MMORPG Review: Gemstone IV

Gemstone IV is arguably the oldest Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) that is still active. Launched in 1988 by Simutronics, it still boasts an active playerbase of thousands of people today, typically having several hundred people on its prime server at any one time.

Unlike more recent MMORPGs, Gemstone is entirely text based, the world explored described and displayed through words and sentences, much like the early text adventures such as ADVENT, Zork or Colossal Caves. Beyond this interface, however, veterans of fantasy role-playing will find much that is familiar; orcs and elves, dwarves and dragons, grand adventures in a world of swords and sorcery.
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Player can choose a variety of professions, from warriors and wizards, to paladins and rogues, and a number of species, including the familiar, such as halflings or elves, to races unique to the game, such as the winged Aelotoi or the Half-Krolvin. Detailed histories of all these peoples and much more besides can be found in the game's website at http://www.play.net/gs4 .

The game has will be familiar in concept to those who have played the likes of World of Warcraft; one sets off into the wilderness, slaying monsters and gathering loot, some of which can prove useful to the character, the rest sold at town later. experience points are gained, along with skill points, and the character becomes more proficient and powerful as time goes on (years ago, players could potentially win real semi-precious gems in real life, hence the name of the game).

The gameplay differs from most MMORPGs in two ways. Firstly, while players can (and do) group together to better slay evil creatures, this is not compulsory nor necessary; a single character, if played wisely, can be self-sufficient. Secondly, this is a game for those wishing to invest a long time playing, and advancement is steady and lengthy. It has been calculated that if a player spent 8 hours playing a day, every day, it would take a little over three and a half years to reach the maximum level of 100. Compare this to WoW, where a few months play will quickly get you to the maximum.

Development of the game is ongoing, with a dedicated team of staff and an equally loyal player base. Role-playing is considered compulsory, and players are expected to stay 'in-character' in the game.

I played on Gemstone for over six months. I know people on there who haven't gotten bored after ten years. If you're looking for something that's a little more immersive than the typical MMORPG, can support itself without the need for flashy graphics, and has a long history and established playerbase, you should really give this a go.