I am very impressed with how quickly I began to enjoy this MUD. One day, a friend asked me to find a random ROM to play together on and this is the one I stumbled across. He didn't give it a chance, which is his loss.

To begin, I was surprised at the race selection that I was given. After putting in my name, I groaned and thought it over, 'Ugh..should be a dumb Dwarf or maybe they'll be 'extensive' and give me a 'Dark Giant'.' Holy crap, I saw races like Moogle/Koopa/REPLOID/Matango. Now the name of the MUD made sense.

Which brings me to next part that amazed me: Despite what may seem like a clash of random references to old games/animes, the world created here flows -perfectly- together. Everything you can imagine from the old, if you can imagine, fits together as if it were meant to be.

The first thing that comes to mind on that front is how you've got Truce Canyon, home of the wisdom Gaeus, naturally connecting to the tribal Cosmo Canyon of FF7.

The classes are also a lot of fun and generally demand more inputted action other than 'kill fido'(oh thank god there's no beastly fidos here). You've got standard choices such as Warrior/Thief/Priest/Wizard/Knight(who ride motorcycles!) and advanced such as Geomancer/Dancer/Summoner.

I find that this MUD appeals to all kinds of players. Players new to MUDs are able to enjoy the experience thanks to the Tuna Client made for this MUD. Older players can still build their perfect characters with the remort system in place. Others who enjoy roleplaying can find such opportunities while they explore the Cleft together or during one of the staff members' sessions.

Regardless of what kind of player you are, there are enough interesting quests and secrets in the Cleft that you may well never find them all. The staff are very involved and friendly, which was a warm relief compared to the MUD I came from.

So download Project Tuna and come check it out. You won't regret it!

I have played the Cleft for more than three years running, at this point. In that time, I have seen some of the most dedicated, patient, impressive brainstorming for a better player experience of any community I have ever been involved in; a process which shows itself rapidly if you stick around for more than a week.

Developers are always open to players both through the game itself and through a notice system in the game--and they're constantly on the prowl for ideas for improvements. In the introduction tutorial area, players are taught basic mud commands--and commands which have diverged and grown from stock to permit a unique and diverse world crafted partly in nostalgia gaming and partly with a spirit all its own.

There are no less than four secrets to discover in the simple tutorial zone, hidden as rewards for new players who take the lessons there to heart: this is part of the overall feel of discovery this game can permit. There are comprehensive helpfiles, as well--one for each skill and spell a player learns, in addition to the broader helpfiles for commands and categories.

As for the classes of the game, each one has a distinctive and impressive specialty all its own--familiar ones like the regenerative healers ranging to weather manipulation and monster mastery.

Speaking of the monsters, each mob is distinctive, and there is an ongoing effort to make combat more interesting--while this is most evident with the jaw-dropping confrontations that occur after breaking through a particularly challenging temple, maze, or forest, some of whom are most effectively fought by means outside of automated combat, even everyday enemies are often given complicated, interesting tactics and behavior.

The world is sprawling, diverse, and often in development; designers continue to craft new cities and areas as well as redesigning them to be more player-involving. A wide variety of environments exist in the Cleft, from the depths of the bottom of the sea to labyrinths of the highest caliber to even the unyielding mountaintops--and beyond!

Adventures in the cleft are as varied and as interesting as the people who play it--Are you an investigator? Do you spend time gathering information? Dozens of hidden treasures are scattered throughout the world, whispered of in forgotten lore! Are you a warrior who loves the challenge of a fresh fight? Try Smash Stadium, a carnival challenge to test your might! It's this amazing diversity that helps pull the cleft together. Almost every inch of the world is engaging and exotic, and there is a continual effort to rejuvenate old areas along with the construction of new ones.

If you play muds, and are bored of standard grinds, procedures, and kill X for Y, explore the Cleft. I hope to meet you there.

I started mudding on a DikuMUD some time ago; was on the build team, and a avid player. Since the playerbase there died, I'd been searching for a new, enjoyable one for around 8 years. Friend of mine introduced me to the Cleft in 2004, and I was hooked.

The play style, and code base were extremely similar, so I felt right at home. The staff is supportive, there are newbie-friendly areas that are simple to get to, even if you've never played before. The other players are willing to help you out, as long as you're willing to help yourself. And if you're just there to whine and complain that it's nothing like where you came from, you're promptly told where the door is, and how to get back there. This is a GOOD thing, in my book, as it keeps the community tight, but not in the 'no outsiders D<' way that other small communities sometimes do.

Gameplay itself is enjoyable. The theme is, it's an amalgamation of almost every RPG in existence, bunched together here in the Cleft. So, you get a nice wave of nostalgia in every area, if you're familiar with the game it was spawned from. And, if you're not, then it's a good excuse to play a good game to figure out where the reference is.

Races and classes are well balanced, and cover a wide variety. I'm partial towards thieves, but they are a dime a dozen. The original classes, like Summoners, and Geomancers are a nice draw to this MUD. Certain classes and races are better suited to each other, but if you don't want to be a cookie cutter character, any pairing is feasible and not impossible to play. Some combinations are extremely challenging to start with, and develop into very powerful entities by the time you hit high level.

8/10 rating, for sure. I'm very fond of the Cleft, and whenever anyone mentions mudding, or a liking for text-based games, I'm quick to recommend it. And I still do. Drop in, make a character, don't be a complete jerk, and you'll find a very rewarding gaming experience waiting on you.

After trying out a number of cookie cutter MUDs, the Cleft of Dimensions remains the most fresh and entertaining text-based game I've played.

There are active staff members who are still building and implementing gameplay improvements several years after its creation. The game is altered considerably from stock ROM, so it doesn't seem like every other game out there.

It draws from a number of popular video games and other source material, but doesn't back away from completely original content and straying away from the original source material.

There are players and staff who have been playing for years, but also newer players who show up from time to time, so it doesn't have an uncomfortable turnover rate.

It is not, like any MUD, without its flaws, but the benefits seem to greatly outweigh the negatives. The players are generally willing to be friendly to newbies who show themselves willing to learn, so if you want a unique, fun MUD to try out, I highly recommend this one.

As a long time player of the Cleft of Dimensions (I wouldn't exactly say veteran, seeing as how it's been around for roughly eight years), I've grown to love the game and the regulars on it.

Anyway, the game is absolutely amazing. The colors are vibrant and match the areas-- Many other MUDs I have played have 'stone' colored forests, if you will. The areas in CoD are fully colored with every bit of detail you could think of. The descriptions on each and every room are different, all perfectly thought out and envisioning. The tutorial area for newbies is a great help. It teaches a newbie almost everything they need to know about the game, and that which they don't know, they will most certainly learn with experience.

The leveling is challenging, yet exciting, especially with one or more group members. There is an arsenal of different leveling areas designed specifically for different level sets. They're all throughout the humongous map, leading explorers to.. well, explore! And the more you explore, the more amazing treasures you will find. Each area is packed full of monsters and creatures, from Final Fantasy VI to MegaMan X! All of your favorite old time game characters have come back to life in the form of a chunk of colorful text trying to destroy your body-- Or help you on an important journey! Several changes have been made to the MUD lately, making it much more enjoyable and interactive for older players and newbies alike!

The staff is VERY helpful and user-friendly. The playerbase, though somewhat small, is very helpful and fun-- Though, I won't lie, often...Strange, or vulgar in some cases. But overall, they're always looking out to help new players as best they can, this includes myself. 10/10 For sure. Best MUD I've ever played-- And trust me, I've been through a lot of MUD.

Wow, what can I say? I began playing Cleft of Dimensions in the beginning of the millennium with a friend. The overall atmosphere wasn't too serious and we spent a lot of time being drunk in Rocket Town. For one reason or another, we stopped playing (in 2003, I believe). I came back in 2007 and things changed greatly and for the better.

The playerbase, completely different from the first experience, retained its friendly goofiness with a dash of seriousness when needed. I can't say I've felt more at home than here. Along with the players, the staff are very friendly and helpful. In my opinion, the staff's attitude affects the playerbase's attitude and in this area, the Cleft's staff have done well.

New areas are continually being built and the old areas I romped through as a wee'un had received major updates by the time I returned. Areas, though perhaps not so easy to find on one's first outing, are fairly easy to memorize after a trip through them. Based mostly on RPGs with a few non-RPG and anime areas, they are all linked in a believable way.

The Cleft's assortment of races is your most basic assortment of videogame races. Humans, hylians, reploids, and more have individual maximum statistics representing that race from its source. All races have an ability or two unique to that race, such as the hylian ability to discern another's alignment or a reploid's immunity to poisons.

Classes have been removed and adjusted in order to better define their differences. Classes such as ninja and dragoon were removed because they were too similar to other established classes. The remaining classes were tweaked and rebuilt from the ground up to the end that no two classes are quite the same anymore.

Overall, I find the Cleft of Dimensions to be a wholesome and entertaining MUD full of friendly players and staff and hope that readers of this review take it upon themselves to give the Cleft a try.

Everyone on the MUD is usually friendly, sometimes people argue or get on each other's nerves but thats really only when they act like idiots on purpose. :P

The staff is there to answer questions about anything, whether its bug problems or asking about an area (especially ones they built).

I've played the mud for about 4 years so I've seen a lot of people come and go. Some have stayed longer than me and its nice to have a chat with them when I haven't logged on for a few months or so.

The mud is still growing a lot as new areas are constantly being added in. There are still a lot of secrets in the game that I don't know about, mostly because I log on to chat with the players or just mess around.

Overall its a great mud with great people, interesting areas and funny moments.

The Cleft of Dimensions is a small, but incredibly fun MUD with things that will appeal to both RPers and hack-and-slashers.

The RPing playerbase is large, and immortal-run worldwide events are fairly common. For example, at the current moment, the players are battling against a Koopa invasion force, and both the Koopa Troopa and Truce Militia clans are fairly active.

As far as levelling goes, the early levels are fairly easy, with the difficulty growing as one gains more levels. Even at 100, there are things to do, such as hunting down the 'ultimate boss' with a sizable party.

The immortals are active and several have characters that work in the player RPs, such as myself. The distinction between 'player' and 'staff' is rather thin.

The OOC channel is a hotbed of random insanity and fun, and you may come in during a discussion of Signas' romantic potential or whether a balloon can be popped by an albatross with sandwiches.

So, come on in, and if we're all idle, just wait a bit for the insanity and fun to begin!

-Arctic, AKA Seikou, AKA Colonel Pimp Daddy Spider, AKA Rika, AKA several other people

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.