Kingdoms of the Lost is a well thought out and developed mud that continues to evolve. Active Implementers and coders make improvements and modifications a few times per year.

Like most muds, there are a variety of classes and races, however included in those are racial evolutions and class tiers which allow for a wide variety of different skills and spells. While two characters may both start out as Wild Elf Scouts, they can evolve quite differently through game play, making one eventually a Siltha Dragonslayer with hunting skills specific to dealing deadly blows to dragons, another may choose to become and remain as a skeletal Grey Elf Druid with very different skills and spells from the Siltha.

Simply reaching level 200 (the highest level in KOTL) does not in any way ensure that you will have a strong character. While it is true that you will have obtained all of the skills and spells possible for that character, you may not be very good at using them. Improvement of skills and spells is done entirely through their use, with only the very basics of the skill being practiced with a trainer. Not only does rushing to level 200 (which is actually 500 levels, 1-50 at first tier, 1-100 at second tier, 1-150 at third tier, and finally 1-200 at fourth tier), it may prevent you from fully exploring the detailed and extremely interesting areas designed for specific level ranges.

As with most other muds, questing is required to obtain the strongest equipment possible for your character. And while quest equipment is far better than any mob equipment available, the greatest equipment is built by the user, following strict rules on the creation of custom equipment at a very high cost in quest tokens. These quest tokens must be obtained from multiple kingdoms as each kingdom's quest tokens are required to add different aspects to the custom equipment. There are a total of 8 kingdom questmasters and and 2 special quest masters, therefore 10 different color quest tokens. Questing for a full set of custom equipment can take well over 2000 hours of playing, ensuring that those who enjoy questing have plenty of opportunity and need to continue questing for years.

If questing and grinding out levels really isn't your thing, roleplay is encouraged and rewarded with roleplay xp (rpxp). RPXP is used to advance in your chosen profession within your kingdom or to advance within your religion (of which there are 5). Religions also provide a range of spells to their followers, how many of those spells you get depend upon your rank within the religion. Like the kingdoms, these religions are run by players, and one can be recruited, promoted, or banished depending upon ones in-game interactions.

RPXP can also be used to learn new languages so that you may speak to other races and hide your conversation from eavesdroppers. By default everyone knows the Common Tongue and a language specific to their race. Learning a new language requires not only the required amount of rpxp, but also requires that you find an instructor for that language, something you are likely to miss if you attempt to level as fast as possible as many of the instructors are in low to mid level areas.

Between four and six times per year, the Immortal staff runs Festivals in the different kingdoms. Some of the features of these festivals include the ability to buy runes and quest tokens if you have enough gold. Generally you cannot purchase quest tokens or runes with gold, however gold can be extremely useful during these festivals. Also at the festivals there are contests of strength, bonuses to all, and sometimes other themed contests such as a Halloween costume contest. Additionally, near the end of the festival there is often a blind auction, where a bag of unknown contents is put up for auction and can contain anything from a worthless lump of hardened dung to a Legendary Stone, the most rare and sought after item in the game.

A Legendary Stone is generally obtained by fighting the most powerful mob in the game, currently that is the Grand Master Assassin. While it is possible for an individual to defeat this foe, it is highly recommended that he be fought in a large group. If you are extremely lucky he will drop a Legendary Stone, an item which can infuse any piece of your equipment with a personality which will grant you additional spells and skills unavailable in any other way. Don't feel bad if you defeat this foe and do not receive a Legendary stone, they are exceedingly rare and many have fought him repeatedly without ever receiving this most powerful of rewards. These Legendary personalities also have levels, which require a great deal of xp. If you truly enjoy grinding out levels, you can continue to try to level your legendary, even long after you have reached level 200 yourself. Each Legendary has 11 levels from 0 to 10. To my knowledge no one has ever reached level 10.

With 25 races, as well as the ability to become a vampire, ghost, or skeleton; and 8 final tiers for each base class (scout, mage, fighter, priest, or rogue), many people choose to create multiple characters to try out the different possibilities (only one may be logged in at a time). Of course between quest equipment, rare runes, roleplaying, and Legendary equipment, there is also plenty to keep you busy for years on any one character. While it may seem overwhelming to new players at first, the Imm staff, extremely helpful and friendly playerbase, help files, and websites devoted to providing game information and suggestions for improvement will have you feeling comfortable with your character and building your first custom piece of armor in no time.