[KaVir]

MUSHclient may be old, but it's still actively developed - there were 26 versions released last year alone, and it has added some very cool features over the last few years. I'd definitely recommend it.

zMUD is still quite popular, but is no longer maintained, and is starting to show its age (the new version is CMUD and that's a bit more modern, although it's $30 for the basic version, while the other clients I've mentioned here are free). Not sure how popular SimpleMu is, but it's very basic compared to the major modern clients.

If you prefer console clients, check out WinTin++. And if you own an Android phone, make sure you download BlowTorch. You may also want to check out the on Mudpedia to see how they compare.

Try . It's open source and cross-platform, highly customisable/scriptable, yet easy to get started. The documentation isn't as good as MUSHclient, but it's getting better.

In a PK mud? Probably, unless you're using scripts or aliases. In other types of mud it's unlikely to have a big impact.

My suggestion? Pick a few roleplaying muds that are very different in style (eg New Worlds Ateraan vs Atonement RPI), play each for an hour or two, and see which grabs you the most - and remember, there's no reason why you should stick with just one. Many mud owners will complain that a couple of hours isn't long enough to fairly judge their games, but I believe you can learn a lot about the general style of the game in that time, and the amount of effort spent on the introduction phase can also give a lot of insight into what you can expect later on. Even if you don't find anything you really like, at least you should have a much firmer idea of what you're looking for.

Probably better if somone else answers the question about roleplaying in muds, as that's not really my thing.