Top Mud Sites Forum - View Single Post

MudMann · 04-09-2009, 11:13 AM

Been looking (without success) for a new mud, but nothing is taking my fancy at all. Not really sure what I want, but everyone falls a little flat in some way shape or form. Basically WoW is boring now, City of Heroes is a ghost town, EVE online is... nice to look at, but I prefer Oolite.

Then I caught the name Gemstone in some blog of a mudder who stated that it was the best he had ever played, and thought "never heard of that". So off I went to the site.

Then my breath was literally taken away when I saw $14 - $49 per MONTH.. more than most modern day MMO's. WHAT THE HELL!!!!! NOw there is a free trial, but I heartily disapprove of giving Credit Card info as part of a free trial as its usually just done to get some pennies out of people who forget to quit. However this thread is now about that.. I am sure it is more likely used to maintain an adult audience.

So my question (considering I can find no unbiased reviews anywhere) what the hell does this MUD have that justifies such a HUGE outlay of cash, is it really that superior? Can it really have 100's of players online when FREE superb quality MUD's dont.

Anyone played it, and does it have that special something that makes it worth the serious outlay of cash. I dont have a problem with paying for quality, a certain MUD I played for many years had a four figure sum in donations / payments.. but that was choice.. this is mandatory.

Oh, as an aside my ideal criteria for a mud would be

1) RP mud, but with sufficient channels / OOC rooms to be normal in
2) Easy to read and well laid out with no hideous colours
3) Aimed at the casual player, with items saved without having to pay for the privilidge, and designed so I can log off with little notice as opposed to having to hunt for a place to logoff
4) GREAT settings and descriptions (preferably using senses as well)
5) Lots to do for the single player
6) Preferably adult players
7) Death with consequences that are no more than minor irritations

Muds I have played over the last.. 12 years or so.

Threshold (awesome, but played to death, best descriptions in a game, great house builder), All ironrealms (text overload, and too similar), 3 kingdoms (ticks all the boxes, but the genre clashes does not sit well with me), Armageddon (no interest in permadeath, and also very VERY RP intensive), New worlds (OK, but didnt grip me), Everayn (lovely game.. too quiet.. now dead anyway I belive), Lost Wishes, Realms of Despair, Iceus, Carrion Fileds, Magica Materia, Shadows of Isuldur.

04-09-2009, 11:13 AM	#1
MudMann Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Europe Home MUD: Primordiax Home MUD: Threshold Posts: 178	Question about Gemstone and need a home Been looking (without success) for a new mud, but nothing is taking my fancy at all. Not really sure what I want, but everyone falls a little flat in some way shape or form. Basically WoW is boring now, City of Heroes is a ghost town, EVE online is... nice to look at, but I prefer Oolite. Then I caught the name Gemstone in some blog of a mudder who stated that it was the best he had ever played, and thought "never heard of that". So off I went to the site. Then my breath was literally taken away when I saw $14 - $49 per MONTH.. more than most modern day MMO's. WHAT THE HELL!!!!! NOw there is a free trial, but I heartily disapprove of giving Credit Card info as part of a free trial as its usually just done to get some pennies out of people who forget to quit. However this thread is now about that.. I am sure it is more likely used to maintain an adult audience. So my question (considering I can find no unbiased reviews anywhere) what the hell does this MUD have that justifies such a HUGE outlay of cash, is it really that superior? Can it really have 100's of players online when FREE superb quality MUD's dont. Anyone played it, and does it have that special something that makes it worth the serious outlay of cash. I dont have a problem with paying for quality, a certain MUD I played for many years had a four figure sum in donations / payments.. but that was choice.. this is mandatory. Oh, as an aside my ideal criteria for a mud would be 1) RP mud, but with sufficient channels / OOC rooms to be normal in 2) Easy to read and well laid out with no hideous colours 3) Aimed at the casual player, with items saved without having to pay for the privilidge, and designed so I can log off with little notice as opposed to having to hunt for a place to logoff 4) GREAT settings and descriptions (preferably using senses as well) 5) Lots to do for the single player 6) Preferably adult players 7) Death with consequences that are no more than minor irritations Muds I have played over the last.. 12 years or so. Threshold (awesome, but played to death, best descriptions in a game, great house builder), All ironrealms (text overload, and too similar), 3 kingdoms (ticks all the boxes, but the genre clashes does not sit well with me), Armageddon (no interest in permadeath, and also very VERY RP intensive), New worlds (OK, but didnt grip me), Everayn (lovely game.. too quiet.. now dead anyway I belive), Lost Wishes, Realms of Despair, Iceus, Carrion Fileds, Magica Materia, Shadows of Isuldur.