This presentation included introductions to and demonstrations of 3D interactive software on the web, and the differences between the two main avatar environment functions: ‘chat’ and ‘roleplaying’. Within the social envirnoment of the ActiveWorlds system, players must ‘customise’ themselves and the way that they actually interact with people via the chat. With Everquest Online 3D, although the player’s appearance says much for the character, it is more difficult for real self-expression due to the static nature of the environment. So how interactive are these systems really? Atriarch, a new ‘game/avatar’ software that will integrate Everquest and ActiveWorlds, allows aspects of these two systems to be within the one environment – a huge world where people will be able to build, interact and customise themselves.