[DonathinFrye]

You could consider trying another RPI. Out of the current RPIs, Armageddon is probably least forgiving in terms of how often you are likely to die. However:

uses my old Atonement RPI Engine, which has a beautiful crafting system, and a number of feature improvements over ARM's engine, from a technical standpoint. It's pretty to look at, robust, and exactly what you are looking for in terms of crafting. SOI's current incarnation is currently taking place in Mirkwood Forest a few years before the beginning of The Hobbit movies, so outdoorsmen and hunters are prevalent. However, the wilderness is somewhat more forgiving than Armageddon's, and within the walls of the town itself, you are pretty much promised safety.

Additionally, their web-client for character creation is quick to use, and it takes their staff (generally) only a couple of hours to approve a newly submitted character. So, while it is an RPI like Armageddon, you may not find yourself waiting as long.

It's certainly worth a try to look at Shadows of Isildur and other RPIs, if the closest thing to what you want has been ARM. They're not identical aesthetically, they run on different engines, but they support pretty similar features and philosophies. Hope that helps.

Also, 4 Dimensions is a neat MUD. Always has been.