[Sneux]

Alright, so first a bit of background introduction. I have played quite a few MUDs in my day some big like Achaea, some not so big like Dark Legacy(probably my first but that would be a tie between Dark Legacy and StormHunters). I know what I want/like and will list that down below. If they are flexible categories I will put such.

1. Preferably RP oriented although it does not have to be, as I will gladly take an RPI(E) MUD although I'd prefer RPI(E) over no RP, but as long as there is some RP I will be happy.

2. A player-base, this is somewhat of a flexible category as I want a larger player-base, I've seen a few MUDs with >100 people while others with no more then 10, but as long as there is at least >25/20 people on and around (such as not AFK) at any given time that would be nice.

3. Clans/Guilds/Organizations, mainly as long as the MUD itself offers some from of Clans (not partying but clans) that would also be great. (a place where clans can battle each other, 'raid' dungeons together, that sort of thing if you will).

4. PK/PvP I love a strong PvE but every now and then I'd like a MUD where I could face another play in combat, and this is where the next categories come in...

5. Balanced, I like some MUDs just for their balanced play however others (of which I won't mention out of not wishing to start a blame game/flame war if you get me) aren't balanced. Such as some classes are more powerful or have more advantages than others. (a wide variety of classes and skills is preferable classless would be even much more preferable but it isn't AS important as some of the other categories.)

6. Advantages, now I'm all for MUDs who use equipment and skills as a way to get donations but I think that makes the MUD a bit more unbalanced so as close to a completely free to play MUD as possible would be awesome.

7. Large environment with plenty to do (and always more coming), like I mentioned earlier, clans, PK, RP, skills et cetera, plus stuff like quests to do and challenges, many areas to check out and constant development going on.

8. No perma death, this didn't use to be a big deal with me however I'm in it for the long haul and something accidentally while making the character more meaningful kinda puts a damper on the fact that developing a character might just be for nothing. Maybe I'm just weird that way.

9. Not JUST Hack and Slash, I'm all for hack and slash but after a while kill goat ... kill 2.goat ... kill 3.goat just gets boring, I would like some sort of quests and or RP/clans like I mentioned earlier, just putting this one on a different line t o show this also applies here (as I don't wish to sound redundant).

10. Atmosphere/World(MUD wide) events (IC or OOC type events), this is where it all ties in, I want an atmosphere that isn't always fixed...where I as the player or WE as the player-base can shape the atmosphere and the way things like the environment are. This isn't to be taken as strongly as it may seem but always having a certain atmosphere of like (get ready for lame cliche example) Evil Dragon trying to take over the world, you must stop him! (but nothing ever happens and this 'dragon' is never really part of the gameplay/MUD as a whole. This might be confusing for some so if you don't understand don't worry ^.^

Thank you guys, if you have ANY questions or MUD suggestions (as the latter is the purpose for this thread haha) feel free to ask via a post, thanks again!

[Newworlds]

Hello there Sneux!

I will break down the 10 reasons you should be a regular at . But first I want to recommend a few other games that are top on my list of excellent MUDS. If you find NWA is not to your liking or you want something different, I would recommend in no particular order the following:

- They have great roleplay, combat, and religion.
- Excellent player vs. player, and a plethora of skills and abilities, tactics, etc.
- The best for brain twisting quests and riddles.

Definately. The roleplay here is intense, enjoyable, and your pace. NWA is a roleplay enforced game.
100+ Players day and night.
There are clans, guilds, religions, political structures, etc. Adventures can be on the land and sea, with groups of 2 to 5, or armies of 30 or more. And yes, there have been massive roleplay events, invasions, and adventures with that many players grouping in battle.
PK is possible but requires roleplay. You can't just go kill a weak player for the lameness of it. You have to have valid roleplay. There are arenas for battling others where you don't die and many events are held here where multiple groups battle. Keep in mind, this game is serious and deadly, in that political, social, and religious roleplay can result in pk.
Balance is a premium but the beauty of NWA is that it is balanced in a dynamic way. Each guild and race have their plus and minus and as such no one guild is overwhelmingly better than another. Play the game and you will see more of an enjoyable rivalry than a skill vs. skill betterence.
Equipment, powers, and skills are world wide and free to obtain. Donations are accepted as a form of support but items from such are based around roleplay.
Two nations, multiple islands, oceans, ships, houses, clans, caravans, guilds with huge variety, merchant type guilds whose sole purpose is the economy and roleplay, interactive staff, guides, and events. Tons in the game and always new things coming.
There is permadeath, but more than likely it will not affect you. Mostly it is resurrected death and permadeath is only used for players who do not take death seriously or who start in the more difficult continent for experienced New Worlds players. So, if you try NWA start north first until you understand the game.
There is the ability to adventure and fight, but roleplay is the key here.
You will love the rich storyline of NWA. It is based on a novel you can read online at the website and there is a constant evolving storyline based around this novel that includes the politics, religion, and social aspects of what you, the players, create.

I hope you come by and try it out! Good luck in your search!

[Threshold]

Sneux, fits every one of your suggestions like a glove.

Over 300,000 people have played it over its 15 year history, there are thousands of fan sites devoted to it, and we've been written about in countless magazines and newspapers over the last few years.

And we aren't resting on our laurels. The last year of development has been massive, adding more content than in the previous 3 years combined.

I think you'll love it if you check it out.

web:
telnet: thresholdrpg.com:23

[Sneux]

Thank you, however I have a question or two and a statement or two starting with why I was a tad bit turned off of NW was due to the classes/guilds, the skills in each were kept quiet/secret. (At least when I played they kept them that way) which made it insanely hard for me to pick which route I wanted to go since that would have helped to make the decision. I can only assume this is for RP purposes but it still put a damper on things (unless this has changed or I was oblivious to a list somewhere).

Threshold I've thought about, actually nearly went that route but they kind of reminded me of the IRE games with the pay for perks. Which I am not a fan of since it usually ruins the balance of the game (like with my experience in IRE games).

I might try to give NW another go but I'm still unsure and rather indecisive about the route to go.

I know Threshold needs the cash which is why I don't blame them but it still ruins a lot of the aspects with what I've seen so far and encountered on there.

[Threshold]

The things you pay for in Threshold do not make your character more powerful. They are customization, cosmetic, and convenience stuff mostly, like player owned housing, more item storage (but everyone gets some storage for free), etc.

One of our biggest mottos is "Players ARE content", and what that means to us is that even people who play for free are extremely valuable to the game and the community. Even if they don't spend money on the game, they might still enhance the experience of people who do, which means they do indeed have a real value to the game.

We have 15 years of experience in improving and enhancing the system so people who want to pay get things they like, but people who don't want to pay can still have a blast but are not unbalancing at all. Managing this type of "free to play" business model is not easy, and that's where the experience, practice, and tons of player feedback comes in.

In the IRE games, you actually need credits to advance your character. I don't want to go into much detail, since they aren't my games and I don't want to speak for them. But to advance your character beyond a certain point you must have credits either by buying them or trading with another PC who bought them. I think there's a significant difference between IRE's system and ours, though both systems have their merits imho.

I also believe NW is now pay for perks as well, but again its not my game so I don't want to speak for them.

[Sneux]

I agree with the latter statement however I find that the convenience and customization pay for perks also make the game less entertaining (for me at least) and I'd rather have less of a playerbase than such pay for perks (just my opinion is all, as is evident that opinion is not shared by too many I guess seeing as how Threshold's playerbase is large even with those pay-for-perks.

Thank you though.

[Newworlds]

The skills and powers of each guild are indeed kept quiet and yes it is for roleplay reasons and your own enjoyment. However, understand that any race or skill set could join any guild and still be enjoy it.

Surely you can ask while in creation, but we find that most new players don't even know the guild they want to join until well after creation and after meeting guild members. So it may be hard to tell you to focus on Strength or Wisdom or Dexterity when you could change your mind later, see?

[Orrin]

It's not a payment, it's a donation

[Sneux]

I do indeed see, I guess I'm just a rather indecisive person when it comes to such things hahaha, I realized that earlier while looking at some other MUDs as well.

Thank you all for your help.

[lothoemas]

You man want to check out Ansalon MUD, we are a Dragonlance based MUD and reading over your bullet points I think that you will like it if you give us a shot. We don't always have 20 - 25 people on, but usually at least 10 people on and we have been gaining lately. We also just launched a new website, and MUSHclient GUI.

Check us out, or