History of the Conduit

Endeavor Enterprises is the front runner for the Conduit, although no one company owns it. It is too big, too encompassing, for that. Endeavor was the one who had first started distributing the interface devices. Typically, their software is used to generate a player avatar upon setting up an account. They are also the major banking entity for exchanging real world currency and the credits used in the game environment. Exchange rates may be different in each country, although credits are always valued more than physical tender. The rest of the Conduit has been created by separate entities.

Each corporation has written its own game, called a world. Some worlds have their own sets of rules. This means that functions and items picked up on another world may or may not work on the current one. For example, ray guns may not be allowed to slay a dragon. Worlds are broken up into three categories: Adventure, Player-versus-Player (PVP), and Pleasure.

Adventure worlds are the typical video games. A special storyline has been set up. Players can either work solo or in groups to complete the objectives. PVP allows for friendly competition between two or more players. These worlds are based off the old war programs and have been modified for all different types of battle. Pleasure worlds are meant to cater to those looking for more fun and less fight (e.g. night clubs, strip joints and city size malls). These pleasure planets have become social hubs throughout the Conduit universe. Celebrity within the game has become more desirable than in the real world. The current major themes are zombie apocalypse, night club/shopping, paradise, medieval fantasy, cyberpunk, and space.

The two forms of travel between worlds are by portal and by space ship. Portals deduct credits from a player’s account but provide almost instantaneous loading times. Each world is not cut off from the rest of the server by an ‘invisible barrier.’ Players can freely roam from one to the next if they use a ship. Some players may even be kind enough to be interstellar taxis. Some worlds may not allow for a direct landing. These worlds will have an orbiting spaceport where players can then portal down to the surface. Spaceships can be modeled after specific science fiction vessels. For example, someone could have a Millenium Falcon. It must be properly credited or else the craft will not be approved by the staff. These vessels can only travel between sub- and near-light speeds. Faster than light (FTL) drives are not allowed, even if the source of the vessel utilized that technology. Space based portals can also be found to travel long distances in a shorter amount of time.

The Conduit is not only inhabited by users. Programmers have included non-playable characters (NPCs) to be part of the experience. They are classified as simple, virtual, and artificial intelligences. Simple ones are the people you walk past on the streets or serve as front line soldiers. Virtuals are interactive. They are the quest givers, shopkeepers, and bartenders but act as though they are following a script. Artificial Intelligences have long been deemed as mythical in origin. They are essentially a player without a real body, meaning they can think and act under their own accord. At this time, artificially intelligent NPCs will not be considered as characters on the site.