Noticeboard: AD&DRPG Open Permanently

Hey everyone!  Just a quick note before I get into tonight's post -- I'll probably take a couple of days off the blog Monday and Tuesday to focus on my Calculus midterm.  I've got a lot of studying to do and won't have too much time to blog while I'm doing that.  On the plus side, after this week is over I will be on Spring Break and will have quite a lot of time to devote to projects. ;)

Now to the meat!  I want to use this blog to plug community efforts here from time to time that don't get too much press.  There are a lot of groups in Active Worlds who are actively seeking out volunteers and for whatever reason tend to get overlooked... and since I've got this nice blog now hopefully I can help to put a stop to that.

Without further adieu, today we'll be taking a look at AD&DRPG World. AD&DRPG is a massive gaming world that drops the player into a medieval adventure.  Designed in the fashion of dungeons and dragons, the player builds stats and skills as they increase in level and gain better equipment.  The player's actions influence their moral alignment, and players can even PvP against one-another!

The Forest is one of the first environments where players can fight creatures.

The world is a long-time staple of the Active Worlds Universe, being active in one form or another since 1999.  The team behind AD&DRPG has made several iterations of the game over-time, and also released other games in Active Worlds such as VR Farm -- a finalist in last year's Virtual Game Festival.  AD&DRPG is currently in its "Fourth Age," or stage of development, and has been for several years now.  Though there is not much in the way of active development in the world these days, AD&DRPG was recently sponsored by AWI and will now be a permanent fixture in the Active Worlds Universe.

Because of this development, DM Mercury -- the owner of AD&DRPG -- is working on 'capping off' the existing adventure and establishing a moderation team for the world.  For citizens looking to volunteer their services in our community, AD&DRPG would be a great pick!  The world is tourist-enabled and usually has a few active players through the day.  If you're interested in showing tourists around, this world is a good example of potential for development in Active Worlds when programmers and builders work together to create an immersive experience.

And what community doesn't love giant purple dragons!?

Since the world was renewed, a small base of 3-5 players can be found in the world through the day.  The world's community has greatly diminished over time (especially while the world was expired and the project halted) but a free game of this caliber could easily pick that up again in no time if people were aware of it.  The engine allows for a lot of freedom in player interaction, and in the past players have taken advantage of features such as dropping items to create 'hide-and-seek' events or as use in rewards for PvP tournaments.  Players can even fight monsters together!  There's a lot of potential for community here... especially for tourists and those interested in helping them! :)

Anyway, if you like games and haven't tried AD&DRPG yet, give it a try!  Simply enter the world and pick a character class.  The game should instruct you, but be sure to take a look at the stats and learn what they mean!  They're important to doing well, and will help you make intelligent decisions as you progress through the game!  If you'd like to join the staff or help out in any way, simply telegram DM Mercury in-world and you should hear back within a few days.

Important Links

• Teleport to AD&DRPG World!
• 'The Fourth Age' Tutorial
• AD&DRPG Forum Community

Happy gaming, and I'll be back with another post after my midterms!