I actually still play Achaea on several characters. While the "cash shop" is not a REQUIRED thing to enjoy yourself there, it does have a number of neat things that aren't combat oriented that just enchance the game like a flower pot that makes flowers every hour, or a pack that never decays and holds twice the content as a normal pack. I won't deny that the artefacts that increase combat prowess certainly help, but I have proven on multiple characters that to be "worthwhile" at PVP, you don't have to have them.
As for Jimmac's post about having to use a third party program to be worthwhile in PVP, that's entirely false. IRE currently offers two web based clients, Nexus (Java), and a Flash client. Both allow a lot of the same functions as any third party client. Most of the advanced users utilize the third party programs simply because they wish for more features. Many of IRE's players still use Nexus and Flash to play.
In fact, anyone posting here that has been away from GemStone or DragonRealms for more than a year and wants to come back for a peek around, drop me a note and we'll get your account reactivated for a couple weeks or so on the house.
GS probably didnt get a mention due to the ridiculous pricing scheme. Subscription for just a single character is more/equal then most Graphic MMOs out there with millions of players, throw in an extra 25 dollars a month to have more then one character..oh dont forget about the wonderful pricing plan of 80.00+ a month for platinum. Its been a while since Ive been back to the website but im sure the above pricing hasnt changed much. Seems a bit expensive for a text based game these days.
I actually still play Achaea on several characters. While the "cash shop" is not a REQUIRED thing to enjoy yourself there, it does have a number of neat things that aren't combat oriented that just enchance the game like a flower pot that makes flowers every hour, or a pack that never decays and holds twice the content as a normal pack. I won't deny that the artefacts that increase combat prowess certainly help, but I have proven on multiple characters that to be "worthwhile" at PVP, you don't have to have them.
As for Jimmac's post about having to use a third party program to be worthwhile in PVP, that's entirely false. IRE currently offers two web based clients, Nexus (Java), and a Flash client. Both allow a lot of the same functions as any third party client. Most of the advanced users utilize the third party programs simply because they wish for more features. Many of IRE's players still use Nexus and Flash to play.
I have a bunch of cash shop items on my Achaea character and I am pretty sucky at PvP. Have been too lazy to learn all my classes strategies. You can't just buy cash shop items and suddenly lolpwn everyone at PvP, you have to know how to use your skills. Its something I really love and really hate about Achaea, because I can't go lolpwn people with all my cash shop items but I know nobody can do the same to me.
I learned how to PvP on the early Java client and then Zmud 5.1 and I kind of miss those days but back then affliction classes owned everyone hard. I think the people who make combat systems just need to agree not to make them work so good to the point that they effectively nerf classes who rely on curses and afflictions.
I played Gemstone 3 on GEnie around 1992-2000 then went with a bunch of players off to EQ, oddly enough as a character named Aluvius hehe. A year or so ago I felt the urge to open up my account and have played a bit there off and on since.
I would kill to have a graphical version of Gemstone to play lol. Or at least have the essential gameplay elements that games of that era embodied.
Permanent choices. Permadeath (which was something you could do but had to work at it in Gemstone). Low magic worlds, so that items of any power really stood out. Sandbox mechanics mixed with live themepark events.
As for modern Gemstone IV, I'd recommend to anyone trying it now to look into a program called Lich. It automates many of the tedious tasks of a MUD, such as travel, inventory, spell ups, selling loot, etc. Its made by outside players so its not an "officially" supported but I'd guess around half of the surviving playerbase uses it now.
And as for pricing, the person upthread was waaay off base. Its something like $15 for a basic plan, extra character slots are only $2.50, premium pricing is $40 and platinum pricing is $50 (which gives you access to 2 extra game servers, Platinum and Shattered), Shattered is $5 more although its included free with platinum. Both premium and platinum pricing give you around 15 character slosts or so. The Platinum server is for serious roleplaying and the Shattered server is for unrestricted auto scripting play and I guess PvP free for all.
There is alot of GM interaction in the form of quests, merchants, raffles, etc so that's what you're paying for, not server rental.
Anyway, its a fun game. I've heard people also like Dragonrealms which uses a more modern engine than Gemstone. I'm not sure MUD's are for anyone under the age of 30 but if you ever wanted to try one then I'd recommend Gemstone IV.
Oh and for those that moan about paying $15 a month for gaming .. back in the stone age many of us Gemstone players regularly had $100-300 monthly bills from GENie.
My thing with IRE games (Achaea and all) isn't that you need a third party software, to run the game. You need to know how to effectively use triggers, aliases, macros, etc in order to at least try to defend yourself from PVP minded people and ususally during PVE as well.
I haven't played Achara (I don't think I'm even spelling it correctly!) in years, but I have played Lusternia for a while. I own a ton of the non combat related cash shop items, as well as a manse (player housing). The game is fun, but I just had enough with the above and PVP for no (usually) no reason.
Hey, I'm doing another DR trial! I'll send Simu my info, I'd love my old account back for a while. ) Also, consider a price reduction!! You would be way more popular if you did so!
one thing I loved in my days of Zmud when I just would go through the page(anyone remember the website that listed all those MUDs you could connect to on Zmud) and play random ones every week. I loved the ones that had the reincarnation classes where you would start over from level 1 as a new class couple of them were angels and devils with all new skills and better stats and such.. some of them had several tiers of reincarnation and made the game a lot of fun.. i miss those.. anyone know any of those still around?
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
I started out playing muds when I was 11 or so in a little Diku-rom mud because my older brother and sister were playing and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. That mud died many years ago, but now I play Achaea and I still have a play-to-win mentality, with a pretty huge playerbase for a MUD.
I started playing WoW when I was 15 or 16 and the biggest thing I liked about it was eseing my character. I got sucked into the endgame raiding when I was 17 or so and the biggest reason for that was the community. I have never stopped playing Achaea though, I've always been playing.
Now I play TOR and Achaea at the same time. Best thing about TOR is the story and playing with friends, best thing about Achaea is consistency (it doesn't change from what I like) and the fact that it is more enjoyable if you make it more enjoyable for yourself. It's one of those things that evolves with you.
I can't think of any of the top of my head Aerowyn, but check www.topmudsites.com and www.mudconnect.com. I remember seeing a bunch of games with remort systems in their descriptions.
I love MUDs much more than the eye-candy of WoW or EQ. My current addiction is Achaea, a game from Iron Realms Entertainment. Their "elves" are called Tsol'aa. What I love most is how intricate the realm is, and how everything fits together. Your character can literally be anything he - or she! - wants, as long as it suits the overall fanstasy environment of the game. It's totally free to play, with a pay-for-perks system. The thing is, I know people who've achieved dragon-status (lvl 99+) and who own tons of artefacts (item perks) without having spent any real currency. With patience you can get the same perks just by playing the game, or you can even win them with certain monthly promotions. If you haven't ever played a MUD, or are looking for one where you can play your own real characters that make lasting impressions on the game, try it out! If Achaea isn't for you, Iron Realms has several other MUDs too!
I can't think of any of the top of my head Aerowyn, but check www.topmudsites.com and www.mudconnect.com. I remember seeing a bunch of games with remort systems in their descriptions.
MUDCONNECT lol thats the one wow brought back some memories.. layout is nicer than I remember heh
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
Sometimes, I still get nostalgic for my six years of Gemstone. I really loved the time I spent there and still think of the friends I made along the way. Hell, my current boss also played GS back in the day and we worked together back then and didn't even know it when we met at work.
Left the MUD world eight years ago for Internet Spaceships (it's serious business) and I still think about it. I tried a Gemstone reactivation trial a few years ago, but the only characters I had access to were minor characters and my main was nowhere to be found, probably purged even though all characters were on the same account and inactive for the same length of time. I was disappointed and left for good, but I always have my memories.
I'm yet another devotee of Gemstone IV. I've been with the game in one form or another for over 10 consecutive years.
It is a different atmosphere than it was during its heydey... a natural side effect of the fragmentation of the online gaming market, but there are still things I can do in this game that I just can't in a graphical MMO.
You just can't beat the ability to truly be a part of the world's story. In most games, you have the same experiences as everyone else. In Gemstone (and many other MUDs) your experience is far more unique to the individual. We all have our own roles and perspectives an an ability to truly impact the world around us. It's interesting to look back and see that I'm actually pulling the puppet strings on a character who has really changed and grown -not just in level - but as a person in a big narrative over the past decade.
As for Jimmac's post about having to use a third party program to be worthwhile in PVP, that's entirely false. IRE currently offers two web based clients, Nexus (Java), and a Flash client. Both allow a lot of the same functions as any third party client. Most of the advanced users utilize the third party programs simply because they wish for more features. Many of IRE's players still use Nexus and Flash to play.
Yeah I probably should have been a bit more clear. I have not experienced any of this myself. My understanding is just based on posts I've read on this site by other players. To explain a bit further though, by "having to use a third party program," I didn't mean that a third party program was required to just log in and play the game. What I meant was that those who do use a third party program in order to use a bunch of macro's and scripts in PVP and so forth have a big advantage over players who don't. On top of that, there is the cash shop which is a far bigger concern to me as it has been described as being pay to win to some degree. If neither of these is true then that is my mistake for implying or stating otherwise.
I've also been a Gemstone player for many years, on and off. I haven't actually spent a lot of time playing any other game besides GS4, to be honest. I toyed with some other MUDs briefly, and played the obligatory few months of WoW, but I was always drawn back to GS because of the community of players. I think the small community is a boon rather than a burden; you're more likely to be interacting with someone who is really part of the world now than before.
I love MUDs much more than the eye-candy of WoW or EQ. My current addiction is Achaea, a game from Iron Realms Entertainment. Their "elves" are called Tsol'aa. What I love most is how intricate the realm is, and how everything fits together. Your character can literally be anything he - or she! - wants, as long as it suits the overall fanstasy environment of the game. It's totally free to play, with a pay-for-perks system. The thing is, I know people who've achieved dragon-status (lvl 99+) and who own tons of artefacts (item perks) without having spent any real currency. With patience you can get the same perks just by playing the game, or you can even win them with certain monthly promotions. If you haven't ever played a MUD, or are looking for one where you can play your own real characters that make lasting impressions on the game, try it out! If Achaea isn't for you, Iron Realms has several other MUDs too!
i got a trip coming up so ill be away from my gaming computer so might give Achaea a try on the trip:)
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
What we are calling "combat systems" are really just plug-ins for the MUD client that you play the game with. These scripts/plugins will do things like automatically sip health elixir when you get low, and automatically eat bloodroot when you are paralysed. It lets the player focus on attacking instead of healing+attacking. You can create your own and don't have to buy one from anyone. This is a part of any MUD, not just Achaea, but Achaea has the deepest + most complex PvP system so it has naturally attracted coders who like to make these kinds of things.
I'm a huge fan of the cash shop. I have several cash shop items and I suck really bad at PvP. I never practice and all my cash shop items only help me stay alive cause I totally suck at my class. I would probably be better if I actually practiced, which is what I like about Achaea. If you spend a ton of money on cash shop items and think you are badass overnight, you just blew a ton of money because someone without cash shop items and knows their PvP skills will kick your butt
I have to jump on this band wagon! I totally love my text-based game, Achaea. In fact, all the Iron Realms games are pretty cool and in a similar vein to the one that I primarily play. I came to Achaea long after the graphic revolution for gaming, a short 3 and a half years ago.
What I find is the beauty of imagination. There's combat with complicated skills to master, exploration and questing to solve riddles, pu zzles while trying to make a mini 'event' take place, player run orgs in the game (with all the heart ache, joy and politics of real life), the ability to design things like clothing and jewellery - there really is an entire functioning economy within the game - buying property, earning a living, having some sort of profession. The options are pretty much limitless.
I admit, when I first played it, I was overwhelmed. Lines of coloured text streaming by on the screen - but soon enough, you don't see the text any more, you see the world, you hear the voices. I was entirely new to role-play, a true noob, I had no idea role-play games actually existed. Such was my surprise!
I recommend to anyone to give the text-based games a chance, let your imagination take you to a place that you could only go in child hood while battling bad guys in your back yard. It certainly has become one of my favorite ways to spend my free time - I've created a whole person there who has his own desires, motivations, fears and celebrations. The best part? It is completely FREE to play.
I'm young enough to remember MUDs ^_~ 30 years old last January.
And I can tell you that your screenshots are modernish. Back in my days, we only use *drum roll please* the basic telnet client! Plain black-and-white. Literally drawing a map if you're that desperate.
Then SimpluMU and zMUD came out. But still, no auto-mapping features then. It was only in latter releases that those were added (if I remember correctly).
I hail from AnsalonMUD (the original) and Dark & Shatterred Lands (aka DSL). I was a GM/DM/IMM and Builder too. I helped in other new MU*s but did not stay much longer, college days got in the way, then later work. (I can't even remember the names of those that hired me 'voluntarily'.)
I also remember playing in 2 MUDs that features permadeath. I can't recall their names but it was great, full pledged RPG. 1 only allows you 1 ressurrection. The other allows you up to 3.
I have to jump on this band wagon! I totally love my text-based game, Achaea. In fact, all the Iron Realms games are pretty cool and in a similar vein to the one that I primarily play. I came to Achaea long after the graphic revolution for gaming, a short 3 and a half years ago.
What I find is the beauty of imagination. There's combat with complicated skills to master, exploration and questing to solve riddles, pu zzles while trying to make a mini 'event' take place, player run orgs in the game (with all the heart ache, joy and politics of real life), the ability to design things like clothing and jewellery - there really is an entire functioning economy within the game - buying property, earning a living, having some sort of profession. The options are pretty much limitless.
I admit, when I first played it, I was overwhelmed. Lines of coloured text streaming by on the screen - but soon enough, you don't see the text any more, you see the world, you hear the voices. I was entirely new to role-play, a true noob, I had no idea role-play games actually existed. Such was my surprise!
I recommend to anyone to give the text-based games a chance, let your imagination take you to a place that you could only go in child hood while battling bad guys in your back yard. It certainly has become one of my favorite ways to spend my free time - I've created a whole person there who has his own desires, motivations, fears and celebrations. The best part? It is completely FREE to play.
nice write-up and further convinced me to give this one a try this weekend
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
Oh and for those that moan about paying $15 a month for gaming .. back in the stone age many of us Gemstone players regularly had $100-300 monthly bills from GENie.
You don't know how good you have it these days.
HAH HAH! Cheapo ! I remember (I think it was) Fxg complaining about a $1200 bill one month (Or maybe it was Sindar - yes, I've been around that long :P). Even though at one time I had a Genie comp account (courtesy of my father) because I lived in Canada - the connection fees were outrageous.
I still have an active account (well, actually it's my ex's account that I took over in '99) - actually just reactivated in August to see what's happening (fun to see some of the old regulars still around like Kerl/Arwen Ardwen etc.
IRE spammin' up the thread. Well, I guess I can't fault them for it. This article is their time to shine (and create one post wonder accounts).
Combat systems are exactly the problem with IRE games. The mere fact that IRE allows players to have scripts do most of the work for them should be bannable from the start. In our modern MMOs, we call that botting. Since you need scripts (not just 'reflexes' - what players call a common mechanic with MUD clients called 'triggers') to be competitive in PVP, you have a market for people to sell their combat systems for $20 and up (per class) so they can slowly pay for their artifacts.
Artifacts aren't super overpowered but they do make you better and it's through real money. I'll admit that it's only when you put artifacts on good PVPers (IE: the player with the most efficient combat system) that they become really great and start to take on four people at once. If you put it on a bad PVPer (triggers only) they just become okay and they can still be killed when a guy running, say, SVO system, comes along.
But on the topic at hand: MUDs are still around for sure and there are a lot of options to choose from. IRE can get pretty lulzy with their claims but they are decent MUDs if you can get past the fact that you need to fork cash for scripts and artis (unless you play Achaea monk I guess). There's a bunch of MUDs out there, some for roleplayers and socializers, some for hackers and slashers, and some for all.
Get searching. TopMudSites, The Mud Connector are two good places.
AVOID THESE GAMES:
NEW WORLDS
THRESHOLD
IRE GAMES if you did not like what I described above
and you should be golden. Gl!
edit: Words of warning when deciding to play a MUD:
1) MUDs have cliques. Lots of them. More often in roleplaying MUDs, but they can be anywhere. Maybe they're all about worshipping a girl in real life. Maybe it's because the clique is formed around a staff member that gives players extra benefits if they support them. There's lots of reasons. Sometimes they are exaggerated but because MUDs are small communities and the game typically revolves around the playerbase rather than a developer's perspective, cliques have a whole lot of influence and they will ruin your day if you don't either join the club or learn not to mess with them.
2) You know how the Internet has 'white knights' who will spring into action in defense of a girl? Add staff members to their agenda (in hopes of currying their favor) and suddenly, you have a majority of mudders classified. If you ever speak down towards a staff member or a girl, be ready to feel the wrath of a thousand (well, more like 30 in most MUDs) angry foreveralones in both OOC and IC means. You might not be allowed to cross OOC and IC, but they sure can bro!
MORE EDITS: Wow, I see two Achaea one-post wonders. One right in front of me, one behind me somewhere.
Over the years I've played WoW, Aion, Warhammer Online, Tera (the beta), Wakfu, SW:TOR, and a ton of other random MMOs, but the one that keeps drawing me back is the least sophisticated of them all. Achaea.
Whether it's the great community to play with, to the extremely in-depth combat system for a text-based game, Achaea is always entertaining somehow.
I started playing Achaea in 2003, and it's always drawn me back every time I've stopped playing. No other game I've played has been able to do that for me.
Comments
I actually still play Achaea on several characters. While the "cash shop" is not a REQUIRED thing to enjoy yourself there, it does have a number of neat things that aren't combat oriented that just enchance the game like a flower pot that makes flowers every hour, or a pack that never decays and holds twice the content as a normal pack. I won't deny that the artefacts that increase combat prowess certainly help, but I have proven on multiple characters that to be "worthwhile" at PVP, you don't have to have them.
As for Jimmac's post about having to use a third party program to be worthwhile in PVP, that's entirely false. IRE currently offers two web based clients, Nexus (Java), and a Flash client. Both allow a lot of the same functions as any third party client. Most of the advanced users utilize the third party programs simply because they wish for more features. Many of IRE's players still use Nexus and Flash to play.
In fact, anyone posting here that has been away from GemStone or DragonRealms for more than a year and wants to come back for a peek around, drop me a note and we'll get your account reactivated for a couple weeks or so on the house.
GS probably didnt get a mention due to the ridiculous pricing scheme. Subscription for just a single character is more/equal then most Graphic MMOs out there with millions of players, throw in an extra 25 dollars a month to have more then one character..oh dont forget about the wonderful pricing plan of 80.00+ a month for platinum. Its been a while since Ive been back to the website but im sure the above pricing hasnt changed much. Seems a bit expensive for a text based game these days.
I have a bunch of cash shop items on my Achaea character and I am pretty sucky at PvP. Have been too lazy to learn all my classes strategies. You can't just buy cash shop items and suddenly lolpwn everyone at PvP, you have to know how to use your skills. Its something I really love and really hate about Achaea, because I can't go lolpwn people with all my cash shop items but I know nobody can do the same to me.
I learned how to PvP on the early Java client and then Zmud 5.1 and I kind of miss those days but back then affliction classes owned everyone hard. I think the people who make combat systems just need to agree not to make them work so good to the point that they effectively nerf classes who rely on curses and afflictions.
I played Gemstone 3 on GEnie around 1992-2000 then went with a bunch of players off to EQ, oddly enough as a character named Aluvius hehe. A year or so ago I felt the urge to open up my account and have played a bit there off and on since.
I would kill to have a graphical version of Gemstone to play lol. Or at least have the essential gameplay elements that games of that era embodied.
Permanent choices. Permadeath (which was something you could do but had to work at it in Gemstone). Low magic worlds, so that items of any power really stood out. Sandbox mechanics mixed with live themepark events.
As for modern Gemstone IV, I'd recommend to anyone trying it now to look into a program called Lich. It automates many of the tedious tasks of a MUD, such as travel, inventory, spell ups, selling loot, etc. Its made by outside players so its not an "officially" supported but I'd guess around half of the surviving playerbase uses it now.
Here's a great resource for info on the game:
http://www.krakiipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
And as for pricing, the person upthread was waaay off base. Its something like $15 for a basic plan, extra character slots are only $2.50, premium pricing is $40 and platinum pricing is $50 (which gives you access to 2 extra game servers, Platinum and Shattered), Shattered is $5 more although its included free with platinum. Both premium and platinum pricing give you around 15 character slosts or so. The Platinum server is for serious roleplaying and the Shattered server is for unrestricted auto scripting play and I guess PvP free for all.
There is alot of GM interaction in the form of quests, merchants, raffles, etc so that's what you're paying for, not server rental.
Anyway, its a fun game. I've heard people also like Dragonrealms which uses a more modern engine than Gemstone. I'm not sure MUD's are for anyone under the age of 30 but if you ever wanted to try one then I'd recommend Gemstone IV.
http://www.play.net/gs4/
Oh and for those that moan about paying $15 a month for gaming .. back in the stone age many of us Gemstone players regularly had $100-300 monthly bills from GENie.
You don't know how good you have it these days.
My thing with IRE games (Achaea and all) isn't that you need a third party software, to run the game. You need to know how to effectively use triggers, aliases, macros, etc in order to at least try to defend yourself from PVP minded people and ususally during PVE as well.
I haven't played Achara (I don't think I'm even spelling it correctly!) in years, but I have played Lusternia for a while. I own a ton of the non combat related cash shop items, as well as a manse (player housing). The game is fun, but I just had enough with the above and PVP for no (usually) no reason.
Hey, I'm doing another DR trial! I'll send Simu my info, I'd love my old account back for a while. ) Also, consider a price reduction!! You would be way more popular if you did so!
one thing I loved in my days of Zmud when I just would go through the page(anyone remember the website that listed all those MUDs you could connect to on Zmud) and play random ones every week. I loved the ones that had the reincarnation classes where you would start over from level 1 as a new class couple of them were angels and devils with all new skills and better stats and such.. some of them had several tiers of reincarnation and made the game a lot of fun.. i miss those.. anyone know any of those still around?
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
I started out playing muds when I was 11 or so in a little Diku-rom mud because my older brother and sister were playing and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. That mud died many years ago, but now I play Achaea and I still have a play-to-win mentality, with a pretty huge playerbase for a MUD.
I started playing WoW when I was 15 or 16 and the biggest thing I liked about it was eseing my character. I got sucked into the endgame raiding when I was 17 or so and the biggest reason for that was the community. I have never stopped playing Achaea though, I've always been playing.
Now I play TOR and Achaea at the same time. Best thing about TOR is the story and playing with friends, best thing about Achaea is consistency (it doesn't change from what I like) and the fact that it is more enjoyable if you make it more enjoyable for yourself. It's one of those things that evolves with you.
I can't think of any of the top of my head Aerowyn, but check www.topmudsites.com and www.mudconnect.com. I remember seeing a bunch of games with remort systems in their descriptions.
I love MUDs much more than the eye-candy of WoW or EQ. My current addiction is Achaea, a game from Iron Realms Entertainment. Their "elves" are called Tsol'aa. What I love most is how intricate the realm is, and how everything fits together. Your character can literally be anything he - or she! - wants, as long as it suits the overall fanstasy environment of the game. It's totally free to play, with a pay-for-perks system. The thing is, I know people who've achieved dragon-status (lvl 99+) and who own tons of artefacts (item perks) without having spent any real currency. With patience you can get the same perks just by playing the game, or you can even win them with certain monthly promotions. If you haven't ever played a MUD, or are looking for one where you can play your own real characters that make lasting impressions on the game, try it out! If Achaea isn't for you, Iron Realms has several other MUDs too!
MUDCONNECT lol thats the one wow brought back some memories.. layout is nicer than I remember heh
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
Sometimes, I still get nostalgic for my six years of Gemstone. I really loved the time I spent there and still think of the friends I made along the way. Hell, my current boss also played GS back in the day and we worked together back then and didn't even know it when we met at work.
Left the MUD world eight years ago for Internet Spaceships (it's serious business) and I still think about it. I tried a Gemstone reactivation trial a few years ago, but the only characters I had access to were minor characters and my main was nowhere to be found, probably purged even though all characters were on the same account and inactive for the same length of time. I was disappointed and left for good, but I always have my memories.
I'm yet another devotee of Gemstone IV. I've been with the game in one form or another for over 10 consecutive years.
It is a different atmosphere than it was during its heydey... a natural side effect of the fragmentation of the online gaming market, but there are still things I can do in this game that I just can't in a graphical MMO.
You just can't beat the ability to truly be a part of the world's story. In most games, you have the same experiences as everyone else. In Gemstone (and many other MUDs) your experience is far more unique to the individual. We all have our own roles and perspectives an an ability to truly impact the world around us. It's interesting to look back and see that I'm actually pulling the puppet strings on a character who has really changed and grown -not just in level - but as a person in a big narrative over the past decade.
Yeah I probably should have been a bit more clear. I have not experienced any of this myself. My understanding is just based on posts I've read on this site by other players. To explain a bit further though, by "having to use a third party program," I didn't mean that a third party program was required to just log in and play the game. What I meant was that those who do use a third party program in order to use a bunch of macro's and scripts in PVP and so forth have a big advantage over players who don't. On top of that, there is the cash shop which is a far bigger concern to me as it has been described as being pay to win to some degree. If neither of these is true then that is my mistake for implying or stating otherwise.
I've also been a Gemstone player for many years, on and off. I haven't actually spent a lot of time playing any other game besides GS4, to be honest. I toyed with some other MUDs briefly, and played the obligatory few months of WoW, but I was always drawn back to GS because of the community of players. I think the small community is a boon rather than a burden; you're more likely to be interacting with someone who is really part of the world now than before.
i got a trip coming up so ill be away from my gaming computer so might give Achaea a try on the trip:)
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
What we are calling "combat systems" are really just plug-ins for the MUD client that you play the game with. These scripts/plugins will do things like automatically sip health elixir when you get low, and automatically eat bloodroot when you are paralysed. It lets the player focus on attacking instead of healing+attacking. You can create your own and don't have to buy one from anyone. This is a part of any MUD, not just Achaea, but Achaea has the deepest + most complex PvP system so it has naturally attracted coders who like to make these kinds of things.
I'm a huge fan of the cash shop. I have several cash shop items and I suck really bad at PvP. I never practice and all my cash shop items only help me stay alive cause I totally suck at my class. I would probably be better if I actually practiced, which is what I like about Achaea. If you spend a ton of money on cash shop items and think you are badass overnight, you just blew a ton of money because someone without cash shop items and knows their PvP skills will kick your butt
double post
I have to jump on this band wagon! I totally love my text-based game, Achaea. In fact, all the Iron Realms games are pretty cool and in a similar vein to the one that I primarily play. I came to Achaea long after the graphic revolution for gaming, a short 3 and a half years ago.
What I find is the beauty of imagination. There's combat with complicated skills to master, exploration and questing to solve riddles, pu zzles while trying to make a mini 'event' take place, player run orgs in the game (with all the heart ache, joy and politics of real life), the ability to design things like clothing and jewellery - there really is an entire functioning economy within the game - buying property, earning a living, having some sort of profession. The options are pretty much limitless.
I admit, when I first played it, I was overwhelmed. Lines of coloured text streaming by on the screen - but soon enough, you don't see the text any more, you see the world, you hear the voices. I was entirely new to role-play, a true noob, I had no idea role-play games actually existed. Such was my surprise!
I recommend to anyone to give the text-based games a chance, let your imagination take you to a place that you could only go in child hood while battling bad guys in your back yard. It certainly has become one of my favorite ways to spend my free time - I've created a whole person there who has his own desires, motivations, fears and celebrations. The best part? It is completely FREE to play.
http://www.achaea.com/
http://www.ironrealms.com/
I'm young enough to remember MUDs ^_~ 30 years old last January.
And I can tell you that your screenshots are modernish. Back in my days, we only use *drum roll please* the basic telnet client! Plain black-and-white. Literally drawing a map if you're that desperate.
Then SimpluMU and zMUD came out. But still, no auto-mapping features then. It was only in latter releases that those were added (if I remember correctly).
I hail from AnsalonMUD (the original) and Dark & Shatterred Lands (aka DSL). I was a GM/DM/IMM and Builder too. I helped in other new MU*s but did not stay much longer, college days got in the way, then later work. (I can't even remember the names of those that hired me 'voluntarily'.)
I also remember playing in 2 MUDs that features permadeath. I can't recall their names but it was great, full pledged RPG. 1 only allows you 1 ressurrection. The other allows you up to 3.
nice write-up and further convinced me to give this one a try this weekend
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
HAH HAH! Cheapo
! I remember (I think it was) Fxg complaining about a $1200 bill one month (Or maybe it was Sindar - yes, I've been around that long :P). Even though at one time I had a Genie comp account (courtesy of my father) because I lived in Canada - the connection fees were outrageous.
I still have an active account (well, actually it's my ex's account that I took over in '99) - actually just reactivated in August to see what's happening (fun to see some of the old regulars still around like Kerl/Arwen Ardwen etc.
...and yes, I know of Welan !
IRE spammin' up the thread. Well, I guess I can't fault them for it. This article is their time to shine (and create one post wonder accounts).
Combat systems are exactly the problem with IRE games. The mere fact that IRE allows players to have scripts do most of the work for them should be bannable from the start. In our modern MMOs, we call that botting. Since you need scripts (not just 'reflexes' - what players call a common mechanic with MUD clients called 'triggers') to be competitive in PVP, you have a market for people to sell their combat systems for $20 and up (per class) so they can slowly pay for their artifacts.
Artifacts aren't super overpowered but they do make you better and it's through real money. I'll admit that it's only when you put artifacts on good PVPers (IE: the player with the most efficient combat system) that they become really great and start to take on four people at once. If you put it on a bad PVPer (triggers only) they just become okay and they can still be killed when a guy running, say, SVO system, comes along.
But on the topic at hand: MUDs are still around for sure and there are a lot of options to choose from. IRE can get pretty lulzy with their claims but they are decent MUDs if you can get past the fact that you need to fork cash for scripts and artis (unless you play Achaea monk I guess). There's a bunch of MUDs out there, some for roleplayers and socializers, some for hackers and slashers, and some for all.
Get searching. TopMudSites, The Mud Connector are two good places.
AVOID THESE GAMES:
NEW WORLDS
THRESHOLD
IRE GAMES if you did not like what I described above
and you should be golden. Gl!
edit: Words of warning when deciding to play a MUD:
1) MUDs have cliques. Lots of them. More often in roleplaying MUDs, but they can be anywhere. Maybe they're all about worshipping a girl in real life. Maybe it's because the clique is formed around a staff member that gives players extra benefits if they support them. There's lots of reasons. Sometimes they are exaggerated but because MUDs are small communities and the game typically revolves around the playerbase rather than a developer's perspective, cliques have a whole lot of influence and they will ruin your day if you don't either join the club or learn not to mess with them.
2) You know how the Internet has 'white knights' who will spring into action in defense of a girl? Add staff members to their agenda (in hopes of currying their favor) and suddenly, you have a majority of mudders classified. If you ever speak down towards a staff member or a girl, be ready to feel the wrath of a thousand (well, more like 30 in most MUDs) angry foreveralones in both OOC and IC means. You might not be allowed to cross OOC and IC, but they sure can bro!
MORE EDITS: Wow, I see two Achaea one-post wonders. One right in front of me, one behind me somewhere.
Over the years I've played WoW, Aion, Warhammer Online, Tera (the beta), Wakfu, SW:TOR, and a ton of other random MMOs, but the one that keeps drawing me back is the least sophisticated of them all. Achaea.
Whether it's the great community to play with, to the extremely in-depth combat system for a text-based game, Achaea is always entertaining somehow.
I started playing Achaea in 2003, and it's always drawn me back every time I've stopped playing. No other game I've played has been able to do that for me.