Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

We were only of only seven games nominated for best Sandbox game. Right along with Second Life, Ensemble Online, Deepworld, Wurm Online, Manyland, The West, and There.

It's pretty cool. Check it out here:

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

They didn't look too deeply into MUDs if they decided to nominate Achaea.

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

Beau Hindman, the lead on the indie stuff on Massively, is actually a huge MUD fan, and regularly tries MUDs out.

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

You should tell him about Alter Aeon, in that case.

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

What's a "sandbox" game?

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

It's a loosely-defined term in the MMO space referring to games that are 'worldy' and don't have the player on a fairly well-defined course of experiences. Games that do the latter are sometimes called 'theme park games'. The term sandbox refers to a literal sandbox that you played in as a kid - it's a blank slate for your imagination. Of course, there are always limitations, whether imposed by genre, game systems, etc, which is why it's a 'loose' term.

Ultima Online, Eve Online are sandboxy, whereas DIKU-inspired games like Everquest or World of Warcraft, and other MMOs like Star Wars: The Old Republic or Lord of the Rings Online, are considered more theme parky.

Theme parky is more popular overall, and is arguably better used to tell an overarching story to individual players or give a more controlled game experience, whereas sandboxy games are arguably better at allowing for roleplaying and emergent content.

Within the games nominated, there's certainly a range of sandbox-y too. Achaea's pretty sandboxy, but less sandbox-y than Second Life, by a wide margin, for instance. (Though I don't think SL is a game either - there are games created in it, but it itself isn't one).

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

I've been lurking for a while now in Top Mud Forums and honestly I think everytime I read one of your post it makes me wanna punch my computer

I saw you flip out at some guy trying to advertise his game because it was pay to play. Who cares if its pay to play just but out of it and now you are bashing on Iron Realms cause they got nominated for something. Are you just that salty? Trying to insult every successful person cause your mud does not have the success they have?

Seriously Grow up let achaea have their moment instead of insulting them they are obviously doing something good if they have that many active players and are number 3 on the top mud list.

You should actually be happy that MUDs are starting to get recognition again instead of being so salty that they did not pick the mud you like to play(or own or whatever)

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

Untouchable not at all, Achaea is not the best game I've played(honestly it wasn't even my style) but they have a really big player base that thinks it is.

And someone can still be jealous without being an owner. Dark Acacia might be mad that the MUD he loves so much isn't as successful as Iron Realms is or didn't win the award that iron realm won.

Either way that has nothing to do with my post. My post is telling the guy to grow up and let iron realm have their moment. He should be happy that MUD games are getting some recognition at something. We are a small community that should stick together instead of bringing each other down.

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

I'm not jealous of anything. I don't own a MUD and I don't have a favorite MUD that I'm obsessed with.

The incident concerning the pay-to-play MUD occurred because I pointed out how the poster made a very detailed post about his game--and then failed to point out how much it actually cost to play. I didn't "flip out" at him, and other TMS regulars (including people who had actually paid money there) took over that discussion.

I've repeatedly made my opinion of the Iron Realms games and its major problems quite clear elsewhere, so there's no need for them to be restates here.

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

I got to admit I should have probably not called you out like that considering you were respectful to me in your reply but I just have a problem with situations like this in general. Someone won an award be happy for them especially someone in our community which is a community that is diminishing. If you notice all three post I've ever made in this forum are in this thread, I mentioned I am mostly a lurker but this situation just kind of made me a bit angry at the time so I had to post.

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

I think Aardwolf was one of the first he tried. I'm pleased to see (really) that he has learned more about MUDs since the time he spent 30 minutes video-reviewing Aardwolf after changing the default client to a proportional font on a white background (still using ANSI colors) and wondering why everything was hard to read.

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

Yeah, Beau regularly plays MUDs and does pieces on them for Massively

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

Heh, we didn't even have an option for a white background until he started playing and requested it. I think he's literally the only person to have asked for that.

Proportional fonts for the win though. Once I went proportional, I never went back!

Re: Achaea nominated in Massively's Third Frindie Awards
 

Annnnnd crap. Beau just left Massively to join Illyriad Games as their PR/Community person.