<s>
Myth	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
is	O
a	O
1997	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
strategy	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Bungie	O
for	O
Windows	O
and	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
Bungie	O
was	O
known	O
primarily	O
as	O
developers	O
of	O
Mac	B-Device
games	O
,	O
and	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
they	O
had	O
developed	O
and	O
released	O
simultaneously	O
for	O
both	O
PC	B-Device
and	O
Mac	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
series	O
,	O
which	O
also	O
includes	O
a	O
sequel	O
,	O
Myth	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Soulblighter	I-Application
,	O
set	O
sixty	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
also	O
developed	O
by	O
Bungie	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
prequel	O
,	O
Myth	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Wolf	I-Application
Age	I-Application
,	O
set	O
one	O
thousand	O
years	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
events	O
depicted	O
in	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
,	O
and	O
developed	O
by	O
MumboJumbo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
praised	O
its	O
plot	O
,	O
graphics	O
,	O
gameplay	O
,	O
level	O
design	O
,	O
online	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
mode	I-Application
,	O
and	O
differentiation	O
from	O
traditional	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
strategy	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
win	O
multiple	O
awards	O
,	O
including	O
"	O
Strategy	B-Application
Game	I-Application
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
from	O
both	O
PC	B-Device
Gamer	O
and	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
from	O
both	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
and	O
Macworld	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
Bungie	O
's	O
most	O
successful	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
served	O
to	O
bring	O
them	O
to	O
the	O
attention	O
of	O
PC	B-Device
gamers	O
and	O
,	O
more	O
specifically	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
who	O
would	O
purchase	O
the	O
company	O
in	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Myth	B-Application
series	O
as	O
a	O
whole	O
,	O
and	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
in	O
particular	O
,	O
supported	O
an	O
active	O
online	O
community	O
for	O
over	O
a	O
decade	O
after	O
the	O
official	O
servers	B-Application
went	O
offline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
recently	O
active	O
Myth	B-Application
development	O
group	O
is	O
Project	O
Magma	O
,	O
an	O
offshoot	O
of	O
MythDevelopers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
groups	O
have	O
worked	O
to	O
provide	O
ongoing	O
technical	B-General_Concept
support	I-General_Concept
for	O
the	O
games	O
,	O
update	O
them	O
to	O
newer	O
operating	B-General_Concept
systems	I-General_Concept
,	O
fix	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
,	O
release	O
unofficial	O
patches	O
,	O
create	O
mods	O
,	O
and	O
maintain	O
online	O
servers	B-Application
for	O
multiplayer	O
gaming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Myth	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
is	O
a	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
some	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
strategy	B-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
does	O
not	O
have	O
to	O
engage	O
in	O
resource	O
micromanagement	O
or	O
economic	O
macromanagement	O
,	O
does	O
not	O
have	O
to	O
construct	O
a	O
base	O
or	O
buildings	O
,	O
and	O
does	O
not	O
have	O
to	O
gradually	O
build	O
up	O
their	O
army	O
by	O
acquiring	O
resources	O
and	O
researching	O
new	O
technologies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
single-player	O
mode	O
,	O
only	O
Light	O
units	O
are	O
playable	O
,	O
but	O
in	O
online	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
mode	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
control	O
both	O
Light	O
and	O
Dark	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
select	O
multiple	O
units	O
of	O
different	O
types	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
either	O
"	O
shift	O
click	O
"	O
(	O
hold	O
down	O
the	O
shift	B-Device
key	I-Device
and	O
click	O
on	O
each	O
individual	O
unit	O
)	O
or	O
use	O
"	O
band-selection	O
"	O
(	O
click	O
and	O
hold	O
the	O
mouse	B-Device
button	O
on	O
a	O
piece	O
of	O
ground	O
,	O
then	O
drag	O
the	O
cursor	B-Application
across	O
the	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
causes	O
a	O
yellow	O
box	O
to	O
appear	O
,	O
which	O
grows	O
and	O
shrinks	O
as	O
it	O
follows	O
the	O
cursor	B-Application
's	O
movement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
can	O
instantly	O
select	O
all	O
units	O
on	O
screen	O
,	O
irrespective	O
of	O
type	O
,	O
by	O
pressing	O
the	O
enter	B-Device
key	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
can	O
also	O
assign	O
manually	O
selected	O
unit	O
groupings	O
to	O
a	O
specific	O
key	O
on	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
,	O
and	O
when	O
that	O
key	O
is	O
pressed	O
,	O
it	O
instantly	O
selects	O
the	O
desired	O
group	O
of	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
accomplished	O
by	O
"	O
gesture	O
clicking	O
"	O
—	O
using	O
the	O
mouse	B-Device
to	O
indicate	O
which	O
way	O
the	O
units	O
will	O
face	O
when	O
they	O
reach	O
their	O
destination	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
selecting	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
units	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
press	O
the	O
corresponding	O
formation	O
button	O
on	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
,	O
and	O
then	O
click	O
on	O
the	O
ground	O
where	O
they	O
want	O
the	O
units	O
to	O
form	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
a	O
single	O
unit	O
is	O
selected	O
,	O
information	O
about	O
that	O
unit	O
appears	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Status	O
Bar	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
HUD	B-Application
;	O
the	O
unit	O
's	O
name	O
,	O
a	O
brief	O
biography	O
,	O
how	O
many	O
kills	O
he	O
has	O
,	O
how	O
many	O
battles	O
he	O
has	O
survived	O
,	O
and	O
(	O
if	O
he	O
is	O
capable	O
of	O
carrying	O
items	O
)	O
his	O
inventory	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
HUD	B-Application
also	O
features	O
a	O
transparent	O
overhead	O
mini-map	O
,	O
which	O
displays	O
information	O
about	O
the	O
current	O
battlefield	O
;	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
field	O
of	O
vision	O
is	O
indicated	O
by	O
a	O
yellow	O
trapezoid	O
,	O
enemy	O
units	O
appear	O
as	O
red	O
dots	O
,	O
friendly	O
non-playable	O
units	O
as	O
blue	O
dots	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
army	O
as	O
green	O
dots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
movements	O
can	O
be	O
carried	O
out	O
via	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
,	O
although	O
the	O
mouse	B-Device
can	O
also	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
move	O
the	O
camera	O
forwards	O
,	O
backwards	O
,	O
left	O
and	O
right	O
,	O
by	O
moving	O
the	O
cursor	B-Application
to	O
the	O
top	O
,	O
bottom	O
,	O
left	O
or	O
right	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
could	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
multiplayer	O
gaming	O
on	O
Bungie	O
,	O
TEN	O
,	O
or	O
via	O
a	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
on	O
PC	B-Device
or	O
AppleTalk	B-Application
on	O
Mac	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiplayer	O
games	O
include	O
"	O
King	O
Of	O
The	O
Hill	O
"	O
(	O
a	O
hill	O
on	O
the	O
map	O
is	O
marked	O
with	O
a	O
flag	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
hill	O
captured	O
when	O
one	O
or	O
more	O
of	O
a	O
team	O
's	O
units	O
move	O
within	O
a	O
certain	O
range	O
of	O
the	O
flag	O
and	O
eliminate	O
any	O
enemy	O
units	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
area	O
;	O
the	O
winner	O
is	O
the	O
team	O
who	O
controls	O
the	O
hill	O
for	O
the	O
longest	O
amount	O
of	O
time	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Steal	O
The	O
Bacon	O
"	O
(	O
somewhere	O
on	O
the	O
battlefield	O
is	O
a	O
ball	O
;	O
the	O
object	O
is	O
to	O
get	O
the	O
ball	O
and	O
keep	O
it	O
away	O
from	O
the	O
opponents	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
winner	O
being	O
the	O
last	O
team	O
to	O
touch	O
the	O
ball	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Balls	O
On	O
Parade	O
"	O
(	O
each	O
team	O
has	O
a	O
ball	O
;	O
the	O
object	O
is	O
to	O
capture	O
as	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
opponents	O
 '	O
balls	O
as	O
possible	O
,	O
with	O
winner	O
being	O
the	O
team	O
in	O
possession	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
balls	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Flag	O
Rally	O
"	O
(	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
flags	O
are	O
on	O
the	O
battlefield	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
winner	O
being	O
the	O
first	O
player	O
to	O
touch	O
them	O
all	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Territories	B-Application
"	O
(	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
flags	O
are	O
on	O
the	O
battlefield	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
winner	O
being	O
the	O
team	O
to	O
capture	O
and	O
hold	O
the	O
most	O
flags	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Scavenger	O
Hunt	O
"	O
(	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
balls	O
are	O
on	O
the	O
battlefield	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
winner	O
being	O
the	O
first	O
player	O
to	O
touch	O
them	O
all	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Captures	O
"	O
(	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
balls	O
are	O
on	O
the	O
battlefield	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
winner	O
being	O
the	O
player	O
who	O
is	O
in	O
possession	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
balls	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
match	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Body	O
Count	O
"	O
(	O
team	O
deathmatch	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Last	O
Man	O
On	O
The	O
Hill	O
"	O
(	O
whichever	O
player	O
owns	O
the	O
hill	O
when	O
time	O
runs	O
out	O
is	O
the	O
winner	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
Myth	B-Application
,	O
one	O
particularly	O
celebrated	O
legend	B-Application
is	O
that	O
of	O
Connacht	O
,	O
who	O
,	O
one	O
thousand	O
years	O
ago	O
,	O
saved	O
the	O
world	O
from	O
a	O
race	O
of	O
flesh-eating	O
monsters	O
called	O
the	O
Myrkridia	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
hunted	O
humanity	O
to	O
near	O
extinction	B-Application
over	O
the	O
previous	O
millennium	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Coming	O
from	O
the	O
eastern	O
land	O
of	O
Gower	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
a	O
comet	B-Language
appeared	O
in	O
the	O
western	O
skies	O
,	O
Connacht	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
human	O
to	O
fight	O
the	O
Myrkridia	O
and	O
survive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
game	O
begins	O
,	O
a	O
berserk	O
runs	O
into	O
the	O
camp	O
of	O
The	O
Nine	O
,	O
and	O
gives	O
them	O
an	O
urn	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
then	O
cuts	O
to	O
The	O
Legion	O
as	O
they	O
head	O
to	O
the	O
city	O
of	O
Madrigal	O
,	O
headquarters	O
of	O
The	O
Nine	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
under	O
siege	B-Application
by	O
Shiver	O
(	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
Fallen	O
)	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
army	O
planning	O
to	O
attack	O
her	O
from	O
behind	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
plan	O
works	O
,	O
and	O
after	O
four	O
days	O
,	O
the	O
siege	B-Application
is	O
lifted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
agree	O
to	O
join	O
the	O
Light	O
,	O
but	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
(	O
Balor	O
's	O
chief	O
lieutenant	O
)	O
springs	O
a	O
surprise	O
attack	O
,	O
trapping	O
The	O
Legion	O
within	O
the	O
Tain	O
;	O
an	O
artifact	O
small	O
enough	O
to	O
hold	O
in	O
one	O
's	O
hand	O
,	O
but	O
which	O
contains	O
a	O
pocket	O
universe	O
of	O
limitless	O
capacity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shocked	O
at	O
their	O
escape	O
,	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
flees	O
,	O
but	O
news	O
soon	O
arrives	O
that	O
Maeldun	O
has	O
lost	O
Bagrada	O
,	O
and	O
The	O
Deceiver	O
has	O
crossed	O
west	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rather	O
than	O
returning	O
west	O
,	O
Alric	O
leads	O
The	O
Legion	O
north	O
,	O
moving	O
towards	O
Balor	O
's	O
fortress	O
in	O
Rhi'anon	O
,	O
capital	O
city	O
of	O
the	O
Trow	B-Application
,	O
an	O
ancient	O
race	O
of	O
giants	O
thought	O
extinct	O
until	O
they	O
joined	O
the	O
war	O
against	O
the	O
Light	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Leaving	O
a	O
garrison	O
of	O
men	O
behind	O
to	O
delay	O
the	O
pursuing	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
,	O
Alric	O
plans	O
to	O
attack	O
The	O
Watcher	O
using	O
arrows	O
tipped	O
with	O
bone	O
from	O
his	O
arm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
plan	O
works	O
;	O
The	O
Watcher	O
is	O
killed	O
,	O
scattering	O
his	O
army	O
and	O
clearing	O
the	O
way	O
ahead	O
,	O
whilst	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
breaks	O
off	O
his	O
pursuit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
as	O
a	O
comet	B-Language
appears	O
in	O
the	O
western	O
skies	O
,	O
Alric	O
orders	O
the	O
majority	O
of	O
the	O
surviving	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
Legion	O
,	O
twenty-two	O
hundred	O
men	O
,	O
to	O
launch	O
a	O
frontal	O
attack	O
on	O
Balor	O
's	O
fortress	O
in	O
a	O
suicide	O
mission	O
designed	O
to	O
cause	O
a	O
distraction	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
takes	O
the	O
remaining	O
one-hundred	O
men	O
through	O
a	O
World	O
Knot	O
(	O
a	O
teleportation	B-General_Concept
device	O
)	O
to	O
a	O
spot	O
behind	O
the	O
fortress	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
thirty	O
remaining	O
members	O
of	O
The	O
Legion	O
are	O
ambushed	O
by	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
as	O
they	O
approach	O
the	O
Devoid	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
fight	O
their	O
way	O
through	O
,	O
and	O
fling	O
the	O
head	O
into	O
the	O
pit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soulblighter	B-Application
turns	O
into	O
a	O
murder	O
of	O
crows	O
and	O
flees	O
,	O
moments	O
before	O
a	O
massive	O
explosion	O
erupts	O
from	O
within	O
the	O
Devoid	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
was	O
originally	O
conceived	O
by	O
Jason	O
Jones	O
as	O
Bungie	O
were	O
nearing	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
development	O
of	O
Marathon	B-Application
Infinity	I-Application
in	O
late	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
initial	O
screenshots	O
of	O
id	O
Software	O
's	O
Quake	B-Application
had	O
just	O
been	O
released	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
Jones	O
saw	O
them	O
,	O
he	O
felt	O
Bungie	O
's	O
new	O
game	O
was	O
shaping	O
up	O
as	O
too	O
similar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bungie	O
had	O
worked	O
on	O
several	O
3D	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
for	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Jones	O
 '	O
idea	O
was	O
to	O
bring	O
that	O
experience	O
to	O
a	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
rather	O
than	O
another	O
first-person	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
agreed	O
with	O
Jones	O
that	O
their	O
new	O
shooter	O
could	O
end	O
up	O
as	O
being	O
very	O
similar	O
to	O
Quake	B-Application
,	O
and	O
,	O
after	O
working	O
on	O
the	O
project	O
for	O
two	O
months	O
,	O
changed	O
it	O
to	O
a	O
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dubbed	O
"	O
The	O
Giant	O
Bloody	O
War	O
Game	O
"	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
initial	O
inspirations	O
for	O
Myth	B-Application
were	O
films	O
such	O
as	O
Mel	O
Gibson	O
's	O
Braveheart	B-Application
,	O
"	O
with	O
its	O
close-up	O
portrayal	O
of	O
bloody	O
melees	O
between	O
large	O
forces	O
,	O
"	O
and	O
literature	O
such	O
as	O
Glen	O
Cook	O
's	O
The	O
Black	O
Company	O
series	O
,	O
"	O
in	O
which	O
gruesome	O
tales	O
of	O
battle	O
contrast	O
with	O
engaging	O
and	O
intriguing	O
characters.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
We	O
dreamed	O
of	O
gameplay	O
that	O
combined	O
the	O
realism	O
and	O
excitement	O
of	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
with	O
the	O
cunning	O
and	O
planning	O
required	O
by	O
strategy	O
games.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Myth	B-Application
is	I-Application
,	O
by	O
definition	O
,	O
a	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
he	O
was	O
also	O
eager	O
to	O
differentiate	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
other	O
RTS	O
games	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
they	O
had	O
decided	O
on	O
the	O
basic	O
game	O
mechanics	O
,	O
their	O
first	O
task	O
was	O
to	O
draw	O
up	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
elements	O
they	O
wished	O
to	O
avoid	O
;	O
specifically	O
,	O
RTS	O
clichés	O
,	O
obvious	O
references	O
to	O
J	O
.	O
R	O
.	O
R	O
.	O
Tolkien	O
's	O
Middle-earth	O
,	O
allusions	O
to	O
the	O
Arthurian	B-Application
legend	I-Application
,	O
or	O
any	O
kind	O
of	O
narrative	O
involving	O
"	O
little	O
boys	O
coming	O
of	O
age	O
and	O
saving	O
the	O
world.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
elements	O
they	O
did	O
wish	O
to	O
incorporate	O
included	O
"	O
ideas	O
that	O
contributed	O
to	O
the	O
visual	O
realism	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
"	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
3D	O
landscape	O
,	O
polygonal	B-General_Concept
buildings	O
,	O
reflective	O
water	O
,	O
particle-based	O
weather	O
,	O
battlefields	O
littered	O
with	O
severed	O
limbs	O
,	O
and	O
explosions	O
that	O
damaged	O
the	O
terrain	O
permanently	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
also	O
determined	O
to	O
include	O
a	O
robust	O
online	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
mode	I-Application
and	O
allow	O
hundreds	O
of	O
troops	O
to	O
appear	O
on	O
a	O
battlefield	O
at	O
once	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
major	O
early	O
decision	O
was	O
to	O
develop	O
and	O
release	O
the	O
game	O
simultaneously	O
on	O
both	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
which	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
first	O
for	O
the	O
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Up	O
to	O
this	O
point	O
in	O
their	O
history	O
,	O
their	O
only	O
venture	O
into	O
PC	B-Device
gaming	O
had	O
been	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
Marathon	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Durandal	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
meant	O
designing	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
the	O
ground	O
up	O
to	O
be	O
cross-platform	O
compatible	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
developing	O
it	O
for	O
one	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
and	O
then	O
porting	O
it	O
to	O
another	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
such	O
,	O
90%	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
source	O
code	O
was	O
platform	O
independent	O
,	O
with	O
5%	O
written	O
for	O
PC	B-Device
subroutines	O
and	O
5%	O
for	O
Mac-specific	O
functionality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
data	O
,	O
from	O
cutscenes	O
to	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
warriors	O
who	O
are	O
left-handed	O
,	O
was	O
stored	O
in	O
platform-independent	O
data	B-General_Concept
files	I-General_Concept
called	O
"	O
tags	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
automatically	O
byte-swapped	O
when	O
necessary	O
and	O
accessed	O
via	O
a	O
cross-platform	O
file	B-Application
manager	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
team	O
was	O
more	O
familiar	O
with	O
developing	O
for	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
,	O
the	O
initial	O
coding	O
was	O
done	O
on	O
a	O
Mac	B-Device
using	O
CodeWarrior	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
PC	B-Device
builds	O
were	O
required	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
switched	O
to	O
Windows	O
,	O
using	O
Visual	B-Application
C++	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultimately	O
,	O
the	O
entire	O
game	O
was	O
written	O
in	O
C	B-Language
.	O
To	O
ensure	O
the	O
game	O
looked	O
identical	O
on	O
both	O
PCs	B-Device
and	O
Macs	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
created	O
and	O
implemented	O
their	O
own	O
dialog	B-General_Concept
manager	I-General_Concept
and	O
font	O
manager	O
,	O
which	O
allowed	O
them	O
to	O
use	O
custom	O
graphics	O
for	O
all	O
interface	O
items	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
font	O
manager	O
supported	O
antialiased	O
,	O
two-byte	O
fonts	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
text-parsing	O
formats	O
,	O
allowing	O
international	O
localizations	O
to	O
be	O
completed	O
relatively	O
easily	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
employs	O
a	O
fully	O
3D	O
terrain	O
,	O
with	O
3D	O
polygonal	B-General_Concept
buildings	O
,	O
the	O
characters	O
are	O
2D	O
sprites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
bring	O
the	O
3D	O
environment	O
and	O
the	O
2D	O
characters	O
together	O
and	O
construct	O
each	O
level	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
developed	O
four	O
separate	O
programming	B-Application
tools	I-Application
;	O
"	O
Tag	O
Editor	O
"	O
edited	O
the	O
constants	O
stored	O
in	O
the	O
cross-platform	O
data	B-General_Concept
files	I-General_Concept
;	O
"	O
Extractor	O
"	O
handled	O
the	O
2D	O
sprites	O
and	O
the	O
sequencing	O
of	O
their	O
animations	O
;	O
"	O
Loathing	O
"	O
acted	O
as	O
the	O
map	O
editor	O
;	O
and	O
"	O
Fear	O
"	O
dealt	O
with	O
the	O
3D	O
polygonal	B-General_Concept
models	O
such	O
as	O
houses	O
,	O
pillars	O
,	O
and	O
walls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Loathing	O
was	O
specifically	O
built	O
around	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
engine	O
and	O
allowed	O
the	O
team	O
to	O
modify	O
the	O
3D	O
landscape	O
,	O
apply	O
lighting	O
,	O
determine	O
terrain	O
type	O
,	O
script	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
,	O
and	O
position	O
structures	O
,	O
scenery	O
,	O
and	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
artists	O
used	O
PowerAnimator	B-Device
on	O
an	O
SGI	B-Application
Indigo	I-Application
2	I-Application
to	O
create	O
polygonal	B-General_Concept
models	O
and	O
render	O
all	O
the	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3D	O
models	O
were	O
imported	O
into	O
the	O
game	O
using	O
Fear	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
2D	O
sprites	O
were	O
cleaned	O
up	O
in	O
Adobe	B-Operating_System
Photoshop	I-Operating_System
and	O
imported	O
and	O
animated	O
using	O
Extractor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
create	O
the	O
texture	O
maps	O
for	O
the	O
terrain	O
,	O
the	O
artists	O
used	O
Photoshop	B-Operating_System
to	O
draw	O
the	O
equivalent	O
of	O
an	O
aerial	O
photo	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
applied	O
it	O
to	O
the	O
3D	O
landscape	O
using	O
Loathing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
had	O
planned	O
on	O
using	O
fractal-generated	O
landscapes	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
felt	O
the	O
randomness	O
of	O
such	O
landscapes	O
would	O
make	O
it	O
difficult	O
to	O
design	O
interesting	O
levels	O
,	O
and	O
so	O
all	O
maps	O
were	O
instead	O
constructed	O
by	O
hand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Implementing	O
pathfinding	B-Algorithm
was	O
a	O
particularly	O
difficult	O
challenge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
terrain	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
3D	O
polygonal	B-Algorithm
mesh	I-Algorithm
constructed	O
of	O
square	O
cells	O
,	O
each	O
of	O
which	O
is	O
tessellated	B-Algorithm
into	O
two	O
triangles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
originally	O
planned	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
A*	B-Protocol
algorithm	I-Protocol
,	O
but	O
soon	O
realized	O
this	O
would	O
create	O
problems	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
the	O
realism	O
they	O
desired	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Furthermore	O
,	O
even	O
if	O
an	O
obstacle	O
did	O
occupy	O
exactly	O
one	O
cell	O
,	O
the	O
A*	B-Protocol
algorithm	I-Protocol
would	O
make	O
a	O
unit	O
walk	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
obstacle	O
,	O
turn	O
,	O
and	O
continue	O
around	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
such	O
,	O
they	O
wrote	O
their	O
own	O
pathfinding	B-Algorithm
algorithm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Then	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
factored	O
in	O
arbitrarily	O
placed	O
obstacles	O
and	O
periodically	O
refined	O
their	O
pathfinding	B-Algorithm
using	O
a	O
vector-based	O
scheme	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
planned	O
path	O
caused	O
the	O
unit	O
to	O
hit	O
an	O
obstacle	O
,	O
the	O
path	O
was	O
altered	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
choosing	O
whether	O
deviating	O
to	O
the	O
left	O
or	O
the	O
right	O
was	O
the	O
shorter	O
option	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Their	O
system	O
worked	O
for	O
90%	O
of	O
cases	O
,	O
but	O
in	O
testing	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
discovered	O
several	O
scenarios	O
where	O
their	O
pathfinding	B-Algorithm
algorithm	O
did	O
n't	O
work	O
especially	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
such	O
,	O
their	O
assessment	O
of	O
the	O
pathfinding	B-Algorithm
in	O
the	O
final	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
that	O
"	O
it	O
works	O
pretty	O
well	O
and	O
provides	O
the	O
effect	O
we	O
sought	O
,	O
but	O
there	O
's	O
definitely	O
room	O
for	O
improvement.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
Regier	O
's	O
few	O
disappointments	O
was	O
that	O
during	O
the	O
early	O
stages	O
of	O
promotion	O
,	O
Bungie	O
advertised	O
a	O
scripting	B-Language
language	I-Language
that	O
would	O
allow	O
players	O
to	O
modify	O
elements	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
he	O
explains	O
:	O
"	O
We	O
had	O
hoped	O
that	O
user	O
scripts	O
could	O
be	O
written	O
for	O
extensible	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
custom	O
formations	O
,	O
net	O
game	O
rules	O
,	O
and	O
map	O
behaviors.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
selected	O
Java	B-Language
as	O
the	O
basis	O
for	O
the	O
scripting	B-Language
language	I-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
programmer	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
scripting	B-Language
language	I-Language
left	O
Bungie	O
midway	O
through	O
production	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
were	O
left	O
with	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
features	O
to	O
implement	O
and	O
no	O
library	B-Library
of	O
user-friendly	O
interfaces	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
originally	O
supported	O
both	O
software	O
rendering	O
and	O
3dfx	O
's	O
Glide	B-Operating_System
3D	B-Architecture
acceleration	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jason	O
Regier	O
wrote	O
of	O
working	O
with	O
3D	B-Architecture
graphic	I-Architecture
accelerators	I-Architecture
:	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
Bungie	O
re-released	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
for	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
and	O
Windows	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
special	O
edition	O
called	O
Myth	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Total	I-Application
Codex	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
bundle	O
included	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
v1.3	O
(	O
Bungie	O
's	O
last	O
upgrade	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
)	O
,	O
Myth	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Soulblighter	I-Application
,	O
the	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
expansion	O
pack	O
Myth	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Chimera	I-Application
,	O
and	O
official	O
Strategies	O
and	O
Secrets	O
guides	O
for	O
both	O
of	O
the	O
main	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
official	O
Bungie	O
Myth	B-Application
servers	B-Application
closed	O
in	O
February	O
2002	O
,	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
series	O
continues	O
to	O
have	O
an	O
active	O
online	O
fanbase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Bungie	O
released	O
the	O
Total	O
Codex	O
bundle	O
in	O
1999	O
,	O
which	O
contained	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
v1.3	O
,	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
v1.3	O
and	O
the	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
expansion	O
pack	O
,	O
Myth	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Chimera	I-Application
,	O
they	O
ceased	O
working	O
to	O
develop	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
source	O
code	O
,	O
as	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
who	O
purchased	O
the	O
company	O
in	O
2000	O
,	O
wanted	O
them	O
to	O
concentrate	O
on	O
Halo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
blessing	O
of	O
Take-Two	O
Interactive	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
acquired	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
intellectual	O
property	O
in	O
2000	O
,	O
Bungie	O
released	O
their	O
entire	O
archive	O
of	O
Myth-related	O
materials	O
to	O
MythDevelopers	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
and	O
all	O
artwork	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MythDevelopers	O
were	O
also	O
granted	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
for	O
Myth	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Wolf	I-Application
Age	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
MumboJumbo	O
in	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bungie	O
also	O
open	B-Application
sourced	I-Application
their	O
Myth	B-Application
metaserver	B-Application
source	O
code	O
in	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
their	O
initial	O
focus	O
was	O
on	O
the	O
bug-ridden	O
release	O
version	O
of	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
,	O
they	O
also	O
worked	O
to	O
update	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
to	O
newer	O
operating	B-General_Concept
systems	I-General_Concept
on	O
both	O
Mac	B-Device
and	O
PC	B-Device
,	O
fix	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
,	O
and	O
create	O
unofficial	O
patches	O
to	O
enhance	O
both	O
the	O
games	O
themselves	O
and	O
the	O
mapmaking	O
tools	O
which	O
Bungie	O
had	O
released	O
with	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
MythDevelopers	O
disbanded	O
in	O
December	O
2003	O
,	O
with	O
Project	O
Magma	O
becoming	O
the	O
main	O
development	O
group	O
for	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
and	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
,	O
and	O
FlyingFlip	O
Studios	O
for	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
disbanding	O
,	O
MythDevelopers	O
created	O
and	O
operated	O
PlayMyth.net,	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
online	O
Myth	B-Application
server	O
after	O
the	O
official	O
servers	B-Application
were	O
taken	O
offline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
built	O
using	O
the	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
server	O
,	O
PlayMyth	O
could	O
also	O
run	O
both	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
and	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
MumboJumbo	O
using	O
a	O
network	O
gameplay	O
system	O
designed	O
to	O
run	O
on	O
GameSpy	O
rather	O
than	O
Bungie.net	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PlayMyth	O
went	O
offline	O
in	O
October	O
2007	O
after	O
it	O
was	O
repeatedly	O
hacked	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
servers	B-Application
becoming	O
MariusNet.com	O
and	O
GateofStorms.net	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MariusNet	O
had	O
been	O
online	O
since	O
just	O
prior	O
to	O
net	O
's	O
Myth	B-Application
servers	B-Application
going	O
offline	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
officially	O
approved	O
by	O
Bungie	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
impetus	O
behind	O
the	O
project	O
was	O
as	O
a	O
temporary	O
replacement	O
for	O
Myth	B-Application
players	O
in	O
case	O
the	O
original	O
servers	B-Application
were	O
shut	O
down	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
rumored	O
for	O
some	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Bungie	O
servers	B-Application
had	O
not	O
supported	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
since	O
November	O
2001	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
community	O
believed	O
the	O
servers	B-Application
would	O
soon	O
close	O
for	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
servers	B-Application
closed	O
in	O
November	O
,	O
the	O
only	O
way	O
to	O
play	O
a	O
multiplayer	O
game	O
was	O
via	O
a	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
or	O
AppleTalk	B-Application
,	O
and	O
MariusNet	O
was	O
created	O
as	O
a	O
Bungie.net	O
"	O
emulator	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
,	O
like	O
PlayMyth	O
,	O
supported	O
all	O
three	O
Myth	B-Application
games	O
,	O
and	O
thus	O
gave	O
players	O
a	O
way	O
to	O
play	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
online	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
Bungie	O
had	O
not	O
open	B-Application
sourced	I-Application
the	O
metaserver	B-Application
source	O
code	O
,	O
so	O
creating	O
a	O
network	O
for	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
was	O
accomplished	O
via	O
reverse	O
engineering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MariusNet	O
closed	O
in	O
2014	O
when	O
the	O
server	O
company	O
shut	O
down	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
hardware	B-Architecture
was	O
damaged	O
whilst	O
being	O
moved	O
to	O
its	O
new	O
location	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GateofStorms	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
created	O
by	O
Project	O
Magma	O
,	O
and	O
only	O
supports	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
v1.8	O
(	O
released	O
by	O
Magma	O
in	O
2013	O
)	O
,	O
remains	O
active	O
,	O
and	O
continues	O
to	O
host	O
individual	O
games	O
and	O
tournaments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
seen	O
as	O
a	O
defining	O
title	O
in	O
the	O
emerging	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
strategy	O
genre	O
,	O
helping	O
to	O
solidify	O
the	O
elements	O
of	O
the	O
genre	O
both	O
with	O
gamers	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
gaming	O
press	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
served	O
to	O
bring	O
Bungie	O
to	O
the	O
attention	O
of	O
PC	B-Device
gamers	O
,	O
and	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
who	O
would	O
purchase	O
the	O
company	O
in	O
2000	O
so	O
that	O
Bungie	O
's	O
new	O
game	O
,	O
Halo	O
,	O
could	O
be	O
developed	O
as	O
a	O
launch	O
title	O
for	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
debut	O
video	B-Device
game	I-Device
console	I-Device
,	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
"	O
When	O
you	O
combine	O
the	O
excellent	O
multiplayer	O
support	O
,	O
the	O
great	O
graphics	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
dramatic	O
gameplay	O
improvements	O
offered	O
by	O
the	O
1.1	O
patch	O
,	O
you	O
get	O
a	O
truly	O
remarkable	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
strategy	O
game.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
PC	B-Device
Zones	O
Jamie	O
Cunnigham	O
praised	O
the	O
interface	O
,	O
the	O
range	O
of	O
units	O
,	O
the	O
level	O
design	O
,	O
multiplayer	O
mode	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
camera	O
during	O
battles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
difficulty	O
,	O
writing	O
"	O
Myth	B-Application
is	I-Application
let	O
down	O
by	O
what	O
can	O
only	O
be	O
described	O
as	O
an	O
overwhelming	O
frustration	O
whenever	O
you	O
play	O
it	O
for	O
any	O
length	O
of	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Revolutions	O
Calvin	O
Hubble	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
impressive	O
looking	O
strategy	B-Application
games	I-Application
to	O
hit	O
the	O
market.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
lauded	O
the	O
online	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
mode	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
reviewed	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
With	O
a	O
large	O
and	O
complex	O
control	O
scheme	O
,	O
Myth'''s	O
learning	O
curve	O
starts	O
higher	O
than	O
anything	O
else	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
remarked	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
immediately	O
accessible	O
,	O
with	O
only	O
the	O
camera	O
requiring	O
any	O
time	O
to	O
learn	O
,	O
and	O
gave	O
it	O
a	O
perfect	O
5.0	O
out	O
of	O
5	O
in	O
all	O
four	O
categories	O
(	O
graphics	O
,	O
sound	O
,	O
control	O
,	O
and	O
fun	O
factor	O
)	O
,	O
concluding	O
that	O
"	O
today	O
's	O
bloated	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
strategy	O
market	O
could	O
use	O
a	O
swift	O
kick	O
,	O
and	O
Myth	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
is	O
one	O
big-ass	O
boot.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Alex	O
Seropian	O
,	O
co-founder	O
of	O
Bungie	O
,	O
The	O
Fallen	O
Lords	O
cost	O
roughly	O
$2million	O
to	O
develop	O
and	O
market	O
,	O
by	O
far	O
Bungie	O
's	O
most	O
expensive	O
game	O
up	O
to	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
such	O
,	O
they	O
needed	O
it	O
to	O
be	O
financially	O
successful	O
,	O
especially	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
their	O
first	O
original	O
PC	B-Device
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
won	O
numerous	O
awards	O
,	O
including	O
"	O
Real-Time	B-General_Concept
Strategy	B-Application
Game	I-Application
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
from	O
PC	B-Device
Gamer	O
,	O
"	O
Strategy	B-Application
Game	I-Application
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
from	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
from	O
both	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
and	O
Macworld	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1998	O
,	O
PC	B-Device
Gamer	O
declared	O
it	O
the	O
19th-best	O
computer	O
game	O
ever	O
released	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
editors	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
a	O
breath	O
of	O
fresh	O
air	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
a	O
modern	O
classic	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
