Marked Ages

The founder · A chronicle

A lifetime in other people's worlds.

I have played MMOs for as long as I can remember, and I have been waiting for the one I always wanted.

So I am building it. These are the worlds that taught me what it should be.

  1. ~1997

    A crowd of players on foot and mounted fighting dragons and other creatures in Ultima Online, with spell words floating above them.
    Gameplay screenshot of Ultima Online.
    Ultima Online classic client showing a stone house interior, a paperdoll, a minimap and an open backpack.
    A dense crowd of players, dragons and other creatures on a checkered brick plaza with spell words floating overhead.

  2. ~1997

    Tibia client in a desert with a sorcerer fighting scorpions and demon skeletons, with the minimap, equipment, battle list and chat console visible.
    Tibia client with several named characters around a market stall of items, the minimap, equipment panel, minotaur backpack and server log visible.
    Tibia client showing a sorcerer casting a fire spell on dragons in a lava cave, with the battle list and backpacks open.
    Early Tibia client in a Windows 95 window, a player fighting a daemon with fire fields and magic walls, with the creature list and chat box.
    very early client (pre-7.x)
    The Tibia client showing a player standing in a stone street beside a market stall, with minimap, inventory, battle list, VIP list and chat console on the right and bottom.

  3. ~1999

    Gameplay screenshot of EverQuest.
    A night view of a stone gateway in Freeport with guard characters standing under torches and name tags above them.
    A night scene on open ground with a giant dragon skull and ribs and two badger-like creatures with name tags.
    Inside an earthen cavern above green water, a floating hand and a frog-like humanoid, each with a name tag.
  4. Gameplay screenshot of My own MMO, in BYOND.
    Space Station 13, a BYOND game
    A Space Station 13 player stands in the main station hall with the in-game inventory HUD around the screen.
    Space Station 13, a BYOND game
    The Castle of the Winds inventory screen running in BYOND's Dream Seeker client.
    A BYOND game of the era

    BYOND is where I tried to build my first game. It was an MMO: you got stronger, fought creatures, got loot, leveled up and worked with other players.

    What it taughtI was never only a player. I wanted to make the world, too.

    What EverMark takes from itMarked Ages is that same wish, finally built properly.

  5. ~2001

    Gameplay screenshot of RuneScape Classic.
    A town square in RuneScape Classic with several players and guards, a damage number over a red-shirted player and system messages in the chat box.
    A player in teal armour in a dark stone area with the stats panel open listing skill levels, and a Wilderness level indicator.
    Players and bankers standing in a red-carpeted bank room with a chat line about accessing a bank account.

  6. ~2002

    Gameplay screenshot of Final Fantasy XI.
    A large armored beastman-type monster charging toward the camera in a grassy field with a wooden house and trees behind it.
    A small player character and a pet standing in front of a huge dark armored boss on a snowy rocky area, with the target and party windows and chat log visible.
    A ninja character standing on a stone staircase with the equipment menu, status window and item description open on screen.
    A player character fighting a dragon-like monster on a pink-tinted battlefield, with status icons, a minimap and a chat log showing loot messages.

  7. ~2003

    A sword-wielding Dark Elf fights an armored knight with a round shield on a grassy village green in Lineage II.
    Gameplay screenshot of Lineage II.
    A group of Lineage II characters in varied armor stand together on a rampart at dusk under floating blue sparks.
    A Dark Elf with a large sword stands next to a smiling Dwarf girl inside a decorated shop in Lineage II.
    A Dark Elf swordsman casts a swirling shimmering spell at a wolf-like beast in a grassy field in Lineage II.

    The subclass system gave it so much replayability.

  8. Players in a Lineage II castle siege gather around a staircase lit by tall columns of light.
    Lineage II, from the era
    A dense crowd of armored Lineage II players fights inside a wooden castle courtyard with spell effects.
    Lineage II, from the era
    Many Lineage II players clash on castle stairs in a siege with bright area spells.
    Lineage II, from the era
    A large Lineage II siege crowd presses up a stone stairway inside a castle.
    Lineage II, from the era
    A Lineage II player stands before a bright burst of spell light during a siege.
    Lineage II, from the era

    I ran my own with three friends. We ranked high on the leaderboards and made decent money each week.

    I ran my own with three friends. We ranked high on the server leaderboards.

  9. ~2004

    A raid group of mages, priests and warriors fights the fire giant Ragnaros in a lava cavern in Molten Core.
    A raid fights the black dragon Onyxia in her lava-lit lair while players cast spells.
    The Gate of Stormwind City seen from the bridge approach at sunrise, with the stone statues and cathedral spire behind.
    The Horde-banner watchtowers and gate of Orgrimmar in the red Durotar desert at sunset.
    Player characters fighting and casting beside a jungle camp in the rainy Stranglethorn Vale.

    I loved the story.

  10. ~2005

    A Silkroad Online character in full armor stands in a desert town with the game HUD around the screen.
    A Silkroad Online player character fights on a trade route with health and skill bars visible.
    A Silkroad Online street scene with several player characters and the interface panels.
    A Silkroad Online character in a landscape with the HUD visible.
    A Silkroad Online scene with player characters and the interface.

  11. ~2005

    Gameplay screenshot of Guild Wars: Prophecies.
    A caped character stands beside a large lion statue near the docks of Lion's Arch, with a ship and rock towers behind.
    A guild party gathered with an ice snowman ally at a stepped platform in the Underworld, with party window, minimap, skill bar and chat visible.
    An autumn plaza with walled stone planters and trees in Piken Square.
    A river among autumn trees with a white arched gate and stone ruins in the distance.

    Prophecies.

  12. ~2006

    Gameplay screenshot of Factions.
    A party of characters and Canthan Guards in a Kaineng City courtyard with party window, minimap, skill bar and target bar visible.
    A party in Sunjiang District with mission map, quest log, party window and minimap visible.
    A party in a flowery meadow at Fort Aspenwood with a French-language HUD, quest text, party window and skill bar.
    An Am Fah assassin character in a Canthan street with pagoda buildings and red lanterns.

  13. ~2006

    Gameplay screenshot of Nightfall.
    A plaza with hanging banners and a group of player characters in a desert city.
    A hooded necromancer with a staff stands before stepped stone buildings in the desert.
    A female character in white and gold armor stands on desert dunes.
    A female mage in teal robes holds a staff on a palace walkway.

  14. ~2007

    A group of players casts spells at a giant fel-powered colossus on the red cracked ground of Hellfire Peninsula under an aurora sky.
    Several characters stand in a stone hall in Karazhan around a tall figure in front of a large orange arched window.
    A blood elf and a draenei caster cast spells in front of a green-skied Outland mountain while creatures approach.
    A rider on a red flying mount soars over the floating islands and waterfalls of Nagrand.
    A rider on a Netherwing drake flies past a floating crystal structure in the purple Netherstorm sky.

  15. ~2007

    Gameplay screenshot of Eye of the North.
    Asura characters stand in front of an asura gate.
    The Hall of Monuments interior with its pool.
    A Charr-homeland campfire area with tiny player figures.
    A tilted monolith structure in Rata Sum.

  16. ~2008

    Gameplay screenshot of Wrath of the Lich King.
    Goblin character on the deck of a gunship in Icecrown.
    Player and a large spider NPC in a blue webbed Icecrown Citadel hall.
    Armored player with an icy weapon before a dark spiked citadel tower.

  17. ~2010

    Gameplay screenshot of Cataclysm.
    A worgen stands in a rainy cobbled street in Gilneas with a lit mansion on the hill behind.
    A long underwater hall with glowing blue pillars and angler-fish statues leads to a door in Vashj'ir.
    Grass-roofed stone and timber houses on a dirt path beneath a cliff in the Twilight Highlands.
    A glowing red-capped mushroom tree and glowing roots inside a dark cavern in Deepholm.

  18. ~2010

    Gameplay screenshot of Final Fantasy XIV 1.0.
    A player character stands on a glowing blue crystalline floor beneath large hanging crystal shards and banners.
    A night view of a stone tower and houses with a red moon in the sky.
    A wooden airship landing platform with an airship in a forested Gridania setting.
    Mor Dhona rocky terrain with spiked crystals and the red moon Dalamud in the sky.

    I should still have my birth certificate somewhere.

  19. ~2011

    Gameplay screenshot of RIFT.
    Several player characters with name tags fight a large winged creature in a village.
    Player characters and NPCs gather in a cobbled town square surrounded by buildings.
    A mage casts a glowing orb at two dagger-wielding characters inside a dungeon.
    Two armored characters stand in a purple corrupted landscape.

  20. ~2011

    Huttball arena in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
    Eight player characters with blasters and lightsabers run across a snowy Alderaan battlefield beneath a large hovering gunship with laser fire overhead.
    A large Jedi temple with orange banners stands among pine trees and rocky mountains on Tython, with no characters visible.
    Looking up at tall Coruscant skyscrapers with glowing signs and speeders against a pink dusk sky.
    A ruined columned hall under a purple dusk sky, with a few tiny armored figures at the lower left.

    Huttball, I think. That game was dope.

    That game was dope for Huttball, the PvP warzone.

  21. ~2012

    Gameplay screenshot of Mists of Pandaria.
    A pet battle in a red-rock zone with the versus bar and pet ability action bar visible beside a tauren character.
    A Horde camp crowded with players around a campfire under Horde banners.
    A Bataari warrior casting a spell at pandaren NPCs in Kun-Lai.
    A large jade serpent statue with mountain pagodas in the Jade Forest.

  22. ~2012

    Gameplay screenshot of Guild Wars 2.
    A WvW siege with catapults, a trebuchet and a player character at Stonemist Castle.
    The Mistlock Observatory fractals hub with a glowing fountain platform and several players.
    The Mist portal plaza in Lion's Arch with a few small player characters.
    A pink Mist portal in Lion's Arch with a player archer and name tags.

    I was part of the first US clear of level 50 Fractals. I loved the public events.

    I was the first in the US to complete fractal level 50.

  23. ~2013

    Gameplay screenshot of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
    A Duty Commenced banner and guildleve card appear over a wooden dock where several player characters stand, with the full game HUD, quest list, chat and hotbars visible.
    The Duty Finder window and a dungeon description panel open over a jungle scene with two player characters, hotbars, chat log and minimap visible.
    A small group of player characters in armor and robes stands on wooden stepping platforms in a forest pond with a waterfall behind them.
    A black mage in a pointed hat stands in a dark cave as fire and green poison effects burst around a dragon with spread wings.

  24. ~2014

    Gameplay screenshot of Warlords of Draenor.
    An ogre arena with a few players and NPCs.
    An Alliance garrison village at night with a cobbled street, buildings and one character.
    A Horde garrison building in snow.
    An aerial view of Shattrath City on Draenor.

  25. ~2014

    Gameplay screenshot of WildStar.
    A stone plaza in Illium with quest-giver stations, small figures and floating quest markers, red arrows painted on the floor, and a browser overlay with Join and Create buttons in the top-left corner.
    A lone player character stands on a snowy slope facing a large blue industrial outpost with a screen on top.
    A player character stands beside a tall wind-powered tower on a sandy desert dune under a hazy yellow sky.
    A giant pale bone-like creature with a golden mechanical core hangs from chains inside a dark industrial hall.

    The best combat I've ever played. I was pushing the original 40-player raids and took down bosses there.

    The best combat I've ever had in a video game in my life.

    What it taughtIt taught me that combat you read and answer with your body is worth building a whole game around.

    What EverMark takes from itThat's why Marked Ages' combat core is telegraphs, dodge and interrupt armor.

  26. ~2014

    Gameplay screenshot of EverQuest Next.
    EverQuest Landmark, built on the same engine
    A crowd of dozens of player characters in blue capes and armor gather on a wooden rooftop beside a stone chimney, with forest behind.
    EverQuest Landmark, built on the same engine
    A player-built stone castle with banners and floating spiked towers stands on a desert dune, with an FPS and ping overlay in the top-left.
    EverQuest Landmark, built on the same engine
    A character stands in a dim stone chamber with a vault window, an inventory window, an item tooltip, a chat log and an action bar open.
    EverQuest Landmark, built on the same engine
    A character in a red vest stands in a snowy forest beside a wooden door set in a snow bank and a lantern post.
    EverQuest Landmark, built on the same engine

    I followed it, but it never released. A voxel world where players make real changes for everyone. That idea lives on here.

    What it taughtIt taught me that a world should remember what its players do, and that players should have a voice in where it goes.

    What EverMark takes from itThat's why Marked Ages' land remembers, and why players get polls.

  27. ~2015

    Gameplay screenshot of Heart of Thorns.
    Giant thorn vines and a small airship in Dragon's Stand.
    A misty jungle area in Auric Basin.
    Two hylek in a jungle village.

  28. ~2016

    Gameplay screenshot of Legion.
    The Death Knight class hall followers window showing a follower model and a list of champions and troops.
    Dalaran under demon invasion with a green fel beam, a Legion ship overhead and purple towers.
    A Demon Hunter class hall interior with a green orb and many NPCs.

  29. 2026 —

    A player character faces blightling spiders at the Old Delve Mine entrance in Marked Ages, with a red dodge lane on the ground.
    A player character on a dirt path in Wending Vale in Marked Ages, with thatched houses ahead.
    A player character stands beside a crater in a grassy field in Marked Ages.
    A player character walks between stone walls and lit lanterns at Larkhollow Priory in Marked Ages.

    This is the one I'm building.

    Join the waitlist

The games and logos shown belong to their respective owners. Marked Ages isn't affiliated with them.