Though I've been roleplaying since grade school and enjoy all types of RPGs on the computer, I've never been a big mudder. In the past I have joined them, spent some time wandering around, fought a few monsters, got killed a LOT, then logged off in boredom. Shadowsiege, though... Shadowsiege is different. Sure, I spent some time wandering around, fought a few monsters, got killed a lot (in the first few days).

But that isn't all you can do in Shadowsiege. Being a roleplay MUD, having your character tailored specifically for you by the Imms, having a plethora of background and map information (and a suitably sized world for the number of players who are usually on), Shadowsiege outsteps anything else I've played. Sure, the monsters you fight are generally few and far between, but that makes the ones you fight that much more memorable. One of the first things I did was bargain with a demonlord for the safe passage of my companions... who really gets to do that in their first week on a MUD?

Admittedly, I can't really compare the hundreds (thousands?) of MUDs I haven't played. But I can tell you what I know. The crafting system is easy to get a grasp of, and is being improved and shaped as the game goes on. Using crafting hours so that characters can't become one-person factory lines to create 1000 shirts in a day really adds to the realism of spending time as well as money, and new crafting items and options are still being added. Combat in most cases is between two actual people, both emoting turn for turn, with the code simply used as an arbiter of chance and skill. This applies between character vs. character combat, and most character vs. mob combat, since most of the creatures you come across would be puppeted anyway (being hunted by a pack of demon hounds is quite a bit more exhilarating when you KNOW there's some fell intelligence guiding their steps, rather than just a tangle of computer coded randomness.)

Because levels aren't used, your ability in the game exists mainly on how you roleplay your character. Every hour your character gains Roleplaying Points (RPP) depending on how much emoting and how much thinking you've done, and it is with these points that you increase your character's stats and skills. I prefer this to the old 'kill monsters, gain experience' route because while roleplaying (unless your character likes to tick people off, or you meet one of the few nasty characters) there's very little actual risk of your character perishing. As long as you roleplay, your character gets better. The best part is, the admins sometimes follow the more interesting conversations and are happy to reward the creation or continuation of interesting plotlines. I think this method of character advancement is the most ingenious and most rewarding I've ever come across.

All in all, I've been playing Shadowsiege longer than I've played most any other game. The people I've met are friendly, especially the admins: Mina, Cern and Daedelus, who are always willing to discuss character possibilities and help out new people. The Player Aids are top notch, and the world is constantly evolving in size, story, and code. It's great to log in one day and find out that the gazebo where you and your friends typically meet has been destroyed by a demon attack - I only wish I'd been there when it had happened. Events, like a masquerade to celebrate the King's coronation, and the occasional demon hunt keep things VERY interesting, and keep bringing people back.

Shadowsiege is great. Yeah. I think that's all I wanted to say.