[KaVir]

I think this is the real crux of the problem (and your feature list appears to confirm it): You're looking for a game that's just like Achaea used to be, back when you started playing.

Or , "the first virtual world that someone gets into is very special to them. It's a magical, enchanting, never-to-be-repeated experience. You thought it was only you who looked back wistfully on your early days like that? Nah, it's everyone ... Players judge all virtual worlds as a reflection of the one they first got into."

This is one of the major benefits of drawing in first-time mudders, particularly if your game offers combinations of features that aren't generally found in other muds; if/when those players become jaded with your game, there's not really anywhere else for them to go, unless they're willing to create their own game. Of course there are IRE-style muds being developed by former players, but as there's no public codebase to start from (unless you're one of the official IRE muds) such projects tend to be long-term, and rarely reach the point where they're playable. Even if they do open, there's certainly no guarantee that they'll manage to attract a playerbase.

However such muds are likely to be your best bet, if you're not satisfied with the five official IRE muds. I guess you could also check out Avalon, the mud that Achaea originally drew most of its ideas from, although from what I've heard their playerbase has dropped considerably in recent years.