Underlight
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| Underlight</td></tr> | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Lyra Studios
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Designer(s)</th><td>Brian Jamison, later changed to Brent Phillips</td></tr> |
| Release date(s) | 1998 |
| Genre(s) | Role Playing Game |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)</th><td>NR</td></tr> |
| Platform(s) | Windows
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media</th><td>Download</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">System requirements</th><td>Pentium 90MHz CPU, 16Mb RAM, 14.4k Modem or better, 16M SVGA Video Card 640x480, DirectX 6.1 or higher.</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Input</th><td>Keyboard and mouse</td></tr> |
'Underlight (UL)' is a 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that was released in 1998 by Lyra Studios. The design originally credited Brian Jamison. Later this was changed to Brent Phillips.
To play one has to download the software for free at which point a recurring monthly fee must be paid; a free trial is also available for those who wish to try it out before buying.
Underlight is a role-playing game that focuses more or character development and interaction than combat or items, as is atypical of other games of its genre. All of the people encountered in the game-world are real people, the only non-player characters are some of the monsters.
Underlight introduced several new concepts to MMORPGs. Enforced 'in-character' roleplaying, giving players the power to teach skills to other players, player-driven monsters, and allowing higher powered players to gain experience from subordinates were among the game's many innovations.
Unlike most MMORPGs, Underlight takes place in a shared dream state, not the traditional medieval high fantasy setting. Gameplay revolves around the interactions of numerous guilds, each with a different take on the dream-space they inhabit.
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[edit] Lyra Studios Company Background
Lyra Studios originally began as a pet project of Jamison/Gold Interactive in late 1995 (Which did the original design for aintitcoolnews and Energizer, amongst many other widely acclaimed, main-stream websites), a web design and product/media integration firm. The three founding members of the firm, Brian Jamison, Josh Gold, and Brent Phillips each contributed their on unique talents as well as roleplaying mentalities to the game they were creating. Brent managed the software architecture and engineering team. Brian headed up the creative and design side, and Josh kept the books balanced and managed the legal side.
Near the end of 1996, Lyra Studios LLC was formed with an investment from GTE Interactive and the first Testing Level was created. The company invited one of the online testing guilds, SOC, and about 25 individuals saw the first stages of what was to become Underlight. The avatars were basic, the mechanisms raw, but the TL was mainly for testing server loads. When the entire GTE Interactive division was cut, Lyra Studios was forced to slow development drastically and seek new financing.
On 4 February 1997, Lyra opened the pre-Alpha stage of Underlight for the public. The response was limited, under 100 players, but the levels grew in their detail, character avatars became more elaborate, and the beginnings of gameplay began to emerge.
Mplayer.com, one of the leading the online game services at the time, helped to bring UK's Psygnosis in to complete financing of the game. After transferring the project to Psygnosis' ill-fated San Francisco offices and assigning a different producer, Psygnosis eventually withdrew their support for the game at about the same time the company shut down their San Francisco offices.
With financing cut off the development team made great personal sacrifices and were eventually able to launch the game, but at only 60% of its projected completed code. The game launched as the premier RPG offering of Mplayer and was sold directly through Mplayer's online service. During the first few months the game swelled to upwards of 15,000 registered players.
However, without a substantial publisher to promote the game, Underlight was never able to reach critical mass. In debt, with a trickle of income from the now-launched game, staff cuts began to take their toll on morale. A hacker managing to download and abuse a "god mode" client from Lyra development servers added fuel to the fire.
Brent Phillips eventually purchased the full creative rights for the company and product. The new team, an almost entirely volunteer effort, eventually moved to their own game servers. For years Underlight continued to eek out an existence on the corners of the Roleplaying community, relying heavily on volunteers.
[edit] Demise
In November 2006 it was announced the game will be shut down on New Year's Eve 2006 due to a dwindling user base and chronic understaffing.
A statement released by the official sources is enclosed below.
Ladies and Gentleman, Faithful Dreamers of Underlight,
It was 10 years ago next month that our home, Underlight, entered our lives in its first playable Alpha release. It's been a long run since then. Public release in spring of 1998, Major migration to self-hosting in winter of 1999/2000, House openings, House closings, and a million events major and minor creating memories for the thousands of people who have passed through our portals.
Alas, all things must pass away in the fullness of time.
In January of this year, I inhereted Managing Director of Lyra Studios. Given what was left, making it this far is something of a success. With attrition rates of 10 customers a month, and a player base of less than 100, the first quarter of the year saw many efforts to increase our exposure, entice returning customers, and gain new ones. Several plans hit the table, but each showed little promise of success once implemented. With no advertising budget, returning numbers under the attrition rate for mass mailings, and new customer retention of 1-2 per month at best... we were only able to forestall the inevitable. That we had 80 left by June was miraculous.
At the time of this writing, our current playerbase is 60. Our Underlight GM team is staffed by 7 people. Including myself. We have neither the resources remaining to recruit nor train anyone from a population that would be further diminished by the retention of new gm's. Our recurring income is insufficient to pay the ongoing expenses.
It is time.
Underlight will operate until Midnight, New Years Eve. At that time, we will be shutting down the operational servers and calling it done. We have some roleplaying we're gonna do on the way out, and go out with a bang... but going out, we are. We're also going to do some special things over the next couple months. Something of our way of saying "Thank you" for sticking it out with us as we watched our world die.
A little ironic tale for you....
Once upon a time, in a Free Spirit Meeting, before I was a GM, Belg made a statement to the meeting... "The first Dreamer to enter the City of Dreams was a Gatekeeper and a Free Spirit. So, too, will be the last dreamer who turns the key and locks the door." I had no idea, so many long years ago, that it would be me.
I'd like to personally thank each and every one of you. It's been a hell of a run. I've made some friendships around here that will last the rest of my life. I know you have as well. The Dream may die, but the community will stay alive. To that end, I'll be keeping these forums up until... well.. until they're no longer used. A place to keep in touch, a place to contact, and most importantly, a place to remember the people and times that made a difference for all of us.
From all of us who remain:
Safe Paths, and Clear Dreams.
Mark A. Salowitz Managing Director Lyra Studios, LLC Lyra-Hawk, Belg, Lasaimis, Tzayak, Taggertooth, Kelenrath, and a million other avatars you never knew.
[edit] Possible Sequels
A sequel to Underlight, Reclamation, has been in the works for several years, promising improved gameplay and better graphics, and also almost entirely developed by volunteers. An alpha to the game was announced in February of 2006.
[edit] External links
