DragonRealms
Encyclopedia
DragonRealms is a medieval fantasy
game set in the world of Elanthia. One of the oldest and most popular examples of the MUD
genre, it was developed from 1992-1995 and released in February 1996. It was originally intended for an online service planned by the Ziff-Davis company. When Ziff-Davis did not launch the service, DragonRealms was offered on GEnie
and later AOL
, Compuserve
, and Prodigy
. When AOL and other services went to an hour rate instead of flat fees, DragonRealms was offered on the web on its own site and through the Microsoft Gaming Zone.
founder David Whatley
, in response to a production request for a new game to open at the same time as the then-pending Ziff-Davis online service. While in development, the team called its as yet unnamed game many things, including "GemStone IV" and "Project Bob." When the Ziff-Davis contract was cancelled, the game was renamed as DragonRealms, and opened on the GEnie service, where Simutronics already had other games including GemStone III
and Orb Wars.
The game was implemented by a team of on-site employees and off-site contractors, led by Eric Slick, Elonka Dunin
, and John Donham, with assistance from Tina Hill, Stephanie Shaver
, David Dean, Nancy Gross, Jim Penrose, and Melissa (Callaway) Meyer, who later became producer of GemStone III. In later years, GemStone III was extensively updated and took the more appropriate name for itself of GemStone IV, though this was no relation to the earlier working title of the DragonRealms game.
The two games, DragonRealms and GemStone, are said to take place in the same game universe of Elanthia, but in different eras, though it has not always been clear which game world pre-dated the other. Both games are considered flagship products of Simutronics, and have been some of the longest-running and most popular online text games in existence. They were the top two products on GEnie, and in the mid-1990s were the top two games on America Online, together bringing in over one million hours per month of usage.
During the first half of 2004, the staff of Simutronics and DragonRealms engaged in a major overhaul of the system to make it work with the newer game engine (IFE2). This project was dubbed "DR2" but, unlike GemStone IV, the actual name of the game was not changed.
DragonRealms 2 removed some programming limitations which made it difficult to come up with some kinds of new content and new mechanics. However, DragonRealms 2 did not in itself come with major new gameplay systems or content visible to the player; it was a behind the scenes transition enabling the Gamemaster
s to create such systems in the future.
Gameplay on DragonRealms also shares elements common to many role-playing game
s, including the ability of players to increase character level (referred to as "circles" in DragonRealms) through experience
gained in-game. Players train their characters' skills in specific categories in order to gain strength and abilities, and progress becomes more difficult as the character develops.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
game set in the world of Elanthia. One of the oldest and most popular examples of the MUD
MUD
A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
genre, it was developed from 1992-1995 and released in February 1996. It was originally intended for an online service planned by the Ziff-Davis company. When Ziff-Davis did not launch the service, DragonRealms was offered on GEnie
GEnie
GEnie was an online service created by a General Electric business - GEIS that ran from 1985 through the end of 1999. In 1994, GEnie claimed around 350,000 users. Peak simultaneous usage was around 10,000 users...
and later AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
, Compuserve
CompuServe
CompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of services such as AOL with monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates...
, and Prodigy
Prodigy (ISP)
Prodigy Communications Corporation was an online service that offered its subscribers access to a broad range of networked services, including news, weather, shopping, bulletin boards, games, polls, expert columns, banking, stocks, travel, and a variety of other features.Initially subscribers...
. When AOL and other services went to an hour rate instead of flat fees, DragonRealms was offered on the web on its own site and through the Microsoft Gaming Zone.
Game
The design basis for the game was created by SimutronicsSimutronics
Simutronics is an American online games company whose products include GemStone IV and DragonRealms. It was founded in 1987 by David Whatley, with husband and wife Tom & Susan Zelinski...
founder David Whatley
David Whatley
David Whatley is the President and CEO of Simutronics Corporation, a multiplayer game company in St. Charles, Missouri. He was the co-founder of the company in 1987, and has been a key developer on all of the company's products, including the GemStone series, DragonRealms, Modus Operandi,...
, in response to a production request for a new game to open at the same time as the then-pending Ziff-Davis online service. While in development, the team called its as yet unnamed game many things, including "GemStone IV" and "Project Bob." When the Ziff-Davis contract was cancelled, the game was renamed as DragonRealms, and opened on the GEnie service, where Simutronics already had other games including GemStone III
GemStone IV
GemStone IV is a multiplayer text-based online role-playing game produced by Simutronics. Players control characters in a High Fantasy game world named "Elanthia". The first playable version of the game was known as GemStone ][ and was launched in April 1988 on GEnie...
and Orb Wars.
The game was implemented by a team of on-site employees and off-site contractors, led by Eric Slick, Elonka Dunin
Elonka Dunin
Elonka Dunin is an American game developer at Simutronics Corp. in St. Louis, Missouri, where she has worked since 1990. She is Chairperson Emerita and one of the founders of the International Game Developers Association's Online Games group, has contributed or been editor in chief on multiple...
, and John Donham, with assistance from Tina Hill, Stephanie Shaver
Stephanie Shaver
-External links:* *...
, David Dean, Nancy Gross, Jim Penrose, and Melissa (Callaway) Meyer, who later became producer of GemStone III. In later years, GemStone III was extensively updated and took the more appropriate name for itself of GemStone IV, though this was no relation to the earlier working title of the DragonRealms game.
The two games, DragonRealms and GemStone, are said to take place in the same game universe of Elanthia, but in different eras, though it has not always been clear which game world pre-dated the other. Both games are considered flagship products of Simutronics, and have been some of the longest-running and most popular online text games in existence. They were the top two products on GEnie, and in the mid-1990s were the top two games on America Online, together bringing in over one million hours per month of usage.
During the first half of 2004, the staff of Simutronics and DragonRealms engaged in a major overhaul of the system to make it work with the newer game engine (IFE2). This project was dubbed "DR2" but, unlike GemStone IV, the actual name of the game was not changed.
DragonRealms 2 removed some programming limitations which made it difficult to come up with some kinds of new content and new mechanics. However, DragonRealms 2 did not in itself come with major new gameplay systems or content visible to the player; it was a behind the scenes transition enabling the Gamemaster
Gamemaster
A gamemaster is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for questions regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer game...
s to create such systems in the future.
Gameplay
Character creation and gameplay in DragonRealms allows players to assume the role of a variety of races and professions and participate in combat, trading (in multiple currencies) and other activities in an array of different settings. Naval travel and combat, non-standard casting (magic) classes and a use-based training system and a comparatively active base of players distinguish DragonRealms from many other text games. Subscribers can choose to play on one of three different game servers, including the "Prime" server (intended for normal gameplay), the "Platinum" server (intended for mandatory roleplay acting) and "The Fallen" (intended for unrestricted player killing, idle time and use of scripted commands).Gameplay on DragonRealms also shares elements common to many role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s, including the ability of players to increase character level (referred to as "circles" in DragonRealms) through experience
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
gained in-game. Players train their characters' skills in specific categories in order to gain strength and abilities, and progress becomes more difficult as the character develops.