Dreamscape (chat)

Dreamscape is a graphical online chat environment owned by Stratagem Corporation.^[1] Once one becomes a member and download the software, one enters the world and chooses an avatar, which is a physical representation of oneself. One's avatar can talk (text-chat), move, gesture, use facial expressions, and is customizable in a virtually unlimited number of ways. Avatars earn money called tokens; own possessions; rent apartments called turfs; and, most importantly, make friends. The environment itself is composed of hundreds of "locales", or screens, in which the player moves about. It is a virtual city called Phantasus on a virtual island called Kymer that is rich in history and mysticism.

The Dreamscape was originally created in 1994 by a team of people for Fujitsu Cultural Technologies, headed by the virtual communities gurus Randy Farmer and Chip Morningstar, who created the first graphical virtual world for George Lucas in 1986 called Habitat. The world's history and mythology were created by dark fantasy writer Maria Alexander (then Maria Douglas, married to Jeffery Douglas aka Oracle Vaserius), and the world was run by "Oracles" — that is, keepers of the world under the guidance of Morpheus, the God of Dreams. The first two Oracles were named Vaserius and Teresias; soon to be followed by Uni.

Vaserius was brought onboard in October 1994 as a helper and a world guide but as there was no community to manage Randy Farmer instead taught him everything he knew about running a virtual world. Such as how to design the world map, why certain things should be put in certain places, who would make a good beta tester. Eventually earning the titles of World Designer, Product Manager and finally Producer.^[2]

The world history was developed in response to business requirements from Fujitsu management for a world based on a well-known Western mythology with some variation. (For example, "Kymer" was a corruption of the word "chimera".) Today, the original mythology has evolved and continues to grow to meet the demands of the members.

The world celebrated its 10th anniversary on November 15, 2005. Celebrations were held "in-world" and many hundreds of current and past members attended.

As with all online communities, Dreamscape and its counterpart New Horizone are a mixture of many different peoples and personalities, adding conflicts but also excitements.

The key difference that seems to set these worlds apart from others one finds online is the active participation of the management teams, designers and creators who strive to provide special activates and happenings based on “real world” events or “in world” storylines. In Dreamscape recent events have included the addition of Atlantis, The Lost World of the dinosaurs, Medieval Fairs and special locales or areas to help members learn about and celebrate the Solstice and Equinox!

Notes

1. ^ Stratagem Corporation
2. ^ An Interview with Oracle Vaserius The Virtual Planet, October 28 2005

External links

• VZones the current incarnation of the Dreamscape
• VZones Network Archives lots of information and screenshots on VZones and the Dreamscape