Looking for old beta CDs / data files (2000/2001)

....and what will you do to these old cd's? torture them?

 

Will ask Az he may have one he can share

 

Az is trying to find his disc

 

custom google search with range 1/1/1999 - 12/12/2002

Article Published Friday, 11 May 2001
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/i_mindark
By Gestalt Published Friday, 11 May 2001
The success of games such as Ultima Online and EverQuest has helped to spawn a whole new genre of massively multiplayer role-playing games (or MMORPGs for short), but sadly some of these second and third generation online worlds have little to distinguish them from their competitors.
One of the more innovative and ambitious efforts is Project Entropia, which features a sci-fi setting, some interesting new gameplay twists and a novel economic system. And it's all being developed in sunny Sweden by a new company called MindArk. We caught up with the team to find out more...
The Final Frontier?

​

MindArk has only been around since 1999, although as marketing manager Patric Sundström told us "the first stages of conceptualization and development actually began before that", and the original idea behind the game dates back even further.
"The Project Entropia idea has existed for several years, long before the first graphic MMORPG came out", according to Patric. "The technology however has not been available before now for a game of this magnitude. When we felt that the technology available was capable of handling the vision we had for Project Entropia, we began the actual production."
"Up to now we have only seen three major MMORPGs in the Western market, but if you look at the amount of people playing these month in and month out, you realize that this is the beginning of something that will dominate the world in the future. As it is today, discussions center around PC games that can be played online, but when these also become available through consoles I believe the market will follow. I don't know how many years it will take before everybody can connect and play with each other, but I am convinced that online interactive entertainment and especially MMORPGs will take a large share of the market from other forms of games and from other forms of entertainment."
And MindArk are hoping to be at the forefront of this second online gaming revolution, their aim nothing less than "the next generation of interactive entertainment", as Patric explained. "Our goal is to create the first real virtual universe and all that this entails. We are aiming to build a cyber-reality where you as a user have the possibility to live the life that you've always dreamed about and to realize the fantasies and dreams of a life that suits you."
The Story So Far

​

Project Entropia is set on a distant world called Calypso, which has been colonised by humans some time far in the future. And as writer and concept artist Fredrik Andersson revealed, the history of Calypso is written in the blood of its colonists, who "fought a hard war against terraforming robots which nearly wiped out the previous colony".
"That war is over and the colony is now re-established, consisting of three large and newly constructed cities [which] remain safe havens to insure both peace and prosperity for all its human inhabitants. But the past has returned to haunt the settlers; new robots from another planet have appeared on Calypso to compete for the domination of the world. Despite this new threat the cities remain secure, offering a peaceful social life inside an urban utopia. Meanwhile, the wild and untamed world is forcing brave settlers to confront native beasts, invading robots and menacing mutants in the struggle to claim this world for the future benefit of all human kind."
The result is something of a wild frontier world, and as Patric told us the way in which it develops over time will be influenced by the actions of the players who inhabit it. "We are building a world that will be under constant development, both from MindArk's side as well as those who live their lives on Calypso. We want everybody who creates an account in Project Entropia to feel like they are participating in the development of this world."
Calypso Needs You!

​

The game's storyline features "primitive natives, robots, mutants and humans struggling for world domination on an alien planet", which Fredrik describes as "quite an odd mix of classic sci-fi ingredients". There's more to Calypso than meets the eye though, and MindArk have "deliberately made [the plot] a bit more complicated to leave behind open spots for future story development on a grand scale, based on both the past and future story lines".
Like Asheron's Call, Project Entropia will feature an on-going story to keep players involved in the world as it develops around them, although the speed at which this back story is revealed depends on the players rather than just following a simple monthly schedule. "The rate at which these future events unfold will depend on how players solve different main quests along the way", Fredrik told us. "The main story line is not a straight line and will be interlaced with parallel story lines as well as dead ends. We have a lot of possibilities to work with and we'd like to use the input from players as guidelines for future events and development."
"We see Project Entropia as a long-term enterprise", Patric explained. "For this to work, it's necessary to have constant development of the game - we will make sure that new objects, skills, monsters and robots are added. The development of new land areas will occur partly from MindArk, but also from players who will have the opportunity to buy floating platforms that they may place out at sea, and should enough of these be placed together they would in effect build a new continent. We will even allow players to participate in creating and building their own things."
This also extends to the quest system, as Fredric told us. "We will provide players with different quests, scenarios and events on a regular basis, but players will also be able to create their own quests and adventures. For example, a society may want to conduct a test where a player must first solve a quest before becoming a member, and where the current members plan and prepare their own quest."
Free For All

​

One of the most unusual aspects of Project Entropia though is its pricing system - the game is free to download and free to play, with no up-front or monthly fees. Obviously we have seen over the last year during the dot.com crash what happens to companies that give their services away for free, so how will MindArk make their money?
"What we ultimately want to achieve with Project Entropia is to have a world of one million players or more on-line simultaneously and on the same server. To get so many people to begin using Project Entropia, we thought that giving it away free and letting the players decide what they want to buy in the game would be the best approach. This will also create a whole new approach to the distribution of games and the activity of role-playing."
What happens is that players will be able to exchange in-game currency (PEDs - Project Entropia Dollars) for real world cash, and vice versa. And as Patric pointed out, this means that "there will be players who choose to play Project Entropia like a job, where they earn money in the game to pay their expenses at home". It's certainly an interesting idea, and is sure to appeal to hardcore online gamers who already spend much of their free time living in virtual worlds such as the highly addictive EverQuest.
MindArk are also making sure that you will be able to play the game without having to put out a second mortgage on your house. "When you begin Project Entropia you will receive certain items with no particular value and which can't be sold, but which will help you to get going without having to buy anything immediately". People willing to pour their life savings into the game will obviously be at an advantage, but you will be able to get along perfectly well without spending any cash if you're short on money.
Crime and Punishment

​

Obviously the idea of real world and in-game money being interchangeable does lead to some interesting new issues though, such as what happens if somebody kills you and steals valuable equipment from your corpse. Arguably this is a form of theft, as you are taking something which has an easily identifiable real world value. "This will only occur when the player is not insured", Patric assured us. "When a player is insured it won't be possible to loot their possessions."
This mechanism also helps to deal with the notorious player killing issue, as not everybody enjoys fighting other players. "If you should decide to go out and kill other players you will automatically lose your own insurance for X amount of hours and be classed as an outlaw, meaning other players can kill you without punishment", Patric explained. "So those who wish to play Project Entropia as a PK should be very sure of what they're doing before they begin. It won't be much fun for them if they lose their possessions regularly."
It's not just equipment, weapons and property which players can buy though - Project Entropia also looks set to be the world's first massively multiplayer game to feature a fully operational stock exchange! "The core of the Project Entropia stock exchange will work just like today's stock exchanges, like the NASDAQ or London stock exchanges. In the beginning there will be a limited number of companies [listed], but this will increase as the world is developed and settled."
Trading in shares of non-existent companies might sound like an odd thing to do in a role-playing game, as Patric told us "one of the reasons why we have chosen to incorporate a stock exchange is to create a game that appeals to a wider range of people than just those who want to go on an adventure". And as you can convert any profits you make back into real world cash, the potential is obviously there for virtual day traders and stock brokers to move in. It's a funny old world...
Even Better Than The Real Thing

​

Another of the interesting possibilities which MindArk are looking at is the idea of allowing real world companies to set up store on Calypso. In theory you could be able to buy books, music and DVDs without ever having to leave the game.
"We have already created the foundations for this through our own economic system. We will even allow players to set up their own shops where they can sell items they have made or found on monsters they killed. To take the next step of implementing real shops from the real world into Project Entropia is certainly feasible. A related part of Project Entropia will be auctions that will be held in Calypso, meaning players won't have to go to outside sites to buy the things they want."
In fact, if you can pay your bills by adventuring or trading shares within the game, and buy real world goods from franchised stores in the cities of Calypso, you have to wonder whether some people will ever leave the game. Hopefully we should know soon if it can live up to its promise, as the first beta phase is already underway with just fifty people testing the game and its basic systems. According to Patric, "Project Entropia will go through a number of different beta phases each allowing in more and more people, and we will continue to accept beta applications all the way up until we go gold".
If you want to contribute, head over to the Project Entropia website and sign up for the beta program now! As Patric told us, "the gaming industry is constantly learning what people like and want included in games. If you don't listen you're making a big mistake. That's why we at MindArk try to have as good a contact as possible with the users so we can get their input on what they want to see in Project Entropia, and what they want to experience."

 

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http://www.gamespot.com/news/mindark-expands-project-entropia-beta-test-2818522


MindArk expands Project Entropia beta test

October 18, 2001 2:57PM PDT
By Trey Walker

An additional 500 players will be included in the beta test of the upcoming online role-playing game.
MindArk AB has announced that it has expanded the beta test of its upcoming online role-playing game, Project Entropia, to include an additional 500 players. The initial phase of the beta test launched in May with 50 testers, followed by a second phase in September that included 500 more testers.
Project Entropia is set in the virtual sci-fi world of Calypso. Players assume the role of colonists, and they can adventure in and explore the world while defending themselves against dangerous alien creatures and robots. The game uses an unusual business model in which the basic game and subscription will be free to players, and revenue will instead be generated through the sale of in-game items for real-world money.
For more information, take a look at our previous coverage of the game. To submit an application to participate in future beta tests of the game, visit the official Project Entropia Web site.
---------------------
http://money.cnn.com/2002/01/16/technology/column_gaming/

 

Technology


Imaginary worlds. Real cash.
January 16, 2002: 12:08 p.m. ET
Publishers aren't the only ones profiting from online games
By Chris Morris









NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Manalope the Vicar is a level 60 cleric in Sony's online role playing game "Everquest." He's got amulets and magic rings out the wazoo, more hit-points than he knows what to do with and is the proud owner of the chestplate of vindication.

And he's about to make his creator significantly richer.

Manalope's for sale on eBay - and as of Wednesday morning, he had bids totaling $2,000, with five days left in the auction. That same day, a level 60 warrior will be sold. Current bid price: $1,200.

Auction sales of online characters have been going on for a couple of years. They are a good indicator, though, of how gamers are finding ways to make money off of their hobby.

"It does surprise me that people are willing to spend that much," said Dustin Schwartz, a 19 year old who's selling the Manalope account for a friend. "But people are lazy and they don't want to spend a ton of time to create a character."

Publishers, historically, have frowned on character auction sales, saying it detracts from the spirit of the game. They're probably also not real happy about the practice since they don't see any return from the sales. But the publisher of an upcoming massively multiplayer online role playing game is trying to change the rules.


Part of Project Entropia's in-game business district
"Project Entropia" will be the first massively multiplayer online role playing game to forego monthly charges. Instead, publisher/developer MindArk hopes to make its money from the sale of in-game items, such as armor, weapons or even in-game real-estate.

The plan goes something like this: Players, using credit cards, will transfer their money from real world cash to "Project Entropia Dollars" - or PEDs - at virtual banks in the game ($1 equals 10 PEDs). That money can be spent freely in the game. Then, when they decide to take a break from playing, they can cash the PEDs in for real world cash - perhaps more than they initially invested.

Just like in the real world, nothing lasts forever. And that's part of MindArk's strategy to make the game profitable.

"Everything that will be used by citizens in this universe will have some form of deterioration or wear," said Jan Welter Timkrans, managing director of MindArk. "If you use armor ... it will wear down and you will need to replace it."

Everything a player wants can be purchased from MindArk (and, after the game has started rolling, other players). Eventually, the developer plans to expand the economic model to allow players to buy "shares" in the in-game companies that sell various products.

Players who don't want to give real money to the game can still play. It will simply take them longer to accumulate items and weapons. Once they have those items, though, they, too, can cash them in. Alternatively, players can set themselves up as merchants and "sell" items they craft in the game, conceivably making a profit from their play time.

Plans are also underway for auctions of equipment and, after a few years, perhaps even in-game casinos (the minimum age to play "Project Entropia" will be 18).

Welter Timkrans estimates the game will need 100,000 players to be profitable. It will launch in the U.S. and probably Europe in the second quarter of this year. MindArk expects to be in the black within a few months after that.

That might be harder than it hopes. The audience for online role playing games has been slowing over the past year as gamers have reached the saturation point. "Everquest" has 410,000 players, but Microsoft's entry in the field - "Asheron's Call" - only has around 100,000 players, according to an estimate in PC Gamer magazine. Both of those games, though, cost roughly $10 per month to play.


================

 

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2002/06/53534


Pirate Cops Raid MS Gaming Foe

Noah Shachtman 06.28.02
Sometimes real life is stranger than any video game.
When Swedish computer game designer MindArk, maker of the controversial Project Entropia role-playing world, announced Thursday that Microsoft was behind the raid of its corporate offices, the claim sounded like a Gates-hater's most paranoid delusion.
But it turns out this is no fantasy. At the request of Microsoft, Adobe Systems, other members of theBusiness Software Alliance (BSA) and nearly 70 local court officials in Gothenburg, Sweden, swept through MindArk's offices, temporarily shutting down company operations while the bailiffs catalogued every piece of software in the place.
MindArk wasn't paying for the computer programs it was using, said Agne Lindberg, an attorney with the BSA's Stockholm law firm, Delphi and Co. The bailiffs found 600 unlicensed software installations in MindArk's desktops, Lindberg added, and the designer "hasn't produced a single license yet."
MindArk, in a statement, denied the accusation. Then it went on to say that Microsoft had ordered the bust because it was nervous about the popularity of the Swedes' futuristic Project Entropia, a direct competitor to Redmond's multi-player online adventure, Asheron's Call.
"When MindArk a few weeks ago proclaimed Project Entropia 3-D universe open for anyone to enter from their computer, the Project Entropia site immediately became the world's largest site on the Internet, even beating Yahoo, MSN, etc.," the game developer said.
"I think that's really nonsense," Lindberg replied.
"Sounds like complete #$%^ to me," Max Kalehoff, a spokesperson for Web measurement firm Media Metrix, added in an e-mail. "The site didn't even meet minimum reporting standards in the U.S. in May 2002."
Project Entropia, now in the midst of an open beta test, has drawn attention from the gaming world because players use real-world money to buy the in-game items they'll need for their adventures.
Thousands of gamers jumped on the chance to become early stage entrepreneurs in this new virtual market, drawing up business plans for Entropia-based real estate agencies, credit houses, mercenary forces, mining concerns and taxi fleets. There was even a short-lived Entropia escort service.
MindArk stoked these dreams by promising that a "dollar millionaire" would emerge from Entropia within a year of the game's release.
But enthusiasm for the game has been hobbled, as a series of bugs wiped out some players' inventories and deleted others' long-assembled characters entirely. That's a big deal in any game but an outright disaster in Entropia, where those hoards are paid for with actual cash.
"It seems more like a scam than anything," Entropia player Joao Coelho wrote in an e-mail.
Another player, whose account mysteriously disappeared, added in a post to the Entropia message boards, "I'm going to be calling my credit card company to get my stolen money back."
A third said the equipment in Entropia breaks so quickly that it "equates to outright theft."
MindArk is now in the process of polling its players to find out whether or not to hand out refunds.
Raids like the one on MindArk's offices are not uncommon in Sweden. The BSA, for example, has directed the authorities to conduct six other "civil searches," as they're known, since March 2000.
The MindArk bust occurred nearly two months ago. But the game designer only went public with the news of the incursion on Thursday in preparation for a counter-suit against Microsoft and the BSA.
"MindArk is prepared to sue Microsoft and the other companies for damages caused by their action," MindArk said in a statement. "Proceedings from this process, which will certainly reach a substantial number of millions of United States dollars, will be placed in the virtual universe of Project Entropia as a number of gigantic treasures that anyone entering the Universe of Project Entropia may find and grab."

 

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2002/06/53534


Pirate Cops Raid MS Gaming Foe

Noah Shachtman 06.28.02
Sometimes real life is stranger than any video game.
When Swedish computer game designer MindArk, maker of the controversial Project Entropia role-playing world, announced Thursday that Microsoft was behind the raid of its corporate offices, the claim sounded like a Gates-hater's most paranoid delusion.
But it turns out this is no fantasy. At the request of Microsoft, Adobe Systems, other members of theBusiness Software Alliance (BSA) and nearly 70 local court officials in Gothenburg, Sweden, swept through MindArk's offices, temporarily shutting down company operations while the bailiffs catalogued every piece of software in the place.
MindArk wasn't paying for the computer programs it was using, said Agne Lindberg, an attorney with the BSA's Stockholm law firm, Delphi and Co. The bailiffs found 600 unlicensed software installations in MindArk's desktops, Lindberg added, and the designer "hasn't produced a single license yet."
MindArk, in a statement, denied the accusation. Then it went on to say that Microsoft had ordered the bust because it was nervous about the popularity of the Swedes' futuristic Project Entropia, a direct competitor to Redmond's multi-player online adventure, Asheron's Call.
"When MindArk a few weeks ago proclaimed Project Entropia 3-D universe open for anyone to enter from their computer, the Project Entropia site immediately became the world's largest site on the Internet, even beating Yahoo, MSN, etc.," the game developer said.
"I think that's really nonsense," Lindberg replied.
"Sounds like complete #$%^ to me," Max Kalehoff, a spokesperson for Web measurement firm Media Metrix, added in an e-mail. "The site didn't even meet minimum reporting standards in the U.S. in May 2002."
Project Entropia, now in the midst of an open beta test, has drawn attention from the gaming world because players use real-world money to buy the in-game items they'll need for their adventures.
Thousands of gamers jumped on the chance to become early stage entrepreneurs in this new virtual market, drawing up business plans for Entropia-based real estate agencies, credit houses, mercenary forces, mining concerns and taxi fleets. There was even a short-lived Entropia escort service.
MindArk stoked these dreams by promising that a "dollar millionaire" would emerge from Entropia within a year of the game's release.
But enthusiasm for the game has been hobbled, as a series of bugs wiped out some players' inventories and deleted others' long-assembled characters entirely. That's a big deal in any game but an outright disaster in Entropia, where those hoards are paid for with actual cash.
"It seems more like a scam than anything," Entropia player Joao Coelho wrote in an e-mail.
Another player, whose account mysteriously disappeared, added in a post to the Entropia message boards, "I'm going to be calling my credit card company to get my stolen money back."
A third said the equipment in Entropia breaks so quickly that it "equates to outright theft."
MindArk is now in the process of polling its players to find out whether or not to hand out refunds.
Raids like the one on MindArk's offices are not uncommon in Sweden. The BSA, for example, has directed the authorities to conduct six other "civil searches," as they're known, since March 2000.
The MindArk bust occurred nearly two months ago. But the game designer only went public with the news of the incursion on Thursday in preparation for a counter-suit against Microsoft and the BSA.
"MindArk is prepared to sue Microsoft and the other companies for damages caused by their action," MindArk said in a statement. "Proceedings from this process, which will certainly reach a substantial number of millions of United States dollars, will be placed in the virtual universe of Project Entropia as a number of gigantic treasures that anyone entering the Universe of Project Entropia may find and grab."

 

================
using wayback machine found the following links:
http://web.archive.org/web/20020208235352/http://rpgvault.ign.com/features/den/pedev04.shtml
Project Entropia Development Report #4November 16, 2001

There is a saying that "Time flies when you're having fun." It is also true that time passes very rapidly when you are busy. So what happens when you are both busy and having fun?

Judging from the past month, it goes even faster. When I look at the calendar, I know that it has been four weeks since the last Project Entropia Development Report, but it feels like it was written only a few days ago.

In any case, we have made considerable progress during this time. On October 18, we released a major patch with many feature additions and improvements. That was actually just the day before the last Development Report, so we had very little feedback yet. The most visible change was the implementation of many new graphics that take advantage of the capabilities of the NetImmerse 4 engine. Happily, we have had terrific response from our beta testers and also from people who have seen recent screenshots. Even more important, we are enormously pleased about the positive reactions to elements such as new NPCs and monsters plus improved AI as well as the upgraded user interfaces for both trade and trade terminals.

Since that date, we have also implemented another major patch, which was released on November 6. This time, some of the more notable features included new camera controls that allow rotation around your character and zooming, an improved armor system with multiple pieces in place of single whole-body armors, upgrades to the inventory system, a number of new monsters as well as more of them than before, and a variety of new terrain objects to help make the world look and feel more complete. Once again, the nature of the feedback we have received has been tremendously favorable, which has helped a great deal to make the long hours that the development team has been putting in feel worthwhile, even fun.

In addition, the developers have of course been working on many other things that have yet to be implemented as well as constantly finding and eliminating bugs and improving things like the AI and server performance. This process of continuous improvement and development is something we have planned on since we started, and it is also something we intend to carry on for a long time, indeed for the full life of Project Entropia. The usual practice that we have seen with online worlds is to reduce the size of the team significantly after release and to move the rest to other projects. MindArk is completely committed to Project Entropia, so we are not planning any other projects. Instead, our intention is that all our development resources will be focused on continuing to improve and to expand Project Entropia so that it will have a life span of many years.

But that's the long-term future. For the near future, our overall progress during the past few weeks has been highly encouraging. In fact, it has been so positive that we are eagerly looking ahead to moving into Phase III of our beta test. We are not ready to announce a starting date or reveal a lot of details yet, but we can say that Phase III will include not only more testers, but the vitally important initial trial of our economy system, involving both our own virtual currency, Project Entropia Dollars, and real cash. At the moment, we are working out the fine points of some testing plans that will be absolutely revolutionary and far more exciting than anything we have ever seen in a beta test before. You'll have to wait a little while to find out more - we hope it won't be very long - but we think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you find out what we are planning.

Although we will definitely make an announcement and release further information before Phase III begins, we invite anyone who has not previously applied to take part in the beta test to do so at http://www.project-entropia.com/betatest/apply.asp?topic=betatest and also to sign up for our weekly and monthly newsletters athttp://www.project-entropia.com/news/default.asp?topic=news so you can be sure to receive the latest news and information quickly and directly to your e-mail inbox. Exciting times are coming up soon for Project Entropia, so don't miss out.

Patric Sundstrom
Marketing Manager
MindArk AB

Previous Project Entropia Development Reports
Project Entropia Development Report #3 - October 19, 2001
Project Entropia Development Report #2 - September 21, 2001
Project Entropia Development Report - August 24, 2001

Related Links
Project Entropia site
Project Entropia Beta II & Development Screenshots - September 21, 2001
Project Entropia Gallery - April 19, 2001
Project Entropia Intelligence Report - December 11, 2000
Project Entropia Interview #2 - September 12, 2000
Patric Sundstrom (Project Entropia) Mini-Interview - March 14, 2000
Project Entropia Interview - July 21, 1999
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http://web.archive.org/web/20020213062859/http://rpgvault.ign.com/features/den/pedev02.shtml
Project Entropia Development Report #2September 21, 2001

A month ago, I wrote about how busy and exciting it was here at MindArk as we made our final preparations to begin Phase II of the Project Entropia beta test. At that time, the entire team was working extra-long hours to be ready. We knew that it would be a huge step to increase from our first small group of about 50 doing technical testing to more than 500 in a much more wide-ranging test involving many more actual gameplay elements. In fact, we ended up having a few more days to prepare than we had originally thought due to a delay in the production and delivery of the beta CDs. As a result, Phase II actually started in early September instead of late August. To be frank, we didn't mind this too much since the designers and programmers were able to make very productive use of those days.

Phase II started gradually as the testers received their CDs over a period of a week or so. This was simply due to the time it takes for mail to arrive in different parts of the world. The participants who live here in Gothenburg and elsewhere in Sweden began receiving theirs the day after we mailed them, followed by those in other European countries, but the packages that went to people in North America and other overseas locations took up to a week, and in a few cases even longer. In any case, we think they pretty much all arrived by sometime last week, and the actual level of participation has been encouraging. I've been spending most of my time helping the support team, so I've seen that some of the test participants are extremely helpful in pointing out problems and helping us to track down bugs, which is also great.

In addition to finding and killing bugs, we're also putting a tremendous amount of effort into expanding all the major aspects of Project Entropia, starting with basic functionality and extending to content and gameplay. At this time, the beta test area is about 10 square kilometers, which is about 3.5 square miles. It includes several different types of terrain such as plains, hills and mountains plus a variety of monsters including some of the animals that inhabit the planet Calypso and also some robots. Naturally, we will be adding more and different areas and a larger variety of monsters over the months to come.

Earlier today, we released the first screenshots from Phase II so that people who have not been selected as testers yet can have a look. In these images, you can see some of the current terrain types and several different monsters that the testers are seeing every day. We also wanted to demonstrate that Project Entropia's graphics are evolving and that they will improve over time as we implement the advanced features of the NetImmerse 4 graphics engine. For this reason, we also released a few development screenshots that give a peek at some of the visual enhancements the team is working on that are not yet in place in the beta. As in the other areas, we will be adding to the graphics on a continuing basis.

Now that Phase II is in progress, we are naturally even busier than last month. We are also even more excited than before because we have made truly exceptional progress in just these first couple of weeks. The team understands that there is still a huge amount of work ahead of us in order to bring our vision to realization. We even realize that we're sure to run into some unexpected problems. But so far, our first steps have been highly encouraging, which has been immensely motivating for all of us. It depends on our technical people, but I've even started to wonder how soon we will be able to expand the testing pool, and I'd like to remind anyone who would like to apply that they can do so at http://www.project-entropia.com/betatest/apply.asp?topic=betatest

As the last thing for today, on behalf of the team here at MindArk, I would like to thank the entire Project Entropia community for the wonderful moral support we continue to receive. This is another immense motivating factor for us, to see how the level of interest in Project Entropia continues to grow, and we look forward to the chance to welcome more of you into the beta as we forge ahead.

Patric Sundstrom
Marketing Manager
MindArk AB
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http://web.archive.org/web/20020402161823/http://rpgvault.ign.com/features/den/pedev03.shtml
Project Entropia Development Report #3October 19, 2001

Hello again. Time can be a funny thing. When I think that it has been a month since the last Project Entropia Development Report, I'm surprised at how quickly the time has passed. On the other hand, when I consider how much progress the team has made since that day, it feels like quite a bit longer than just a month has passed.

Earlier this week, we announced the admission of approximately 500 new participants into our current Phase II beta test. We started Phase I of our beta back in May, but that involved only a very select group of about 50 people doing technical testing. In early September, we moved into Phase II, and including this latest group, we now have about 1,000 testers in total. We are pleased that a number of our testers have been very helpful in identifying and reporting bugs, and we are hoping to encourage participants who are currently just playing the beta to become active in testing and reporting as well. And of course, we are already looking forward to letting in more beta testers, even though we don't yet know when that is likely to happen.

The number of bugs uncovered has been a very pleasant surprise so far since we were actually expecting to find more bugs and more serious bugs than we actually have. Of course, this means we have spent less development time to fix them than planned, and as a result, we are either on schedule or ahead of schedule in just about every major area of both testing and development. Naturally, we are very happy about this, although we are still being cautious to avoid becoming over-confident. We know we are off to a terrific start in the first several weeks of large-scale beta, but there is still a lot of development ahead, and many potential problems that can arise. However, I can say that the level of excitement and motivation continues to grow here, day by day and week by week.

In terms of development, the team has been working on many different things. There are far too many to list them all, but some of the major additions and changes put in place recently are new weapons, clothes, avatar hairstyles, NPCs, NPC AI and user interfaces. We have also modified the targeting system and various weapon parameters. Graphically, we have implemented changes in areas such as the sky, fog and terrain maps. We had been working on these on our internal development server, and now, the visuals in the beta test will more closely resemble those that we have shown in our development screenshots. Looking forward, we are continuing to work on these and many other different areas. A number of these involve various forms of content such as new land areas, monsters and weapons. These will be implemented into the beta by way of patches as they are ready.

Another important step we have taken during the last month is the hiring of our new Community Representative, Erik Johnels. We are well aware that community is an absolutely critical aspect of the total online world experience, and we have great confidence that Erik will contribute greatly to growing and strengthening the Project Entropia community by providing an improved channel for better and more regular communication of information.

As a last topic for today, we have received a number of messages telling us the Project Entropia website is currently unreachable for people in parts of North America, and that it has been since yesterday. We are aware of this problem, and I can assure you that the site is still up and working fine for European readers. The cause of the situation is outside our control, perhaps a router or trans-Atlantic cable malfunction. Anyway, when the site is accessible again, I invite you to drop in to see the new beta and development screenshots of the week. You can also visit our new forums to chat with Erik, me and other team members. If you haven't applied to take part in the beta test, you can do so http://www.project-entropia.com/betatest/apply.asp?topic=betatest and in general, watch the site for lots more exciting news and information.

Patric Sundstrom
Marketing Manager
MindArk AB

 

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Project Entropia Beta II & Development ScreenshotsSeptember 21, 2001


Project Entropia developer MindArk has just released the first screenshots from the current Phase II beta test, and as a tantalizing look ahead to what the team is working on for the future, they’ve made available some development screenshots as well.

First Project Entropia Beta Phase II Images
MindArk offers the first public glimpses of the distant planet Calypso
Gothenburg, Sweden - September 21, 2001 - MindArk AB has released the first public screenshots from the Phase II beta test of its upcoming Internet-based interactive entertainment enterprise, Project Entropia. At the same time, the company has made available a selection of development screenshots showing some of the visual improvements that will be implemented in the test as it progresses.
A long time ago, humanity made the leap into the vast depths of the galaxy, embarking up on an era of interstellar travel. Civilization is expanding across the galaxy, following the paths blazed by huge, advanced Odysseus Probes that explore unknown regions, discover habitable planets and prepare them for the arrival of colonists. Science has developed a variety of highly advanced technologies to aid in the colonization of the these worlds, but something has gone wrong and the human population on Calypso now faces not only the planet’s native creatures but also a new and potentially deadly challenge from invading robots as well as.
Currently in development at MindArk, Project Entropia is an innovative new form of interactive entertainment based upon a fully featured, 3D persistent state world. It will be made available with no initial cost or mandatory subscription fees to millions of Internet users around the world, offering them the chance to explore and adventure with each other on the seemingly idyllic planet of Calypso at the edge of known space.
Project Entropia entered closed technical beta testing in May of this year. Earlier this month, the project took a large step forward as Phase II began. At the present time, over 500 testers are assisting by participating in a 10 square kilometre area that includes various creatures and robots as well as an assortment of terrain. While a number of the NetImmerse 4 game engine’s advanced graphical capabilities effects are not yet fully implemented, MindArk has released the first Project Entropia Phase II screenshots showing a selection of scenes from the current beta testing. In addition, development screenshots are available to illustrate some of the upcoming visual enhancements.
Applications for further phases of the Project Entropia beta test are still being accepted at http://www.project-entropia.com/betatest/apply.asp?topic=betatest
Additional information about Project Entropia can be found on the official website at http://www.project-entropia.com/
MindArk (http://www.mindark.com) develops technology solutions that address the entertainment needs of millions of Internet users. With novel applications in the interactive entertainment sector and browser infrastructure, MindArk is a world leader in expanding the new universe.​

Development Screenshots


Added September 22, 2001

Beta Screenshots











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Project Entropia GalleryApril 19, 2001


A small planet located in a distant corner of the galaxy, Calypso has a great deal to offer. In its cities, the residents of the world and visitors alike can enjoy the many pleasures and social pursuits of urban life. In addition, it has many scenic attractions with unusual indigenous fauna and flora. The more adventurous can even embark on expeditions into vast regions that remain wild and unexplored. Such journeys, however, are not without considerable peril. Long ago, automated vessels called Odysseus Probes were sent to prepare Calypso for human habitation by terraforming the surface in the region of New Eden and building several cities. These were populated with thousand of robots to welcome the first colonists and then to turn over control.
During this transition, however, something went dreadfully wrong. The machines rose up in rebellion against their new human masters, starting a destructive conflict that came to be known as the Robot Revolt. The entire population of settlers was almost wiped out, and most of the newly built cities were devastated. The colonists fought back bravely, finally defeating the machines only to face new threats from mutant humans, the result of the horrid conflict, and from new robots sent from another world where the same corruption had occurred. This is the setting for Project Entropia, the online world in development at MindArk. In this Project Entropia Gallery, we offer a look at the world of Calypso in 11 new screenshots plus 1024x768 versions of four others seen previously only in a lower resolution.












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