Question Regarding Coop in RPG game

Development Programming & Scripting Multiplayer & Networking
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Dear everyone,

I am currently working on a RPG game. The first idea was to create an MMO, but after diving into the literature that’s a bridge too far for a solo game dev.

Lets get a couple things out of the way; I realise that this project would take years if I would do everything solo, but for now I am having a lot of fun learning everything from 3d sculpting in zbrush, animation, UE5 etc etc.

So… back to the RPG → I’ve always loved games like Skyrim and the Witcher, but the issue for me is that if I can’t play it with someone else, the game loses about 99% of the fun for me. Because of that I would love for my RPG to be at least a coop game where you can start a game and have 2-4 people play it at the same time. Think the Witcher, but Geralt has a friend that’s coming on the adventure with him.

My question to you is if you could tell me about the challenges this will bring up. I have read as much of the literature as I could the last couple of weeks but am stuck with a lot of questions. From experience I know that some games handle it in a way where you load into someone elses game and your inventory is persistent, but only the game host (p2p) will get things like quest rewards (and only one of the two players can pick up quests for that matter). Does it have to be like that?

Is there even a known way of doing a coop system like that in an RPG game? (I really can’t think of any modern RPG that supports coop, so maybe it’s just not plausible at all)

I’d love for someone way more experienced than me to point me in the right direction. If I have to learn C++ I will, and again, I don’t mind if it’s a skill that I have to put years towards. I’ve struggled with finding a passion all my life (I’m 28 now) and ever since I started diving into making games I feel great.

Thanks in advance.

Eddy

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Hi Eddy,

Welcome to unreal engine forums.

I know that some games handle it in a way where you load into someone elses game

True, this will always be the case, you will have One Host or a dedicated server and rest will be clients, this is the most popular architecture you will come across and its easy because that way you only trust the server and it is what tells all the clients what is the current state of game.

inventory is persistent

The Idea of persistence basically saving the current state of objects, lets say you join your friends server and do some Questing and loot some cool gear, the most solid way of doing this would be having your Inventory be validated and store on Server side, so the next time you log in you the items in the list will be replicated back to you.

only the game host (p2p) will get things like quest rewards (and only one of the two players can pick up quests for that matter). Does it have to be like that?

No you can make it so that both players get the rewards or the instigator gets the rewards.

Is there even a known way of doing a coop system like that in an RPG game?

Outward comes to mind, another example is Conan exiles but its more on Survival side the takeaway is yes that is do-able.

If I have to learn C++ I will

C++ sure will help alot but I would say just try to ease into the engine with blueprints and smaller games, learn the gameplay framework, basic replication, UMGs, Animation blueprints and basic maths. It isn’t difficult(oh someone is going to grill me on this) but It takes time.

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