Wolfenburg: A Warhammer MUD
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Wolfenburg: A Warhammer MUD was an online multi-user dungeon (MUD) developed and published by Online Games Company and released for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X on 1 February 2001.[1] Set in the Old World, the game took place in and around the eponymous city of Wolfenburg, the capital of the Empire province of Ostland. The game was promoted around the time of release by Games Workshop in their monthly White Dwarf magazine [2] and at the back of a limited number of Black Library novels such as the 2001 paperback edition of Drachenfels.[3]
Wolfenburg was rebranded in June 2004 as Kingdom of Heroes, presumably due to a termination of the licencing agreements with Games Workshop.[4] The content of the game was altered to enable it to continue in a legally distinct though heavily inspired fantasy setting.
Contents
Gameplay
Wolfenburg's gameplay was text-based, incorporating graphical elements in the user interface such as maps, NPCs, and thematic artwork, as well as a musical score and sound effects.[5] Whilst the game could be played solo, forming a group with other players was encouraged, with some parts of the game designed explicitly for adventuring parties.[6] Whilst players could adventure alongside other players in co-operative group, the game did not allow for player-vs-player interactions.[7]
After downloading the game client and creating an account, players could create up to three characters, with each character having 5 free gameplay sessions. After this, Wolfenburg required a monthly subscription to play.[8]
Charterers could be created from five different factions: Human, Dwarf, High Elf, Wood Elf or Halfling. Twenty-six character classes were available in total, with some classes being faction-specific such as the Dwarf Engineers or Elven Wardancers.[6] Players were able to visit over 5,000 locations within the city and the surrounding area, including but not limited to taverns, guilds, ruins, mountain ranges, lairs, dungeons, tombs and caverns.[6]
Setting
Wolfenburg is situated in the north-eastern part of the Empire at the foot of the Middle Mountains. Large forests lie to the north and east of the city, harbouring bandits and Greenskin tribes. West of the city the Chaos-tainted forest of Darkthorn encroaches. To the south west lie the ruins of Blackwall, with the forest of Darkdawn to the south. Beyond Darkdawn lies a treeless swamplands, populated by lizard-like creatures with Skinks and even Slann rumoured to live within the misty marshlands.[6]
Quotes
| The premise is that players go around adventuring with other people who are playing too. They adventure round the land, kill lots of things, do lots of heroic quests and ultimately they can achieve incredible power.
~ Paul Barnett, Lead Designer.[2] |
Sources
- 1: Online Games Company: Our Games (saved archive page, dated 2 February 2001, last accessed 5 October 2024, original link: http://www.onlinegamescompany.com/index.shtml)
- 2: White Dwarf 259 (UK), Wolfenburg, pg. 26-27.
- 3: Drachenfels, inside back cover.
- 4: Kingdom of Heroes: Homepage (saved archive page, dated 3 June 2004, last accessed 5 October 2024, original link: http://http://www.wolfenburg.com/)
- 5: Wolfenburg: FAQ '(saved archive page, dated 6 June 2002, last accessed 5 October 2024, original link: http://www.wolfenburg.com/faq.shtml)
- 6: Wolfenburg: Homepage (saved archive page, dated 1 June 2002, last accessed 5 October 2024, original link: http://www.wolfenburg.com/homepage.shtml)
- 7: Wolfenburg: User Agreement (saved archive page, dated 14 August 2002, last accessed 5 October 2024, original link: http://wolfenburg.com/useragreement.shtml)
- 8: Wolfenburg: Download & Installation FAQ (saved archive page, dated 6 June 2002, last accessed 5 October 2024, original link: http://wolfenburg.com/useragreement.shtml)
