Actually, they never shelved HJ. They just scrapped the Engine because they believed that the technology that they were using at the time sucked, and would not allow them to create the game world they wanted.
Originally posted by sartorius Soon as they started the whole Platinum thing, I jumped ship and went to DR Plat. Those were really the days....To this very day I am saddened that I'm not able to maintain my subscription yet again, but one day Grezzler Flintbeard, the axe loving and collecting dwarf barbarian, will return!
Hey there you cute dwarf! Wise words from you, as always. I got hooked on DR Prime, but DR Plat was, indeed, the best. Like you, I still miss it. I hope to see Grezzler again in Hero's Journey.
I played DragonRealms for 8+ years. I have yet to find a game as fun as the time I have spent in Elanthia.
I was lured away by the 3D eye candy of MMORPGs and have since played most out there. AC, AC2, EQ, EQ2, DaoC, SWG, FFXI, GW, WoW (currently subscribed to WoW)... etc...
My secret hope was that they would someday create a 3D Elanthia. Simutronics has great talent who understand great gameplay, story lines, lore, and fun. I hope Simu sticks to everything that made DR and GS4 great and doesn't sacrifice to lure the masses with cookie-cutter compromises.
Originally posted by sartorius Soon as they started the whole Platinum thing, I jumped ship and went to DR Plat. Those were really the days....To this very day I am saddened that I'm not able to maintain my subscription yet again, but one day Grezzler Flintbeard, the axe loving and collecting dwarf barbarian, will return!
Hey there you cute dwarf! Wise words from you, as always. I got hooked on DR Prime, but DR Plat was, indeed, the best. Like you, I still miss it. I hope to see Grezzler again in Hero's Journey.
a/k/a Linnet
Wow! Hey there Telyn/Linnet!
Yeah, if all goes well then there should be a grumpy 'ole dwarf in HJ. Glad to see someone I know and who actually still remembers me around here and interested in the game as well!
Me.
"Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him." - Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce
Cyberstrike should not have had a monthly cost--that's what killed the game. Since it had a lobby area, I'm sure Simu could have gotten away with banner ads, much like battle.net. No one would usually want to pay for a non-MMO and then pay to use it's multiplayer.
Well, here's to hoping Cyberstrike 3 will come out sometime, and not have a monthly cost.
I've played GIII for a couple of months (a few years ago) and then came back for GIV. Simutronics got me into RPGs and I'm afraid I only like their RPGs. So, when I heard they were making a 3D RPG... I think I passed out.
I've had a few characters in Gemstone and I really enjoyed my experiences there. It's a great world with great players and game masters. When I first heard about Hero's Journey I knew I was going to die of anticipation. I so wanted it to come out ASAP. I didn't want to wait. I knew just by playing Gemstone as well as some MMORPG's, that HJ would be by far the best game in the genre. I know that there have been some critics of HJ but I just want to say that they have no idea what they're talking about. When Simtronics does something they make sure to do it right. There may be some things that people have seen in other games that they didn't like that they think will be in HJ but I can safely say that if it's in HJ then it's because Simu thinks they're doing it the right way. I think what you're going to get with HJ is a game that the developers are going to put 110% into all of the time, unlike most other games out there.
So to the people out there that have been critical, I say just wait and see. When this game is released it will be the best out there period, because the developers will get it right and they will do the best job possible, not just leading up to the release but afterwards as well. The best part about this game will be the constant involvement of the GM's unlike most MMORPG's. And they won't just include what they want to see in the game, they'll also include what we the players want to see as well, another thing that a lot of MMORPG's fail to do.
Originally posted by madjake How many past/present simutronic players are really anticipating HJ? I'm really excited about it knowing how rich their MUDs are. So which games and when did you play them? I began playing Gemstone 3 back on AOL, around 1996 I think it was... and moved onto Dragon Realms, and Alliance of Heroes. I've been playing all their games on and off since, most prominently GS3 and AOH. It's all good stuff
I was anticipating it so much that I signed up to work on it. I started out back in late 1996 or so playing Modus Operandi (a somewhat modern mystery-based game) -- they had a remarkably unique mystery system that allowed you to interview and ask questions of NPC's while you're trying to solve a mystery or look for clues... It really drew me to the game and, over the next year or so I really discovered DragonRealms. Mind you, I've been a MUD'er since the late 80's; I've done MUD's, MUSH's, MOO's and MUCK's and enjoy the combat and RP aspect that they had to offer but always seemed to lean more towards. DragonRealms offered the best balance of both worlds for me and I still play it to this day. I played a bit of AoH (back when it was Xena & Hercules) and a bit of GemStone as well. This project, however, is what I'm most looking forward seeing to fruition. Believe me, so will you.
Originally posted by madjake How many past/present simutronic players are really anticipating HJ? I'm really excited about it knowing how rich their MUDs are. So which games and when did you play them? I began playing Gemstone 3 back on AOL, around 1996 I think it was... and moved onto Dragon Realms, and Alliance of Heroes. I've been playing all their games on and off since, most prominently GS3 and AOH. It's all good stuff
I like many others that work for HJ started as players in Simutronics Games.
I myself started in Dragonrealms in July on 1996. After 3 years of almost non-stop playing, I was hired to be a Dev-GM for the thieves in the game.
That lasted for 3 years as well before I stepped down and moved onto HJ as an offsite 3D artist. (That team is amazing by the way. I was lucky to be able to work with them... and still am in a very limited fashion).
I've since then been able to focus my attention to pure code. All code all the time. I've been part of HJ for over 2 years now in some fashion and have been able to watch it grow in leaps and bounds.
Needless to say I'm anticipating it's release. And I do still sneak into DR as my thief from time to time.
There have been great discussions here at MMORPG. I look forward to reading more. Not only here, but our forums as well.
I played GS3 back in late 95 and most of 96. I too remember the high fees. Definitely at least $200/mo...usually more like $500. I quit for 8 years for a variety of reasons, mainly that the man that is now my husband claimed I spent too much time and money on GS. ::scoff:: Then later because I had my children to take care of.
I finally came back maybe two or three years ago. My husband caught me playing and I told him he wasn't allowed to criticize unless he'd tried it. He got hooked. Levelled twice as fast as I did. He recently left for WoW, but he's definitely anticipating the release of HJ just as much as I am. Given that we've both played text-based and graphical mmorpgs, we're both hoping that HJ will be a nice in between....More RP and customization than games like WoW, yet a bit less focus on instances and the kill kill kill genre. I suppose only time will tell, but we're definitely excited!
Player of Lihai, Chastittee, Deyzira, Nirianna, and a multitude of others in GSIV and Cochala and Ayyira in WoW
So many old GS players here. I don't know when i started GS3 (you still left your equipment where you decayed when i started) but i guess as soon as it was on AOL. Yup same monthly fee's and i didn't stop playing until GS4, there were changes i just didn't like but i have gone back a few times to try again. I really hope they do retain the experience system, the treasure system, and the spell system. The MMORPGS out there now seem to fast and oriented on spending hours to gather a group or planning your online time so you can have something to do (raids) because you fly through the levels. I also hope they leave behind some of the sillier things they've done like premium accounts and the new training point system.
All in all though i am looking forward to trying HJ and seeing if they can provide the same amount of content and live events that were so good.
Well i am never played GS 3/4 but have been playin DR for the last 5 years.Started out as just a monthly trial and been hoing strong ever since.Enjoying DR2 at the mo whislt i wait fo HJ.Hope that we get as good a game as Simu have made their MUDs into.I am def looking foward to exploring Elanthia in a graphical setting.
May the wind always be at your back and your arrows fly true.
Simutronics games have been around for so long (industry-wise) and SO MANY people have enjoyed them at one time or another, I think HJ is going to do EXTREMELY well as long as some heavy advertising is done in the next 6-12 months. Having a biweekly Q&A on this site is an excellent start.
I played GS3 and DR both when it first went to AOL. That was my first experience of an MMORPG and I nearly flunked a semester of college because of it Later I betad AoH (when it was still H&X and you'd occasionally see Autolycus running around Athens).
I was particularly thunderstruck by two events in GS3 - my first city invasion, and the first time I stumbled into a GM run plot line. I won't bore you with the details, but needless to say the past decade or so I have been waiting (in vain) for someone to create a graphical game with that sort of playing experience. So I nearly layed some bricks when I saw that Simutronics E3 video!
Edit *** : I have also been waiting for 10 years for one of the games I've been playing (i.e. FF11, EQ2) to launch a surprise city invasion ^^. Can you imagine all the whining and GM calls there would be from dead mules?
I remember being introduced into GS back in the early 90's, think it was back around 93 and I fell in love with the system. Sadly the game grew far faster than the tech that could handle it so I dropped out of sight for a few years only to return to EQ, then onto FF11 and WoW. I still use the same name and for those of you who remember "kill sp"(kill tree spirit) when you had to type in all your commands, you probably killed me a few times. Back then they really got you, the ISP and Phone co would charge per minute and it wasnt unheard of getting over 1k in phone/isp charges. Those that played early on, probably made AOL what it was to become. Anyway I would love to see this new game pan out. What I really wonder is the game bonuses....I still have the gemstone I found under a step in the library. Those hidden gems were a nice bonus if you could find them...sadly one day I was emptying my bag and accidently sold the one of a kind gem to a vendor. Good luck to Simu from an old player
Comments
Actually, they never shelved HJ. They just scrapped the Engine because they believed that the technology that they were using at the time sucked, and would not allow them to create the game world they wanted.
I played DragonRealms for 8+ years. I have yet to find a game as fun as the time I have spent in Elanthia.
I was lured away by the 3D eye candy of MMORPGs and have since played most out there. AC, AC2, EQ, EQ2, DaoC, SWG, FFXI, GW, WoW (currently subscribed to WoW)... etc...
My secret hope was that they would someday create a 3D Elanthia. Simutronics has great talent who understand great gameplay, story lines, lore, and fun. I hope Simu sticks to everything that made DR and GS4 great and doesn't sacrifice to lure the masses with cookie-cutter compromises.
I can't wait to play HJ.
Navarre
Former and Future Paladin of Elanthia
Wow! Hey there Telyn/Linnet!
Yeah, if all goes well then there should be a grumpy 'ole dwarf in HJ.
Glad to see someone I know and who actually still remembers me around here and interested in the game as well!
Me.
"Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received
with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him."
- Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce
Little off topic..
But I was addicted to Cyberstrike, and I remember the bills.. *sigh*
A little more off-topic.
Cyberstrike should not have had a monthly cost--that's what killed the game. Since it had a lobby area, I'm sure Simu could have gotten away with banner ads, much like battle.net. No one would usually want to pay for a non-MMO and then pay to use it's multiplayer.
Well, here's to hoping Cyberstrike 3 will come out sometime, and not have a monthly cost.
I've played GIII for a couple of months (a few years ago) and then came back for GIV. Simutronics got me into RPGs and I'm afraid I only like their RPGs. So, when I heard they were making a 3D RPG... I think I passed out.
I've had a few characters in Gemstone and I really enjoyed my experiences there. It's a great world with great players and game masters. When I first heard about Hero's Journey I knew I was going to die of anticipation. I so wanted it to come out ASAP. I didn't want to wait. I knew just by playing Gemstone as well as some MMORPG's, that HJ would be by far the best game in the genre. I know that there have been some critics of HJ but I just want to say that they have no idea what they're talking about. When Simtronics does something they make sure to do it right. There may be some things that people have seen in other games that they didn't like that they think will be in HJ but I can safely say that if it's in HJ then it's because Simu thinks they're doing it the right way. I think what you're going to get with HJ is a game that the developers are going to put 110% into all of the time, unlike most other games out there.
So to the people out there that have been critical, I say just wait and see. When this game is released it will be the best out there period, because the developers will get it right and they will do the best job possible, not just leading up to the release but afterwards as well. The best part about this game will be the constant involvement of the GM's unlike most MMORPG's. And they won't just include what they want to see in the game, they'll also include what we the players want to see as well, another thing that a lot of MMORPG's fail to do.
Originally posted by madjake
How many past/present simutronic players are really anticipating HJ? I'm really excited about it knowing how rich their MUDs are. So which games and when did you play them?
I began playing Gemstone 3 back on AOL, around 1996 I think it was... and moved onto Dragon Realms, and Alliance of Heroes. I've been playing all their games on and off since, most prominently GS3 and AOH. It's all good stuff
I was anticipating it so much that I signed up to work on it.
I started out back in late 1996 or so playing Modus Operandi (a somewhat modern mystery-based game) -- they had a remarkably unique mystery system that allowed you to interview and ask questions of NPC's while you're trying to solve a mystery or look for clues... It really drew me to the game and, over the next year or so I really discovered DragonRealms.
Mind you, I've been a MUD'er since the late 80's; I've done MUD's, MUSH's, MOO's and MUCK's and enjoy the combat and RP aspect that they had to offer but always seemed to lean more towards. DragonRealms offered the best balance of both worlds for me and I still play it to this day. I played a bit of AoH (back when it was Xena & Hercules) and a bit of GemStone as well. This project, however, is what I'm most looking forward seeing to fruition.
Believe me, so will you.
--
I like many others that work for HJ started as players in Simutronics Games.
I myself started in Dragonrealms in July on 1996. After 3 years of almost non-stop playing, I was hired to be a Dev-GM for the thieves in the game.
That lasted for 3 years as well before I stepped down and moved onto HJ as an offsite 3D artist. (That team is amazing by the way. I was lucky to be able to work with them... and still am in a very limited fashion).
I've since then been able to focus my attention to pure code. All code all the time. I've been part of HJ for over 2 years now in some fashion and have been able to watch it grow in leaps and bounds.
Needless to say I'm anticipating it's release. And I do still sneak into DR as my thief from time to time.
There have been great discussions here at MMORPG. I look forward to reading more. Not only here, but our forums as well.
Keep up those great talks!
HJ-Royce
Simutronics Staff (GM)
http://www.play.net/hj/
I played GS3 back in late 95 and most of 96. I too remember the high fees. Definitely at least $200/mo...usually more like $500. I quit for 8 years for a variety of reasons, mainly that the man that is now my husband claimed I spent too much time and money on GS. ::scoff:: Then later because I had my children to take care of.
I finally came back maybe two or three years ago. My husband caught me playing and I told him he wasn't allowed to criticize unless he'd tried it. He got hooked. Levelled twice as fast as I did. He recently left for WoW, but he's definitely anticipating the release of HJ just as much as I am. Given that we've both played text-based and graphical mmorpgs, we're both hoping that HJ will be a nice in between....More RP and customization than games like WoW, yet a bit less focus on instances and the kill kill kill genre. I suppose only time will tell, but we're definitely excited!
Player of Lihai, Chastittee, Deyzira, Nirianna, and a multitude of others in GSIV and Cochala and Ayyira in WoW
So many old GS players here. I don't know when i started GS3 (you still left your equipment where you decayed when i started) but i guess as soon as it was on AOL. Yup same monthly fee's and i didn't stop playing until GS4, there were changes i just didn't like but i have gone back a few times to try again. I really hope they do retain the experience system, the treasure system, and the spell system. The MMORPGS out there now seem to fast and oriented on spending hours to gather a group or planning your online time so you can have something to do (raids) because you fly through the levels. I also hope they leave behind some of the sillier things they've done like premium accounts and the new training point system.
All in all though i am looking forward to trying HJ and seeing if they can provide the same amount of content and live events that were so good.
Player of Ruhx and Malakon
May the wind always be at your back and your arrows fly true.
Simutronics games have been around for so long (industry-wise) and SO MANY people have enjoyed them at one time or another, I think HJ is going to do EXTREMELY well as long as some heavy advertising is done in the next 6-12 months. Having a biweekly Q&A on this site is an excellent start.
I played GS3 and DR both when it first went to AOL. That was my first experience of an MMORPG and I nearly flunked a semester of college because of it
Later I betad AoH (when it was still H&X and you'd occasionally see Autolycus running around Athens).
I was particularly thunderstruck by two events in GS3 - my first city invasion, and the first time I stumbled into a GM run plot line. I won't bore you with the details, but needless to say the past decade or so I have been waiting (in vain) for someone to create a graphical game with that sort of playing experience. So I nearly layed some bricks when I saw that Simutronics E3 video!
Edit *** : I have also been waiting for 10 years for one of the games I've been playing (i.e. FF11, EQ2) to launch a surprise city invasion ^^. Can you imagine all the whining and GM calls there would be from dead mules?
I remember being introduced into GS back in the early 90's, think it was back around 93 and I fell in love with the system. Sadly the game grew far faster than the tech that could handle it so I dropped out of sight for a few years only to return to EQ, then onto FF11 and WoW. I still use the same name and for those of you who remember "kill sp"(kill tree spirit) when you had to type in all your commands, you probably killed me a few times. Back then they really got you, the ISP and Phone co would charge per minute and it wasnt unheard of getting over 1k in phone/isp charges. Those that played early on, probably made AOL what it was to become. Anyway I would love to see this new game pan out. What I really wonder is the game bonuses....I still have the gemstone I found under a step in the library. Those hidden gems were a nice bonus if you could find them...sadly one day I was emptying my bag and accidently sold the one of a kind gem to a vendor. Good luck to Simu from an old player