A Quick MMORPG History

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Written by BuckGB on February 7th, 2006

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That's about when we were introduced to MUDs, or multi-user dungeons. Instead of one or two people at a time connecting to a BBS, they could now connect en masse (around 50-100 at a time, plus or minus a few depending on the quality of the host's hardware) to a shared, text-based environment. The role of the Dungeon Master was supposedly replaced by the developer (often called (wizards) back then), who created and added to the physical side of the MUD. Developers added rooms, monsters, objects, and factions, but rarely did anything with a plot, the original duty of the DM. They weren't storytellers, they were programmers. By adding more users to a shared world but still not giving them any story to work with, competition entered a new era. The game was entirely about who was the highest level, if you had gotten the best sword available yet, and if your attributes and skills were stacked in the best possible combination. Additionally, the advanced technology still had limitations. Basically, just about all there was to do in the original BBSs and MUDs was fight. Now, as focused as Dungeons and Dragons was on combat rules, the very nature of the RPG not only allowed for, but often required non-combat activity. You had to journey to distant places, concerning yourself with means of travel, provisions, and navigation. You had to interact with NPCs (non-player characters portrayed by the DM) often to glean information, barter for goods, avoid unwanted confrontations, or woo romantic interests. In MUDs and BBSs, all travel was near instantaneous (less than 30 seconds to cross the known world), and all you did was fight, trade, and heal. Barely anyone actually role-played a character beyond, (let's go kill that,) (I'll sell you this for 1000 gold,) or (I need healing!) It was still a game, but not a role-playing game.

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