Transparency and production approach

Scars of Honor is presented as a project built around early scrutiny, visible progress, and iterative development rather than closed-door promotion. The studio frames transparency as a response to distrust around new MMORPG projects, especially small independent teams.

Transparency as a development principle

The project emphasizes direct exposure to criticism and external review. This includes inviting MMO-focused creators to ask difficult questions, showing office progress, and allowing technical inspection of parts of the project. The stated goal is to receive harsh feedback while systems are still changeable, rather than after release.

Transparency is also described as a way to distinguish the game from failed or misleading indie MMO projects. The studio treats openness about the game's current state as more valuable than relying on promises or aspirational marketing.

Workflow, milestones, and funding structure

Development is described as operating in a startup mode. Funding follows milestone-based stages rather than a fully relaxed, fully funded production cycle. This is presented as a constraint that keeps the team focused on deliverables and progress.

The project reportedly began with initial investment funding and continues through successive funding rounds tied to achievements. The studio characterizes this structure as a practical way to maintain momentum and avoid complacency.

Technical foundations and scope control

A major part of the production philosophy is establishing technical foundations early. The networking solution is treated as a core prerequisite for an MMORPG rather than something to solve after content production. The studio also describes MMO development as a large task that must be simplified into smaller, understandable chunks across departments.

This approach is linked to a broader effort to avoid common development traps, including overcomplication, uncontrolled scope, and chasing technology for its own sake.

Placeholders and in-house asset replacement

The project acknowledges the use of placeholders during development, but treats them as temporary tools that must be used carefully. The studio distinguishes between placeholder use during production and shipping or publicly presenting a game as if temporary assets were permanent solutions.

Scars of Honor is described as having dedicated staff for animation, 3D environment work, 2D art, and character creation, with the intention of replacing temporary material with original assets. The team is characterized as not being large, but as covering the core departments needed for MMORPG development.

Iterative feature delivery

The development process is described as releasing features in a minimal viable form, gathering feedback immediately, and then revisiting the implementation while the work is still fresh. This cycle is presented as a way to build an internal pipeline for regular content and system delivery.

The studio also argues that working with active testers before launch helps train the team itself. In this view, pre-release access is not only for player feedback, but also for preparing the studio to operate a live MMORPG service.

Source

• Recording: @CallumUpton and @MMOByte Uncover Scars of Honor's Master Plan
• YouTube: Watch on YouTube
• Published: Friday, November 10, 2023 at 2:30 PM UTC