Threshold RPG - A 15 year old role play required MMO / MUD Keeps Getting Better

Written by: Michael Hartman • Edited by: Michael Hartman
Updated Aug 18, 2011 • Related Guides: RPG | XP

Threshold RPG is a text based, role play required MMO that is one of the most unique games on the internet. Staying in character is actively enforced (though out of character channels exist) and you must be 18 years or older to play. This article looks at some of the recent additions to the game.

Threshold RPG Continues to Strive for Excellence

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Threshold RPG opened to the public in 1996 when the internet was unknown to most and text based games were the state of the art. 15 years later it retains its popularity due to an incredibly engaging world, a rich history, and a mature player community that takes role playing to a high level. Not content to rest on its laurels or its success, the staff of Threshold are always adding new features to the game. This article looks at some of the more recent additions.

As the head developer of Threshold, I am pleased to disclose details about the recent developments at Threshold RPG. My staff has been very busy the last few months.

Resource Gathering

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Players may now seek out and gather natural resources from the various regions of Threshold. These resources include metals, herbs, lumber, furs, and pelts.

You can have one gathering skill at a time, but at any point you may visit the NPC Merchant Peeki to forget your current skill and then learn another one. Gathering skills level up through use but may not exceed two times your player level (just like other trainable skills).

Another service that Peeki offers is resource refinement (for a cost, of course). Refined resources are of higher quality than their rough, raw state.

This may seem like a relatively standard MMO feature, but when Threshold was created 13 years ago resource gathering and crafting were unheard of features. Adding a feature like this to the game, in a manner that does not feel tacked on, required significant redesign in the layout and core code of the world.

New Clan Dominance System

The entire system of clan dominance has been recoded to include more than just honor. The redesign is similar to what was done to improve religion dominance.

Members may contribute honor to their clan by submitting natural resources (both raw and refined) to Vindicator.

The wagering of honor in competitions between clans has been enhanced and made a much more important part of the competition between clans.

City Dominance and Contributions

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While the three major cities of Threshold (Sable, Thrace, and Androctonus) are at peace, there has always been a sense of rivalry between them (and in the case of Androctonus, some cautious distrust of the others). This rivalry now has code support that allows players to work towards making their City and Kingdom the most powerful.

Resource contributions, taxes, and participation in defending against invasions are all factors in city dominance.

Religion Dominance

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The battle for dominance between Threshold's religions was at one time totally determined by tithes. Tithes are still important, but the overall simple is now far more robust and interesting. Preaching, spreading the faith, showing the power of your God, and all sorts of religious actions now contribute to your deity's dominance. The competition has heated up enormously, with followers of all the religions endeavoring to make their God the dominant force in the land.

Forsaking Your Religion and Ethos

It is now possible to forsake your religion at the Shrine of the Aether. It is a serious ceremony not to be taken lightly, but it opens up all sorts of conversion roleplay opportunities.

Ethos is back and better than ever. You start off set to the ethos of your deity if you have one. You can change ethos once per 30 days, but you can only move one step at a time. So the transition from good to evil requires not just roleplay, but 60 days of real life time.

Joining a Faith - Flexibility Sparks More Diverse Membership

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Each religion is a lot more accepting of who can join. Good religions accept people of good ethos. Neutral religions accept ANY ethos. Evil religions accept people of evil ethos. Bilanx only accepts neutral members. This should create a lot more membership diversity and possibly create some fun intellectual divisions.

Open Door Policy: On a trial basis, people can now join religions without the advance approval of a cleric. They start their own supplicancy and then 30 days later they can join the religion officially.

Conversion - Stealing Other Faiths' Members

Conversion is a HUGE part of religion/ethos roleplay now. You no longer need admin involvement. Every aspect of leaving a church and joining a new one is now in the hands of players. Also, the Gods have outright given players permission to leave churches (and steal... er convert... members) without them being furious. In fact, they don't want people who are wavering. A major roleplay plot line uncovered the fact that weak faith is more damaging than no faith at all.

The Final Battle

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Armageddon, Ragnarok, the Apocalypse. Many mythologies and religions have theorized on the end of the world as they know it, when the faithful will be delivered from the trial of mortality and the unfaithful will be cast out. In Threshold, this is known as the Final Battle - a time when Good and Evil will meet for the last time to determine who will determine the fate of the universe.

The Final Battle has always been an important aspect of roleplay on Threshold, and the additions to the religion and ethos sytems have enhanced this.

Figuring out your character's stance on the Final Battle is a much more personal decision now. Vishnu, Bilanx, and Set followers have made their stance clear through their devotion, but for the other churches there is flexibility. The combination of your ethos, religion, and personal RP determine where you stand on this matter. You can be gung-ho about the Final Battle even if your religion is neutral. That simply means you might want to try and move your church towards taking a firm stance. The degree to which you make this a priority is up to you.

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Sanobia Alderson Oct 20, 2011 1:59 PM

RE: Threshold RPG - A 15 year old role play required MMO / MUD Keeps Getting Better

Coming back after 6+ years of hiatus is like starting over from the beginning. And with all the new changes/areas, this really is like a new, yet familiar, gaming experience. So many things have changed, some of the areas are familiar but not so much, SOOOOOOOO much new stuff. I do wish I had found this page before I used my TC to change my ethos.(I didn't know I could join a neutral church if I had an evil ethos}. I'm enjoying trying to remember all of the stuff from before, and learning all the new stuff. Keep up the great work!!

Michael Hartman Jul 1, 2011 7:48 PM

More info!

Updated with new information.

Marah Oct 15, 2009 3:50 PM

Fantastic

Threshold's commitment to creativity makes it the top MUD out there. With admin's consistent tweaks and changes, the playerbase is able to have fresh plotlines on a regular basis.

Maple Oct 15, 2009 5:08 AM

At 13 years and counting, you guys are definitely doing something right. A model for all MUDs out there.

Threshold RPG - A 15 year old role play required MMO / MUD Keeps Getting Better

Threshold RPG Continues to Strive for Excellence

Resource Gathering

New Clan Dominance System

City Dominance and Contributions

Religion Dominance

Forsaking Your Religion and Ethos

Joining a Faith - Flexibility Sparks More Diverse Membership

Conversion - Stealing Other Faiths' Members

The Final Battle

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