Crossfire (1992 video game)
| Company type | Open source project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founder | Frank Tore Johansen |
| Headquarters | Norway |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Multiplayer online role-playing game software |
| Website | crossfire |
Crossfire is a free and open source software cross-platform multiplayer online role-playing video game that utilizes a tile-based visual system with a pseudo-isometric viewpoint. Its entire content is distributed under the GNU GPL-2.0-or-later. Both client and server components operate on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, IRIX, and additional operating systems.
Description
represents a multiplayer online role-playing experience that draws inspiration from titles such as Nethack, Ultima, and Gauntlet.
Development history
The project began in mid-1992 as a Gauntlet imitation, created by Frank Tore Johansen at the University of Oslo in Norway. Following a renaming and a brief period hosted at the University of California, Berkeley between 1999 and 2001, development has since migrated to SourceForge, where it continues under community stewardship.
Originally, the game included a single indoor map which later expanded to four interconnected areas featuring one-way portals. Early gameplay incorporated limited spell options like magic bullet, fireball, and lightning bolt. The addition of two-way portals markedly accelerated the expansion of game content and community contributions.
Currently, offers an extensive array of features including more than 150 monster types, approximately 3,000 maps, a sophisticated magic system, 13 distinct races, 15 character classes, skill progression mechanics, and numerous unique artifacts. As of 2018, active development by the player community persists.
Gameplay
Players can join public servers without limitation on participant numbers to collect items and engage in combat with monsters. Within the shared environment, users may choose to collaborate or compete. The world incorporates both fixed and procedurally generated elements. The architecture follows a client-server model supporting gameplay over the Internet, local networks, or on a single machine.
The setting is a medieval fantasy realm inhabited by 13 races including dragons, quetzalcoatl, humans, and elves. Character options span 15 classes such as alchemist, monk, and warrior. Experience is allocated to individual skills rather than an overarching character level.
Upon creation, characters begin their journey in one of two towns: Scorn or Navar. Although quests are present, the gameplay primarily focuses on cooperative hack-and-slash exploration. The vast game world encourages thorough investigation as a central feature.
Influence on other online games
has served as the basis for multiple commercial and free MMORPG projects. These include , a Java-based reimplementation; , which transitioned to closed-source status; and , which employs Crossfire’s server architecture but adopts an isometric viewpoint with emphasis on a single main server. Another project named is a fork aimed at improving both code quality and in-game content offerings.
Reception
In 1999, received coverage in Linux Journal. From 2000 through April 2020, it was downloaded more than 550,000 times via SourceForge.net.