Where do I start if I want to make an MMO?

I know the question sounds naive, however I have been developing a single player space game for a while with the engine and I really would like to add networking to it and allow for a persistent world that allows players to connect to it and would save their characters every time they log out. I am just not sure where to start if I want to achieve this or how I would integrate it with Unreal Engine 4. I have read up on all the networking stuff UE4 has to offer however there is a gap between developing it in my local editor and connecting it all up to a server. Does anyone know of a guide or have tips for where to start looking/researching on how to achieve MMO status.

P.S. I have made my game with networking in mind.

Hello, lunix!

Making an MMO is a massive undertaking, but it’s not impossible. Developer Tim Sweeney posted a very helpful discussion in this Forum thread:
https://forums.unrealengine.com/showthread.php?2562-Atlas-MMO-Framework
That should give you an idea of what your options are.

Regards,

Jonathan

Take a look here. Maybe not a first step, but definitely looks interesting and in the right ball park for Unreal Engine 4 hosted gaming (they offer an SDK for that and that’s about all I know besides you can sign up for free on their service):
https://www.exitgames.com/en/realtime/