If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

Now's the time to stop thinking and start playing.

The game administrator has announced an HRPT (Highly Recommended Playing Time) for Sunday, July 28 beginning at 2PM server time (that's eastern time). HRPTs are game-changing events.

For those who've never considered playing an "extreme" roleplaying game, Armageddon has these features:
steep learning curve
permadeath with no resurrections
no global chat channels at all (there -is- an OOC command that echoes only to the room you're in, an Out-of-Game helper system comprised of volunteer players, and a "wish" system to communicate directly with available staff in case of immediate and pressing need - there is also an extensive "request tool" via the website for non-immediate communication with staff)
all dwarves are hairless
all elves steal and no elves ride mounts
nobles are noble by birth rather than by exp points
the lowest scum of the planet can rise to greatness
a unique magick system in a world where magicks are either outlawed entirely, or strictly controlled - depending on the location
crafting system with both "template" crafted items -and- custom crafted items
based loosely on the concepts of Frank Herbert's "Dune" series, mingled with concepts of Dark Sun (Athas).

If the idea of getting in on a world-changing event in a game with a 20-year history and a loyal player base over several hundred (playing at various times - average before supper is around 40 players - average after supper and before bedtime is usually up to around 80 these days), then this is the time to start.

Remember - get your characters started well in advance of the HRPT, so you won't feel lost and will have maximum fun during the week leading up to it (these things don't just happen - there is an ongoing plot - or possibly more than one - leading up to whatever will happen that Sunday - it is not scripted in advance, no one - not even the staff - knows what will happen or how it will end, until it happens).

Website is

The GDB (General Discussion Board - their forum) is at

Armageddon is entirely, completely, and utterly free.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

Typo in your date of the event, unless Armageddon has also implemented time travel.

Which, you know, wouldn't actually surprise me. :)

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

Fixed, thanks! And as for time travel: find out IC :p

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

I returned to playing Armageddon a few days back after a long break. Things are hot. It's hard to avoid getting into wacky adventures.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

If anything else, it's worth making a character and seeing 120-150 (my guess at attendance) players online and in the midst of chaos during the HRPT.

Legions marching to war, spells flying overhead...

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

re: Sebguer

I wouldn't put ANYTHING past those nasty magickers.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

Tomorrow is the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get it together, folks. Arm is the greatest, and tomorrow is going to be a blast.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

The staff will also be taking applicants from 3-5PM EST without backgrounds, if you want to get in on the action to check things out.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

This is true, though maybe it's a good idea to clarify - since these posts are read mostly by people who don't already play Armageddon:

If you show up as a brand new *player,* with their very first character ever, in the midst of an HRPT, you aren't likely to get much help from anyone, about anything. Some folks will try to help you but there's a limit to how much they can, if you show up during a particularly stressful moment.

If you do decide to create a character, and you've never played Arm before, please PLEASE read the new player guides before submitting an application for a new account. This will make it easier for you to get into the plotline as seamlessly as possible, and contribute to the RP instead of potentially disrupting it.

I got the impression that Adhira's announcement on the forum was intended for players with established accounts - for people who -had- characters that got killed during the HRPT, or just before it, and want to still be part of it.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

Nice guestimate! My top count was 154, but when the crud hit the fan, I stopped keeping track.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

More changes, more intrigue!

Arm's website is new and improved. It's at

Jihaen and Lirathan templars are now combined into one glorious Order in Tuluk. Shadow Artists are now fleshed out and "officialized" to the playerbase, so anyone who understands Tuluk politics (or anyone who's a quick study) will find opportunities to rob, steal, mug, prank, and even kill, all within the scope of formal, licensed, legal "Shadow Artists." Or to contract said Shadow Artists, using proxies and middlemen to make the contracts and assign them, to complete nefarious tasks. Not for the faint of heart, this isn't your typical H&S Pkill.

If you love political shenanigans, but also love just an old fashioned hunt in the forest and exploration, Armageddon could be for you.

This isn't a MUSH - there aren't long poses and there's no turn-based RP, and plotlines don't get written up in advance and then carried out by contrived scripts. This also isn't a H&S where you mindlessly hunt for exp points and then "train up" your skills. This also isn't a high-fantasy uber-magick fantasyland, where fairies frolic in the woods and nymphs seduce dwarfies in private rooms. There's magick, but it's more of noir-themed than Disney-themed. Also, there are no hobbits. Or smurfs.

What Armageddon is, is one of the internet's oldest RPIs, with a theme inspired by an odd twisting-together of Dark Sun and Dune.

If you've had an account, this is a great time to get active again. If you've never had an account, this is a great time to make one.

Murder, corruption, and betrayal. Will you be the aggressor or the victim? Or both? Will you even know which one you are, before it's too late to do anything about it? You'll only find out if you play.

PS: Make sure to contact a Helper if you're new to Arm. While some of the things you might want to know are "find out IC" things - they can direct you to appropriate help files, or explain syntax, or even just listen if you're feeling unsure and want someone there to encourage you.

You can also become a member of the -very- active community forum here:

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

Some tips for surviving Armageddon from someone who's been there:

Count on being the victim for your first several characters.

Don't count on IC or OOC help from anyone, not even a helper.

Some people on the forum are uncharitable. They're the more vocal people.

Don't let people on the forum know who your characters are. Actually, don't post on the forum.

Don't play an elf. Don't play a half-elf. Don't play a dwarf. Good luck being a newbie human.

Don't play a burglar. Don't play an assassin. Don't play a merchant. Don't play a pickpocket.

Get into a clan as soon as possible.

Avoid groups of people you don't know. Avoid being alone with people you don't know.

If you know someone's name, that's not enough to save you.

Don't RP with anyone. Everyone wants your stuff.

Avoid the Templars. They're the law, and they don't like newbies.

Don't make waves.

No one likes newbies. Period.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

Dark acacia, it sounds like you had a bad experience. I'm sorry to hear that. I can say for certain, though, that some of what you said is untrue. I am a helper in game, and I can assure you, we try to be as helpful as we can, OOCly. Feel free to come if you don't believe me. The Armageddon forums do have some snarky and unhelpful posts from time to time, but the majority aren't, and staff moderate out the more vitriolic posts. I think any large MUD community has forums with the same challenges. They certainly happen here on TMS as well.

That said, I'll quote back some of the things you said that are true. I'm not that interested in arguing over the rest, but feel free to PM me here or in the Armageddon forum if you'd like to discuss in more detail.

(edit: Since obviously your list came out of your personal experience - I have no reason to call you a liar - I'm not saying the things I didn't quote are "false", just that I don't think they are going to accurately reflect the experience every new player is going to see.)

Armageddon is a permadeath game, and there's no newbie area or "new player" flag, so if you aren't careful both in coded and social interactions, yes, your character can die pretty quickly. There are easier roles to play that have better chances of living a while, and there are roles that might be more fun in the short-term but will be much more challenging to last. While the game has a certain harshness in character, we try hard to be welcoming to new players out of character. Like I said, please visit the helper chat if you don't believe me. There's usually 3-4 (non-staff) players available to help answer questions.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

Or you could visit this site:

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

Thank you for your opinions.

Don't forget that the experiences of newbies in a game usually do not reflect the experiences of people who have invested a lot of time.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

You're absolutely right, although we were all newbies once. I'd be interested in your experience, the positive and negative both, since understanding it will hopefully help us make it easier on bringing more new players in in the future. Please feel free to PM me if you'd like to share.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

Isn't it better to just say Arm has a high learning curve compared to most muds? Any game that has permadeath will only appeal to certain types of people/players.

If you don't like it turn off your station.

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

If you get dark acacia to share a single positive experience (about anything!), I will feature Armageddon for a month on :)

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

Hmm. Some would disagree with this statement. ;)

Re: If you've ever thought of playing Armageddon...
 

I thought my post implied the game's high learning curve.

I wouldn't say that the learning curve is high compared to most MUDs, though. It certainly is a bit harder to learn than the countless trains/practices MUDs with the same few dozen skills and spells.

I should also challenge the idea that all permadeath games are alike in their intensity. I've tried permadeath games where killing other PCs is generally not socially accepted except where the PC really needed killing. The law in those games was not enforced by Lawful Evil variants of Judge Dredd, though, so that kind of helped.

I'll share honest positive experiences, but I want to choose which game you feature for the month. Armageddon doesn't need advertising help.