ElendorMUSH has been close to my heart since 1996. I was about 13 when I started there, and still connect at age 27. I have always played various hobbits of the Shire, occasionally making an 'alt' character of another species. You will be hard-pressed to find another RP game with such a rich environment and history. The quality and believability of this game is outstanding.

Elendor has consisently been one of the best online games that I've ever played. It creates a very real sense of what it would be like to live in the wonderful world that Tolkien created. It is centered around roleplay. You can have a character or characters in multiple cultures from the Shire all the way to Mordor itself. There are many characters that literally have a decade worth of development. The theme is of course rich as is the roleplay ability. There is a full fledged combat and economy system. I invite anyone to come to Elendor and just to ask for help on the newbie channel they will be instantly greeted by several eager players will to help them get started and situated.

MUSHing is not for everyone. It does require typing skills to some degree, as well as creativity. The 'player' is expected to be an actor/actress of sorts, and write their own dialogue as they interact with other players, within the framework, the theme, of the MUSH.

As for Elendor, it is not for just everone, but those who have found themselves enjoying the wonderful world JRR Tolkien gave us in the Lord of the Rings. Within Elendor's environment, the average person can find themself immersed in an incredibly realistic, true to the books world, and live out the dreams they had when when reading those wonderful books.

As for the workings of Elendor, from the technical point of view, I think it would be safe to say, one will never find a roleplay environment that has had so much painstaking attention lavished upon it. Elendor MUSH has been a work in progress since it's inception in the early 1990's. Quite literally, countless hours have gone into the MUSH, to make it as user friendly as possibly, as well as best present the theme.

For the playrite, the critic, the student of dramatic arts, and anyone who wishes to find respite from the humdrum world of reality and 'take a stroll' through the magical mystic world Tolkien gave us, drop on by. Come share the wonderful experience.

Elendor was the first MU* I ever played, and it is the only one I have played for more than a couple months. I started there in 1995 as the greenest of newbies who didn't know the first thing about anything but the staff and players were so friendly and so helpful that they pulled me into the magic of the place. I believe Elendor is every bit as magical as the world the Professor created for us.

Looking for that special place where you can leave the humdrum daily life behind? Does high adventure appeal to you? Want to be part of a fun and friendly community while still getting that fantasy world fix you so deeply crave? Then Elendor is your ticket to the fantastic world of JRR Tolkien.

Play that Orc under Saruman and wear the white hand on your shield as you storm Helm's Deep, fire volley after volley and watch your foes fall as you and your fellow elves defend Middle Earth. Rub shoulders with Frodo as you play pranks in the Shire. Find the largest gem and craft it into a piece of artwork with the dwarves. It is all here, and so much, much, more just waiting for your character creation on Elendor.

Tired of the same old 'hack 'n' slash'? Sick of logging in and getting player killed while you're afk? Or worse, having your corpse spammed after you were player killed linkdead, etc., &c.

Elendor is by far the premier Tolkien MU* in existence, and it may possibly be one of the best MUSHes currently operating. The actual world is sprawling and quite accurate in even small details; just as you find the world of Middle-Earth prior to the Lord of the Rings, so it is represented. The combat system is fantastic, incorporating healing skills, battle, sparring, and language skills. There are at least nineteen cultures to choose from, five species (elf, dwarf, hobbit, human, orc) as well as several restricted species, which can become playable after one gains experience. You can be good, evil, or anything in between.

Whether an experienced roleplayer or not, a good writer or a bad one, Elendor has a lot to offer players. Not only are the staff extremely helpful if you need it, but if you do not, they're more than happy to simply enjoy the high calibre of roleplay that Elendor offers. As an added bonus, there are literally thousands of players who play there.

So why not give it a try? I logged in once in 1999, and I've always returned ...

There is a real advantage to playing on a MUSH that has been around and developing for over a decade. Elendor has both arbitration and a working combat system, extensive news files not only on theme and species, but also on character archetypes, and exhibits at every turn, both on-grid and off, intelligence, skill, and a true fan's love and knowledge of the works of Tolkien.

Elendor also features people who have roleplayed for years and who are both literate and engaged with other players. This isn't just 'sit and chat in the Prancing Pony' (though that's certainly part of it) - it's the kind of roleplay where you are constantly thrown challenges by other players. They're also very willing to help new players out of character, a great adjunct to the extensive news files. Even if you're only casually interested in the Tolkien theme, you'll find more than enough to help you both stay in and develop your character, and you'll find players and culture administrators very willing to draw you in to, and help you develop, plots.

New players and new characters get a lot of personal support on Elendor. There's no 'newbie school,' of course, so setup and culturing is handled by designated players themsevles. All of the major and every imaginable minor culture in the late Third Age is represented, and new characters can select from many of them. Play is consensual and requires set-up and consideration by those involved, so it can be a bit slow to get started, and like all RP MU*s there can be times when few are on (though the least I've seen is twelve or so and the most 40 to 50). Being able to play to characters in two different cultures helps.

If you think you'd like what I've described, check out the Web site in the listing and take a look at the roleplay logs. If you're interested in roleplaying at all, then you should give it Elendor a concerted and long-term try. Two weeks in an active culture and you may not want to ever play anywhere else.

I've been playing on Elendor for over two years now, and all I have to say is one thing, if you're a Tolkien fan that hasn't been there, get there now. Elendor has the best RP I have ever been involved in and there are often several TP's going on at once.

Because of the sheer number of races and cultures available to a player anyone's taste can be complicated. For some strange reason most new players go for elves, probably the promise of immortality. I was once one of these people, the 'Pointy eared newbies' but since then I have seen the light, and it is small and bearded. For those who don't get it, I'm an avid dwarf player.

So if you're interested in a good RP, with a gigantic world that is newbie friendly, with helpful staff (The cultures also appoint their own admin and greeters), then pop by, look me up, I play Ganon, we could have a chat, perhaps I can help you out with the arduous task of in depth character creation. Always remember, elves may look pretty, but I'd much rather a Dwarf in a fight.

Ganon.

Elendor is one of the first Tolkien MUSHes built. It was first started in October of 1991 with only a few of the wizards still playing on Elendor. Over the years it's changed alot but it's still the same. It has always been a game about roleplaying and at the same time enjoyable for the player of any age.

I have already been playing on Elendor for three months now and have been in many cultures. I'd have to say all of the admins in every culture are excellent and friendly to newbies. Almost everyone on Elendor is a wonderful roleplayer too. Some cultures might be small but they still roleplay as much and as good as any other culture.

I have been playing a Dwarf character in Erebor for a month now and it's been great. For a small culture it's really active and interacts much with other cultures like the Dale Lands. It can be hard playing a female Dwarf character sometimes but it can also be rather fun and different. Of course if you don't really like to fight or be in a large kingdom you can always be a simple Hobbit in the Shire. There are always the Beornings, Mordor or the Dwarf homes if you want to be a mighty warrior.

Overall, the roleplay on Elendor is rated G when not in combat. Mordor, Isengard and Moria might be always be PG but it makes the game more exciting when there's combat. Even if you're playing a seven year old character the roleplay is still good. And if you're eleven years old in real life you can still play as an Orc or Hobbit. Everyone on Elendor is very newbie friendly. Nobody on Elendor ever runs out of Mordor to go player killing. The chat channels are always monitered by admins and are always kept 'clean'.

So if you're up to that, you can go ahead and check Elendor out! There are always lots of players online to roleplay with. Before you get cultured, an admin of that culture will talk with you first to ask you a few questions and then you will get cultured. Everyone in that culture will give you a warm welcome when you join. There is only a small chance that you will not get cultured on Elendor.

Crazy

That's what you'll have to be to play on Elendor. I don't use the word in the bad sense; it is a strong point of the MU*. I use the word crazy because Elendor, when played to the max, requires some weird state of mind. Let me explain. First of all, it is based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, and although you can start playing without having read any of the books, I think you cannot enjoy the MUSH fully if you do not know the stories behind it. Almost every player has a love for the world of Tolkien that allows little change to what actually was written, and theme is, as mentioned in another review, indeed a point that is enforced quite strongly. But not without reason. The RP - and yes, this is really an RP only MU* - is generally of high quality, which becomes really clear when you see that some players have been playing and developing their character for years.

This MUSH is cantered on _role-playing_, and players try to make a story that is as close to Tolkien's world as possible, and just as entertaining to read. Proof of that are the thousands of RP logs on the Elendor site: people are proud of what they do here.

Secondly, indeed the combat system is not as developed as on other MU*s, but that is with a reason. If you have a character that's been around since 1996, you'd think twice before getting him or her on such trouble that he would die. And you _die_. No compromise: player gone. Start a new character. This doesn't mean there is no battle on Elendor, because there is - a lot. But it is used to enhance the story, and frequently players will even stop using the combat system and just _RP_ the battle.

Due to the commitment of its players, Elendor is very newbie friendly. Most players want to help the newbies to get the same joy in playing on Elendor as they have, and one other nice aspect of commitment and attention for detail is that people will _know_ you. You will develop a distinctive, unique character with his or her part in the culture, and you will not be just another faceless player roaming around trying to kill stuff. You will have a History, well thought out description, a Persona - you will become your character. Players will love or hate your character, but it is all RP. And when out of character, people will discuss the RP, compliment you on it and tell you they enjoyed it. You will feel part of a new family.

Check it out, and be prepared for a slightly more demanding game, that offers unique advantages over other MU* games.

Elendor... what can I say? One of my first MUSHes, and likely to be my last, Elendor has brought me a long way. This MUSH, I must say, is by far the best MUSH out there. It has great coding which it has come up with over the years. The ammount of rooms, how cultures interact. IT makes it seem real in some instances.

Out Of Character staff and players are all friendly, always willing to help, and more. It has a system of doing certain things that runs great and true. Elendor... the MUSH.