DragonSpires

DragonSpires is a series of massively multiplayer online games or graphical MUDs that share the same name and a common history. The original DOS version of DragonSpires was launched in 1994.

Original version

DragonSpires was a DOS-based massively multiplayer online game created in 1994 by Dr. Cat and Talzhemir of Dragon's Eye Productions, with additional design contributed by Jeff Dee. The gameplay was largely social, as opposed to combative or goal-based.^[1] DragonSpires had a limited set of features, including:

• A palette-swapped player avatar.
• A map.
• Chat and messaging abilities.
• Arena combat.
• A shop where players could change their avatars' colors.
• A soccer field with balls which players could kick or pop.
• A dog biscuit that turned the player into a dog.
• A "graffiti" sign which recorded spoken text.

Jeff Dee designed Dragonspires' arena combat, costume shop, soccer field, and dog biscuit.

DragonSpires in this first format was discontinued in early 1997 after the release of Dragon's Eye Productions's second MMOG Furcadia.

Java versions

DragonSpires

DragonSpires was reinvented in 1997-1998 by two former players, Adam "Mech" Maloy and Christopher Howard "Motorhed" Wolf. Maloy re-coded the entire game in Java while Wolf created a storyline and new artwork. Building on the foundation of the previous DragonSpires, they created a rich world of monsters, quests, and many different lands.

In 2002, the game was shut down and deleted (along with player data) by Maloy due to disputes and growing malcontent.

DragonSpires 2

The game re-released as DragonSpires 2 in 2005 using an updated version of Maloy's Java source.^{[citation needed]} The re-release was a project of Chris Wolf and Darryl Hull and was not affiliated with Dragon's Eye Productions.

DragonSpires 2 is no longer running.^{[citation needed]}

PHP version

A browser-based PHP game entitled DragonSpires: The Scroll Wars (originally "DragonSpires: The Next Chapter") was launched in February 2006, designed by Chris Wolf and Darryl Hull. It was not affiliated with Dragon's Eye Productions, and had no connection to the original versions of DragonSpires beyond the reuse of the title and some of Mr. Wolf's story and character themes.

References

1. ^ Wired Magazine, March 1995

External links

• DragonSpires: Scroll Wars
• Java version of DragonSpires
• A history of DragonSpires until 2004 by Adam Maloy (co-creator)
• A history of DragonSpires and rebuttal by Chris Wolf (co-creator)
• March 1995 Interview with Dragon's Eye Productions