<s>
Myth	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Wolf	I-Application
Age	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2001	O
real-time	B-Application
tactics	I-Application
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
MumboJumbo	O
and	O
co-published	O
by	O
Take-Two	O
Interactive	O
and	O
Gathering	O
of	O
Developers	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
and	O
by	O
Take-Two	O
and	O
MacSoft	O
for	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
is	O
the	O
third	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
series	O
,	O
following	O
1997	O
's	O
Myth	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
and	O
1998	O
's	O
Myth	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Soulblighter	I-Application
,	O
both	O
of	O
which	O
were	O
developed	O
by	O
Bungie	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
Take-Two	O
purchased	O
19.9	O
%	O
of	O
Bungie	O
's	O
shares	O
,	O
but	O
when	O
Microsoft	O
bought	O
Bungie	O
outright	O
in	O
2000	O
,	O
the	O
rights	O
for	O
Oni	B-Application
and	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
series	O
were	O
transferred	O
to	O
Take-Two	O
,	O
who	O
hired	O
the	O
startup	O
company	O
MumboJumbo	O
to	O
develop	O
Myth	B-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
is	O
a	O
prequel	O
to	O
the	O
two	O
previous	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
set	O
one-thousand	O
years	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
events	O
depicted	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
tells	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
Connacht	O
's	O
attempts	O
to	O
rid	O
the	O
land	O
of	O
the	O
flesh	O
eating	O
monsters	B-Application
known	O
as	O
the	O
Myrkridia	O
,	O
and	O
defeat	O
the	O
immortal	B-Application
evil	O
spirit	O
"	O
The	O
Leveler	O
"	O
,	O
who	O
has	O
inhabited	O
the	O
body	O
of	O
the	O
hero	O
who	O
defeated	O
him	O
in	O
a	O
previous	O
age	O
,	O
Tireces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
plot	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
serves	O
as	O
an	O
origin	O
story	O
for	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
main	O
antagonists	O
from	O
The	B-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
and	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
,	O
and	O
depicts	O
the	O
original	O
forms	O
and	O
relationships	O
of	O
characters	O
such	O
as	O
Balor	O
,	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
,	O
Shiver	O
,	O
The	O
Deceiver	O
,	O
The	O
Watcher	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
The	O
Head	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Major	O
points	O
of	O
criticism	O
included	O
the	O
many	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
in	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
version	O
,	O
awkward	O
controls	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
poor	O
online	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
mode	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
the	O
entire	O
development	O
team	O
was	O
let	O
go	O
by	O
MumboJumbo	O
,	O
and	O
no	O
further	O
technical	B-General_Concept
support	I-General_Concept
or	O
patches	O
were	O
provided	O
by	O
either	O
MumboJumbo	O
or	O
Take-Two	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>
MythDevelopers	O
initially	O
formed	O
with	O
the	O
purpose	O
of	O
fixing	O
the	O
bug-ridden	O
Windows	B-Application
version	O
of	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
when	O
it	O
became	O
apparent	O
there	O
would	O
be	O
no	O
official	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
game	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
support	O
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
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Wolf	I-Application
Age	I-Application
is	O
a	O
real-time	B-Application
tactics	I-Application
game	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
such	O
,	O
unlike	O
the	O
gameplay	O
in	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
strategy	O
games	O
,	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>
The	O
HUD	B-Application
also	O
includes	O
a	O
"	O
Unit	O
Grouping	O
Bar	O
"	O
which	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
click	O
on	O
the	O
corresponding	O
number	O
rather	O
than	O
using	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
to	O
select	O
their	O
group	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
accomplished	O
by	O
pressing	O
the	O
left	O
or	O
the	O
right	O
arrow	O
key	O
or	O
moving	O
the	O
mouse	B-Device
to	O
rotate	O
the	O
direction	O
of	O
the	O
units	O
as	O
they	O
move	O
to	O
the	O
selected	O
location	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
and	O
mouse	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
the	O
mouse	B-Device
to	O
move	O
backwards	O
,	O
forwards	O
,	O
left	O
and	O
right	O
is	O
accomplished	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>
The	O
player	O
can	O
also	O
select	O
preferences	O
to	O
allow	O
them	O
to	O
control	O
rotation	O
and	O
orbiting	O
via	O
the	O
mouse	B-Device
,	O
by	O
moving	O
the	O
cursor	B-Application
to	O
the	O
top	O
and	O
bottom	O
corners	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zooming	O
can	O
be	O
controlled	O
by	O
either	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
or	O
mouse	B-Device
wheel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
could	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
multiplayer	O
gaming	O
on	O
GameSpy	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
Body	O
Count	O
"	O
(	O
team	O
deathmatch	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
Last	O
Man	O
On	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
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
"	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
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
Capture	B-Application
the	I-Application
flag	I-Application
"	O
(	O
each	O
team	O
begins	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
one	O
flag	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
winner	O
being	O
the	O
first	O
team	O
to	O
capture	O
the	O
other	O
team	O
's	O
flag	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Balls	O
On	O
Parade	O
"	O
(	O
each	O
team	O
has	O
a	O
ball	O
;	O
with	O
the	O
winner	O
being	O
the	O
first	O
team	O
to	O
capture	O
the	O
other	O
team	O
's	O
ball	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Territories	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
team	O
to	O
capture	O
and	O
hold	O
the	O
most	O
flags	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
team	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
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
Stampede	O
!	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
thousands	O
of	O
years	O
since	O
humanity	O
first	O
evolved	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Myth	B-Application
,	O
scholars	O
looking	O
back	O
through	O
its	O
history	O
began	O
to	O
notice	O
a	O
pattern	O
;	O
civilisation	O
would	O
rise	O
,	O
only	O
to	O
be	O
torn	O
down	O
,	O
before	O
again	O
rising	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
commencement	O
of	O
each	O
thousand-year	O
cycle	O
is	O
marked	O
by	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
a	O
comet	B-Language
in	O
the	O
western	O
skies	O
,	O
"	O
The	O
Apparitor	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
black	O
magic	O
,	O
he	O
opened	O
a	O
door	O
into	O
another	O
realm	O
,	O
and	O
found	O
a	O
race	O
of	O
fearless	O
monsters	B-Application
known	O
as	O
Myrkridia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
begins	O
one-thousand	O
years	O
prior	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unable	O
to	O
penetrate	O
Llancarfan	O
,	O
the	O
Myrkridia	O
have	O
instead	O
focused	O
on	O
Gower	O
,	O
reaching	O
the	O
largest	O
township	B-Application
,	O
Yürsgrad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
army	O
walk	O
into	O
a	O
trap	O
;	O
Moagim	O
has	O
enlisted	O
the	O
aid	O
of	O
Bahl'al	O
,	O
who	O
unleashes	O
an	O
army	O
of	O
undead	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Trow	B-Application
,	O
ancient	O
giants	O
nearly	O
unstoppable	O
in	O
combat	O
,	O
who	O
also	O
bring	O
with	O
them	O
their	O
Oghre	O
slaves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Moagim	O
then	O
attacks	O
Llancarfen	O
with	O
an	O
army	O
of	O
undead	O
and	O
Trow	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
army	O
is	O
repelled	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
is	O
agreed	O
that	O
with	O
the	O
Trow	B-Application
by	O
his	O
side	O
,	O
Moagim	O
could	O
return	O
and	O
breach	O
the	O
city	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
such	O
,	O
Connacht	O
proposes	O
they	O
be	O
removed	O
from	O
the	O
war	O
;	O
Myrdred	O
has	O
learned	O
the	O
Oghre	O
are	O
not	O
enslaved	O
by	O
physical	O
means	O
,	O
but	O
by	O
a	O
"	O
Dream	O
of	O
Subjugation	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
believes	O
if	O
the	O
spell	O
can	O
be	O
broken	O
,	O
the	O
Oghre	O
will	O
rebel	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Trow	B-Application
will	O
withdraw	O
from	O
the	O
war	O
to	O
deal	O
with	O
the	O
uprising	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Myrdred	O
leads	O
a	O
small	O
force	O
to	O
the	O
Trow	B-Application
Empire	O
,	O
where	O
he	O
is	O
able	O
to	O
free	O
the	O
Oghre	O
,	O
beginning	O
a	O
rebellion	O
against	O
the	O
Trow	B-Application
,	O
who	O
withdraw	O
from	O
the	O
war	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
he	O
reaches	O
the	O
forge	B-Protocol
,	O
he	O
finds	O
it	O
under	O
attack	O
by	O
the	O
Spider	O
Cult	O
,	O
a	O
group	O
who	O
worship	O
Syrkrosh	O
,	O
a	O
giant	O
spider	O
from	O
another	O
dimension	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
the	O
Trow	B-Application
put	O
down	O
the	O
Oghre	O
rebellion	O
,	O
and	O
vow	O
to	O
attack	O
Llancarfan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eventually	O
,	O
they	O
destroy	O
the	O
Trow	B-Application
Empire	O
,	O
Connacht	O
using	O
the	O
SunHammer	O
to	O
melt	O
their	O
cities	O
and	O
trap	O
them	O
within	O
the	O
molten	O
iron	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Connacht	O
presides	O
over	O
a	O
prosperous	O
era	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
,	O
before	O
disappearing	O
into	O
the	O
east	O
,	O
not	O
to	O
be	O
seen	O
again	O
for	O
a	O
thousand	O
years	O
when	O
he	O
would	O
return	O
as	O
Balor	O
,	O
with	O
Damas	O
and	O
Ravanna	O
again	O
by	O
his	O
side	O
as	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
and	O
Shiver	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
Bungie	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
developed	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
series	O
(	O
Myth	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
and	O
Myth	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Soulblighter	I-Application
)	O
,	O
sold	O
19.9	O
%	O
of	O
their	O
shares	O
to	O
Take-Two	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2000	O
,	O
Bungie	O
was	O
purchased	O
outright	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
with	O
Take-Two	O
acquiring	O
the	O
Oni	B-Application
and	O
Myth	B-Application
intellectual	O
properties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
was	O
then	O
announced	O
in	O
January	O
2001	O
,	O
when	O
Take-Two	O
subsidiary	O
Gathering	O
of	O
Developers	O
revealed	O
MumboJumbo	O
were	O
developing	O
it	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
successful	O
pitch	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
been	O
made	O
by	O
Scott	O
Campbell	O
,	O
CEO	O
of	O
Contraband	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
which	O
had	O
handled	O
the	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
ports	O
of	O
Ritual	O
Entertainment	O
's	O
SiN	O
and	O
Heavy	B-Operating_System
Metal	I-Operating_System
:	I-Operating_System
F.A.K.K.²	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ritual	O
had	O
been	O
planning	O
to	O
open	O
an	O
office	O
in	O
Irvine	O
,	O
California	O
near	O
Contraband	O
's	O
headquarters	O
for	O
some	O
time	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
Ritual	O
had	O
a	O
history	O
with	O
Contraband	O
,	O
Take-Two	O
suggested	O
Contraband	O
team	O
up	O
with	O
some	O
more	O
experienced	O
members	O
of	O
Ritual	O
to	O
form	O
a	O
new	O
company	O
-	O
MumboJumbo	O
-	O
which	O
would	O
handle	O
development	O
of	O
Myth	B-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
GOD	O
's	O
announcement	O
,	O
Alex	O
Seropian	O
,	O
co-founder	O
of	O
Bungie	O
,	O
expressed	O
confidence	O
in	O
MumboJumbo	O
's	O
ability	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
worthy	O
successor	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
games	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
MumboJumbo	O
has	O
a	O
real	O
appreciation	O
for	O
what	O
made	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
Myth	B-Application
games	O
great	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
We	O
're	O
confident	O
that	O
their	O
knowledge	O
and	O
experience	O
will	O
make	O
Myth	B-Application
III	I-Application
a	O
title	O
that	O
satisfies	O
existing	O
Myth	B-Application
fans	O
and	O
brings	O
legions	O
of	O
new	O
gamers	O
into	O
the	O
fold	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
also	O
keen	O
to	O
try	O
out	O
new	O
things	O
:	O
"	O
There	O
's	O
a	O
lot	O
left	O
to	O
explore	O
in	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
franchise	O
even	O
before	O
we	O
go	O
in	O
a	O
somewhat	O
different	O
route	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
this	O
in	O
mind	O
,	O
MumboJumbo	O
hired	O
three	O
members	O
of	O
Soulblighters	B-Application
modding	O
community	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
were	O
so	O
familiar	O
with	O
Soulblighters	B-Application
source	O
code	O
,	O
upon	O
which	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
was	O
being	O
built	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
franchise	O
in	O
general	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Executive	O
producer	O
Mike	O
Donges	O
explained	O
:	O
"	O
The	O
existing	O
Myth	B-Application
community	O
is	O
still	O
very	O
rabid	O
about	O
the	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
We	O
want	O
to	O
make	O
sure	O
that	O
we	O
catered	O
to	O
them	O
,	O
so	O
to	O
do	O
that	O
,	O
we	O
had	O
some	O
people	O
from	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
mod	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
're	O
our	O
Myth	B-Application
lore	O
experts	O
,	O
so	O
if	O
we	O
try	O
to	O
put	O
in	O
something	O
new	O
,	O
they	O
have	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
[	O
reject	O
it ]	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
was	O
built	O
using	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
source	O
code	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
made	O
significant	O
changes	O
to	O
improve	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
visual	O
aesthetics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mike	O
Donges	O
explains	O
:	O
"	O
We	O
started	O
off	O
with	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
II	I-Application
engine	O
,	O
but	O
we	O
gutted	O
almost	O
everything	O
out	O
of	O
it	O
except	O
for	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
single	O
biggest	O
change	O
made	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
engine	O
was	O
that	O
everything	O
in	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
is	O
rendered	O
in	O
OpenGL	B-Application
3D	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
characters	O
and	O
all	O
environmental	O
objects	O
;	O
unlike	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
,	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
did	O
not	O
include	O
a	O
software	O
rendering	O
option	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
Myth	B-Application
game	O
to	O
feature	O
fully	O
3D	O
characters	O
;	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
had	O
featured	O
a	O
3D	O
environment	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
characters	O
and	O
some	O
environmental	O
objects	O
were	O
2D	O
sprites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
,	O
each	O
3D	O
character	O
is	O
composed	O
of	O
512x512	O
textures	O
,	O
with	O
human	O
sized	O
units	O
made	O
up	O
of	O
between	O
350	O
and	O
450	O
polygons	B-General_Concept
,	O
whilst	O
the	O
Trow	B-Application
are	O
made	O
up	O
of	O
almost	O
1000	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
engine	O
capable	O
of	O
supporting	O
up	O
to	O
10,000	O
polygons	B-General_Concept
on-screen	O
at	O
any	O
one	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
characters	O
were	O
animated	O
using	O
Ritual	O
's	O
"	O
Tiki	O
"	O
character-animation	O
system	O
,	O
a	O
skeletal	O
animation	O
system	O
used	O
on	O
Heavy	B-Operating_System
Metal	I-Operating_System
:	I-Operating_System
F.A.K.K.²	I-Operating_System
and	O
later	O
used	O
by	O
Rogue	O
Entertainment	O
for	O
American	B-Application
McGee	I-Application
's	I-Application
Alice	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Of	O
the	O
move	O
to	O
full	O
3D	O
,	O
Dochtermann	O
points	O
out	O
the	O
3D	O
engine	O
allows	O
for	O
things	O
not	O
possible	O
in	O
the	O
previous	O
Myth	B-Application
games	O
:	O
"	O
There	O
's	O
some	O
very	O
cool	O
kinematics	O
stuff	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Speaking	O
of	O
how	O
the	O
move	O
to	O
3D	O
would	O
help	O
the	O
game	O
improve	O
on	O
the	O
previous	O
Myth	B-Application
games	O
,	O
Campbell	O
said	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
new	O
game	O
engine	O
also	O
supported	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
shadows	O
and	O
dynamic	O
lighting	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
being	O
capable	O
of	O
blending	O
six	O
to	O
seven	O
different	O
texture	O
layers	O
,	O
depending	O
on	O
how	O
close	O
the	O
camera	O
is	O
to	O
the	O
action	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Regarding	O
the	O
programming	B-Application
tools	I-Application
used	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
MumboJumbo	O
initially	O
began	O
by	O
using	O
Bungie	O
's	O
"	O
Fear	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Loathing	O
"	O
tools	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
made	O
available	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
,	O
although	O
they	O
never	O
intended	O
to	O
use	O
them	O
for	O
very	O
long	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
plan	O
always	O
being	O
to	O
develop	O
their	O
own	O
tool	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soon	O
before	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
,	O
PC	B-Device
Gamers	O
Jim	O
Preston	O
wrote	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
skeptical	O
as	O
to	O
whether	O
the	O
developer	O
had	O
been	O
given	O
enough	O
time	O
to	O
satisfactorily	O
complete	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
stores	O
on	O
November	O
2	O
,	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
16	O
,	O
lead	O
programmer	O
Andrew	O
Meggs	O
posted	O
on	O
Mythvillage.org	O
that	O
the	O
entire	O
Myth	B-Application
III	I-Application
PC	B-Device
team	O
had	O
been	O
laid	O
off	O
by	O
MumboJumbo	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
been	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meggs	O
explained	O
the	O
team	O
knew	O
there	O
were	O
problems	O
with	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
had	O
been	O
fired	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
unable	O
to	O
address	O
these	O
problems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
acknowledged	O
that	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
criticisms	O
regarding	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
in	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
addressed	O
by	O
the	O
patch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Speaking	O
of	O
the	O
Mac	B-Device
version	O
,	O
he	O
explained	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
fixes	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
patch	O
for	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
version	O
had	O
been	O
implemented	O
in	O
the	O
Mac	B-Device
release	O
version	O
,	O
but	O
there	O
were	O
now	O
only	O
two	O
people	O
working	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
release	O
date	O
was	O
unknown	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
that	O
same	O
day	O
,	O
Rebecca	O
Heineman	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
two	O
people	O
still	O
working	O
on	O
the	O
Mac	B-Device
version	O
,	O
posted	O
to	O
the	O
forums	O
:	O
"	O
Do	O
n't	O
be	O
concerned	O
about	O
the	O
Mac	B-Device
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
days	O
later	O
,	O
MumboJumbo	O
denied	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
III	I-Application
team	O
had	O
been	O
laid	O
off	O
,	O
saying	O
all	O
staff	O
members	O
had	O
been	O
invited	O
to	O
work	O
in	O
the	O
Dallas	O
office	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
19	O
,	O
Mark	O
Dochtermann	O
promised	O
the	O
patch	O
would	O
be	O
released	O
before	O
Christmas	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
Vengeance	O
,	O
saying	O
they	O
had	O
delayed	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
patch	O
for	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
version	O
so	O
as	O
to	O
coincide	O
its	O
release	O
with	O
the	O
Mac	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
Mac	B-Device
version	O
was	O
ultimately	O
released	O
in	O
January	O
2002	O
,	O
the	O
patch	O
was	O
never	O
officially	O
released	O
by	O
MumboJumbo	O
for	O
either	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
it	O
became	O
apparent	O
that	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
would	O
receive	O
little	O
to	O
no	O
technical	B-General_Concept
support	I-General_Concept
or	O
official	O
patches	O
from	O
either	O
MumboJumbo	O
or	O
Take-Two	O
,	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
programmers	O
,	O
artists	O
and	O
coders	O
banded	O
together	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
MythDevelopers	O
,	O
and	O
approached	O
Take-Two	O
to	O
ask	O
for	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
source	O
code	O
so	O
as	O
to	O
continue	O
its	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
MythDevelopers	O
worked	O
to	O
update	O
The	B-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
and	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
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
,	O
their	O
initial	O
focus	O
was	O
on	O
the	O
bug-ridden	O
release	O
versions	O
of	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
problems	O
running	O
on	O
both	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
and	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
We	O
had	O
to	O
rewrite	O
the	O
Mac	B-Device
input	O
routines	O
before	O
we	O
could	O
even	O
make	O
an	O
app	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
also	O
given	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
for	O
"	O
BurgerLib	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
proprietary	B-Application
development	I-Application
library	I-Application
created	O
by	O
Rebecca	O
Heineman	O
,	O
lead	O
developer	O
on	O
the	O
Mac	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
they	O
developed	O
their	O
own	O
library	B-Library
,	O
dubbed	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
Core	O
Library	B-Library
,	O
which	O
provided	O
networking	O
,	O
input	O
routines	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
low-level	B-Language
functions	I-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
part	O
of	O
their	O
deal	O
with	O
Take-Two	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
could	O
n't	O
incorporate	O
anything	O
into	O
the	O
games	O
which	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
unable	O
to	O
give	O
Take-Two	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
should	O
the	O
company	O
ever	O
ask	O
for	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
back	O
;	O
all	O
modifications	O
remained	O
the	O
intellectual	O
property	O
of	O
Take-Two	O
,	O
who	O
were	O
free	O
to	O
use	O
them	O
in	O
a	O
future	O
commercial	O
version	O
of	O
Myth	B-Application
,	O
if	O
they	O
ever	O
wanted	O
to	O
re-release	O
an	O
upgraded	O
version	O
of	O
one	O
or	O
more	O
of	O
the	O
games	O
,	O
or	O
incorporate	O
the	O
modifications	O
into	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
Myth	B-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2003	O
,	O
MythDevelopers	O
released	O
a	O
v1.1	O
patch	O
for	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
for	O
both	O
Windows	B-Application
and	O
Mac	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fixing	O
over	O
forty	O
gameplay	O
and	O
stability	O
issues	O
,	O
and	O
addressing	O
numerous	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
,	O
the	O
patch	O
also	O
included	O
new	O
multiplayer	O
maps	O
and	O
gameplay	O
modes	O
.	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	B-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
and	O
Soulblighter	B-Application
,	O
and	O
FlyingFlip	O
Studios	O
for	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
patch	O
for	O
The	O
Wolf	O
Age	O
was	O
v1.3	O
,	O
released	O
in	O
2004	O
,	O
which	O
introduced	O
multiple	O
gameplay	O
and	O
stability	O
improvements	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
bug	B-Error_Name
fixes	O
,	O
and	O
performance	O
enhancements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Designed	O
for	O
both	O
Mac	B-Device
and	O
PC	B-Device
,	O
Ballistic	O
allowed	O
the	O
user	O
more	O
choices	O
than	O
had	O
Vengeance	O
,	O
was	O
more	O
user-friendly	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
without	O
any	O
of	O
the	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
inherent	O
to	O
Vengeance	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	B-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
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	B-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
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	B-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
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
Wolf	O
Age	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	B-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
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
remains	O
active	O
,	O
and	O
continues	O
to	O
host	O
individual	O
games	O
and	O
tournaments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Myth	B-Application
III	I-Application
received	O
generally	O
positive	O
reviews	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
viewed	O
as	O
inferior	O
to	O
both	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
Myth	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
The	O
Electric	O
Playgrounds	O
2001	O
"	O
Best	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
for	O
PC	B-Device
"	O
prize	O
,	O
but	O
lost	O
to	O
Etherlords	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
:	O
"	O
Some	O
unfortunate	O
set	O
backs	O
,	O
whether	O
they	O
were	O
by	O
design	O
or	O
bug	B-Error_Name
dulled	O
the	O
experience	O
a	O
little	O
bit	O
,	O
but	O
not	O
enough	O
to	O
hamper	O
my	O
enjoyment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
's	O
Sam	O
Parker	O
scored	O
it	O
8.4	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
:	O
"	O
Myth	B-Application
IIIs	I-Application
single-player	O
game	O
represents	O
the	O
best	O
the	O
Myth	B-Application
series	O
has	O
to	O
offer	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
praised	O
the	O
3D	O
graphics	O
and	O
the	O
storyline	O
,	O
lauding	O
the	O
decision	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
prequel	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
absence	O
of	O
many	O
advertised	O
multiplayer	O
features	O
,	O
the	O
absence	O
of	O
Vengeance	O
,	O
and	O
compatibility	O
issues	O
with	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
,	O
expressing	O
concern	O
as	O
to	O
whether	O
MumboJumbo	O
and	O
Take-Two	O
would	O
provide	O
the	O
same	O
level	O
of	O
technical	B-General_Concept
support	I-General_Concept
that	O
Bungie	O
had	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
:	O
"	O
Myth	B-Application
III	I-Application
is	O
n't	O
as	O
well	O
polished	O
a	O
game	O
as	O
its	O
predecessors	O
,	O
but	O
its	O
strong	O
single-player	O
element	O
and	O
solid	O
graphics	O
make	O
it	O
a	O
remarkable	O
game	O
in	O
its	O
own	O
right	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
And	O
parts	O
of	O
it	O
are	O
just	O
as	O
fun	O
,	O
if	O
not	O
more	O
so	O
,	O
than	O
the	O
earlier	O
games	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
laundry	O
list	O
of	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
,	O
hardware	B-Architecture
glitches	O
,	O
and	O
severe	O
multiplayer	O
issues	O
keep	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
reaching	O
its	O
potential	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
negative	O
side	O
,	O
he	O
cited	O
numerous	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
,	O
including	O
no	O
support	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
95	I-Application
,	O
despite	O
the	O
box	O
claiming	O
otherwise	O
,	O
and	O
compatibility	O
issues	O
with	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
was	O
also	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
absence	O
of	O
Vengeance	O
,	O
despite	O
the	O
box	O
stating	O
it	O
was	O
included	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
multiplayer	O
mode	O
had	O
only	O
five	O
maps	O
and	O
no	O
TCP/IP	B-Protocol
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
:	O
"	O
If	O
you	O
need	O
your	O
new	O
Myth	B-Application
fix	O
and	O
ca	O
n't	O
wait	O
for	O
a	O
patch	O
,	O
then	O
the	O
best	O
option	O
is	O
to	O
buy	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
a	O
store	O
that	O
accepts	O
returns	O
in	O
case	O
the	O
game	O
does	O
n't	O
like	O
your	O
particular	O
system	O
setup	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	B-Device
Zones	O
Keith	O
Pullin	O
scored	O
it	O
7	O
out	O
10	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Myth	B-Application
III	I-Application
seems	O
to	O
coast	O
along	O
without	O
ever	O
really	O
breaking	O
sweat	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
