I've played Deckeon many years ago for a couple of weeks and then left because of real-life time-consuming matters. About two to three weeks ago I've come back to find that it was still there, and its creator, Trip, still very active and still coding, even though most of the staff seems to have gone inactive.

The MUD is totally original, with an interesting combat system, automated johnsons who give out many different kinds of runs. These are randomly generated and designed so different types of characters will have an easier or harder time doing different types of runs. There is also a plotted run that you can choose to follow in parallel to your 'free' activity. You can start it as soon as you get out of the character generation process. The world is populated with randomly generated mobiles who successfully give it a 'crowded' feeling.

Even though the building, help files, room descriptions and general standardization is not perfect, including some code yet to be done and features to be properly implemented, all of the main shadowrun features, for all the archetypes, are already implemented and working. Everything is in and ready for an awesome time of roleplaying and action. I'd dare say this has room for both the serious roleplayer and for the powerplayer, as there are ways to get karma by doing runs, using magic, decking, rigging and killing.

Not everything you do goes unnoticed, though. Murdering citizen (and maybe other creatures too) brings bounties upon your head and that might turn encounters with security personnel less pleasant. Players who belong to the LoneStar organization might also come after such individuals. You can also play a bounty hunter, a DocWagon medic and, it seems, other roles when participating in player-run organizations.

At the very moment, players seem to be what it lacks most. However, activity seems to range from one or two to maybe five to six people on at a time. Maybe due to that, even the gamemasters (who run the GM-run runs :p) seem to be inactive. That however, is about to change, as you and I take part in this awesome Shadowrun world.