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{{Infobox video game
| title = GemStone IV
| image = ]
| developer = ]
| publisher = ], ], independent
| platforms = ], ]
| released = 1988
| genre = Fantasy ]
| modes = ]
}}


'''''GemStone IV''''' is the current title of a text-based (]) realtime online ] produced by ]. Players interact in the ] named Elanthia. Originally called ''GemStone'', the game launched in ] on ]. ''GemStone'' is one of the first ]s and one of the longest running ] games. ] has been successful in maintaining high levels of ] in the game compared to other games in the genre. '''''GemStone IV''''' is a multiplayer text-based online ] (often known as a ]) produced by ]. Players control characters in a ] game world named "Elanthia".{{R|olivetti}} The first playable version of the game was known as ''GemStone ]].{{R|bartle2}} It was one of the first ]s and is one of the longest running ] games still active.{{R|dunin}} Access to the game is subscription-based (monthly fee) through its website, with three additional subscriptions levels available, "Premium", "Platinum" and "Shattered", in addition to a free-to-play model introduced in early March 2015.


==Technical information==
]
''GemStone IV'' is a text-based game built on Simutronics' proprietary engine, the IFE (Interactive Fiction Engine). This engine is capable of changing nearly any aspect of the game ] which allows updates without the necessity for ]. Due to the use of the IFE, ''GemStone'' is rarely taken offline, giving a 24-hour uptime cycle aside from the occasional game ].


The ''GemStone'' interface is simply a text stream, and the game can be played with a ] interface after authentication. There are several official interfaces to the game, as well as several unofficial ones. The oldest interface for ] is called the "Wizard Front End" and offers several useful features such as status readouts, macros, and limited scripting abilities. The Wizard has since been superseded with the "StormFront" Front End introduced in 2003, which itself has been rebranded as "Wrayth" in 2022. Wrayth offers several additional extensions to the game, including a "point and click" interface that allows one to click on text within the game and bring up action menus applicable to that portion of text. The Java FE and a browser-based version named "eScape" are less popular alternatives. A Wizard (similar to the Windows version) also exists for ], while a Front End named "Avalon" is available for ]. No official ] client exists.
==Overview==


==History==
''GemStone'' was a service on ] in the late 1980s, competing early on with ], ] and ''Hundred Years War''. The game is built on Simutronics' proprietary engine, the IFE (Interactive Fiction Engine). Product managers have been ], Suz Dodd, and Melissa Meyer.
''GemStone'' was first demonstrated to GEnie in 1987 before Simutronics was officially incorporated. It was only used as a demonstration model and was never available to the general subscribers. ''GemStone ][" to "III" maintained significant portions of the environment, but not all, and character records were not maintained over the transition, requiring all players to begin anew. ''GemStone III'' evolved into ''GemStone IV'' in November 2003, but the game world and character records were maintained over the transition. ''GemStone III'' was promoted on GEnie by promising players the opportunity to receive real-life versions of gems found in-game, something that persisted for many years.


''GemStone III'' opened for beta on ], ], with a license to use the Rolemaster game mechanics and ] environment from ]. A few years later, ICE and ] agreed to let the business relationship expire, which required Simutronics to alter ''GemStone'' to remove ICE content. Most game changes were slight spelling alterations, for example, the game world's name changed from Kulthea to Elanthia. The world as it existed before this turnover is popularly termed as the "Ice Age", in-game items from that period with ICE spellings and properties are rare. Some players find Ice Age items highly valuable and collectable. ''GemStone'' originally operated with a license to use the Rolemaster game mechanics and ] environment from ] (ICE). In 1995, Simutronics and ICE agreed to let the business relationship expire, necessitating the removal of all ICE intellectual property from ''GemStone''. Many of the game changes were simply renaming ICE names, such as changing the world name from ] to Elanthia, and renaming the deities while keeping their previous characteristics.


Game mechanics were greatly changed with the de-ICEing (as the period is colloquially named), which required every game character to undergo significant changes. Character racial and class choices were also changed, making any direct translation between the two systems difficult. The end result was that every character was required to "re-roll" their character with the option to change race and skills, but maintaining their old experience level, class, and equipment.
A related Simutronics game based on an alternate Elanthia, '']'', launched in ].


''GemStone'' became available on ]{{R|bartle3}} in September, 1995, just after the de-ICEing process. It had already become available on ] and ] before that. When AOL switched to flat-rate pricing, ''GemStone'' did over 1.4 million customer-hours in a single month{{R|netpreneur}} and was attracting 2,000-2,500 simultaneous players.{{R|bartle4}} Simutronics launched a web portal in 1997, and started phasing customers off of the online services and onto the web interface, although it would take several years before the last of the online service portals were closed.
In addition to being on ], the Simutronics also maintained portals on ], ], ], and other online services. In December 1996, ''GemStone III'' and '']'' were the top two titles (hours/month) in the entire multiplayer gaming industry, with ''GemStone III'' doing over 1.4 million hours in one month, and supporting over 2000 simultaneous users.


==Reception==
''GemStone IV'' was released as an enhanced version of ''GemStone III'' on ], ].
'']'' in 1991 stated that ''Gemstone III'' was a good example of the best and worst aspects of online play. The reviewer liked the game's community aspect and well-written prose, but criticized the poor parser, "surprisingly empty" game environment and—given the per-minute charge—lack of a free tutorial, and concluded that "the present incarnation of on-line games doesn't quite work for him".<ref name="wilson199102">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=79 | title=On-Line Gaming Viewed by a Skeptic / Gemstone III, for Example | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=February 1991 | accessdate=17 November 2013 | author=Wilson, Johnny L. | pages=53 | issue=79}}</ref> In a follow-up 1993 review, the reviewer wrote that his sojourn in Kulthea was a rewarding experience. He reported receiving help from both built-in commands and other characters and the ability and opportunity for his bard character to sing. The reviewer concluded that "at last, I know why" the game was so popular.<ref name="wilson199301">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=102 | title=Genie's GemStone III | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=January 1993 | accessdate=5 July 2014 | author=Wilson, Johnny L. | pages=124}}</ref> In 1997 '']'' named it as number seven on their "Top 10 Online Game Picks".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Next Generation's Top 10 Online Game Picks |magazine=]|issue=27|publisher=] |date=March 1997|page=42}}</ref> At its peak (1996), ''GemStone III'' had over 2,000 simultaneous users and 1 million play hours per month, large numbers for its era.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Landau |first1=Elizabeth |title=I Had My First Kiss in GemStone III |url=https://gizmodo.com/i-had-my-first-kiss-in-gemstone-iii-1845229020 |website=Gizmodo |date=30 September 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref>


In 2020 and 2021, ''GemStone III'' inspired retrospectives by ] in ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ep. 20: Text Adventure Gemstone III with Liz Landau |url=https://gamehistory.org/ep-20-text-adventure-gemstone-iii-with-liz-landau/ |website=Video Game History Foundation |date=24 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/story/multiplayer-text-games-mud-mmo-social-media/|author=Landau, Liz|date=January 14, 2021|magazine=]|title=How old-school text adventures inspired our virtual spaces}}</ref> She noted its ability to facilitate human communication and its similar nature to later ]s and ].
During prime-time hours, the number of active players online ranges from 650 to over 1000.


* ] Finalist, "]", ]{{R|aias}}
Within ''GemStone IV'' a player can conceivably progress in level as far as it is possible to go without relying on the aid or assistance of other players. This solo aspect is of particular interest to ] players who do not desire the "group focused" central theme of MMORPGs such as '']''. Despite this, Gemstone has a rich social culture among its more dedicated players.
* December 1996, AOL Members' Choice Award{{R|aolchoice}}


==''GemStone IV - Shattered''==
Simutronics charges players a recurring monthly fee to play. ''GemStone IV'' offers three account types for players to choose from: standard ($14.95), premium ($39.95) and platinum ($49.95). Platinum and premium accounts offer various advantages to players over the basic service provided by the standard account subscription.
In May 2010, ''GemStone IV - Shattered'' was released by Simutronics. It allows unrestricted player-vs-player combat and has no policy against automated play.


==References==
As one of the longest-running Internet games, there is a substantial base of players from the 90s who felt disenfranchised by the lack of emphasis now placed on role-playing in ''GemStone''. As a way of placating those players, a service, called ''GemStone IV'' Platinum is available. It is an exact replica of ''GemStone IV'''s world, with some minor changes as well as an enforced role-playing environment, for the price of $49.95US per month.
{{Reflist|colwidth=40em|refs=
<ref name="aolchoice"> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928042615/http://www.washingtontechnology.com/print/12_23/13829-1.html |date=2007-09-28}}</ref>
<ref name="dunin"> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927213317/http://www.gignews.com/goddess/dunin.htm |date=September 27, 2007}} Interview: Elonka Dunin</ref>
<ref name="washtech"> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928042615/http://www.washingtontechnology.com/print/12_23/13829-1.html |date=2007-09-28}}</ref>
<ref name="netpreneur"></ref>
<ref name="aias">{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
<ref name="bartle1">{{cite web | last = Bartle | first = Richard | authorlink = Richard Bartle | url = http://mud.co.uk/dvw/errata.html | title = Designing Virtual Worlds, Errata | date = 2003-07-17 | quote = The second version was "GemStone ][" (rather than "Gemstone II"); Roman numerals were used for the third and fourth versions.}}</ref>
<ref name="bartle2">{{cite book | last = Bartle | first = Richard | authorlink = Richard Bartle | title = ] | publisher = New Riders | year = 2003 | isbn = 0-13-101816-7 | pages = 14 | quote = GEnie was the launch point for many classic online games, including two very important virtual worlds: ''Gemstone II'' in 1988 and ''Dragon's Gate'' in 1990.}}</ref>
<ref name="bartle3">{{cite book | last = Bartle | first = Richard | authorlink = Richard Bartle | title = ] | publisher = New Riders | year = 2003 | isbn = 0-13-101816-7 | pages = 15 | quote = AOL went for the throat and signed up ''Gemstone III'', ''Dragon's Gate'', and ''Federation II'' (it already had ''Neverwinter Nights'').}}</ref>
<ref name="bartle4">{{cite book | last = Bartle | first = Richard | authorlink = Richard Bartle | title = ] | publisher = New Riders | year = 2003 | isbn = 0-13-101816-7 | pages = 17 | quote = At its peak, ''Gemstone III'' on AOL was attracting 2,000-2,500 players simultaneously.}}</ref>
<ref name="olivetti">{{cite web | last = Olivetti | first = Justin | title = The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: The games | work = Massively | date = 2011-04-19 | url = http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/19/the-game-archaeologist-plays-with-muds-the-games/ | accessdate = 2011-04-25 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110507224055/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/19/the-game-archaeologist-plays-with-muds-the-games/ | archive-date = 2011-05-07 | url-status = dead}}</ref>
}}


===Gameplay=== ==External links==
⚫ *


{{MUDs}}
The basic features of ''GemStone'' resemble other role-playing games. Players create a character, pick one of several professions and races that have different skills, spells, and attributes, and choose features such as gender, height, hair and eye color. Players must gain "experience" to advance from one level to the next. This usually involves killing the mutants, monsters, undead and other fauna that inhibit the wilds, but some professions can gain experience through other skills, such as healing other players or resurrecting them from the dead.

''GemStone''s gaming engine is built around players moving through "rooms" (indoor or outdoor) that divide the environment. Each room typically features a very lush, literary description of the buildings, objects, and scenery.

After hunting or otherwise gaining experience, a character must rest and absorb it in rooms called "nodes" such as the town square, or safe havens near hunting areas, where the majority of interaction between players takes place. Empaths gain experience by healing other players, and the bodies of dead players are dragged there for tending and resurrection by clerics. Busy nodes therefore have the bustling, urgent quality of a city square, where players are gossiping, arguing, casting spells, or picking open locked boxes that often explode or melt the rogue picking them.

Some players have also formed families through in-game marriages and the "adoption" of lower-level players by older ones. Etiquette has developed and is player-enforced, such as tipping a healer or a locksmith for their services, not doing violence to one another except in a proper duel, and not making public references to the modern world. Laws are enforced by non-player characters in the major towns.

Players can also choose to join one of two societies to earn additional powers. "Voln" is marked by features of medieval, monastic Christianity and Buddhism and fights for purity and good. Before entering the monastery, you must first bathe in a purifying spring of holy water. Members of Voln do battle against undead monsters and must meditate in the monastery for a length of time before having a vision and interpreting its meaning. The underground "Council of Light," of which one is not supposed to speak in public, forces the player into the equivalent of selling his character's soul to the devil.

Gamemasters are often referred to as "gods" owing to their powers and omniscience. Much like a mythic god in an ancient Greek epic, a watchful Gamemaster might settle an endless public dispute between players by releasing an invasion of high-level monsters who slaughter the offenders as punishment. Players are also treated to the occasional festival or merchant ship with unusual items or services available.

A notable difference between ''GemStone'' and graphic MMORPGs (such as ]) is the complexity and difficulty of gameplay. A multitude of factors are involved in the different mathematical formulas that decide the successful outcome of swinging a sword, enchanting armor, or even trying to climb a hill. A player must also learn about the interactions between different metals or substances, for example, to succeed at more advanced alchemies.

''GemStone'' is text-based and therefore relies on verbal descriptions of the environments and the actions that take place in them, making the game a kind of interactive novel. There are multiple variations in the outcome of an action such as swinging a sword. A mathematical formula factors in the appropriate attributes and skill levels, such as the player's strength and the creature's armor, and the roll of a 100 sided die determines failure or success. The description of the outcome corresponds in intensity to the result of the roll.

<i>GemStone</i> is a dynamic environment that can be modified relatively easily by its creators because new areas and events do not require being rendered graphically.

The various "professions" (clerics, empaths, rogues, bards, etc.) have been significantly adjusted over time, and the game has suffered from what are known as "balance" issues as its programmers deal with the ongoing challenge of not making one profession or combination of skills too weak or powerful.

<i>GemStone</i> has perhaps diminished somewhat from its heyday in the 1990s, as the limited staff and resources of Simutronics have turned toward creating a graphic MMORPG to compete with ] and ]. The game has had a significant influence on its successors. That ''GemStone'' continues to survive after nearly two decades is a testament to the richness and appeal of its world.





==External links==
⚫ *
*
*


] ]
] ]
]
]

Latest revision as of 19:43, 2 December 2024

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1988 video game
GemStone IV
GemStone IV logo
Developer(s)Simutronics
Publisher(s)GEnie, AOL, independent
Platform(s)Windows, Macintosh
Release1988
Genre(s)Fantasy MUD
Mode(s)Multiplayer

GemStone IV is a multiplayer text-based online role-playing video game (often known as a MUD) produced by Simutronics. Players control characters in a high fantasy game world named "Elanthia". The first playable version of the game was known as GemStone ][ and was launched in April 1988 on GEnie. It was one of the first MMORPGs and is one of the longest running online games still active. Access to the game is subscription-based (monthly fee) through its website, with three additional subscriptions levels available, "Premium", "Platinum" and "Shattered", in addition to a free-to-play model introduced in early March 2015.

Technical information

The Wizard Front End for GemStone IV.

GemStone IV is a text-based game built on Simutronics' proprietary engine, the IFE (Interactive Fiction Engine). This engine is capable of changing nearly any aspect of the game on the fly which allows updates without the necessity for downtime. Due to the use of the IFE, GemStone is rarely taken offline, giving a 24-hour uptime cycle aside from the occasional game crash.

The GemStone interface is simply a text stream, and the game can be played with a Telnet interface after authentication. There are several official interfaces to the game, as well as several unofficial ones. The oldest interface for Windows is called the "Wizard Front End" and offers several useful features such as status readouts, macros, and limited scripting abilities. The Wizard has since been superseded with the "StormFront" Front End introduced in 2003, which itself has been rebranded as "Wrayth" in 2022. Wrayth offers several additional extensions to the game, including a "point and click" interface that allows one to click on text within the game and bring up action menus applicable to that portion of text. The Java FE and a browser-based version named "eScape" are less popular alternatives. A Wizard (similar to the Windows version) also exists for Macintosh Classic, while a Front End named "Avalon" is available for Mac OS X. No official Linux client exists.

History

GemStone was first demonstrated to GEnie in 1987 before Simutronics was officially incorporated. It was only used as a demonstration model and was never available to the general subscribers. GemStone ][" to "III" maintained significant portions of the environment, but not all, and character records were not maintained over the transition, requiring all players to begin anew. GemStone III evolved into GemStone IV in November 2003, but the game world and character records were maintained over the transition. GemStone III was promoted on GEnie by promising players the opportunity to receive real-life versions of gems found in-game, something that persisted for many years.

GemStone originally operated with a license to use the Rolemaster game mechanics and Shadow World environment from Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE). In 1995, Simutronics and ICE agreed to let the business relationship expire, necessitating the removal of all ICE intellectual property from GemStone. Many of the game changes were simply renaming ICE names, such as changing the world name from Kulthea to Elanthia, and renaming the deities while keeping their previous characteristics.

Game mechanics were greatly changed with the de-ICEing (as the period is colloquially named), which required every game character to undergo significant changes. Character racial and class choices were also changed, making any direct translation between the two systems difficult. The end result was that every character was required to "re-roll" their character with the option to change race and skills, but maintaining their old experience level, class, and equipment.

GemStone became available on AOL in September, 1995, just after the de-ICEing process. It had already become available on CompuServe and Prodigy before that. When AOL switched to flat-rate pricing, GemStone did over 1.4 million customer-hours in a single month and was attracting 2,000-2,500 simultaneous players. Simutronics launched a web portal in 1997, and started phasing customers off of the online services and onto the web interface, although it would take several years before the last of the online service portals were closed.

Reception

Computer Gaming World in 1991 stated that Gemstone III was a good example of the best and worst aspects of online play. The reviewer liked the game's community aspect and well-written prose, but criticized the poor parser, "surprisingly empty" game environment and—given the per-minute charge—lack of a free tutorial, and concluded that "the present incarnation of on-line games doesn't quite work for him". In a follow-up 1993 review, the reviewer wrote that his sojourn in Kulthea was a rewarding experience. He reported receiving help from both built-in commands and other characters and the ability and opportunity for his bard character to sing. The reviewer concluded that "at last, I know why" the game was so popular. In 1997 Next Generation named it as number seven on their "Top 10 Online Game Picks". At its peak (1996), GemStone III had over 2,000 simultaneous users and 1 million play hours per month, large numbers for its era.

In 2020 and 2021, GemStone III inspired retrospectives by Elizabeth Landau in Wired and Gizmodo. She noted its ability to facilitate human communication and its similar nature to later MMORPGs and social media.

GemStone IV - Shattered

In May 2010, GemStone IV - Shattered was released by Simutronics. It allows unrestricted player-vs-player combat and has no policy against automated play.

References

  1. Olivetti, Justin (2011-04-19). "The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: The games". Massively. Archived from the original on 2011-05-07. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
  2. Bartle, Richard (2003-07-17). "Designing Virtual Worlds, Errata". The second version was "GemStone ][" (rather than "Gemstone II"); Roman numerals were used for the third and fourth versions.
  3. Bartle, Richard (2003). Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders. p. 14. ISBN 0-13-101816-7. GEnie was the launch point for many classic online games, including two very important virtual worlds: Gemstone II in 1988 and Dragon's Gate in 1990.
  4. Gignews.com May 2002 Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Interview: Elonka Dunin
  5. Online Gaming Firm Attracts Fans Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Bartle, Richard (2003). Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders. p. 15. ISBN 0-13-101816-7. AOL went for the throat and signed up Gemstone III, Dragon's Gate, and Federation II (it already had Neverwinter Nights).
  7. NPNEWS archives - 1997/02/06
  8. Bartle, Richard (2003). Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders. p. 17. ISBN 0-13-101816-7. At its peak, Gemstone III on AOL was attracting 2,000-2,500 players simultaneously.
  9. Wilson, Johnny L. (February 1991). "On-Line Gaming Viewed by a Skeptic / Gemstone III, for Example". Computer Gaming World. No. 79. p. 53. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  10. Wilson, Johnny L. (January 1993). "Genie's GemStone III". Computer Gaming World. p. 124. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  11. "Next Generation's Top 10 Online Game Picks". Next Generation. No. 27. Imagine Media. March 1997. p. 42.
  12. Landau, Elizabeth (30 September 2020). "I Had My First Kiss in GemStone III". Gizmodo.
  13. "Ep. 20: Text Adventure Gemstone III with Liz Landau". Video Game History Foundation. 24 February 2021.
  14. Landau, Liz (January 14, 2021). "How old-school text adventures inspired our virtual spaces". Wired.
  15. AIAS awards
  16. Washington Technology 1998-03-05 Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine

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