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Darkworld

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Darkworld
PublishersMichael Williams
Years active1982 to unknown
Genresrole-playing, play-by-mail
LanguagesEnglish
Playing timeunlimited
Materials requiredInstructions, order sheets, turn results, paper, pencil
Media typePlay-by-mail

Darkworld is a roleplaying play-by-mail (PBM) game.

History and development

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Darkworld was a roleplaying, play-by-mail game published by Michael Williams.[1] It was launched in 1982.[2] It was open-ended[3] and hand moderated.[4]

As of the end of 1987, the game had approximately 100 players.[5] By then, only 53 of 900 "blocks" had been explored, with blocks comprising 1,750 sectors.[5] The game map included over 1.5 million sectors.[1]

Gameplay

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Gameplay occurred on the planet of Darkworld.[1] Players could roleplay one of 40 available races.[1] Multiple roleplaying settings were available, allowing players to "take on the gods, fight the evil orcs, delve into the realms of magics, become a king, or just do nothing".[3] Turns could be played weekly, and included both normal and special actions, the latter requiring narrative descriptions of a desired action.[3] Game elements included combat, construction, diplomacy, economics, and location (or movement).[3] Magic was also a key part of the game.[5] Players could encounter "cities, castles, temples, ruins, dimensional gates, underground valleys, and twelve different types of terrain" with cities as a hub for many activities.[2]

Reception

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PBM Universal's editor, Bob McLain, reviewed Darkworld in its first 1983 issue.[4] He stated that it was "A 'must' for whomever wants non-stop fun."[4] Bill Dunne reviewed the game in a 1985 issue of Flagship, praising its diversity of game settings and possibilities.[6] He stated it was a "standard style of role-playing game with little player interaction and with a creative gamemaster, who puts you in a very nonstandard scenario".[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Williams 1985. p. 13.
  2. ^ a b Webber 1983. p. 10.
  3. ^ a b c d Dunne 1985. p. 14.
  4. ^ a b c McLain 1983. p. 28.
  5. ^ a b c Williams 1988. p. 20.
  6. ^ a b Dunne 1985. p. 15.

Bibliography

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  • Dunne, Bill (Summer 1985). "Darkworld: Intersection of a Thousand Fantasies". Flagship. No. 7. pp. 14–15.
  • Loth III, John Kevin (March–April 1987). "A Turn of the Darkworld". Paper Mayhem. No. 23. pp. 13–14.
  • McLain, Bob (November–December 1983). "Gamealog: Darkworld". PBM Universal. No. 1. p. 28.
  • Webber, Dave (March–April 1984). "Darkworld: A Review...". Paper Mayhem. No. 5. p. 10.
  • Williams, Michael (Summer 1985). "Darkworld [Ad]". Flagship. No. 7. p. 13.
  • Williams, Mike (December 1987 – January 1988). "Tales from the Dark Side". The D2 Report. No. 15. pp. 20–21.

Further reading

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  • Dias, Dan (April–May 1987). "Darkworld: The Adventures of Talbot Lyle". The D2 Report. Vol. 2, no. 3. pp. 23–25.
  • Dias, Dan (June–July 1987). "Darkworld: The Adventures of Talbot Lyle [cont.]". The D2 Report. Vol. 2, no. 4. pp. 12–13.
  • Dias, Dan (August–September 1987). "Darkworld: The Adventures of Talbot Lyle [cont.]". The D2 Report. No. 13. pp. 39–40.
  • Vasquez Jr., Praxedes (October–November 1987). "Darkworld: As the Darkworld Turns...". The D2 Report. No. 14. pp. 42–45.
  • Vasquez Jr., Praxedes (February–March 1988). "Darkworld: As the Darkworld Turns". The D2 Report. No. 16. pp. 17–20.