Pyroto Mountain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pyroto Mountain is an online game based on answering trivia and skill-testing questions. It was originally developed to run either as a stand-alone BBS or a BBS door, but has since been ported as a web application.
The game was originally written in Turbo Pascal by Pinnacle Software of Quebec which had its heyday in the mid 80s. Players started able to answer only one question a day, and successful answers increased the player's rank, or position on the Mountain. Eventually they would grow to gain magical powers, allowing them to interact with other players, notably using the dreaded "zap" command which would send the target down the mountain.
In its new web-based version, users can also submit new questions into the system. Based upon how well these articles are received, the users grow in stature. Users can then use their stature to attack other users. The game has evolved one dominant cabal and several smaller cliques. Conflicts that cannot be consensually settled by the cliques, or forcibly settled by the cabal, are resolved by a benevolent dictator who runs the game.
Pyroto Mountain is no longer run as a public website, but by educational institutions for research and development. Commercial licenses also continue to be sold.
