GemStone IV
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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.
Overview
GemStone IV was released in 1987 as GemStone and eventually progressed to its current title, GemStone IV (also referred to as GS4). During prime-time hours, the number of active players online ranges from 650 to over 1000.
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 MMORPG players who do not desire the "group focused" central theme of MMORPGs such as EverQuest. Additionally, timesinks are limited; you can log in to the game and spend as little or as much time as you wish without feeling obligated to commit to a large block of time solely for the purpose of gaming (another problem encountered by many 'casual' EverQuest players).
GemStone IV offers three account types for players to choose from: standard, platinum, and premium. Platinum and premium accounts offer various advantages to players over the basic service provided by the standard account subscription.
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.
It is not uncommon to take 5-7 years for a character to "hit the cap", i.e get to the maximum level, but there are quests and adventures available to characters of any level.
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 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.
External links
- GemStone IV homepage (http://www.gemstone.net/)
- Unofficial Player Documentation/Guides (http://www.gs4.org/)