[MMO] by ThinkPlay Studios seeking Concept artist

[Diegio]

Talent Needed
We are currently seeking more of generalists, to help fill the gaps in responsibility within the team, and as we build the core members, having wider fields of expertise raises the productivity levels.

Artists/Designers: 1 Position
• Concept Drawing
• Sketching black/white is a need!
• Be able to take concept art from written discriptions



ThinkPlay Studios
Under Aceionet Technology Group, LLC, the game studio started September of 2007 as a small independent game development company whose goal is to create a feature massively multiplayer online game. Its current primary focus is to continue the development of an intellectual property created and developed internally by the founder, members and collaborators of the company. The company is intent on creating a game in familiar mainstream genres but adding the depth of intelligent gameplay that provokes the players to think and also enjoy.

The company is structured to operate effectively even with remote team members. With today’s technology, it is possible to collaborate with each member using video and screen sharing applications. Even the highly visual nature of game development is now very much possible with collaboration over the internet. With this structure, it allows the company to reduce overhead costs of maintaining an office, among many other things that are removed from this form of set up.



The Project
The massively multiplayer online feature game that ThinkPlay Studios is currently in development with is an internal intellectual property that was started by the founder of the company roughly about 5 years ago, and has slowly contributed to it over the years, until the formation of the game company startup. Since the start of the company, the core team members have been continually adding and innovating to the creation and further development of the game concept, from new and fresh gameplay ideas, to new twists in the world story.

The official name of the feature game is not publicly released, but the game concept is, at its core, an online fantasy role-playing game. Players can create their avatars and take up an identity as unique as they wish to make it. Players can build up their avatars and become heroes or villains in a forgotten fantasy world filled with wonder and mystery. Much of the core fantasy role-playing element is present, but where that ends, is what sets this feature game concept apart.

There is an extensive and deeply embedded real-time strategy component to the game concept, providing players much more alternate activities to entrench themselves with besides character advancement and leveling. The game concept will allow players to still enjoy the game without the requirement of "max-ing" out their avatars or reaching the so-called player level cap. Players can participate in socio-political and socio-economic warfare, as individuals and with player-run organizations. Players can take charge of molding their community they envision creating through leadership, or be a menace to society through divisive cunning and brute force. Players are capable of being successful denizens of the gameworld without participating in mass warfare, through sheer skill of trade and commerce. Because leaders are allowed to perform duties of a real leader, but without the tedium of minute management details, players can experience building a settlement much like that of popular Sim- games, where they can cultivate lands, build and upgrade structures, fend off attackers, and multiply its population. Those that know how to work well with other players are likely to gain success in this online fantasy world. After all, that's what massively multiplayer online games are truly about.

Development of the project under the company’s name was formally started January of 2008, and since then, the company has attracted some talented generalists in various fields of art, communication and design.

Some of the more unique features that are publicly known include:
• A complete and in-depth implementation of player-run organizations
• In-game voice chat for parties and player organizations
• A fresh approach to mass combat in real-time warfare
• Ability to control lands and region, and the capacity to lose them
• Controls for socio-political and socio-economic gameplay
• True leadership controls and leadership hierarchy
• Full-spectrum effects of positive and negative actions
• The game world's background story meshes completely with the gameplay
• A full open PvP capability, with complete accountability

Among many others.



Target Players
The online game will feature a free to play component besides its smaller fee-based plan.

The initial player target will be Windows XP/Vista users, with a minimum DirectX 9 requirement and full DirectX 10 support.

Support for Mac and Linux clients are also on the table in the future.


Compensation
The company is self-funded, and can afford to provide fractional compensation pay only. This means that based on contract arrangements for compensation, the contractor is guaranteed 5% of their total compensation, and at which the remaining deficit will be provided after a profitable launch.

Such arrangements are necessary in order to continue the minimal funding currently on hand. Many startups, not excluding game companies, suffer through these first initial steps, working to extend its seed funding until additional funding can be received.

Other arrangements are also possible, such as pay-per-work arrangements, such as a 3D model is purchased directly from the artist on a per transaction basis.

Volunteering is also possible; employing “sweat equity”, where labor invested is later rewarded in stipend, depending upon availability of funds or resources.



Technologies
The project utilizes the Multiverse Network virtual world engine. Server and world design tools are provided in the package from the distributor. See Multiverse for more information.

Server-side: The multi-platform virtual world engine runs on JAVA, and therefore can run on most OS platforms. The server is best run on a Linux-based OS.

The server code is written in JAVA, and class modules can be extended via JAVA or Python.

Client-side: The Multiverse client currently only runs on Windows XP or Vista.

The client code can be extended and customized using combinations of Python, XML, HTML, Flash, and in the future, C#.


Team Structure
Myself as founder, represent the persona of the game studio. I have been an avid gamer and lover of online games since the Compuserve days. My background of over a dozen years is in information technology, at which I am currently focusing on distributed networks implementation. I have background in C/C++, VB/VB.net, HTML, PHP, ASP, JAVA, and many derivatives of the C language, from scripting languages to compilers. Switching from the computer sciences, I am now a business degree major in pursuit of an MBA.

Although I’ve not specifically tackled game design and development and do not have a game title under my belt, I believe I have the core skills and background necessary to lead my vision to reality.

Another key role in the team is the Art Manager, whose expertise lie in digital arts with a focus on animation, 3D modeling and virtual environment design. He also wears the game design hat as second-in-command, and has contributed to some of the most creative aspects of the game concept to date.

Next is the Communications Manager, whose talent lies in business collaboration and relationship management. Besides her professional experience, she has experience in radio broadcasting and has done voice over work for local radio stations in Michigan and Toronto. She will be the narrating voice talent behind most of our video cut scenes.

The next member is our resident Writer, whose talent lies in creative short story telling. I’ve asked him to come onboard to help expand on the storyline that I have started, and produce various story-arcs that will be seen ingame. He also has a network of contacts that help us keep abreast with the latest trends in the online gaming business.

Our last but not the least member is another 3D modeler Artist, who also plays the role of web development. What he lacks in experience, he more than makes up for in enthusiasm, perseverance and positive thinking.


Website
You can visit us at ThinkPlay Studios - Home


Contacts
The best way to contact me is via email at aceionet@gmail.com
Or visit our website forums for more information.


Feedback
Please positive and constructive responses are greatly appreciated.