Yes, I realize choosing the name Mouser is highly unoriginal, but I am absolutely in love with the character.

Anyway, I have been with Shattered World since 1994, having taken a break between 1996 and returning to the game in 1998. I was there from the early days and have seen it progress from the dozen odd rooms which consisted of the world back then, to the fully developed world I adventure in now. There are so many aspects to the game that I just can't seem to let go.

Building up a character from scratch, whilst difficult, is thoroughly rewarding. Especially when you go from killing rats to slaying gigantic trolls out in the forest.

There are quests you complete on your way to becoming a Lord of the land, in which you come up against mind-boggling puzzles or you can retell epic adventures of derring doo. In becoming a Lord, you can vie for the Monarchy and all the glory and riches that come with it! You can build enormous castles, from which new towns spawn.

You can become a citizen and vote in the laws which govern the land. You can amass great wealth and buy property with the view of creating a home or enter the world of trade, in a real-world economy.

You can join guilds and apply newly learned talents to good use. As a thief, you can create huge, unpickable locks or use those skills to pick those huge unpickable locks and break into peoples' homes, loot all their belongings and leave a little thank you note behind.

As an illusionist, you can use your skills to sneak past an enemy or follow someone who has aroused your curiousity. You can create a longsword and arm yourself against attacks instantly!

Apart from the many guilds you can join, you can delve into a world of alchemy and create magical potions of healing from a mix of bloods and herbs. You can create magical jewelery which can make you faster, stronger, smarter than you were before. You can make custom made armour to suit your racial types and unique weapons, which you can name and each have a different power to the other.

There are many more aspects to the game than one can mention in a review, but I guarantee this is definitely a MUD worth anyone's while. The playerbase has never been what this place has deserved and Shattered World will only get better with more and more players getting involved. So please, give it a go and persevere a little. The rewards in the end will be memories which are almost as real as the ones you form in everyday life.