Skotos
Encyclopedia
Skotos, sometimes known as Skotos Tech, is an online game company that was founded in 1999 and released its first game, Castle Marrach
, in September 2000. Its primary focus is prose online RPGs (essentially, MUDs and MUSHes), though it currently offers a total of 15 different games. These include a number of graphical RPGs and online strategy games, which are also available at other sites.
Skotos is a commercial service that charges a monthly fee for its services. It is also the owner of RPGnet, a free tabletop role-playing web site.
Worlds Apart Productions originally intended to provide text-based role-playing games online and launched The Eternal City in 1996, and later released Grendel's Revenge in conjunction with Skotos Tech Inc. However, declining interest in text-based games led WAP to seek other online gaming niches. Worlds Apart Productions partnered with Decipher Inc. in 2003 to create the Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game and noting the success of the game, then developed the online engine that allowed them to bring the card game online and reach a broader audience. The Lord of the Rings game was followed by the equally successful Star Trek Online, Star Chamber: The Harbinger Saga and The Auto Assault Online card games.
Two of Worlds Apart Production's games are available solely through the Skotos service. Scott Martins, co-founder of World Apart Productions, stated on the Skotos.net forums that the two text-based games would continued to be offered by Skotos Tech Inc. after concern was expressed by players upon hearing of WAP's acquisition by Sony Online Entertainment.
Some games used to be available on the Skotos Channel, but were removed in 2006 for lack of players:
server. Skotos used the DGD platform in developing a number of its online games.
The most notable columns at Skotos have been Jessica Mulligan's Biting the Hand and a column by Richard Bartle
, the father of modern MUD
design (and thus most MMORPG
s and other online games).
Skotos also owns RPGnet and continues to offer it as a free service.
In 2000, Skotos contributed an article on its proximity system to the MUD community webzine Imaginary Realities
.
Skotos has received attention for the quality of its publicly available articles on virtual world design and its philosophy of player agency in the world as opposed to pure designer control.
Castle Marrach
Castle Marrach is an online multiplayer storytelling fantasy produced by Skotos. The game revolves around the world of Queen Vivienne, a half-fae, half-human sovereign queen, and the mysteries of her secluded realm atop Mount Ardan...
, in September 2000. Its primary focus is prose online RPGs (essentially, MUDs and MUSHes), though it currently offers a total of 15 different games. These include a number of graphical RPGs and online strategy games, which are also available at other sites.
Skotos is a commercial service that charges a monthly fee for its services. It is also the owner of RPGnet, a free tabletop role-playing web site.
SOE Denver's Games
Sony Online Entertainment acquired Worlds Apart Productions as of August 10, 2006. Worlds Apart Productions is now known as SOE-Denver.Worlds Apart Productions originally intended to provide text-based role-playing games online and launched The Eternal City in 1996, and later released Grendel's Revenge in conjunction with Skotos Tech Inc. However, declining interest in text-based games led WAP to seek other online gaming niches. Worlds Apart Productions partnered with Decipher Inc. in 2003 to create the Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game and noting the success of the game, then developed the online engine that allowed them to bring the card game online and reach a broader audience. The Lord of the Rings game was followed by the equally successful Star Trek Online, Star Chamber: The Harbinger Saga and The Auto Assault Online card games.
Two of Worlds Apart Production's games are available solely through the Skotos service. Scott Martins, co-founder of World Apart Productions, stated on the Skotos.net forums that the two text-based games would continued to be offered by Skotos Tech Inc. after concern was expressed by players upon hearing of WAP's acquisition by Sony Online Entertainment.
- The Eternal City. This traditional MUD, with a very sophisticated combat system, is set in the low-fantasy Roman-like city of Iridine. It was previously available as an ad-driven service and came to Skotos in 2001. In 2008, SOE-Denver sold The Eternal City to Skotos, removing itself from the game completely.
- Grendel's Revenge. A game developed jointly by Skotos and Worlds Apart, where players take on the roles of monsters.
Skotos Strategy Games
There is currently one strategy game available exclusively through Skotos:- Galactic Emperor: Hegemony. A 3-week long recurring space combat game, previously available as Space Empires (not related to the Malfador gameSpace EmpiresThe Space Empires series is a long-lasting series of 4X turn-based strategy games by Malfador Machinations that allows the player to assume the role of the leader of a space-faring civilization.-Gameplay summary:...
), designed by Richard Wolfe, and purchased and rebranded by Skotos in 2001. This game is based on Mike Young'sMike Young (game designer)Mike Young is a game designer, author, and founder of the firstindependent professional LARP publishing house, "Interactivities Ink".- Works :...
The Galactic Emperor is Dead.
Other Skotos Channel Games
There are a number of other games currently available through Skotos on a non-exclusive basis:- Online Strategy Games. These are turn-based traditional online strategy games: Droid Arena and Space Federation. Galactic Emperor: Hegemony also fits into this same category, but is an exclusive game, as noted above.
- Tabletop Strategy Games. The entire series of Days of WonderDays of WonderDays of Wonder is a board game publisher based in the United States and France. Founded in 2002, Days of Wonder distributes its games to 25 countries. It specialises in German-style board games and have branched out to include some online games. Days of Wonder has published games in English,...
online games is available through Skotos. This currently includes: Ticket to RideTicket to Ride (board game)Ticket to Ride is a railway-themed German-style board game designed by Alan R. Moon and published in 2004 by Days of Wonder. The game is also known as Zug um Zug , Les Aventuriers du Rail , Aventureros al Tren , Wsiąść do pociągu , and Menolippu .The game won the 2004 Spiel des Jahres, the Origins...
, Ticket to Ride Europe, Gang of FourGang of FourThe Gang of Four was the name given to a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes...
, Fist of Dragonstones, and Queen's Necklace.
Some games used to be available on the Skotos Channel, but were removed in 2006 for lack of players:
- Graphical Roleplaying Games. These are more traditional MMORPGMMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
s, though mostly last generation ones. Only Meridian 59Meridian 59Meridian 59, abbreviated M59, is an online computer role-playing game first published by the now defunct 3DO Company. First launched online in an early form on December 15, 1995 and released commercially on September 27, 1996 with a flat-rate monthly subscription, Meridian 59 is often credited as...
is currently available via this gaming channel.
Technical infrastructure
In February 1999, Skotos acquired a reseller's license to commercial use rights for DGD, an LPMudLPMud
LPMud, abbreviated LP, is a family of MUD server software. Its first instance, the original LPMud game driver, was developed in 1989 by Lars Pensjö...
server. Skotos used the DGD platform in developing a number of its online games.
Other Skotos Services
Skotos also has a free article archive available. It's largely centered around online game design, though a few authors have also written about online game playing experiences and the gaming industry in general.The most notable columns at Skotos have been Jessica Mulligan's Biting the Hand and a column by Richard Bartle
Richard Bartle
Richard Allan Bartle is a British writer, professor and game researcher, best known for being the co-creator of MUD1 and the author of the seminal Designing Virtual Worlds. He is one of the pioneers of the massively multiplayer online game industry.-Life and career:Bartle received a Ph.D...
, the father of modern 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...
design (and thus most MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
s and other online games).
Skotos also owns RPGnet and continues to offer it as a free service.
In 2000, Skotos contributed an article on its proximity system to the MUD community webzine Imaginary Realities
Imaginary Realities
Imaginary Realities was an influential MUD community online magazine running from September 1998 to December 2001. It was hosted under the auspices of George Reese's Center for Imaginary Environments at imaginary.com...
.
Practices
Skotos uses a "Story Points" system to reward players who refer new players and participate in other community-building activities. These are redeemable for both in-game and out-of-game benefits.Reception
Skotos has been featured by Wired, TechTV, Slashdot, GrrrlGamer, Gamasutra, and Gamegrene.Skotos has received attention for the quality of its publicly available articles on virtual world design and its philosophy of player agency in the world as opposed to pure designer control.