Although beating down the endless hordes of evil and saving countless worlds is
interesting enough to rob you of precious sleep, it can get pretty boring after a
while. No matter how hard we try, game developers just can’t nail down the intrigue
and challenge of human intelligence that gamers want in virtual opponents.

Enter the world of Internet gaming—where real-life opponents with real thoughts
and reactions await your participation in a realm of gaming action that is reshaping
the way people play games. No longer do you just sit there beating on mindless
minions. Now you are faced with hundreds of cunning gamers waiting to either

come to your aid or stand in your way.
Your game needs to give players the ability to hook up to the Internet and find
other gamers willing to join forces and duke it out in true multiplayer style. This

Maddening Multiplayer Mayhem

With a puff of smoke and glitter of light, my hero materializes behind a small
building located within a small town. Circling around the corner, a large chapel
comes into view. The stench of death fills the air, obviously emanating from the
cursed chapel that lies ahead. My hero’s goal is clear—to delve into the now-evil
temple and remove the curse deep within its bowels.

To his left stand two other ominous figures, both scarred from countless battles.
As he approaches the grizzly duo, he realizes that they are none other than two
comrades-in-arms, all ready to join him in his adventure into the depths. After a quick
jaunt to the local item shop for some healing potions, they delve into the chapel.

Hordes of evil creatures of every size immediately sense the adventurers’ presence.
The creatures take it upon themselves to rid their world of the newcomers. But the
worthy adventurers have other plans, and through strength and cunning, they
defeat every last monster that stands in their way. Their goal is close at hand, and
they feel good to have made it this far.

As you can see in the preceding scenario, my gaming buddies and I had an almost
perfect adventure (thanks to Diablo by Blizzard Entertainment). I say almost
because even though our group was victorious in its fights against the computerized
demons, we weren’t a match against a new arrival—a mysterious fellow who
just joined the game. Within moments of being magically transported to our current
location, the new arrival proceeded to make mincemeat of us.

Lying on the ground, I (the hero) watch the would-be robber sift through my
belongings, taking the glorious treasures I worked so hard to discover. How could
anyone be so vicious, so deceiving—and so powerful? Apparently, this chap has been
around a lot longer than I have; his power is staggering, and I vow to reach that
level of power so that I, too, can venture forth and illustrate just who is the boss!

Leaving the current adventure, I once again connect to Blizzard Entertainment’s
Diablo lobby-server and initiate a new game. This time, however, I’m going solo.
With every kill, I grow stronger; with every treasure I find, I buy better weapons.
Soon I will be ready to hunt down the savage who earlier decimated my fellow
adventurers and me.

These adventures are among the many that I have been privileged to experience.
Those of you who have “wasted” (that is to say, invested) precious hours playing
Diablo can attest to how much fun the game can be. Diablo’s online gaming features
make the game worth playing, and you’ll want to duplicate those features in your
projects. So, with this teaser under your belt, you’re ready to start doing just that.