What is the difference between multiplayer and an online version?
A multiplayer game features a small group of players (six in the case of BGII:SoA) that share the adventures and story together. The persistent world supports only the six players working together though a common story and quest. In contrast, an online game (text-based MUDs and Ultima Online are examples of true online games) consists of a persistent world in which many (hundreds or even thousands) of characters play together. Typically, there is not a strong story element as the many players make their own quests. We’d love to do a “Baldur’s Gate Online” but recognize that it is truly a massive undertaking, even larger than BGII:SoA.
A multiplayer game features a small group of players (6 in the case of Baldur’s Gate) that share the adventures and story together. The persistent world supports only the 6 players working together though a common story and quest. In contrast, an online game (text-based MUDs and Ultima Online are examples of true Online games) consists of a persistent world in which many (hundreds or even thousands) of characters play together. Typically there is not a strong story element as the many players make their own quests. We’d love to do a Baldur’s Gate Online but recognize that it is truly a massive undertaking, even larger than Baldur’s Gate (which has been in production for 2 years and currently has 30 people working on it). We’re still not sure whether there will be a Baldur’s Gate Online – we’ll keep you posted on this subject!
