I've tried several MUDs over the years, but the one that really stands out to me is Final Realms. In this review i will try to explain why.
Final Realms is a large MUD with more than 20.000+ rooms. It has also an extensive race selection with among others: Elves, humans, dwarves, orcs, goblins, drow, duergar, gnome and halflings to mention a few. Guilds that are available can be put in four different classes:
Mages: Several different schools are available with mages specialized in warding, evocation, alteration and necromancy to mention a few.
Clerics: Several different clerics are available with different spheres from where their power comes from among others combat, summoning, healing, elemental, divination to mention a few.
Rogues: Thief, Bard and Wizard-Thief Fighters: Fighters (with specialization Vanguard/Marshals and Marauders), Elf warrior, Drow warrior, Dwarf battlerager, Duergar battlerager, Ranger, Shapeshifter, Paladin, Antipaladin, Wizardwarrior and Outcast.
The different classes all have unique commands or spells. This enables the players to really select what type they wish to play. Those can relate to Dungeons or Dragons (D'n'D) will easily understand the different classes, though Final Realms is not D'n'D, there are many similarities.
One of the great things about Final Realms is the detailed environment, and worked through descriptions. Any player can be blown away into this fantastic world by just involving themselves into this fantastic detailed environment, and the solution to many quests also often lies in paying attention to details that can be found in the room descriptions.
I really have to mention the quest system in Final Realms. The game has more than 300+ quests that all give rewards like experience points, money, and varying on the quest magical items or spells. There are quests designed for the single player, but also for parties where several players have to work together to accomplish the mission. At all major cities there are tale swappers that will inform you of what quests and missions are available to you, and give you a few hints on where to start out.
It is also allowed to create special interest groups, called SIGs where players create their own place to stay, with buildings and rooms that contain vaults for equipment, taverns, sparring areas, banks, shops where they can sell their items to other players and much more. Imagination is usually the limits.
For the high leveled players playerkilling is free, allowed and also encouraged, while low level players and medium level players are protected from other players attacking and/or damaging them. Playerfighting is free, and usually are based on race. So fighting among players usually happens between evil side consisting of drow, duergar, goblin ,orcs and other evil races versus elves, dwarves, gnomes and other goodly races.
There is also a good community for those with creative skills in description and coding. If you are into this you can apply for immortality, and become a part of the crew that runs the mud, and creates new quests, areas, items for all to enjoy.
New players when they start need to select their name, sex and race. They are then placed in a starting zone for their race, where they have to level up, train their skills and reach level 5, before they are transferred after doing a mission/quest to the Realms. There is in game newbie help and also a newbie channel. To leave the newbie area, you usually have to complete a mission or quest, which if you are new to this can be hard depending on what race u pick. Asking help from other players is a good advice if you are stuck. One of the first things to do when you become a newbie, is to 'rearrange' your stats, where you roll your stats. Try to get as high stats as you can, and subtract and add from stats you need less to the stat you need more according to what class/guild you wish to play. Newbie zones can be pretty harsh, but there are quests in most newbie areas where you can receive equipment which should make it fairly easy. Again, ask for help if you need it. Try to sell items you get by killing things, and buy better stuff at the shops.
For those new to the game a few commands may be of great help: Directions - Use w to go west, n to go north, ne to go northeast. Looking - 'look' will display room description. If you find something in the description you wish to look closer upon you can use look 'name of what you want to look closer at'.
Picking up stuff - To get things from corpses use: Get all from corpses. Things lying on the ground can be picked up by get/take 'item.
Who - lists who is on the mud Tell - Used to talk to other players (Ex. Tell Dumbli how are you?) Sheet - Displays your character sheet Ask - At a trainer this will display what skills are available. Use train 'skillname' to train up a skill, you get 10 skillpoints each level.
Advance - At boardroom this will advance your level if you have enough experience points.
Sc - short for score will display your score with hitpoints/guildspoints and experience points.
Eq - Equips yourself. You can also use wear/unwear 'item' to wear or unwear, and wield/unwield 'weapon' to wield and unwield your weapons.
Monitor on - will display your hps as they go down when you are hit in combat
Verbose/Brief - This will display certain things that you are watching brief or verbose. For example 'Brief walk' will only show room name and exits, while 'verbose walk' will show roomname, exits and full room description. F. example 'verbose melee' will show how many hitpoints you do and take in damage, while 'brief melee' will only show that you hit and get hit without the hitpoint damage. Type brief or verbose for a list of what events that you have set. I reccmend brief walk and verbose melee for a start, but check it out and make it how you like it best.
Consent - There are certain events you can consent to or not. This includes the ability for how easy it is for others to follow you, to raise you from death and many other things. Type consent for a list of what you consent to or not.
Help - Will list an extensive list of different things there are help files on. Example is 'help newbie' to mention a few 'help guild'. There are lot of informative help here.
Channels - There are race channels, guild channels and special interest group channels. All newbies should write newbie on, to talk on newbie channel use newbie 'message'.
For those that really enjoy text muds i recommend to try out this mud. If you can manage to get through newbie zone, join a guild and roam around in the big realms, where you can explore the dangerous underdark, the many wonderful cities, hidden underground complexes, islands and adventures just waiting for you, i promise you that you will have the time of your life when it comes to mudding. Graphics can never compare to peoples imagination.
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