Users interact in role-playing or competitive games by typing commands and can read or view descriptions of the world and other players. The early versions were text-based, offering only limited graphical representation and often using a Command Line Interface. A MUD is a virtual world with many players interacting in real time. The acronym originally stood for Multi-User Dungeon, but later also came to mean Multi-User Dimension and Multi-User Domain. The first MUD, known as MUD1, was released in 1978. The first virtual worlds presented on the Internet were communities and chat rooms, some of which evolved into MUDs and MUSHes. The initial game could only be played on an Imlac, as it was specifically designed for this type of computer. Maze introduced the concept of online players in 1973–1974 as "eyeball 'avatars' chasing each other around in a maze." It was played on ARPANET, or Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, a precursor to the Internet funded by the United States Department of Defense for use in university and research laboratories. Maze War was the first networked, 3D multi-user first person shooter game. While classic sensory-imitating virtual reality relies on tricking the perceptual system into experiencing an immersive environment, virtual worlds typically rely on mentally and emotionally engaging content which gives rise to an immersive experience. Contemporary virtual worlds, in particular the multi-user online environments, emerged mostly independently of this research, fueled instead by the gaming industry but drawing on similar inspiration.
Such devices are characterized by bulky headsets and other types of sensory input simulation. In the twentieth century, the cinematographer Morton Heilig explored the creation of the Sensorama, a theatre experience designed to stimulate the senses of the audience-vision, sound, balance, smell, even touch (via wind)-and so draw them more effectively into the productions Īmong the earliest virtual worlds implemented by computers were virtual reality simulators, such as the work of Ivan Sutherland. The Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder, expressed an interest in perceptual illusion. The concept of virtual worlds significantly predates computers. Virtual worlds are not limited to games but, depending on the degree of immediacy presented, can encompass computer conferencing and text-based chatrooms. Media studies professor Edward Castronova used the term "synthetic worlds" to discuss individual virtual worlds, but this term has not been widely adopted. The form of communication used can substantially affect the experience of players in the game. Communication is usually textual, but real-time voice communication is also possible. Players create a character who travels between buildings, towns, and worlds to carry out business or leisure activities.
Most MMORPGs have real-time actions and communication.
Massively multiplayer online games depict a wide range of worlds, including those based on science fiction, the real world, super heroes, sports, horror, and historical milieus. Communication between users can range from text, graphical icons, visual gesture, sound, and rarely, forms using touch, voice command, and balance senses. Example rules are gravity, topography, locomotion, real-time actions, and communication. Such modeled worlds and their rules may draw from reality or fantasy worlds. The user accesses a computer-simulated world which presents perceptual stimuli to the user, who in turn can manipulate elements of the modeled world and thus experience a degree of presence. These avatars can be textual, graphical representations, or live video avatars with auditory and touch sensations. For the Virtual World virtual reality mech simulaton, see BattleTech Centers.Ī virtual world (also called a virtual space) is a computer-simulated environment which may be populated by many users who can create a personal avatar, and simultaneously and independently explore the virtual world, participate in its activities and communicate with others. This article is about general concept of a virtual world.