Meridian 59

Meridian 59 is an online computer role-playing game first published by 3DO Studios and now run by Near Death Studios. As a "massively multiplayer", 3D graphical RPG with a flat-rate monthly fee from 1996, it is often credited as the first MMORPG.

History

Meridian 59, often credited as being the first 3D massively multiplayer game, was published in September 1996 by 3DO. The game was developed by Archetype Interactive, and was the company's only product (Archetype Interactive was acquired by 3DO in June 1996). Archetype was run by Steve Sellers, Mike Sellers, and John Hanke, with Andrew Kirmse and Chris Kirmse filling key technical roles. Damion Schubert contributed much of the design along with a team totaling 22 employees and contractors.

The game was in an early beta stage in April of 1996 when it was noticed by Kevin Hester and other game developers at 3D0. Trip Hawkins, CEO of 3DO, recognized the forward-looking value of the game and the company, and 3DO bought Archetype in June 1996. More than 25,000 players joined the game's public beta that lasted up until its commercial launch on September 27, 1996, beating its next major rival, Ultima Online, by approximately a year (The Realm Online, another early but primitive online game, also released commercially shortly after Meridian 59).

Prior to its release, the term "massively multiplayer" and the acronym "MMORPG" emerged in meetings within 3DO (beating out other monikers such as "large-n game"), as did the now-ubiquitous monthly subscription model (at the time, AOL was still charging per minute, though a change to flat fees was anticipated). The game received multiple awards, including the fantasy-role-playing game of the year for 1996. It has also had various updates throughout its life, each adding new monsters, spells, and areas.

3DO shut down the game on August 31, 2000 and it was re-released by Near Death Studios, Inc. in 2002. Near Death Studios was co-founded by former Meridian 59 developers Rob "Q" Ellis and Brian 'Psychochild' Green. A new rendering engine was added to the game in the Evolution expansion on October 2004, offering an alternative to its Doom-like graphics. This expansion also included features like dynamic lighting, rebindable keys, mouselook, and other visual improvements.

Gameplay

The game is now aimed primarily at fans of PvP (Player vs Player) combat, as it is virtually lag free and has a player-run justice system implemented to mediate killing of other players. Unlike many online RPGs, it is not based around character levels and classes. Instead, each individual skill and attribute, including health, develop independently of one another. Hit points (health) are acquired by killing monsters that are a challenge for the player. Mana (magic points) is acquired by exploring and finding mana nodes in the game world. All base attributes except karma are static, but they can be adjusted with certain items and spells temporarily.

Players choose from seven skill/spell schools, six of which are based on patron gods in the game world's mythos: Weaponcraft, Shal'ille, Qor, Kraanan, Faren, Riija, and Jala. Each school has a different focus and application in gameplay.

Setting

Meridian 59 is a typical sword and sorcery setting where adventurers go out and fight monsters. In the game, there are few NPCs, with most of them static and unchanging. Most of the focus is on the activities of the players as they fight against the monsters in the land.

The game is set in the 59th provincial colony of an ancient empire which explored the universe through portals in a magical nexus. However, several hundred years ago, something went wrong and the young frontier colonies in Meridian 59 were separated from the Empire. Now the land is in turmoil. Political factions fight for territory and power, monsters, trolls, orcs, and the undead threaten to destroy all life, and the magical nexus is in a flux, causing disasters across the land. Meridian 59 features six cities and towns: the rebellious mining town of Jasper, the royal city of Barloque, the thriving but troubled Tos, the peaceful farming village of Marion, the crossroads lake-side university town of Cor Noth, and the independent jungle island settlement of Ko'Catan.

While there is evidence of ancient dwarves and some other high fantasy races, players can only play human characters.

Schools

Weaponscraft - Physical combat, including dodging, parrying, weapons skills, archery, shields, and disarming.

Shal'ille - Based on the patron goddess of rain and peace. Healing, protection, uncursing, harming evil, curing, resurrecting, and trucing.

Qor - Based on the patron goddess of evil and darkness. Damage, blindness, curses, and other ailments to control or harm opponents, as well as invisibility.

Kraanan - Based on the patron god of war and valor. Combat "buffs", resistance to various kinds of spells, attribute modifiers, and miscellaneous other utilitarian spells with practical applications in combat.

Faren - Based on the god of the earth and the elements. Mostly Area of Effect and Direct Damage spells based on lightning, ice, wind, fire, and other natural forces. This school also contains spells to resist the elements.

Riija - Based on the patron god of illusion and trickery. Spells used to deceive players or confuse monsters, including hiding information, summoning illusory minions, and spells to manipulate the mind. Riija is also home to the most powerful teleportation spell in Meridian 59.

Jala - Based on the patron goddess of music and artistry. The School of Jala is comprised of songs and jingles which have magical effects on all entities in the area, including negation of the effects of the other schools of magic, creation of potions and enchanted magical items, and mana and health regeneration.

Organizations

Players can join one of three political factions: Jonas D'Accor's rebels, the throne of Princess Kateriina, or that of her rival in Tos, Duke Akardius. Each faction offers certain bonuses to specific types of players. The rebels are seated in Jasper, Kateriina in Barloque, and Akardius in Tos. Players fight one another in the name of their respective factions either for territory or for control of tokens of power which may be used to sway the votes of the councilors of the land.

Players can also join player-created guilds. These are typically just small groups of friends who help each other out and socialize together, but sometimes they are more elaborate than that. There are often guild wars, in which multiple guilds fig.ht one another in mortal combat to seize resources such as a Guild Hall or to declare total dominance of the server.

Previously, players could ally themselves with the warring Necromancer and Hunter factions. These factions each drastically altered the way the game was played for their members, and there were great rewards for killing members of the opposite faction. As of this writing, this element of the game is disabled. Instead, this PvP scenario has been reworked into a much more meaningful design where players take on the role of soldiers under one of the three factions, and each faction gives its soldiers special benefits.

Expansions

Vale of Sorrow (March 18, 1997)
Revelation (June 19, 1997)
Renaissance (March 16, 1998)
Insurrection (August 1998)
Dark Auspices (January 26, 1999)
Liberation (July 6, 1999)
Resurrection (June 13, 2002)
Evolution (October 31, 2004)

All expansions are free to subscribers and do not cost extra. The game has also had numerous small updates patched to the game between the large named expansions, particularly since its relaunch in 2002.

Current Information

The game is currently running in both the United States and Germany. There are two normal servers in the United States run by Near Death Studios, Inc. There used to be a Sacred Haven (non-PvP) server run at Skotos, but that has since been closed down. A subscription on one of the normal servers cost $10.95 per month with no startup fees and no charges for expansions. The game, which is patched free-of-charge for all subscribers, has a very loyal following of fans who have enjoyed the game since its inception over ten years ago.

External links

1996 computer and video games | The 3DO Company games | Massively multiplayer online role-playing games | Windows games