At first glance, the Cleft of Dimensions may seem like another videogame/anime-emulating MUD like so many others, but if you can take my word for it, I can assure you it's so much more.

The areas are refreshingly easy to navigate, and path memorization comes a lot easier than other realms(at least to me). Also, every linked area is brilliantly written without an abuse of color.

The skills and classes are fairly balanced -- despite some classes clearly having the upper hand in the Arena -- and most of them I haven't seen in other MUDs. The races, even though some of them are almost chillingly familiar, are also balanced with their advantages and disadvantages, and can offer quite a challenge with certain combinations of race and class.

The staff is also very carefree and open, and the playerbase is(for the most part) friendly and always willing to help. There isn't a designated 'Newbie Council', but there doesn't really need to be with the speed of which questions are answered over the OOC channel.

The roleplaying possibilities are quite varied, and there are even occasional Cleft-wide storylines that anyone can get involved in with the right incentive. It may seem a little overwhelming at times, but there's no way to know unless you try, right?

In all, CoD's a very enjoyable realm, recognizable by most and even if not, it's still a great ride. As a moderately long-time player, I can definitely give a personal recommendation.