After delving into the turn-based combat system and the mercenaries of Atlantica Online in my previous developer's journals, I'd like to share with all of you the backstory of the game, and how we came to create our version of the Atlantis legend.

In Atlantica's take on Atlantis, the highly advanced civilization was the first to invent Oriharukon, an energy source produced by integrating four different crystals --Dragon, Phoenix, Giant, and Redemption crystals. With the Oriharukon, the people of Atlantis were able to evolve differently than other human civilizations at that time. Initially, Oriharukon was used just to amplify the magic abilities Atlantians had come to possess. But extensive research into the effects of Oriharikon unlocked new powers -- the ability to enhance the physical and mental skills of a person. It not only increased the strength of a human, but also increased a person's life expectancy, as Oriharukon slowed the aging process.

But with these newfound powers came the thirst for more of its power, as all Atlantians became slaves to Oriharukon. The people of Atlantis also became arrogant with these new gifts, and it led to internal struggles within Atlantis to control Oriharukon.

Eventually, the need for more Oriharukon led to scars being left on the Atlantis landscape, as the people tore up their environment to unearth more crystals. But what could be harvested from their own lands would not be enough for the Atlantians. They began to send out explorers and scientists abroad to find new deposits of the crystals. These prospectors placed a detection device wherever they discovered crystals. These devices would not only be beacons so that Atlantians would know where to find more crystals in the future, but they also relayed news from Atlantis out to the people combing the Earth for crystals.

The Atlantians' search for more crystals was not benign. If they found crystal deposits where other human civilizations existed, they wiped out any people who stood in their way. The greed of the people of Atlantis led to the destruction of four great civilizations -- the Yellow River of China, the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. They set themselves on a path to conquer the world in order to find more crystals.

While they destroyed civilizations abroad, Atlantians back home continued to explore new technologies to exploit Oriharukon. A new method to refine its power was producing energy so intense within the realm of Atlantis that it resulted in a crack in the space-time continuum. Their experiments had gone awry, and it doomed all of the people of Atlantis. The energy was so powerful that it blew Atlantis off the face of the earth and through the crack, vanished to some unknown destination.

Now, some 1,500 years later, Atlantis has re-emerged somewhere in the world. As a result, the detection devices left all over the globe have powered up again, and the energy that they are emitting is harming all life around them and leading the world into chaos.

The Meaning of the Atlantis Story

As I had mentioned in a previous journal entry, there is something about the Atlantis legend that continues to enthral the imagination of people all over the world. We wanted to try to tap into Atlantis's themes of mystery and adventure for our game. Plus, having the legend of Atlantis as the main backdrop allowed us to create a game world where our planet is the source for many elements of Atlantica. The Atlantica world would be filled with fantastic creatures and places, but also be familiar to players, with the real locations, like cities and landmarks, and real people that we embedded into the game.

When a new player sets out in Atlantica, it is revealed that his or her main character is a descendant of Atlantis who must save all life on Earth from the destruction being caused by Atlantis once again. Your main character must find his or hers ancestral home, with the help of mercenaries you meet along the way.

But you also learn that there are other Atlantis descendants who want to continue the path of their ancestors and crush civilizations and kill innocent people in order to wield the power of Oriharukon once again. Therefore, you must resist the lust for power and forsake the evil ways of Atlantis. That way, you can thwart the mission of those who seek to use Oriharukon to conquer all life, and thus, save the world.

The journey to accomplish this is long and vast, taking you all over the Earth. And it will be filled with quests that draw on the legends and folklore of the many places that you will travel to. Places like the Grand Canyon, which is yet another part of the Atlantica world that will be introduced to players soon.

We hope that the Atlantica world will continue to engross players as they continue on through all of its adventures.