Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game

An anonymous reader sent us linkage to a MMORPG ^[?] called Arianne. It looks like crap, but it could be an interesting framework for a group of hugely ambitious and impatient artists and hackers not willing to wait for Diablo3. I also found it very humorous that they have a warning that the windows bins are infected with a virus...

More disturbing than the bad graphics...

is the disregard for copyright considerations. "If you know the author [of this picture that I've used for my logo], let me know"? And maybe I'm wrong, but a few of those trees look like they were planted by the Warcraft II map editor.

Worldforge

If you're interested in this type of thing, you might want to check out Worldforge [worldforge.org] They're working on some pretty ambitious stuff (from text clients up to 3d clients.) Open source of course.

numb

looks like crap?

ok so it may not be the latest bleeding edge 3d first person whatever... but at least there are some hackers out there giving it thier all! i'm not one to really put down CT, but man wtf are you thinking? i'm willing to be lots of time was put into what they have now, and since it is open source it can only get better. Next time you release an internet playable RPG let me know.

el game-o

My opinion -

1) The graphics are primitive, but just because there are primitive graphics (to today's standards), doesn't mean the game will be crap. It depends on if the game is going to be "just another" roleplay/hacknslash game or if it'll have its own unique twist that gets people playing. It's too soon to tell.
2) Most things such as this start out small and primitive... look at Linux, it didn't turn into Redhat 6.2 overnight.
3) They're not professional, but they're not making any money at it either, so you can't really expect them to have their own domain name and really slick graphics on their website. For all intensive purposes, they're in alpha.
4) It's just too soon to tell how it will turn out.
5) Back in the days when muds were more popular, this is the sort of thing that people thought that someday would happen. It's probably easier to just create a text mud though, that's for sure.

What I thought was funny, off the website:

1)8-9-1999 Wednesday Miguel Angel Blanch Lardin
We start our work.

2) 11-9-1999 Saturday Miguel Angel Blanch Lardin
Arianne RPG 0.0.0 release announced.

After 3 days, they get release ZERO? A nothing release. :) Wonder what they did in 3 days...

"To play in a server you have to be online and that the server to which you
connect is running, this should be ok, but as the server is not too stable it
can hang."

Whoops that would suck... :)

Re:Imagery and symbolism in RPGs

While I am all in favor of freedom of speech in most cases, freedom of speech should not be freedom to insult religions. This is an area where the constitution of the US could use a lot of work.

Just for the record I am a Christian so you will know where I am coming from. I don't really like it when people insult all Christian or use images or words which defame my religion but as much as I don't like it, they do have the right to "blasphemous" speech. You can not take that away or you take away free speech all together. They have every right to insult religions. They do not have the right to force people to listen to them though. If someone has a web page that says that all Christians should be burned at the stake, I wouldn't like it but because I don't have to go to that web page they have every right to put it up. This is a real slippery slope that can allow any religion, mine included, to suppress free thinkers and that is a bad thing. Unfortunately in the name of removing "blasphemous" speech in my religion many crimes against humanity have been committed. What you suggest must be avoided at all costs.
Molog

So Linus, what are we doing tonight?

Please check out WorldForge

WorldForge is a large opensource project to create a MMORPG. It has a *large* amount of code in cvs, tons of design documents, huge amounts of arts, and lots and lots of oppurtunity to get involved if you want to help.

It is truly one of the most exciting free software projects I have been seen, the website is chock full of information, check it out at www.worldforge.org [worldforge.org]

This project is for real and is really going places. Its ambitious but its a testament to what is possible through the power of free software.

For more information you can also check out the irc server, irc.worldforge.org, #lounge.

Thanks, please check it out if you care.

kfort

That's cool...

You don't want your kid playing RPG's? That's cool... don't let them. It's your choice how to raise your kids. I don't agree with the idea of trying to shelter them -- it only makes them more likely to rebel when, inevitably, they are exposed to the real world, and eventually they have to make their own decisions. I also don't agree that RPG's are bad (I played RPG's as a kid constantly, both computer and pen/paper, and I'm no violent sociopath). But whatever, that's your choice. They aren't my kids.

But what does that have to do with putting an age requirement or parental consent check on these games? Are you saying that _every_ parent in the world must agree with you? Or that other parents shouldn't be able to choose as you are? After all they aren't _your_ kids.

You are perfectly capable of keeping your kid from playing Ultima Online yourself, without an age check. Other parents can as well, yes? A parent who doesn't have even that much control over their children has far worse problems than RPG imagery, wouldn't you agree?