What can I say about Sloth? Well, I guess I started playing about 13 years ago now. It made quite an impression. It's the only game that can make me want to start playing even after I've been mud-free for several years. I've played other games, and even coded a few, but I always end up wishing they were more like Sloth, or building features that mimic it.

Why? Mostly because of the simplicity and enjoyment.

You can be four of eight classes. This diversity gives you great flexibility to play your character like you want to. Almost every character is a good character, but it's learning to be a great character that takes time and skill. The difference is pretty easy to tell. Generally speaking, the good characters will learn that almost any character can do well in groups, and they will spend a lot of time looking for one to join. The great characters are the ones that learn to explore and level on their own. They're the ones that end up leading the groups while the others wait for one to open.

The website contains a wealth of information. There's an extensive equipment list that you can use instead of identify scrolls. It's also great for planning what equipment you will need to make your character the best it can be. There are maps of all but the newest areas, so you can get in and out with a minimum of frustration. This doesn't make the areas themselves less challenging, however it removes the frustration of being lost and allows you to focus on what's important. It also makes it less intimidating to explore, and there's a lot to explore!

Another nice feature is not everyone looks the same. Not every player is wearing the same helmet, the same sword or the same shield. Partly because some equipment is in difficult areas that require a group to acquire. Partly because mobs have different rates at which they spawn equipment. Partly because some equipment requires different kinds of characters to kill. And partly because there's a wide range of equipment at all levels and there's very few items that can be considered universally superior. This results in the most functional economy of any game I've played.

Not everything is easy. You'll learn to make good use of recall scrolls because death isn't painless. Running into a room naked to try to grab your corpse out from under the nose of a big angry mob can be challenging, though there's rarely a shortage of people willing to help you. This adds a lot to the challenge of the game, unlike some that I've played where you simply rest at the healer until you're strong enough to go back into the area.

The game stays challenging. It takes a total of 200 levels (40 in each class) to reach the highest Avatar levels. Avatar is a 5th class that you can level in after reaching level 40 in each of your starting classes. And even after reaching Avatar, there are many more class combinations to base a new character on.

There's no roleplaying, and it really doesn't need it. It gives you the freedom to be yourself and do what you want to do instead of what you are told you should do. There's really no player killing. In fact, the players are more likely to help you out of a sticky situation than put you in one. There's no race system, but Sloth does without it rather elegantly. Since Sloth has no roleplaying, and your stats are ordered according to your classes, races aren't needed.

Simply, Sloth sidesteps many unnecessary complications and concentrates on elements that improve game play and game balance. Of course, there's been many times when I didn't like a certain change, but of all the games I've played, I can honestly say this one has given me the most enjoyment. In the end, that's why I choose to return to this game instead of the other wonderful games I've played.