This MUD has been an on-and-off home for over twenty years now. It has meant the world to me, and I love seeing new people arrive, because I know they can find the same joy and welcoming environment that I found.

Over the years I've tried many other MUDs, including some of the big ones – pay and free – and I'm always brought back to Ronin. Yes, it's not as feature-rich as some of the huge MUDs, and the playerbase is smaller. But it is very unique. The area building is top-notch, the specs are well-thought-out and engaging. And the players and admin are great. They genuinely care, and see it as an extended family.

Three characters per player allows for a great amount of dynamism in create a group, and unique subclasses allow for further customization. Big areas still require group formation, even with three characters per player, and this offers opportunities for some real community building. There's nothing more fun than getting together with some new virtual friends, and going after a mob that's never been killed before. It's a blast! It's exhilarating in a way graphical games almost never can be.

I know trying a new MUD this late in the game can be difficult to wrap your head around, especially with such established mega-MUDs out there like Achaea and Aardwolf. But I'm telling you honestly, log on, talk to some people and let them know you're new, and give it a shot. If you stick with it for a little bit, I don't think you'll be disappointed.