Project Entropia
| Entropia Universe | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Developer(s) | MindArk |
| Publisher(s) | MindArk |
| Designer(s) | Multiple |
| Engine | CryEngine 2 |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | January 30, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | Massively multiplayer online role-playing game, first-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Online multiplayer |
Entropia Universe is a massively multiplayer online virtual universe designed by the Swedish software company MindArk, based in Gothenburg.
Entropia uses a micropayment business model, in which players may buy in-game currency (PED - Project Entropia Dollars) with real money that can be redeemed back into U.S. dollars at a fixed exchange rate of 10:1. This means that virtual items acquired within Entropia Universe have a real cash value, and a participant may, at any time, initiate a withdrawal of their accumulated PED back into U.S. dollars according to the fixed exchange rate, minus transaction fees; the minimum amount for a withdrawal is 1,000 PED. The Entropia Universe is a direct continuation of Project Entropia.
Entropia Universe entered the Guinness World Records Book in both 2004 and 2008 for the most expensive virtual world objects ever sold. In 2009, a virtual space station, a popular destination, sold for $330,000. This was then eclipsed in November 2010 when Jon Jacobs sold a club named "Club Neverdie" for $635,000; this property was sold in chunks, with the largest sold for $335,000.
Also of note: in 2014 Planet Arkadia started selling 200,000 Arkadia Underground Deeds (AUD) valued at $5.00 USD each (50PED) making the Arkadia Underground valued at $1 million.
The game can be played for free, but spending money on the in-game currency allows significant additional options like purchasing items, skills, deeds/shares, services from other players.
Nearly all of the main in-game activities (such as hunting, crafting items, mining, etc.), require expendable resources (ammunition, probes, guns, finders, extractors), which must be purchased from vending machines (or other players). These items are either expended during each try (ammunition, probes), or they decay with use and will require repairing eventually (ranged and melee weapons, mindforce weapons, mining equipment). Many items are now (L) - meaning they are limited and cannot be repaired causing the player to have to buy another when it is decayed to the extent it can no longer be used.
This decay and expending of consumables encourages people to craft the items other players may need, promoting a thriving market in the items and ingredients needed to craft. However currently it is difficult to craft items (XX% return in TT costs of the ingredients, but a much lower chance of successfully creating an item depending on skills and the Quality Rating of the blueprint).
The three main activities (hunting, crafting and mining) have loot returns which are appear random, but have been confirmed to be influenced by the equipment, skills and activity (mob, blueprint, area), of the avatar. The better matched the skills, equipment and area of the activity, the more likely the player will have a 'success' - determined as either a hit, an evade or dodge, a successful craft or the finding of an ore or enmatter.
Skills are gained from either hitting, being hit, healing (using various healing equipment), crafting or mining.
These skills are extractable and can be sold to other players.
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Wikipedia