Asheron's Call (AC) is a fantasy MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) for Microsoft Windows-based PCs developed and published by Turbine Entertainment. Though it was developed by the Turbine team (with Microsoft's extensive assistance), it was published as a Microsoft title until 2004. The game was set on the island continent of Dereth and several surrounding smaller islands and archipelagos on the fictional planet of Auberean. The game was played in a large, seamless 3D virtual world which could host thousands of players' characters at a time. Released on November 2, 1999, it was the third major MMORPG to be released and was developed at the same time as Ultima Online and Everquest. After initial success, its subscription numbers dropped as newer MMORPGs moved into the market. Its host servers remained online for over 17 years after the game's original launch.
The story for players began in Portal Year 10. Through the game's monthly updates the story unfolds. Not only do players experience the current events of the world, but as the months go on and they explore, they learn much about the past. Several monthly updates build upon each other, forming a story arc. Each story arc usually lasts around one year.
