I'm in no way new to MUDding, nor am I new to RP. So when I enter a mud I am very critical of what I see. With Cowboy Bebop: Space Cowboy I hope to say I've been no less. I am a big fan of the show and to see some familiar situations in the game (such as the different crime syndicates) does bring those warm fuzzy feelings to my soul. However, I'm trying to look past those.

There are many positive aspects to CB:SC that we should look into. I believe it's safe to say that the SWR codebase has already established the space travel program for any and all SciFi MUDs to come. However staying true to the CB story, CB:SP forces you to use HyperSpace Jump Gates (with toll charges) for you're space traveling needs. This seems like a minor detail, but its one that many would have overlooked in the long run.

Their 'Living Stats' system is what some would call a double edge sword. This system forces the player to choose who they REALLY want to be, because anything that isn't trained daily degenerates. It adds a whole new aspect to gameplay when you can't just train everything to the maximum in a game where you're free to learn every skill.

It's true that I haven't seen much of the worlds.... however what I have seen is pretty decent. There aren't alot of empty rooms just sitting around, and there are even a few mobs that interact (such as the two on Mars that are always fighting). Although to see more of these kinds of things would be nice (like citizens who casually speak to one-another on the street), it's still a good start.

Granted, there are also some aspects of the game that could use some improving, if just for RP sake. For example in Dayton, Mars, there is a Marital arts teacher (Kim) who can teach you anything you want to know. Although this is convenient, I don't expect my Karate Teacher to teach me how to hack into a bank vault.

In closing, there may be a few features that are lacking in CB:SC, and it's no LOTJ, but it's still shaping up to be a dec.... no great RP MUD. So if you're an anime fan that's tired of some mesh that's been thrown together, or if you're just looking for something different, I would HIGHLY recommend CB:SC.

Akira Oni Game Handle: (Not Included)