Active Worlds

Active Worlds is an 3D online community, sections of which have at times been populated by members of the Creatures Community.


 * Address: http://www.activeworlds.com/ (see also Active Worlds Wiki)

The Active Worlds client is a program that runs on your computer and connects to the world servers. It provides a similar interface as many 3D games, but adds in user interface elements to allow you to more easily maneouver around the worlds. For more information, see the Wikipedia article on Active Worlds.

Active Words was first used by the CC in late 1998, when Albiaville was founded on the Mars world. The community survived for a time, but eventually eroded. Avatar set up a world called Tiburon which Lis Morris renovated for the Creatures Community, but it was taken down - more recently, New Tiburon was created in the AWteen world. During the late 1990s, CL created something a little like Active Worlds called Origin, although it was far more ambitious in its scope.

"Albia Active World" is Suggested (17 June 1998)
Lisa de Araujo, Toby Simpson and Mark Ashton (?) post about Active Worlds on Creatures.co.uk. Karin brought up the possibility of an Albia Active World on alt.games.creatures. Many thought it was an interesting idea, including Ping.

Meeting on Mars (22 November 1998)
Lis Morris announces a meeting of Creatures players on the Mars world in a posting to alt.games.creatures. Pretty soon a town springs up at 288N 10E where Lis and Wafuru have placed their houses:
 * My gosh.. I say we set up a whole colony right there. Quick, someone tell me how to build a house! -- Bean
 * Yes! Let's make it like the 13 Americian Colonies! And then wait for Cyberlife to put unfair taxes on norns, and say we can't build our own anything, and then HAVE A WAR AND MAKE OUR OWN A-LIFE! HA! -- also Bean

"Hurricane Kevin" (~28 November 1998)
The houses of many visitors in Albiaville are devastated by a mystery assailant. According to a news post, this was due to Andrew's little brother Kevin, who thought Active Worlds was a war game where the objective was to demolish other people's forts and build your own. Subsequent to that, he decided to build his own house, but broke other people's houses doing so.

This sort of trouble was why Albiaville moved to 5N 619W - however, it did little to help, as tourist buildings everywhere were under attack.

Albtest (3 December 1998)
Lis Morris creates Albtest, a test world. Unfortunately it is only valid for a 30 day trial, although she later reports that she may be able to obtain a full world, called Albia - this never happens due to lack of cash.

Mountain View Village (~20 December 1998)
At about this time Trip constructs the Mountain View Village in AlphaWorld (aw 10041S 3826E).
 * As of January 2005 it is still present, but has been converted into a NeverWinter Nights village. There is still a link to The Avatar's City Hall and Northern and Southern Albia'', though, and there are several poingiant reminders, including Norn Crossing and the Albian Memorial. In 2009, there are still traces of "Alpha World Albia" from ten years ago at aw 20012N 19970E. -- GreenReaper

Norn Tourist Avatars (30 December 1998)
Lis Morris makes some norn tourist avatars, so that visiting people will look like norns.

Albiaville is abandoned (Mid-1999 onwards)
The population in Albiaville dwindled during 1999. In March, Trip notes that:
 * not many people hang out there anymore :(

On April 10, Dwang reminisces:
 * I remember building the back half of creatures city hall there but sadly after awile of absence from there I go back to fined a ghost town from witch there was life building and activity it was sad and the link to city hall took me to and empty lot were it once stood =(

At about this time, plans to host the Creatures Awards on Active Worlds are abandoned due to server instability - they are hosted on JRChat instead.

A few sad signs are subsequently planted in Albiaville:
 * ''"Though this place is abandoned, we can only hope this place may someday be revived." -- Bill Goats, 5 June 1999

There is a brief revival of interest after a post by Bill goats on 23 Oct 1999, but it soon subsides again, with more signs:


 * "Please leave this ghost town at rest, at it once was: The great home of the Creatures Community. May what once was rest in peace." -- Markham Carroll, 28 November 2001

Tiburon (1 January and 29 July 2000)
Avatar donated part of his world - Tiburon - to the Creatures Community.

Lis Morris took on the renovation of it later that year, according to her announcement.

The world appears to have been abandoned in November, and it is no longer possible to teleport to it.

New Tiburon is founded (November 2000)
A group of Creatures players get together to found a new community on AWteen as Tiburon is retired. Over the next few months they create a small town, including a monument to SteerPike, a Creatures RPG and several detailed homes.

Elina is founded (April 2001?)
A big sign was erected in New Tiburon proclaiming:
 * ''Go to Elinia!

Unfortunately this world appears to be down now, so no information is available on it.