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Old 10-12-2005, 03:17 PM   #1
Shadowmaster
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Thoughts on the best areas you've seen? For me there are a few in particular. The reasons to me these are the best I've seen being that they were a)complex b) epic in scale c) 'outside-the box' in thought/coding d) Had stuff their respective MUD's had never had before in terms of functionality/automation. Thoughts from the rest of you?
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Old 10-13-2005, 01:32 AM   #2
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Got an example of one you consider the best, Shadowmaster?
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Old 10-13-2005, 08:21 AM   #3
Shadowmaster
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Nyathl Ikalith on Carrion Fields.
The Cold Cave/Twisted Tower on Faerunmud/Rauvyon.
Winter on Abandoned Realms/Forsaken Lands.
The Inferno on Carrion Fields
Felgrave(sp?) Keep on Aalynors Nexus.

All are some of my favorites. Mostly for the difficulty/creativity/complexity and sheer effort that went into them. If I had to pick one that takes the cake, Nyathl Ikalith would be it. The fact that no one has ever successfully completed it (to my knowledge) and the sheer difficulty of even getting in begin the love affair. The amazing number of quests and the extraordinary level of detail complete the honeymoon. Knowing it is something unlike any other area on that MUD just keeps me interested even after years of trying to master that damned place.
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Old 10-14-2005, 05:09 AM   #4
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The best zone that I’ve seen so far is called Fenizia, in a mud called 4 Dimensions.

Why?

Because it is innovative, immersive, consistent and has an elaborate and intriguing background story, going all the way back to the foundation of that city. The history of Fenizia is well documented through a number of documents in the City Library, and through references to other zones in the mud with connections to Fenizia’s violent past. The library also holds a rich documentation of different kinds of poison, because poison in all forms is a common method for the inhabitants to deal with their enemies. (I’ve heard that the zone was created around the mud’s particular brand of the player skill poison_weapon).

But there is also a more recent plot in Fenizia, with a member of one of the ruling families mysteriously disappearing. Everything in the zone revolves around this mystery, and solving it is the main quest. There are clues to what happened everywhere, through letters or notes stashed away in secret drawers or behind hidden doors, through gossiping citizens in the streets and through clandestine conversations between some of the ruling class, which you can eavesdrop to in certain rooms. (I’ve also heard that this zone was the first to introduce the ‘listen, smell, taste and feel’ descriptions, as well as the ability to look behind, above and under things, which most of their zones now seem to feature).

It’s a very hard zone to conquer of course, even getting through the city gate by figuring out the password is a major pain, especially since once you’ve succeeded, you realise how ridiculously simple it really was, and want to kick yourself.

This zone kept me amused, frustrated and entertained for an amazingly long time, and that’s a rare feature in most mud zones.
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Old 10-15-2005, 05:09 PM   #5
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I really like Underdark from old ROM and DIKU (possibly MERC?) days.

Excessively large at over 400 rooms, it's atmospheric and a classic. What more can you say?
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Old 10-27-2005, 09:59 PM   #6
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It depends on the type of MUD you're playing. A well-designed area on a MUD need not have bells and whistles, nor need it be complex. Sometimes, it just feels right in the context of the game world and exhibits quality over quantity of features. That's a difference I think a lot of MUD builders and players overlook. They go "Oooohhh" and "Aaaahh" over the obvious and ignore the greatness often found in far more subtle aspects.

Take care,

Jason
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Old 10-28-2005, 01:09 PM   #7
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I think people gravitate to the "epic"-scale areas when asked these questions-- the two mentioned on Carrion Fields above (Nyathl Ikalith, which is half of a pair of large high-end areas, and the Inferno, which is an interconnected set of ten) are certainly two of the obvious calls in our game-- they're both large, intricate, dangerous, and packed with "big" stuff. They have a lot of thematic depth, along with huge deadly NPCs, carrying huge deadly equipment, amidst huge deadly traps, quests, and puzzles.

I'm a big fan of a few of our smaller areas that give a lot of bang for the buck-- Violet Woodlands and the Temple of Loch Grynmear. One of the things that's great about them is that they have a lot of the "draw" of the larger areas (puzzles, quests, layers of content that aren't immediately obvious, etc.), but they're aimed at novice adventurers. If you've never played our game before, it'll probably be a long while before you see any of the "exploration set" of areas, but you could conceivably see these two after playing only a couple sessions.
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Old 10-28-2005, 08:36 PM   #8
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If Armageddon was a man, I'd skrew it. Seriously.
Why? Because of 4 things, mainly.
I’ve spent hours in this room(In A city-state called Allanak, main tavern for us not so rich Player-controlled Characters), doing everything from kicking some bastard half-elf’s ass, drinking myself stupid, getting assassinated, talking my way into my own 2 inch deep hole (when a templar found out about what I said), I’ve sold illegal #### in there, met friends, made enemies, having sex in one of the rooms, cooking me up some grub (in this case roots, those sick little things called “travel cakes,” and any of the various meats/scrab heads).

I can buy booze, prostitutes, friends, and anything else I can’t think of right now.

No annoying NPC always saying “Extra! Extra! Get your next quest here because there is nothing else to do, unless you want to kill me! Go for it, I have maxxed skills! Get 800 EXP!”

And there is sooooo much RP history in this place it makes me drool. Seriously, I’m about to drown, I’ve been drooling so much.

The Gladiator and the Gaj Tavern -- Main Room [NES]
  This common room composes the bulk of the Gladiator and the Gaj Tavern, a bustling establishment founded in the Year of Suk-Krath's Defiance of the 19th age.  A cacophony of sounds fills the inn, from the busy murmur of the many merchants that frequent the location to the  howling of the crowd, greeting the arriving news of the latest arena  fight, to the drunken whine of the hundreds of commonfolk that have made the place famous.  Stout wooden beams support the paneled roof of the room, each bearing many drawings carved by the patrons of the tavern. An agafari-wood bar dominates the western side of the room, the shelves behind it supporting the weight of many alcoholic beverages.  Wood and stone tables with matching chairs are strewn all over the chamber in clusters as to allow waiters and waitresses to circulate with ease.  A raised platform has been erected in the northeastern corner for the messengers and hawkers hired by the establishment that relay the latest news from the arena.  
  To the north, a scarred tarp of carru hides leads out onto the busy Caravan Way.  Flickering yellow and orange light spills out from the southern room of the tavern, where the meals are prepared and where travelers may roast their raw meat for free.  Eastwards lays the public sleeping area, while a door lies behind the bar, most likely a back room.
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Old 10-28-2005, 11:09 PM   #9
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Old 10-30-2005, 03:30 AM   #10
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Arm easy. Arm is the best game in the world! play it!
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Old 10-31-2005, 09:56 AM   #11
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Are you an idiot? Arm is a mud, not an area...

Anyway my personal favourite has to be Midgaard!

Nah really I'm still looking for a favourite area... it should be riddled with quests, preferably have atleast two factions fighting eachother. One of the racial homes on old Arcane Nites (a Mud that has closed down within the last year) featured a rich history and secrets that most people never bothered to find out. Unfortunately during the developement of the mud noone bothered for a long time to fix the scripts of the area...

Also I fondly remember an epic "Volcano area" which was basically one big quest that took around 20+ hours to solve. It involved solving puzzles and talking to mobs in other areas, assembling items (after you managed to find the parts) riddles.... etc.. Alas this was also on Arcanite Nites.
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Old 11-10-2005, 12:19 AM   #12
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Thank you for the mention, Shadowmaster. We at FL (Forsaken Lands) are very proud of our areas and our builders. Winter is tough and even I have not made it all the way through as a mort. If you enjoyed that, you might want to visit us again and take a trip through the "Story of Avalon" or, if you haven't already, the Clockwork Gauntlet of GEAR.

I invite you all to come and check out these areas as they are some of my absolute favorites. IP Address and port can be found at our forum, the URL in my sig.

Cheers! And good luck to all you other MUDs out there. We are truly a dying breed, but a proud one.
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Old 11-10-2005, 10:18 PM   #13
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My favorite area would have to be the Astral Plane in Lusternia. It's one of the most dangerous areas in the game, as it is where the Soulless God Kethuru is sealed away.

The area actually consists of 12 giant metal spheres that float in unpredictable orbits throughout a black void. Every once in awhile two of the orbs will crash into each other, allowing you to jump onto another one. Each orb is associated with an astrological sign; Leo, Taurus, ect.

The descriptions of some of the sphere areas are truly creepy. Three that come to mind are a waterfall of blood, a field of blooming flowers that have fingers for petals, and a blizzard of dandruff. Although they might sound silly, when taken in context with the entire place it is very effective at getting across the 'this place is twisted' message.

Also, each sphere holds a power node that can be tapped to fill your power reserves and drain power into you City's nexus. Each node has a limited amount of power and recharges slowly, though, and every time you drain one pulse a monster will materialize on the sphere and attack you. On Taurus you have to fight three headed bulls, for example.

Another favorite, also in Lusternia, is the Tainted Plane of Nil. Nil is basically Hell; it was once and angelic plane, but was corrupted by Kethuru's touch. I'll post some samples.

The Demon Lord Gorgulu:
The Demon Lord Nifilhema:
The Weeping Amaranth:
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