Achaea, Dreams of Divine Lands

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Achaea, Dreams of Divine Lands is a text-based multi-user dungeon (MUD) released in 1997. It was published by Achaea LLC, now known as Iron Realms Entertainment. Achaea is free to play, although it earns revenue through a "credit" system that allows payment for the acquisition of in-game benefits.

Gameplay

In the game, players explore a fantasy sword and sorcery world revolving around six city-states, consisting of Cyrene, Shallam, Ashtan, Hashan, Mhaldor, and Eleusis, and their respective Houses. As in most role-playing games, players can fight monsters for experience points and treasure, perform quests for non-player characters and interact with other players. One form of interaction between players is player vs. player combat, which is a focus of the game. While dynamic conflict, especially the conflict between Good and Evil is a dominant theme in Achaea, economics is also a major theme for those who wish, not to fight, but to make gold and to serve the public by designing and crafting goods. A player-run social structure including clan and politics also plays an important role.

The world itself is expansive, consisting of over 20 thousand rooms, or locations, ranging from the countryside of Achaea to flying islands and alternate planes of existence to a mobile temple based on the Principia Discordia. Players may choose among fifteen classes when creating their character, ranging from familiar fantasy elements such as paladins to more unusual options such as jesters who perform magic using Tarot.

Revenue

Achaea's revenue structure has received attention from the game development industry. Although Iron Realms Entertainment provides a custom MUD interface for the game, there is no up-front cost to begin playing, nor a monthly fee like in most massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Instead, players may spend money for credits that are then used in-game to acquire skills or unique items.

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has noted that Achaea has been successful in this "revenue from object sales" model, "report[ing] substantially higher average revenue per customer ... than the usual subscription prices.". Achaea's use of this model was compared to higher-profile releases such as Magic: The Gathering Online and Project Entropia and has been highlighted by game developer Daniel James and researcher Richard Bartle as a possible solution for the problems other online games face involving commodification and interaction with real economy.

Reviews and reactions

Achaea has received generally positive reviews for both its mechanics and social complexities, including a review from Leo Laporte on the June 10, 2004 episode of The Screen Savers on TechTV that was reported as favorable.

The combat system includes "hundreds of different ways to attack an opponent", leading to a "complex array of strategies" that is a "true test of skill. The game's engine was adapted for use as the medium of an "e-summit" staged at the 7th Annual World Summit of Young Entrepreneurs with the United Nations.

The role-playing and social aspects of the game have also led to Achaea being cited as an example of "political game design". That political system, along with the game's dynamic events and "player narrative" are remarked on in Designing Virtual Worlds, Bartle's examination of the history of multiplayer online games. Iron Realms Entertainment quotes id Software founder John Romero as saying he "doesn't believe there is a deeper game in existence".

Nevertheless, some aspects of the game have met with criticism. The game's revenue system, in particular, has faced mixed opinions. Players playing for free "won't be able to advance as much as the person who has the funds" without a time investment, which often sparks controversy between free players and those who paid for in-game bonuses that can cost as much as two thousand and five hundred credits, the equivalent of $725 per item. Even IGDA acknowledges that the system requires "delicate issues of design balance". The 2004 introduction of gleam, an in-game addictive drug created controversy, angering some players and reviewers who felt it sent an inappropriate message about the consequences of real-world drug use. Finally, results of a public referendum held in-game in early 2007 indicated that 21% of the player base felt that the state and progress of Achaea was bad or terrible, 50% thought it was pretty good or fantastic and 29% said it was not bad or so-so.

References

External links

• Achaea Home Page

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Last updated on Thursday March 06, 2008 at 18:26:29 PST (GMT -0800)
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