[MUD-Dev] MUD timeline

[Darrin Hyrup]

At 10:25 AM 3/8/00 -0600, Koster, Raph wrote:
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Darrin Hyrup [mailto:shades at mythicgames.com]
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2000 10:54 AM
>> 
>> >*    Dragon's Gate (a revised and renamed Aradath) launches on GEnie.
>> 
>> Actually, Dragon's Gate launched on GEnie in 1990, written by 
>> Mark Jacobs
>> and Darrin Hyrup (AUSI).
>
>Was it in fact a revised/remake of Aradath, or was it its own thing?

It was a new creation, inspired by Aradath, but bearing little physical
resemblance to it.  We actually did do an Aradath remake a few years later,
but the project never surfaced.

>> Under 1989 add:
>> 
>> Simutronics launches Orb Wars on GEnie.
>
>Out of all the Simutronics games, this is the one I know absolutely nothing
>about. Any details?

It was a tactical multiplayer mage vs mage combat game, top down, with a
windowed interface similar to the old Islands of Kesmai.  I was the lead
developer on the project from inception til I left Simutronics in 1989.

John Moreland just posted an additional description as well which fits the
bill fine, so I'll leave it at that.

>> Under 1996 add:
>> 
>> Splatterball (the first 3D graphical MMPG?) published by Engage (from
>> Interworld Productions -- soon to be Mythic Entertainment)
>
>Dunno if it's first. AlphaWorld almost certainly predates it, and Meridian
>59 *may* also depending on the month.

It was the first "quake-style" 3d online game that I'd seen.  But it
wouldn't suprise me if it wasn't the first online game to use 3d graphics.
Heck, A-Maze-ing had 3d graphics, but I wouldn't call it massively
multiplayer either... it was limited to like 16 players I think.  In any
case, I believe Splatterball opened to the public in 3Q 1996... I don't
remember the exact date.

>> Under 2000 add:
>> 
>> Dark Age of Camelot (a large-scale graphical MMPG) announced by Mythic
>> Entertainment.
>
>No fair, you had JUST announced when I started gathering the info for the
>timeline. ;)

Hehe... I just wanted to make sure it was in there. =)

>I am looking forward to seeing this at GDC. You gonna be there, able to
>show it to me?

I am not going to make it this year, but Mark Jacobs, our company president
will be on hand at the NDL booth demoing an early alpha Dark Age of
Camelot, and perhaps Spellbinder: The Nexus Conflict.  Drop by the booth if
you want to take a peek... I think it will be running full time throughout
the show.


Best,

Darrin Hyrup
Mythic Entertainment



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