Computers and Technology

Computer gaming on the Internet comes of age

By Patrick Dent

or all the practical and effective uses for computers, there are two that still dominate many people's lives--games and the Internet. While there has always been on-line gaming of one sort or another, that genre has only recently begun to realize its potential.
Sure, those who are blessed with network-equipped, gaming-tolerant workplaces have long enjoyed competing against and with real players, but the majority of gamers engage in solo pursuits.

MUDs and PBEM
For more than a decade, low-end on-line gaming has been available through Multi-User Dungeons (MUD's) and "Play By Electronic Mail." In recent years, MUDs have begun to implement more complex worlds and characters, but the best and most fully realized ones are still text-only.
Although there are a number of graphic MUDs in production, none promise even to come close to traditional RPGs. But if you are looking for open games that are always expanding and can draw over 100 players at a time, MUDs may be for you.
There are almost as many MUD lists around as there are MUDs. If you are looking for combat and skill-intensive ones, concentrate on DIKU and Circle MUDs.

The Doom generation
With the popularity of Doom and its descendants having exploded in large part because of network play (8-man deathmatches and the like), it was only a matter of time before they were supported through the Internet. Services like TEN (Total Entertainment Network) and Kali allow you to log on to the Net through your Internet Service Provider and then plug into its server (rather than direct dial-up services like DWANGO), which will insert you into the supported game of your choice, such as Warcraft II or Duke Nukem 3D.
You can find an oasis or two out there, though. Blizzard Entertainment, for one, deserves kudos for its free battle.net server, which allows gamers to play Diablo and the upcoming Starcraft (a pseudo-sequel to the Warcraft games) through the Internet against or with other gamers--for free. Besides building in Internet-support like most companies, Blizzard created a venue to utilize the option.
For more information on gaming servers, simply perform a net search using your favorite Net-ready game and the term "online" or "Internet."

Ultima: the future of on-line gaming?
Well, Richard Garriot (aka Lord British) seems to think so. Previews, sneaks and eye-witness accounts by alpha testers at least legitimize this possibility.
Rather than using the first-person perspective of Doom and Duke Nukem, Ultima Online boasts an overhead isometric view reminiscent of Crusader and Diablo.
Added to the predictably bountiful system of skills, spells, items, advancement, etc., the world of Ultima Online is rendered in 16-bit color and has an advanced artificial intelligence.
Ultima Online will definitely be a pay service, which means you can expect to pay for every improvement and feature it will boast over current Internet fare.
For more information on Ultima Online, visit its site at http://www.owo.com/uo.html

What to do?
My advice for the aspiring Net gamer is simply to zero in on what kind of game you want to play over the Internet. Then see what services or servers are out there support it.
With all the demos out there, I would suggest picking up a copy of Diablo (and Starcraft when it's released). Besides boasting a nice fusion of action and role playing, Blizzard's battle.net is free. And one reason text-based MUDs continue to hang on in this age of snazzy graphics and impressive gameplay is that nothing beats a free game.