Background - 10 years of carnage

In 1996, Bungie Software released the third chapter in their trilogy of Macintosh first-person-shooters, Marathon: Infinity. With Infinity, Bungie also released the map-making tools they used to design their games. There was suddenly an explosion in new content being created on a daily basis for several years after that. Jumping on the bandwagon were a trio of young designers from suburban Portland, Oregon, USA.

Whole communities of fans banded together to make and support major game add-ons called scenarios or total conversions. This is where the story of the Atlantis Crew begins. Many people have come and gone as crew members, but everyone had some fun along the way. At any one time, it was rare for any two crew members to be within 200 miles of each other. Never, in the near-ten-year history of the clan, has the whole crew been assembled in one place. This separation shock contributed to project delays and eventually led to the termination of Beyond Aurora as it is currently known.

Is there a future for the crew or Beyond Aurora? Probably not in the Marathon universe. For us, there came a point when we realized it was time to lay down that sword and pick up another. In early 2006, the story of this crew ends as all work stops on Beyond Aurora and the original team disbands. This website will stand as one of many shrines celebrating the excitement of Marathon mapmaking. If just a few people discover this site and enjoy these games, then we've done our job. If they themselves are inspired to create new adventures for players, then the legacy of the crew will live on.

Want to share? Email us! atlantiscrew@beyondaurora.com

Staff Milestones

2006:
   April 10th - "Beyond Aurora" is retired, never to be completed...

2004:
   June 10 - "Beyond Aurora" Chapter One Released
   January - New web space acquired
   Winter - Beyond Aurora project restarted by original crew

2003:
   Winter - "Beyond Aurora" project team dissolves

2002:
   August 14 - "Atlantis" and "Dark Rose" move to forerunners.org
   Summer - Alliance with "Frail Moon Enterprises" begins

2001:
   October - "beyondaurora.com" domain purchased

2000:
   November 18 - "Echoes of Aurora," an abandoned idea, announced
   May 21 - "Toll Forest," an abandoned idea, announced

1999:
   November 8 - "Rabbit's Marathon Page" becomes the "Beyond the Aurora" site on Bungie.Org's Big House Server.

1998:
   October 31 - "Dark Rose" Released
   Summer - Atlantis Crew becomes an official map maker group

1997:
   September 17 - "Marathon: Atlantis" v1.0 released
   Spring - First Infinity single maps are posted

1996:
   December - "Rabbit's Marathon Page" Started @ Earthlink

Adam Rose AKA "Rabbit" - Portland, Oregon, USA
Director, Designer 1996-2006

Bryan Sauber AKA "Turtle" - Portland, Oregon, USA
Designer 1996-2006

Ryan Rose AKA "Fox" - Moorhead, Minnesota, USA
Designer 1996-2006

Mark McKenzie - Portland, Oregon, USA
Story

Shane M.
Map Designer

Brian Seay
Map Designer

Josh Knotts - Portland, Oregon, USA
Story, Beta Testing

Larry Chesler - Portland, Oregon, USA
Level Design, Beta Testing

Adam Patton - Portland, Oregon, USA
2004 Version 3 Beta Tester

Michael Elliott - La Grande, Oregon, USA
Artist, Designer

Ian Sweek - Heppener, Oregon, USA
Map Designer

Blake Noble AKA "Doughnut" - Australia
2001-2002 Director

Brandon Salcedo
2000 Sketch Artist

Terry "jagermiester" Nowicki
Sketch Artist

Mike Schapiro AKA Mushoo
Sketch Artist

Are you missing? Get your credit, send us a line!