We're making a 15-year anniversary video for Wurm and we need your help!

[Malena 2694]

Hello Wurmians!

 

You might have been wondering what's the hold up with the history video. I wanted to be frank with you all and tell you what's been going on with this project and with me personally. 

 

Summarized: A task that started off as something simple, spiraled into a massive undertaking that has caused me to burn out and leave the Wurm team. 

 

So how did this all happen anyhow? 

 

Server Overview videos (step 1 to burning myself out)
Last fall Keenan had taken the data we had on the new Northern freedom servers and had created cool time-lapse clips of how the servers changed over time. He then approached me about packaging them into more presentable videos. Ya know - with a video intro/outro and all that jazz. 

 

The task seemed simple enough, so I agreed, but wanted to take it one step further: Why leave it at merely FOUR videos. Why not SIXTEEN and have a video for each and every server! I started to think about all the nice things I could add, like server stats! And video footage of how the servers look! And showcase some deeds! And turn these into something truly special! And even if we didn't have equivalent time-lapse footage existing of the old servers, I figured that I could compensate by just doing some fancy-shmancy editing to give a similar feel by using the still images of the old map dumps. Better than nothing and then at least every server would feel included!

 

And these of course ended up being the videos you see in the Valrei International post:

Status: Completed (although there are a couple of small errors you guys noticed that I still need to fix once I find the energy, I'll then re-upload)

 

*********************

 

15-year history video (step 2 to burning myself out)

But in that same original time-lapse video conversation I had with Keenan, I had also said: "In addition to the time-lapse videos, let me also make a video to celebrate 15 years of Wurm Online! I mean come on! It's a huge milestone! We gotta celebrate this somehow!" And after I presented the team with my plan for what I had in mind, I was given permission to go ahead with this project as well. 

 

Let me just add that through this entire process, Keenan has been worried that I was putting too much of a burden on myself (I really should have listened) but at the time, I had this amazing vision in my head of how nice these videos could be and I was very very insistent that I want to do this - no matter what. 

 

When I first envisioned what I want to do for the history video, little did I know what a massive MASSIVE undertaking it was going to be. How many rabbit holes I'd be going down as I researched 15 years worth of history. I spent weeks and weeks reading everything I could get my hands on. Countless google searches, reading through this forum as well as any old blogs, articles and websites I could find through Wayback Machine. Gathering data, images and video. And the more data I accumulated, the more crushing and daunting this task started to feel as I tried to figure out how I'm ever going to possibly sort this into a nice video. So I decided to tackle the easy bits, like doing the visual design and graphics for the video. 

 

Remember that draft screenshot I shared in the original post? Well this is what it's going to look like for real. The text thingies are going to slide into view from behind the round profile picture part and I've already done that editing bit.

 

 

I can also share a teaser of how the video starts. After the years count down, we go back in history to where it all started and the idea is to start the timeline section, going through each year and what happened. The player blurbs like above will be more towards the end of the video. 

 

 

Status: Under construction. A massive amount of work has already been put into this (so I can't stop now), but there's still a massive amount of work left which is very daunting. Since the 15 year mark already passed, we'll probably just end up calling this something along the lines of "A history of Wurm Online" or something like that. 

 

*********************

 

A special surprise (step 3 to burning myself out)
Then as if that wasn't enough, I also created a third task for myself: A very special treat for you all. Something that I haven't talked about yet, but that will accompany the video perfectly once it's done. This task also took some work and research which only added to the already huge mental load.

 

Status: Completed This was actually already done back last year, but is just waiting to be released together with the video.  

 

*********************

 

So why did I make this post?

 

First and foremost: I felt like I owe you guys an explanation about what is going on with this project since I know you've all been waiting for it anxiously and you've all been so generous with offering your images, stories and videos to use as material.  

 

Second: I need your guys help in making sure we get the history right. This "getting the history right" issue is one of the things that has blocked me the most mentally, so I'd love any help I could get with that. I will make a follow up reply about that after this one.

 

Third: Due to the burnout, I have been badly neglecting other things in my life because I've felt blocked by this video project which became much more massive than I anticipated. So I have decided to leave the Wurm team. After I get this video done, I need to take care of my mental health and get back to normal. I will probably be scaling back the scope of the video to be able to finish it, but after it's done, I will fully return to just being good old Malena: the player (versus a dev). I was only ever a volunteer in the team anyhow, so it's not like it's a huge change to how things are run.

 

Anyhow, sorry for the long post, but I felt that you guys deserve to know what's going on. Thanks for being so understanding and patient!

 

And now for the history timeline that I need help with:

[Malena 2694]

As I mentioned in the previous post, I want to try and get this video finished, but before I lock down the editing, I want to make sure that I haven't missed any huge historical Wurm events, only to finish the video and have you guys say: "Hey! Why wasn't A, B or C mentioned?" By passing it by your guys eyes first, we can make sure everything is there. I only started playing in 2013, so there is a lot of history that I'm not aware of.

 

As you look through this stuff, keep in mind that the video is meant to be the history of Wurm Online - the game. Not so much about the history of Wurm players, although there are a few mentions here and there. But I feel like a history video about Wurmians and the things they've accomplished would be a whole other video. 

 

Obviously I won't be including every single itty bitty detail into the video, but regardless, here is all the info I found. If you see anything that is blatantly missing, please share.

 

Year	Historial Event + Info
2002 ALPHA	Notch and Rolf start working on Wurm
2003 ALPHA	Release notes 2004 Milestone: The year development started on Wurm (2003 according to Wikipedia) Markus Persson (Notch) announces Wurm Online on Javagaming Org
2004 ALPHA	Traders introduced NoDrop items introduced Huge sharks introduced !suicide command introduced Cows introduced Alliances introduced Planting trees introduced New tabbed chat windows introduced
2005 BETA	Release notes 2005 Milestone: Beta Wurm Online added to Wikipedia Fatigue system implemented Foraging introduced Satchels and backpacks introduced Gems through mining introduced Server types “Home” and “Wild” introduced Village upkeep introduced Kingdoms introduced Item decay introduced Pelts introduced as part of animal loot and replace rags for polishing items New subskill “stone cutting” added under Masonry Bush and tree harvesting introduced Maple syrup harvesting with a bucket introduced Starter town bartenders introduced Creature aging mechanism introduced Animals started to require food /stuck command introduced Dye system introduced Metal brush introduced to remove dyes
2006 GOLD 1	Release notes 2006 Catapult introduced Pet taming introduced Archery is introduced Beds introduced Stamina sandwiches and drinks introduced Lanterns and torches introduced to help players travel in the darkness Referral system introduced (later replaced by the loyalty program) Milestone: Gold Launch: Release year 06/06/06 Fun fact: Rolf jokingly mentioned that the date was the “mark of the beast”  because that was when payments were introduced. Notch’s post about Wurm going gold on Javagaming.org Players won a petition to get the color of the grass to be less radioactive and toned down
2007 GOLD 2	Company founded as Mojang Specifications AB Rolf sets up studio space at Luxor Center in Motala Release notes 2007 Stone wall types introduced Floorboards and street lamps introduced, including being able to lay them on marsh tiles Mailboxes were introduced Stealth mode introduced Dueling and sparring introduced Ability to set description to items introduced Server Launch: Chaos Game update: Animations added for things like emotes and fighting Wurmageddon: In April, Servers literally melted and progress was lost Fatigue is used for anti-macroing Notch leaves the Wurm team, taking the Mojang name with him creating Mojang Studios. Rolf changes company name from Mojang Specifications AB to Onetoofree AB Article: Game Ogre review
2008	Release notes 2008 Dredges introduced Boats introduced along with the /weather command to check the direction of the wind Mine doors introduced Shaker orbs introduced Water divination introduced Article: OnlineWelten.com review (german) Server Launch: Mol-Rehan Players suggested anthems for Jenn Kellon, Mol Rehan and Horde of the Summoned Post about the lyric competition in Engadget Wurm trailer released on YouTube (not available anymore) Rolf unleashes raiders onto PvE:ers Rolf starts a blogspot blog which runs from 2008-2009 Rolf works on ambient sounds with Gurubear Article: Wurm is featured on the front page of MMORPG.com “At a Glance - A look at Wurm Online” Wurm is featured in a Swedish newspaper Could this be the inspiration for the server name Xanadu? Notch explains on the forums about the company changes
2009	Release notes 2009 4chan users invade Wurm by the hundreds and go about doing a lot of crafting. The amount of terraforming and tree chopping creates a huge lag problem. Rolf welcomes the 4chan gang to Wurm. Rolf Rickrolls new roudy 4chan.org Wurm players Server Launch: “Golden Valley” was originally created as an emergency measure to deal with situations like the 4chan invasion.  A new “entry server”. It would later serve as a tutorial server. Traps introduced for PvP CA chat channel introduced Fasting introduced which uses up your fat levels Large carts introduced Rideable and hitchable mounts added Saddles and horse shoes introduced New more realistic ambient sounds added along with new music by Gurubear aka Joss Sanglier Nutrition level introduced Article: PC Gamer does article about Wurm and is welcomed by Rolf Wishing wells introduced as a way to celebrate 3 years Grooming brushes introduced as a means for players to train animal husbandry, as before that, they had been breeding animals for skill gain, which would result it too many animals and lag Puppets introduced Blog moved from Blogspot to wurmonline.com/blog Article: Gamezine.co.uk review Article: RockPaperShotGun Interview Interview: Italian gaming site interviews Rolf The drama that led to shutting down old servers and creating Freedom Isles Server Shutdown: Old MR and JK servers shut down Server Launch: First freedom server: Independence (first PvE server) [FAQ] Trailer: Wurm Online Gameplay trailer (anyone know if this was official?) Game update: Tree update
2010	Release notes 2010 Food BSBs (originally called Crops hoppers) and bulk storage bins introduced mainly for the purpose of lowering lag Trash bins introduced Deed system overhauled Teams feature introduced Lots of audio work done with separate male and female emotes, tool and ambient sounds etc Banners and flags introduced Article: Ten Ton Hammer: First impressions - 1 Article: Ten Ton Hammer: First impressions - 2 Article: PC Gamer interviews Notch, speaking also about Wurm Players were asked to give ideas for shop sign images Rolf announces logo competition - Winner was Quintus Enki tasked with designing a new tutorial area on Golden Valley New moneysink item ideas Rolf announces Village Tweets
2011	Company name changed from Onetoofree AB to Code Club AB First paid employee (client dev) hired according to Wikipedia First paid artist hired MMO website Massively.com (which later became “Massively Overpowered”) fell in love with Wurm, reporting about it often and even creating their own village called Hindmania on the island of Flamgra’in on the server of Independence. Server Launch: Deliverance (Deliverance official launch trailer) Server Launch: Exodus (Exodus official launch trailer) Server Launch: Desertion Server Launch: Affliction Server Launch: Elevation Server Launch: Serenity Server Launch: Epic Game update: New lights and lighting system added Game update: “Animal caring” introduced Article: PC Gamer proclaims Wurm to be #56 in the top 100 best games of all time Rolf writes about his gaming adventures in Wurm
2012 FULL RELEASE	Article: OnRPG review Rolf starts a Wurm Tumblr blog to share development news Wurm Tumblr "Archive view" to see exact dates Blog post: Old PHP website hacked, all websites moved to new system Blog post: Is Wurm dying? Rolf says not! Blog post: Wurmpedia.com announced Blog post: Saroman working on wurmonline.com design, forum.wurmonline.com launched Blog post: New forum being set up with 600 000 posts being transferred Blog post: New registration and shop pages launched Blog post: Alliance system explained Blog post: CoinLab system launched - what the heck was this 😮 Game update: Blog post: Hedges and Karma system introduced Blog post: IRC bot "WurmCrier" for #wurm announced Blog post: New recruitments announced Game update: Blog post: Multistory buildings, new character models, customizable faces announced Blog post: Beau Hindman to stream Wurm live at Massively.com Game update: Blog post: Drake armor teased for the first time Game update: Blog post: New wooden and stone wall types teased Game update: Blog post: Wurm bronze pendant jewelry announced (what the heck, I wonder if the guy still makes these :-o) Game update: Blog post: Houses now required to be on flat ground Game update: Blog post: New horse models teased Blog post: 1.0 Release date announcement Blog post: Announcement of ability to raise and lower mine floors, smelting pots, Wurm Radio mentioned Blog post: 1.0 Release day post Blog post: 1.0 launch party to be streamed at https://www.twitch.tv/codeclub Blog post: Rolf’s Christmas post Server Launch: Celebration Server Launch: Pristine Server Launch: Release Milestone: 1.0 Launch: Version 1.0 release on 12.12.12 Trailer:  Wurm Online Trailer (in collaboration with MMORPG.com?) Server Launch: Release Article: Massively: Free for All: The continued confusing misuse of the beta tag MMORPG.com: Rolf Interview Game update: Support for changing GUI theme added Game update: Papyrus and inscribing introduced Game update: Rares introduced Indoor walls introduced
2013	Article: PC Gamer review Wurm Online OST "Meditation & Work" by Tom E Morrison released Wurm Online OST "Travel & Exploration" by Tom E Morrison released Tumblr Blog posts:  Blog post: Player kingdoms introduced? Blog post: Rolf explains why the originally “released” version of Wurm back in 2006 was later referred to as the “beta” Game update: Blog post: New terraforming options introduced Blog post: New team members announcement Game update: Blog post: Friends list introduced Game update: Blog post: Sacrificial knife introduced Game update: Blog post: Update post including new features: new Paper doll, new Quick bar, Skill tracker UI elements, new animal models, personal goals, Kingdom tabards, new fence types, flower beds and pots, gravestones, ability to analyze rock ores, modifying existing structures, new music, Inventory grouping, diagonal roads, falling tree animations, personal goals, horse bardings, mystical powers and sorcery etc Blog post: Gamer Lootz Kickstarter announced Blog post: Rolf tells a lovely story about how the Wurm Original Sound Tracks by Tom E Morrison came about Trailer: Unofficial Wurm Online trailer by Factional Fight bros Video developer diary #1 Video developer diary #2 Video developer diary #3 Game update: Adding or removing tiles to a building introduced Game update: Cave terraforming Fan art contest: "The great Female adventurer of Wurm" Game update: In game maps and Recruitment Board introduced Game update: Towers and ships getting reworked
2014	Article: Topfreemmorpg.net review Wurm Online OST "Battle & Adventure" by Tom E Morrison released Trailer: Wurm Online Official Trailer 2014 Rolf Interview Engadget staff choose their “dev dream team” and Rolf is mentioned twice. Server Launch: Xanadu Game update: Post Wagons Ship carriers Crafting tool Crates Drag and drop Load function Reinforced cave floors Village recruitment board Invite command Status effect bar New emotes Avatar of Libila Animal rugs Braziers DDos attack, 10K bounty, world wide coverage Game update: New tutorial area being worked on + Book of wisdom Game update: Post New cobblestone pavements Game update: Post Deed token no longer needs to be in center, rectangular deed shapes Lawns Game update: Post Voting system New creature: Seal Game update: Deed founding no longer requires premium Game update: Post Timber wall types go live Tents and pavilions go live Crab Game update: Post Chain link fences Game update: Post New player animations: push, pull, hammering, crafting Fences can be built in arched walls Setting keybind update Tortoise Whales Game update: Post Dolphin Game update: Post Trellises Trimless walls / Plain stone walls Game update: Post Sheep Select bar LOD adjustments Bear hat Game update: Post Open fireplace Small wooden bed table Canopy Bed Wooden bench Wardrobe Wooden coffer Royal throne Washing bowl Small tripod table High bookshelf Low bookshelf High chair Fine high chair Pauper high chair Small/Medium/Large carpets Game update: Post Standalone portcullises Bone altar Game update: Post Digging may produce rare bones and gems Bird cage Black sheep Lounge chaise Game update: Post Old furniture models get an overhaul Spinning wheel Wool caps and hats Game update: Post Creature sounds Game update: Post Floor tile rotation Tapestry competition Game update: Post Planting center or random Combat sounds Trebuchet Game update: Post Challenge going live New war machines Archery tower Magic turrets New colossus statues, new jewelry, octopus, deer stag, avatar of libila, kyclops
2015	Server taken down: Elevation (to be reset in 2019) Milestone: Wurm Unlimited Launch: Wurm Unlimited launched on Steam Trailer: Wurm Unlimited - Trailer Game update: Tapestries go live Game update: Post More jewelry Book of wisdom Game update: Post New player animations: foraging/botanizing Game update: Post Valentines flower Tall banners Game update: Post Bridges go live New boat models go live Game update: Permissions system goes live Game update: Wall rotation implemented Game update: War machines added to all servers (vs only being on pvp servers prior) First player deity “Tosiek” Game update: Post New clothing Marble statues Game update: Post New launcher UI Warlander’s village plan view and export Goblin leader + hat Game update: Post New drake and dragon types Game update: Fog spiders added in memory of Head GM Oracle Game update: New wall types added: Wooden balcony, timber jetty, stone oriel Game update: Freedom treasure hunts Game update: Dragon armours Game update: Trade channel Game update: Amphoras, kilns and smelters Game update: Bulk container change with removal of volume loss Game update: Course plotting for ships Game update: Sitting Game update: Halter ropes Game update: Different cheese types Game update: Glimmersteel and Adamantine armour models
2016	Rolf’s 10-Year anniversary post Retro’s 10-year Weekly News post Game update: Wagon passenger capability added Game update: Post New horse skins: Ebony black, Blood bay, Piebald Pinto Leading changes when disembarking Game update: Post Transmutation liquids Game update: New graphics renderer Game update: Post Rifts Cave dwellings Retro’s Independence 10 year anniversary event Cooking update Measuring jugs Orange trees Decorative items no longer take damage on deeds with more than 30 days upkeep Rolf announces stepping back a bit and handing reins over to Budda Game update: Post Spice and herb planters Herbs Spices Beehives Game update: Post Rift rune system announced Message boards Cookbook Players invited to design starter deeds
2017	Game update: Another Player art tapestry competition Game update: Nahjo being removed Game update: Felled trees changed to be leafless and small Game update: Post Alchemist cupboard Recipe sharing Blessed lamps New player animations: kick, dodge, parry, focus, etc Game update: Wide cave entrances and Unicorn bling Game update: New hellhorse models and bardings Game update: New player animations: Groom, Pull, Throw, Take, Drop Game update: Post New pavement types New resource: Sandstone Dredging now supports flatten/leveling and will drop dirt directly into boat Hedges can be chopped down Text on signs Game update: New house walls and fences Game update: Cave wall cladding Game update: Underground paving Game update: Almanac and new harvestable bush types Game update: New bridge materials Game update: Bridge support for underground Game update: Fences and parapets with new material types Game update: Ability to pave cave entrances Game update: Post Valrei overhaul Mission overhaul Creature cages Game update: Post New fence types Highways go live Crate racks Game update: Post Damage shows in UI Tree collision implemented Corpse permissions Game update: Post Wagoner New Mine doors Wurm Online official discord Game update: Post New skill: Archeology New skill: Restoration Game update: Saddlebags added New client update: Improved shaders, lighting, better performance, rendering Epic > Freedom transfer changes, removing player gods, new mission system Epic structures can now be built on freedom Pendulums find traitors
2018	Game update: New water physics Game update: 5 new horse skins Game update: Post Affinity changes Sealed containers Dig to pile introduced Game update: Forge cleaning and Friends notes to keep track of people Game update: Post New item placement options via “place” function and CTRL, ALT Wood hues introduced Ability to dye different parts of the same item Game update: Post Drag to container introduced Metal type overhaul Game update: Dye-able armour Game update: Valrei Entertainment Network, Specular and Normal Maps Game update: Post Personal goal changes Items on tables High and low bookshelves Bar tables Animal crates Game update: Post Lighting overhaul Normal mapping Specular mapping New furniture types support placing things on them New metal alloy: Electrum Game update: Modern renderer goes live Game update: Post Armour update FF complete the puzzle labyrinth Game update: Baby hell horses and unicorns introduced Game update: Work on how identical items are rendered into the world Game update: Post New archeology features: Caches, statues, wooden items New clothing types Game update: Priest overhaul Game update: Post New wavey water system teased Hedges overhaul Announcement of the passing of Tich Game update: Post Memorial statue for Tich Five new horse colors New chicken and rooster colors Game update: Post New fishing system New tutorial area “Haven” and tutorial system
2019	Server Launch: Jackal Server Launch: Epic relaunch Server reset: Elevation Game update: New quick binding system Game update: Fruits showing in trees Game update: Distant trees Game update: Post Specular maps for metal items Game update: Post Specular maps for armour Retro organizes Indy 10 year quest Redbubble Merch shop announced All servers being moved to AWS Game update: Post Budda hands reins over to Samool HDR post processing setting New shadows Ambient Occlusion introduced Hitching posts Game update: Post Sail furling/unfurling Large planters and underground planting Scaling UI WU moving to maintenance mode Rolf announces that he’s handing Wurm over to Game Chest Group Game update: Post New keybinds Sail furling Planters
2020	Game update: Post New loyalty system Jackal closes after the fall of the stronghold Game update: Post Traders reworked New rack types: Saddle and shield racks New spell: “stone strike” Creation QoL improvements Effective QL curve on gear Follower changes Rite changes Enki’s post about the Tich memorial Release, at L25 Game update: Upgraded UI and Logo Questions answered about the upcoming Steam launch Game update: 3rd person views introduced Game update: RMT is no longer allowed Game update: New tutorial area announced: Haven’s Landing Game update: Post about the upcoming Steam launch Wurm’s first keyart to represent the game New creature icons New server names chosen New trailer mentioned Steam home page shared Game update: Post Volumetric lighting + new skybox + god rays More UI teases Z-fighting fixes New additions to the team New Wurm trailer announced Trailer: Steam launch trailer New servers Harmony and Defiance revealed New server Cadence revealed Steam launch date announced Milestone: Wurm Online Steam Launch Server Launch: Harmony Server Launch: Defiance Server Launch: Melody Server Launch: Cadence Dev team hosted AMA on Reddit/MMORPG Game update: Post Missions introduced to Northern Isles Favor generation Rifts and runes coming to Northern Isles Samool’s Roadmap post Game update: Board games introduced, starting with Checkers Game update: Post Candy cane skin Rifts and runes coming to Northern Isles Reworking Runes and Imbues Fighting UI element
2021	Game update: Post Achievement system introduced Animal feeding food types overhaul Retro hands CM duties over to DemonaNightshade New achievement system Straw beds introduced Donkeys introduced Game update: Post Animal feeders: troughs, bowls and haystacks New feeding mechanic [video] Trait categories explained Hot/Warm/Cold blooded horse types and body shapes Wurmpedia comes to the game Announcement about VR coming to Wurm Northern Isles “pure” map dumps announced Samool hands product manager role over to Keenan 15-year anniversary video post Fountain changes announced Game update: Post Caffeine update Inspect window improvements Huge amount of bug fixes and improvements Some stuff from 2021 still missing
2022	TBD

 

[Blazecraze 244]

As a Wurm historian, I am really interested in not only viewing the final product, but checking out its accuracy. 

[Malena 2694]

6 minutes ago, Blazecraze said:

As a Wurm historian, I am really interested in not only viewing the final product, but checking out its accuracy. 

 

Then you are the perfect person to see this list that I gathered. If you notice any flaws or essential things that are missing, please do share!

[Tristanc 477]

You mentioned Massively.com's coverage and establishing their own village, but PC Gamer magazine did the same.

PC Gamer's original village, 'PC Gamer Village' was on Golden Valley, near Glitterdale (one of the three starter towns on Golden Valley), and was the site of the very first colossus built on GV.

PCGamer Village. Looking for new villagers!

 

Here are a couple blog entries from RetroactiveGamer that relate to the above, as a new player starting on Golden Valley tutorial server at the time (Episode 1).  The second entry is when the player moves to Freedom (now called Independance server in the Southern Freedom Isles cluster) which at the time was the only PvE server aside from the brief year+ that Golden Valley had left as an open server.  That settlement he moves to is the PC Gamer Freedom Village described in the paragraph below.

Jeremiah Johnson: My experience of Wurm Online (Episode. 1)

Freedom Road: My experience of Wurm Online (Episode 2.)

 

 Later, before the start of  2010, the PC Gamer crew and readers opened up their own settlement on Independance (around ESE corner of Lake Colossus, called 'PC Gamer Freedom Village') at coords 52x,14y on the Independance community map. It's now defunct and disbanded, with that site heavily terraformed pretty much away.  There aren't too many references showing it except for old 2010 Independance server maps that have mostly been removed from the web now (I'd downloaded mine in 2020 that I'm now using for reference).

Wurmpedia entry - Settlement:PCG Freedom Village

 

Also of note is that the start of 2012, the 'Full Release', marked when Golden Valley was no longer the only server that non-premium players could be on, and ended the time of Golden Valley as a full-scale tutorial server and new characters were spawned into a walled-off tutorial there instead that had portals to the Independance and Wild servers at the end.  The 'premium' portals at the old starter villages remained to encourage old residents of GV to migrate to the PvE (now open to non-premium characters) or PvP servers.

Brief History of Golden Valley and It's Shutdown(For a new Player)

 

Disclosure: PC Gamer's Wurm Online articles in 2009-2010 were what convinced me to create a character on Wurm Online and give it a try. I've been here ever since!  I've never been affiliated with PC Gamer magazine then or now, however, except as a reader.

Edited April 17, 2022 by Tristanc

[Tilda 648]

OMG Malena, I'm exhausted just reading through all of that, no bloody wonder you are feeling burnt out! It is a massive undertaking, and your love for and dedication to Wurm is pretty evident, but everyone deserves a break at times, I hope you get lots of input to help you finish rounding this project off so you can relax a bit and actually get back to enjoying the game again yourself. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your efforts here, I remember being so excited when you joined the team and your time in that role has been remarkable.

Big hugs is about all else I can say really, we love you and thank you!

[Malena 2694]

1 hour ago, Tilda said:

OMG Malena, I'm exhausted just reading through all of that, no bloody wonder you are feeling burnt out! It is a massive undertaking, and your love for and dedication to Wurm is pretty evident, but everyone deserves a break at times, I hope you get lots of input to help you finish rounding this project off so you can relax a bit and actually get back to enjoying the game again yourself. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your efforts here, I remember being so excited when you joined the team and your time in that role has been remarkable.

Big hugs is about all else I can say really, we love you and thank you!

 

Awww thank you for those lovely words Tilda. *hugs back* You've always been such a kind and empathetic member of this community and for that reason among many others, are equally loved for it.

 

I didn't really want to make a big deal out of my leaving (hence why I didn't make a separate good bye post), but I appreciate the kind words regardless. ❤️

 

As for the pressures of the video, I'm fully aware that this whole video-being-late business is probably a much larger problem for me than it ever was for you guys and that most people have probably already forgotten about the whole video. The pressure that accumulated the longer time passed, was probably completely needless and I should have never taken it as seriously as I did. But the "logic of the mind" and the "emotions of the heart" often have drastically different perspective of things. 

[Malena 2694]

19 hours ago, Tristanc said:

You mentioned Massively.com's coverage...

 

Thank you very much Tristanc! That's hugely helpful and interesting info!

[Etherdrifter 2370]

This is an outstanding timeline; an achievement in and of itself.

 

Well done for managing to pull all that together!

[Spolmit 513]

Malena- what an incredible piece of research. It could definitely be described as a 'Magnum opus', however since you have already done other astonishing works such as your interactive illustrative aid for decorators this simply puts you out there in the elite group of those people whose contributions have helped create such a fantastic community in this unique game.

 

Thank you -enjoy your time playing Wurm, but most importantly catching up on those other important real-life things. 

[Ltnicolas 56]

Congrats on the massive undertaking, but take good care of yourself! You are worth more than the project, no matter its scope. If you need to take a rest, take it with no guilt at all, project can come later.

Take care!

Edited April 20, 2022 by Ltnicolas
typo

[Jaz 2538]

@Malenatake your time, there will be a 20th year anniversary too - more important to keep yourself comfortable with the project and more importantly not getting hate to think about wurm

Appreciate a lot all your works and the timeline is a big feat to me - I'm so bad at putting things back in proper time...

[Nirav 420]

I am still excited, and totally understand the Huge Project Will Take Way Longer Than Expected thing. I think you are amazing for doing this, and we will all be honored by it. Please don't let yourself stress about the time it's taking, or that it has to be bigger than big because it took longer. Whatever it is, it will be a work of art made with love, and can't be less than wonderful.

[Malena 2694]

Aw thank you very much for the wonderful words of support Etherdrifter, Spolmit, Ltnicolas, Jas and Nirav. ❤️ Opening up about what's been going on helped. When you've got a daunting task with a lot of people expecting results, the passage of time is like a pressure cooker. The more time passes, the more the pressure builds up because in your own mind you're imagining that everyone is getting impatient with you (although the reality is that everyone is actually focused on their own lives and not really thinking about you and your task) and you feel like the longer time you take, the more glorious the end result will have to be, which makes things even worse. So by telling you guys what's been going on, it's exactly like finally taking the lid off that pressure cooker and letting the steam out before it blows hehe. 

 

 

 

 

[Maiya 490]

2 hours ago, Malena said:

So by telling you guys what's been going on, it's exactly like finally taking the lid off that pressure cooker and letting the steam out before it blows hehe. 

 

Im soo happy to hear this

Take your time, your work will be ready when you want it too .) 

Dont forget to have fun too

 

 

 

[Jaz 2538]

Is there anyone doing art who is ever satisfied with the end result?

[griper 516]

I thought you would have just collected a few videos from players and edited them all together.

But my production standards are a bit lower. 😂

[Cayce 219]

Oh wow, that's really a massive undertaking 😮 It looks amazing and I have to say I really love the screenshot with the profile pictures, the style fits Wurm sooo well.

I'm not a Wurm historian, so I won't be of much help, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you can work out the rest of this project. Please take care of yourself though, your health is much more important!

[TheTrickster 1779]

You probably wouldn't want to do it this way, but you could work on a year or two at a time and release them as "episodes" or "chapters" and then later stitch them together. 

 

This would also lend itself to ongoing histories being recorded in a similar manner.

 

Remember the best way to swallow an elephant; one bite at a time.

[BrokenSanity 717]

On 4/16/2022 at 6:21 PM, Malena said:

 

2015	Server taken down: Elevation (to be reset in 2019)

 

Impressive timeline. Just to note Elevation had a map reset in 2015, it wasn't really "taken down". It then had another map reset in 2019.

[DaletheGood 870]

Malena! You are a Legend!! It's quite understandable that you're feeling pressure and stressed out with an undertaking of this magnitude. Relax, regroup, and as Trickster notes - one bite at a time. Just putting together that timeline is more than most would be able to accomplish. The amount of research you've put in is above and beyond, and is in itself a remarkable achievement. We Wurmians are so grateful for your work over the years - as a streamer (my favorite), a dev, and all your work on the trailer and videos. Not to mention your playing style and charming personality in the game. Thank You!

Take whatever time you need for yourself, and if it turns into the 16 yr or 17 yr anniversary before it's released, so be it. It will be amazing when it's done, just as everything you touch in this game is. I do think that making chapters, as Trickster suggested, might be a cool way to go, and would possibly break the project into more manageable chunks. But you do what's best for you, and make sure to carve out time for yourself to recoup. Thank you so much for taking this on, I wouldn't want this in anybody else's hands, as nobody could do it better, no matter the timeline.

[Malena 2694]

Thank you for your ideas, support and kind words everyone. ❤️

 

On 4/21/2022 at 9:00 PM, Jaz said:

Is there anyone doing art who is ever satisfied with the end result?

 

Hehe, this is too true. 

 

On 4/21/2022 at 10:00 PM, griper said:

I thought you would have just collected a few videos from players and edited them all together.

But my production standards are a bit lower. 😂

 

Hehe, yeah the scope definitely got out of hand. *sheepish grin*

 

On 4/22/2022 at 12:55 AM, Cayce said:

Oh wow, that's really a massive undertaking 😮 It looks amazing and I have to say I really love the screenshot with the profile pictures, the style fits Wurm sooo well.

I'm not a Wurm historian, so I won't be of much help, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you can work out the rest of this project. Please take care of yourself though, your health is much more important!

 

Thank you Cayce ❤️

 

On 4/22/2022 at 3:29 AM, TheTrickster said:

You probably wouldn't want to do it this way, but you could work on a year or two at a time and release them as "episodes" or "chapters" and then later stitch them together. 

 

An interesting idea, but I worry that knowing myself - I'd end up being in an eternal loop of stress with each video. For someone who is able to be much more chill about it, that could work though!

 

On 4/25/2022 at 7:36 PM, BrokenSanity said:

 

Impressive timeline. Just to note Elevation had a map reset in 2015, it wasn't really "taken down". It then had another map reset in 2019.

 

Thank you BrokenSanity, good to know!

 

15 hours ago, DaletheGood said:

Malena! You are a Legend!! It's quite understandable that you're feeling pressure and stressed out with an undertaking of this magnitude. Relax, regroup, and as Trickster notes - one bite at a time. Just putting together that timeline is more than most would be able to accomplish. The amount of research you've put in is above and beyond, and is in itself a remarkable achievement. We Wurmians are so grateful for your work over the years - as a streamer (my favorite), a dev, and all your work on the trailer and videos. Not to mention your playing style and charming personality in the game. Thank You!

Take whatever time you need for yourself, and if it turns into the 16 yr or 17 yr anniversary before it's released, so be it. It will be amazing when it's done, just as everything you touch in this game is. I do think that making chapters, as Trickster suggested, might be a cool way to go, and would possibly break the project into more manageable chunks. But you do what's best for you, and make sure to carve out time for yourself to recoup. Thank you so much for taking this on, I wouldn't want this in anybody else's hands, as nobody could do it better, no matter the timeline.

 

Aww shucks. Thank you Dale.

[BoaConstrictor 7]

@Malena, you are the quintessential Wurm Ambassador to me!  I first discovered you on YouTube and your UO Wurm project a few years back, incredibly impressive!  What's even more impressive is that this is but one of the many, many, well conceived, produced and executed projects/VODs/streams you have either completed or started in relation to Wurm, not to mention other games and content.  Again, truly outstanding.  I have been very much enjoying your Kingdom updates and Roulette VODs, thank you so much for these.  While I am new to Wurm, about 3.5 weeks in, I have not discovered anyone else that has contributed to the game on the level you have but the FF bros are up there too.  That's not to say there aren't many other fabulous people in Wurm that have contributed immensely to the game over the years, I just have not personally discovered them yet but very much look forward to it. 

I'll leave it at that so as to convey the praise I think you deserve while not taking up too much of your precious time.  Please, please take care of yourself first and foremost!  I wish you all the best and look forward to the day I can experience the honour of meeting you in-game as well as more of this wonderful and unique community.  You are truly a beautiful person with a very kind and generous heart!  Be well! 

[Malena 2694]

On 4/28/2022 at 8:43 PM, BoaConstrictor said:

@Malena, you are the quintessential Wurm Ambassador to me!  I first discovered you on YouTube...

 

Aw thanks so much for the kind words Boa. I can't thank you enough for how kind and supportive you've been towards me and my projects for a long time now. It makes it all worth it to put time and effort into things when you get that feedback that it's being appreciated. 

 

And hey! Welcome to Wurm! I hope you're enjoying yourself so far! 

[Goldfinch 214]

THank you for doing this - how exciting!!! Take your time - it will be amazing