The 80s
From then on, the first home computers were in private households, and MUDs continued to enjoy great popularity. The computers at that time had very little memory, so much seemed impossible. Who would have thought that such an empire would develop in a few years from the first MMO attempts?
In 1983, the financial situation changed with Sceptre of Goth. It was the first commercial text-based MMO, and as such also brought in a lot of money for those times. After all, it also cost nearly $3. Per hour! Up to 16 players could be in a dungeon at the same time. This was also necessary, as many of the opponents could only be defeated as a team.
Sceptre of Goth was based on the popular pen-and-paper role-playing game D&D, offering level-ups, hit points, and high interaction with other players. Many later MMORPG developers were inspired by the game’s structure and wanted to design their own games, which, however, aimed to be much more graphical.
However, Sceptre of Goth was also a game that fueled the controversy surrounding role-playing and video games. In the media, pen-and-paper role-playing games and MUDs were blamed for the brutalization of youth, even leading to murders. After all, it was about fighting. The fact that PvP was possible did not calm the critics much either. Consequently, subscription numbers rapidly declined, signaling the end of Sceptre of Goth.
It gets graphical: Islands of Kesmai
While Sceptre of Goth was the first commercial text-based MUD, Islands of Kesmai was the first commercial graphical MUD: One hour of gameplay cost an incredible $12! The graphics were ASCII characters, used to depict the environment and monsters. Since the image was refreshed every 10 seconds, one couldn’t really call it real-time.
Islands of Kesmani had one of the first quest systems. That players had to complete various tasks for rewards was new at that time.
The oldest virtual world: Habitat from 1986
The oldest virtual world can be found in the game Habitat from 1986. Unlike the previously mentioned titles, this one focuses on the expansion of real life. It wanted players to let loose and interact with each other. They should enjoy the freedoms the game offers. Finally, progress and changes in the game world were also saved: Habitat was dynamic, and players could actually do everything they wanted – within the technical possibilities of the time.
As a result, gangs and in-game organizations quickly formed. Some wanted to test their strength in battle, while others simply wanted to play their avatar peacefully. Naturally, this led to conflicts between players, which is why cities were soon designated as peaceful zones. A principle that is still maintained in many modern MMOs.
Kingdom of Drakkar, 1989
By 1989, 200 players could already play on a server simultaneously. Kingdom of Drakkar is based on the MUD “Realm” from 1984 and became Kingdom when it switched to better graphics. It is a traditional RPG with crawling, looting, and various races and classes. Although PVP was possible, it was forbidden.
On the next page, we present to you the MMOs of the 90s!
