Dragonrealms is a great mud. It is a pay to play mud, but after you try the 30 day trial for free you will see why it is the best mud out there. The game usually has about 1200 players on after about 5pm EST on weekdays and all the time on the weekends.

The entire mud is skill based so you aren't stuck fighting creatures for exp. There is a wide assortment of guilds such as the empaths, the healers of the realms and transfer the wounds of others unto themselves, who if they harm a living thing go into shock and lose their ability to heal others. There are thieves, rangers, bards, clerics, paladins, warrior mages, moon mages, barbarians, clerics, and traders. There are also many original races as well as the classics, halfling, dwarf, etc.

The world is absolutely huge. I have been playing on and off for 3 years now and still have seen very little. My main character is a trader so I travel from town to town making money and I have yet to see even off of the first continent, and there are 5 of them.

The players are extremely friendly and unlike all the other muds there is no newbie school but there are Mentors that are always available to help you get started and pointed in the right direction. If you ever have a question just find another player or Mentor.

The thing that attracts me to this game is the fact it is skill based. If you want to learn to pick and disarm traps and boxes feel free. Want to learn how to use that two-handed sword or battle axe go right on. Feel like learning to steal, be my guest (even though it is dangerous and can be deadly!)

There is PK but it has to be RPed. You can't just go around killing people all day long. This is enforced. There is also a naming policy that you must adhere to so you won't be playing the game with players like BigPimpin, etc. The RP is not enforced but it is highly praised and can earn you RP points to use on special items and such.

Try Dragonrealms. It is free for the first month and I guarantee you will love it. They also have a RP enforced version called platinum and a version that is not enforced at all and anything goes call The Fallen.

www.dragonrealms.com

If you ever see Gildok say hi and I will help you the best I can.