there be large connection speed issues between players?


Just to be sure everybody understands me right, I don't plan to a) do that alone or b) await to see any results as soon as next year but I'd like to know if it's worth investing time into such a project or if it is doomed to stay some sort of rpg-minigame due to the limitations of java applets.

[schild]

Pace yourself, hombre.

There's armchair devving and then there's armchair waking dreams. This qualifies as the latter and f13 is firmly based in reality.

Edit: More on the point, less threads, more substance.

[Prospero]

FWI

[Mrbloodworth]

If you are using an applet, you are inherently slow at just about all tasks. Design your game layer accordingly.





(Sits back and waits for the java fans to come in)

[Prospero]

I always wondered if it was Java was slow, or Java coders were inept. Most of the Java applets I've used have been written by graduate students, which I guess answers my own question.

[Mrbloodworth]

Little of both. But I have never, ever, encountered a java anything that ran well. Corporate, game, application. It doesn't matter.

Java is capable of a great many thing. It does none of them well. I also may be a huge hypocrite, as my current project is 100% java + OpenGL.

This is why I say, scope your game layer with all this in mind.

[Krakrok]

Use Metaplace.

[element_of_void]

Pace yourself, hombre.
[...]

Will do. The last thing I want to look like is one of those kids that played wow, has some fancy ideas and now wants to code a real mmo rpg with a friend and his sister in flash.

As I read in some threads here, about everybody on f13 has his own "ideal idea for a game" in mind but most people are clever enough not to bloat about it and try to get it done in a hurry to show the gaming world how it has to be done. Maybe I'll start with a little "me mighty warrior, slay 10 rabbits" text based web game with no fancy animations and none of the other more complicated stuff mentioned above. Doing that might take me years anyway.

[Sheepherder]

Build your thing as a mod, otherwise it will never see the light of day as anything that works.  You might want to look into private server software and games like UO if you want to have a full working server you can basically toss shit at from the word "go".