The Palace

Draft

Introduction

“The Palace is a software program used to access graphical chat room servers, called palaces, in which users may interact with one another using graphical avatars overlaid on a graphical backdrop. The software concept was originally created by Jim Bumgardner, an employee of Time Warner Interactive, in 1994, and was first opened to the public in November 1995.” (Wikipedia, retrieved 17:46, 16 September 2010 (CEST))

Main features:

• A server is organised in rooms which are connected through doors. Each room is represented by a large Bitmap
• Users are represented by partially transparent 2D avatars, by default smilies
• Chat appears as chat bubbles above the avatars like in comic books

A palace server can be configured to include various extensions. There exist (free) versions that could (and still can) be run on consumer PCs and this may be the reason why Palace servers are still popular 10 years after the death of the company.

Software

Clients

Palaceplanet.net provides downloads for the "classical" clients and also has links to the more popular clients which are listed below.

• OpenPalace (Flash client). See also the OpenPalace Wiki
• PalaceChat (Newer Windows client that improves color and size of the original classic client)
• Phalanx (Windows client)
• The Palace Legacy Project
• Linpal (Linux, inactive since 2004)

Servers

• Palace Server Software (Win/Linux/Unix/Mac). If we understood right, this web site hosts the original servers. Not tested, no idea how safe this software is.
  • Linux Palace Downloads “Host your own Palace on Linux. The most secure Palace server solution. You can use all the best Palace plugins to make your server even more secure. Use this Registration code for all your servers: 6DV3K-PVY6F-RF2VT-QFG8S it has a couple of benefits: 2550 users max, secure server and Guests will be full members.” retrieved 17:46, 16 September 2010 (CEST).

• The Palace Legacy Project also provides a copy of the same Unix server (but it has a different file name).

Extra client and server tools

• Palaceplugins.com Plugins for the linux palace server.

Similar technology

• The manor (Mad Wolf Software)

Links

About the Palace

• The Palace (computer program) (Wikipedia)

• A Little Palace History. By Jim Bumgardner (main inventor of palace). In particular, a 2002 Interview with Jim Bumgardner is absolutely worth reading.

• On Being a God (Virtual Worlds) interview of Jim Bumgardner by Dr. John Suler, 1996

• A History of the First Year (or so) of The Palace

• Life at the Palace

• Where did Palace come from ?

• Palace finds new realms, CNET, 1996.

• The Palace Inc (The Palace Wiki Project)

• Yahoo! Internet Life magazine article, summary and scan of a 1999 article.

Examples

• Minds Palace (dead, but the HTML pages are still around)

Support groups and sites

• Palace Server and Client Support group (Yahoo group)

• ThePalace.com Old official website bought by Palace fans. Includes a Palace directory and links.

• Palace Planet. The community portal. Includes forums and downloads (or links to downloads)

• The Palace Wiki Project (information about history and current stuff)