Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Middle-earth Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/21/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-what-ifs-middle-earth-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/21/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-what-ifs-middle-earth-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/21/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-what-ifs-middle-earth-online/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I had so much fun walking down the halls of "What if?" last week that I thought I'd keep the streak going for the rest of the month (if you'll allow for some summertime indulgence). It's not that I necessarily wanted MMO history to turn out differently than it did, but it's always tantalizing to wonder what the field would look like with different games out there. Would they have proven more popular than our current crops? Would they have pushed the envelope of innovation?

Of course, it's easy to project greatness onto never-released titles, bemoaning that "if only MMO X had launched, we would've had the perfect game!" What ifs are interesting but should never be taken as absolute fact.

This week I wanted to look at a project that's related to an MMO near and dear to my heart. As most of you know, I'm somewhat of a Lord of the Rings Online nut here at Massively. Sure, the rest of the staff is upset that I smoke pipeweed inside and never wear shoes, but that's just how far I go to understand the game.

But even my LotRO isn't immune to a massive what if. Known to some but not to all, Turbine wasn't the first MMO studio to take a crack at Tolkien's license -- no, for that we have to travel back to 1998 and revisit Sierra On-Line. It was this company that had a brief but memorable run designing Middle-earth Online, aka "What if LotRO had permadeath?" It's a fascinating glimpse into an entirely different approach to the IP, and even though it died a fairly early death, it's important to be remembered. Frodo lives!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Middle-earth Online

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Middle-earth Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2-d3-dbalrogcraig-alexanderdaniel-jameselveseqeverquestfeaturedfourth-agefrodofrodo-livesi-hate-elvesisometricjoe-ludwigjrr-tolkienkings-questlord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromeomiddle-earth-onlinemonster-playpermadeathpkpkingplayer-killingpsychologypuzzle-piratessierrasierra-onlinespace-queststephen-nicholsthe-game-archaeologistthe-professorthe-realmthe-realm-onlinetolkienultima-onlineuovivendivivendi-universalTue, 21 Jun 2011 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist sees The Shadow of Yserbius]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/the-game-archaeologist-sees-the-shadow-of-yserbius/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/the-game-archaeologist-sees-the-shadow-of-yserbius/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/the-game-archaeologist-sees-the-shadow-of-yserbius/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Really, I blame my parents for not being filthy rich. If they were, we could've afforded the $130/month unlimited subscription fee to the ImagiNation Network (INN) back in the early '90s. Just think! All of the gaming, the socializing, and the roleplaying that you could handle -- for such a low price! I mean, sure, there were hourly options, but who'd want to play for a mere five hours a month?

So instead of becoming part of a growing online community, I had to be content with my SNES and copy of Chrono Trigger -- hard times, indeed. Sometimes I think how my life would've been different if we had subscribed to Sierra's colorful online world, because I would've had a chance to get in on one of the first graphical MMOs: The Shadow of Yserbius.

It was a step forward in graphic quality from the text-only MUDs of the day but perhaps a step backward from the complexity that many MUDs brought to the table. Still, for a few shining years, it entranced thousands who lined up to delve dungeons deeply alongside their friends (and a couple of complete strangers with odor disorders).

Today we're going to take a quick peek at one of the first MMOs that stepped into the realm of lush color and animations and see what made The Shadow of Yserbius so enduring.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist sees The Shadow of Yserbius

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist sees The Shadow of Yserbius originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2.5-d3-daolbarbarianchrono-triggerclericdeath-penaltydnddungeondungeon-crawlerdungeon-crawlingdungeons-and-dragonselvesEn-li-Kilfeaturedgremlinsguildguild-hallhalflingsimagination-networkinnknightmagemudmudsneverwinter-nightsorcsshadow-of-yserbiussierrasierra-onlinesnesThe-Fates-of-Twinionthe-ruins-of-cawdorthe-shadow-of-yserbiusthieftrollswarriorwizardyserbiusTue, 31 May 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: Your journeys, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/the-game-archaeologist-plays-with-muds-your-journeys-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/the-game-archaeologist-plays-with-muds-your-journeys-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/the-game-archaeologist-plays-with-muds-your-journeys-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

This is the end, my only friend, the end. Of our elaborate plans, the end. Of everything that MOOs, the end. No safety or aggro radius, the end.

Man, listening to The Doors early in the morning does not put you in a happy state of writing, let me tell you!

In any case, we've extended our MUD/MU* month here on the Game Archaeologist Channel to include a few more first-hand testimonies of Massively readers' favorite text-based MMOs. As much as anything else we've talked about in this column, it's vital that we not forget the roots from which our current MMOs were born nor neglect to take the opportunity to expose a whole new generation to a graphically simpler but textually richer experience.

So let's kick the tires and light the fires of nostalgia as we talk with five of the baddest MUDders you'll ever know!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: Your journeys, part 2

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: Your journeys, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Aalynors-Nexusamerica-on-lineamerica-onlineaolatariavpbig-bang-theorydnddunedungeons-and-dragonsfeaturedhernes-notesimaginationintellivisionlost-soulslpmudmetacrawlermoomumudmud-connectormudsmulti-user-dungeonsmushnew-worlds-ateraannintendopredatorpueblorealms-of-despairrichard-bartlesheldonsierrasmaugstar-blazerstelnetultima-vwheel-of-timewolf-brotherworld-of-warcraftwowzmudTue, 03 May 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's Visual History of MMORPGs, Part I]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/massivelys-visual-history-of-mmorpgs-part-i/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/massivelys-visual-history-of-mmorpgs-part-i/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/massivelys-visual-history-of-mmorpgs-part-i/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


The MMORPG genre has come so far in these past few decades, it's almost difficult to believe. The journey from text MUDs to America Online-based dungeon crawlers, and all the way up to Age of Conan and Warhammer Online has been a truly impressive one. We here at Massively would like to invite you to step into the time machine with us and take a visual tour of that journey. We're taking a close look at the most important titles in online role-playing game history!

What was the first MUD? Howabout the first 3D MMO? When did these games transition from niche curiosities to global, cultural phenomenons, and who's responsible? In this series, we'll tackle all those questions and more. Plus, we'll see just how far these fancy graphics have come over the years! Sound like fun? Jump into the gallery!

Gallery: Massively's Visual History of MMORPGs, Part I

MUDNeverwinter Nights (1991)The Shadow of Yserbius (1992)Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds (1996)Meridian 59 (1996)

MassivelyMassively's Visual History of MMORPGs, Part I originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3doaolfeaturedgalleryhistoryjoystiqfeatureslineagemeridian-59mmorpgmmorpgsMUDncsoftnear-death-studiosneverwinter-nightsnexonnexusoriginorigin-systemsscreenshotsshadow-of-yserbiussierrasierra-onlinethe-realmultima-onlineMon, 31 Mar 2008 14:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Sierra making "mass-market" online game with BigWorld suite]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/sierra-making-mass-market-online-game-with-bigworld-suite/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/sierra-making-mass-market-online-game-with-bigworld-suite/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/sierra-making-mass-market-online-game-with-bigworld-suite/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It seems like every time we hear about a new title, the first thing we hear is an announcement about what engine or dev tools its developers will use. This time, Sierra has licensed the BigWorld Suite, parts of which are also used in Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment's Stargate Worlds and John Romero's forthcoming MMO project.

The announcement was made by BigWorld Technologies, not Sierra, and it didn't reveal much about the nature of the game, except that it it will be (according to Gamasutra) "targeting a mass-market audience." King's Quest Online? Probably not, but if only! If you want to know more about BigWorld, Ten Ton Hammer did a great interview with one of the guys behind it earlier this year.

Oh, and just so you know; Sierra is/was owned by Vivendi Games, and so is (like Blizzard) now part of the epic corporate monstrosity known as Activision Blizzard. All your studio are belong to us.

MassivelySierra making "mass-market" online game with BigWorld suite originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bigworldbigworld-suitebigworld-technologiescheyenne-mountain-entertainmentdevelopmentenginegamasutrajohn-romerokings-questlicensesierrasierra-onlinestargate-worldstoolsThu, 06 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dofus embraces permadeath with new hardcore servers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/15/dofus-embraces-permadeath-with-new-hardcore-server-type/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/15/dofus-embraces-permadeath-with-new-hardcore-server-type/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/15/dofus-embraces-permadeath-with-new-hardcore-server-type/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Richard Bartle once said, "Do you want permadeath or pedophilia? Both seem equally attractive to most players." In other words, permanent death in MMORPGs is pretty much unheard of, and most people who hear the idea are horrified that it should even be suggested. A few MUDs have it, but in the graphical world, there's almost no such thing. The original Lord of the Rings MMO that was developed by Sierra and eventually canceled was going to have it. That's the closest we've gotten to mainstream MMO permadeath.

The developers of Dofus, then, are either completely insane or just very daring. They've announced plans to open up "hardcore" servers in December. On hardcore servers, player characters will receive significantly more experience and gain new items and abilities much faster than on normal servers. But when they die, that's it. They've passed on. They are no more. They have ceased to be. Bereft of life, they rest in peace. They've joined the bleeding choir invisible. They are, in their entireties, ex-Dofus toons.

At various stages in an age-old debate, proponents have suggested that if executed in the right way in a certain kind of game, permadeath could enrich the online gaming experience. Battles would be more intense and PvP would be more meaningful, for example. Will you play on Dofus' hardcore servers, or is permadeath an affront to everything you believe in?

MassivelyDofus embraces permadeath with new hardcore servers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ankamaankama-gamesdeathdofusgame-mechanicshardcoremechanicsmiddle-earth-onlinemudmudspermadeathpermanent-deathrichard-bartleserverssierraThu, 15 Nov 2007 20:01:00 EST