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Revision as of 14:04, 19 August 2005 by 66.188.188.168 (talk) (→Overview)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)GemStone IV is a text-based online role-playing game, or MUD, produced by Simutronics. It takes place in the medieval, Tolkienesque fantasy world of Elanthia, where players can engage in a wide variety of activities such as slaying creatures, spell-casting, foraging for edible herbs, and more. Simutronics charges players a recurring monthly fee to play. GemStone is one of the longest-running online games in existence, having started in 1987 and outlasted many competitors.
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History
GemStone was first associated with Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE) and Shadow World. ICE's Rolemaster game also had an influence on the game and mechanics. ICE and Simutronics let a business relationship expire, which required Simutronics to alter GemStone slightly. (For example, the game world's name changed from Kulthia to Elanthia and numerous other minor changes.)
GemStone was originally offered on the GEnie service. It quickly buried the competition (which included Dragon's Gate, Federation, and Hundred Years War). The game is built on a proprietary engine, the IFE. Its product managers over the years have been Elonka Dunin, Suz Dodd, and Melissa Meyer.
GemStone spawned DragonRealms in 1996. In addition to being on GEnie, it was also a free game on AOL, Compuserve, and Prodigy. It is now available exclusively on the World Wide Web at Play.net.
GemStone IV was released as an enhanced version of GemStone III in November 2003.