Hey folks,

just in the last few days I’ve really become very interested (probably one of those ADHD micro-obsessions) with trying to play a MUD or MUSH. I’m a long-time tabletop RPG GM, and I’ve been diving into retro games lately. It feels like it should be right up my alley!

That said, I haven’t had a great experience with my first little foray. I’ve had some software issues accessing some of them, and others are simply dead. It sounds like Gemstone IV is super popular, but I don’t want to jump into a neutered experience (and I certainly don’t want to pay to play from the outset!).

I’m hoping to try a few more, but it would be great if anyone has: (a) specific ones that they think are still great, so that I can feel more sure that it’s worth the trouble of getting set up on and used to a specific MUD. (b) advice about getting started!

Thanks for any input! =)

  • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    5 hours ago

    Lots of folks here are making good recommendations. Don’t forget some of the OG MUDs like Legend of the Red Dragon. There are quite a few internet accessible BBSes still running the classic game.

    I like that it has an exhaustion component to the gameplay that only lets you do a few actions a day (that you can do in as short as 5 min if you want). This means you’ll never find yourself too deep in the game because you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for more turns. It also gives you something to look forward to the next day to see what happened in your absence between daily turns.

    • brynden_rivers_esq@lemmy.caOPEnglish
      1·
      5 hours ago

      Ooh that’s a very cool aspect; as someone with a wife and a job I find I have a lot less time than I used to for gaming so something like that sounds really appealing! That said, I’m also hoping to experience the multi-user part so I’ll have a hunt around and see what’s still got folks playing!

      I tried MUME, and it’s awesome so far; and lots of folks still play every day who have been playing since the early 90s which is wild!

      • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        4 hours ago

        There are some multi-user aspects to LORD (Legend of the Red Dragon). You can trade and communicate with other players through turn based messages (like mail). Additionally you can attack other players that are not staying at an inn, or be attacked yourself by other players.

        Because its turn based, you can attack in your turns, and instantly see the outcome of the offline player. The computer plays their part in battle so you can choose to try to finish the battle or try to flee if you are getting your ass handed to you. As a defending player you’re not there for the battle so you log in you see the transcript of what happened along with your fate and that of the other named player. Its surprisingly exciting even reading it after the battle!