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Possible Add to Games List.
Helleri
Member UncommonPosts: 930
So, I was recently updating my played games list on here. Initially when I made my account. I just checked every game I could recall having at least tried. But, I wanted to trim it down to just the games that i played for some period of time. Have good memories from. Or never really stopped playing. And, I wanted it to more accurately reflect when I picked those titles up and how long I played them for (actually have been pouring through old saved registration emails and such). One game I hadn't seen on the list was Active Worlds. Which I thought was odd. Because things like Second Life and Entropia Universe are there. I doubt very many people actually read these played games list. But, still I'd like Active Worlds to be on mine (I am still active on it to-date after all).
So, for any who don't know. Active Worlds is a VU (Virtual Universe). Or Social MMO if you rather (not unlike Second Life). It was opened in 1995 and has ran until present. Pre-Second Life it was at one point one of the most popular things of it's kind (about 30k people was the most I ever saw on some years back at a time when VU's rarely had more then 10K on at any one time).
Now before you vote or reply...let me make my case for adding it (if you want just the cliff notes. Scan for the underlined bold text).
So, what do i consider it's qualifiers. Well It is comprised of worlds (100's) Most of the ones that are owned by users are open to the public worlds. And, the largest of them (Alpha World - roughly the same size as California irl) is a public building world (any one can build on any empty land they find and mark out and what you build is yours forever). So it is massive, and it is user built.
It's also free to play. One has the ability to buy their own world and basically be god of their own little chunk of VU. And, one also has the ability to purchase additional outfitting things for their avatar from a Mall. But, you are at no point required to do either. It used to have an unlimited trial with a subscription. But, they have eliminated that in favor of depending on world owners to fund the environment.
You can make an account, learn to build, find some land, and create what ever you like -within code of conduct vs. the rating of the world, world ratings being G to X - as big or as small as you like. Though it is dated overall it does have some tech's that no other perhaps at one time but no other VU even really touches on well. Building is primarily based off using duplications of object found in object yards (AW has 10's of 1000's of objects). But, object you use can also be modified extensively (even to where they no longer resemble the original objects).
There is also a high level language native code that can be used to program on AW. While development has slowed on it. It is still bug fixed, moderated, and has updates and new content occasionally. And you could explore everyday all day for years and not even see or experience every thing there is in Alpha World alone (not even counting the other worlds). Which is all to say it is content rich.
You can interact online in real time with other users. Local or distant regardless of what world you are one. you can maintain a contacts list, ignore list, private and public communication with users. Build and explore together, just hang out, or ignore everyone if you so choose. Granted there are probably only about 200 active users left. But the possibility and likely hood for interaction is there. Currently it is a pretty small and very tight community. Which is to say it is Multi-Player/Online.
It has had full fledged MMORPG built on it in the past (to scale that would have actually blown your mind comparative to what we have a available today). There are several gaming worlds. And games players have made can be found throughout. Meaning there is a gaming element.
I also think Active Worlds deserves a chance to be great again. Currently...There is one person developing for it. If it could get some exposure. AWI could likely after time afford to higher more programmers. And, really put development back into full swing. And, this sites games list might help with that. Without renewed interest. I don't see it staying open past 5 more years. And, I would be really sad to see it actually go (i have been a user since 2001).
Finally, I invite people to give it a look before weighing in: https://activeworlds.com/index.html
Comments
I have not played it, but from what you describe, it is more of an MMO than Diablo III or League of Legends are.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
Not a bad point. I think it's odd where the line is either drawn or where things seem to get left out. Like for instance path of exile is one the list. And while it is only and has a lot of people. It's hard to call massive really. The only areas that are persistent are towns. Every thing else is instanced. Unless your in a party you will never see any one else running around grinding in the same are you are. Additionally the supposed world size (were it not mostly instanced) would be rather small. Something Akin to a large island (I think the setting is actually a prison island).
But, in one respect it belongs on the list more then something truly massive with many players easily interacting with each other. That being Second Life and things like it. Because, PoE is actually a game. Whereas, VU's/Social MMO's are platforms. However, on Second Life there is the potential for a gaming aspect. Probably the largest realization of this is Gor. You could call this an MMORPG. It consists of hundreds of sims mostly not connected (geographically), but linked to each other through a hub with a world map. And, even though distance traveled between locations is roleplayed. All of the locations are persistent. There is a widely standardized metered combat system. Accepted use weaponry. And, a class system. Even a few different races.
[It's probably worth mentioning here that Gor should be considered to have an M rating at best and XXX rating at the extremes of it...it's all based of an interesting story written horribly by a dirty old man. It is also morally and ethically questionable. And, unless you want to explore the darker side of carnal nature, I would advise steering clear of it. Because, it has the potential to break you as a person. Not, just be an odd gaming experience.]
So, given that there is the potential for an MMOG/MMORPG on Second Life. And, that this potential has been realized in several ways (There is also a lot of sci-fi, High-fantasy, and Dark Fantasy -were wolf/ vampire/demon- MMO's built on there). Does the tree belong in the garden for sake of the fruit it bears?
Thank you for the information. I will pass it along to the community management (It's surprisingly easy to talk directly to AWI given the size of the community, lol).
But, also. This isn't a bad way of approaching the idea of what possibly is justified in being on that list. So, hopefully discussion continues.
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
It fits the broad definition (Massive Multi-player Online)...The only thing not big about it atm is the user count. There might be as many as 200. The people online at any one time rarely exceeds about 90 though (and is usually around 30-40 on at any one time).
But, the worlds can be huge. Here is an example of what could be considered a small lot for building:
This is a lot I laid down yesterday for 310.6 x 310.6m (it's actually hard to keep it all in the 200m max draw distance). From where my character is standing it takes about 10 seconds to fly to the actual build (you fly at about 50 kilometers per hour is my understanding). You can right click view for a bigger image (the field of view is small because I have panels docked on the sides and bottom).
And, this is a look inside the build (as far as I have built it at the moment). It's hazy inside because I am using a zone to change the atmospheric effects (zones can be used for color grading, lighting, fog, physics, chat, ambient sound etc.)
[Edit...]
I went to find a newer video to show of some of the abilities and found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmnfH9h9bIg
...Then promptly logged on (A world I had not seen yet) to visit it, lol.
The guy who made this seems to also be on or returning from SL...when Sl came out there was something of a mass exodus. Occasionally AW get old users back. Simply because when you own your own world, you have a lot more power then you ever can on SL. And, seasoned content creators eventually just want to be able to do more.
[Edit 2...]
....*smh* -_-