Compiled and Written by Colin Moock
[MUD STARTER KIT]
[COMMUNICATION IN THE VIRTUAL
CLASSROOM]
[VUW MOO HOMEPAGE]
The following is a list of WWW, TELNET, and FTP sites useful in the world of MUDs and MOOs. The sites are listed in entirely random order. If you're not on this list, but you think you should be, please mail me a note. I'm not personally seeking content anymore, but I'd be happy to list your site. If you want to get started using MUDs, you should try my MUD STARTER KIT. You could also check out my MOO, VUW MOO if you are interested in MUDs and education.
Researchers: Check out Communication in the Virtual Classroom, a paper by Colin Moock on the academic realities of MOOs, and the possibilities presented by virtual education.
Content Last Updated: October 26th, 1996
Type: FTP site
Audience: Advanced users of MUDs
Access: ftp.math.okstate.edu/pub/muds/clients/
1)Yahoo's MUD Resource Page
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: Basic to advanced MUD users
Access: www.yahoo.com/Recreation/Games/Internet_Games/MUDs__MUSHes__MUSEs__MOOs__etc_
Users who can manage to type in the address to this site correctly with find a large archive of MUD material. The information is, however, unorganized. The main content consists of a list of MUDs, MUSHes, MUSEs, MOOs, and other types of MUDs with telnet links for those who have their telnet application set up to run with their World Wide Web browser. There are no actual addresses listed, only direct links. Adjacent to some of the listings is a minimal one line entry describing the content of the MUD, or some important feauture of it, such as running times or user limits. Some of the links don't connect to the MUD, but rather to the MUD's homepage. Browsers will have to keep an eye on the destination of the link to be sure of where they are going. A lso listed are FAQs, indices to other MUD information sources, and information about conferences. Much of the information is mixed in with links to games.
2)WWW MUD Implementations
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: Users of both the World Wide Web and MUDs
Access: www.ccs.neu.edu/home/nop/mudwww.html
This site provides a starting point for people interested in MUDs that are moving beyond text-only environments. The introduction is limited to two MOOs, Jay's House MOO, and Cardiff MOO, which are administered by Jay Carlson and Andrew Wilson, respectiv ely (both of whom are notable in the MOO world). Very little information is actually contained at the site. The site functions more as a launching point from which users can find information. Most of the information pointed to is geared towards the more advanced user or programmer of MOOs, a type of MUD particularly suited to communication and user expansion. Those interested in the technical details of combining the technologies of MOO and the World Wide Web will find some of their questions about cod ing and server specifications answered here. A further resource on MUD and World Wide Web intercation can be reached at "http://hydra.cs.utwente.nl/~stan/HMUD".
3) Lydia Leong's MUD Resource Page
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: General users of MUDs, newcomers to MUDs
Access: www.cis.upenn.edu/~lwl/mudinfo.html
Lydia describes her site as follows, "This page is a list of links to many useful sources of MUD information. There is a particular emphasis on MUSHes, although there is plenty of general information as well." For the general user, her page provides one of the more thorough collections of information about MUDs and MUD resources. At her site you'll find a section on each of FAQs, Documentation, Papers, MUDlists, FTP Archives, and World Wide Web Implementations of MUDs. She even has a collection of coll ections of MUD related material. The site also contains a large amount of beginner to advanced information on MUSHes, the type of MUD with which she is most familiar.
4) The MUD Frequently Asked Questions
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: People new to MUDs
Access: www.math.okstate.edu/~jds/mudfaqs.html
Composed of three parts, available at the /~jds/ directory under /mudfaq-p1.html/, /mudfaq-p2.html/ and /mudfaq-p3.html/, this site is a World Wide Web accessible version of the common MUD FAQ. The questions in the FAQ are often better than the answers, but the information is solid enough to introduce the newcomer to the world of MUDs. The document is slightly biased towards Tiny MUDs (social environments) over gaming MUDs, but can be used as a launch pad for understanding both. The three parts of the FAQ are: MUDs and MUDding, Clients and Servers, and RWHO and MUDwho. They range from a basic introduction to the concept of MUDs to some first steps to take towards starting a new MUD.
5) MOO Central, Jeffrey Galin's Educational MOO Resource
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: Educational MOO users
Access: www.pitt.edu/~jrgst7/MOOcentral.html
The concentration here is on MOOs, specifically educational MOOs. The site was set up as a resource for those using MOOs for research and eductaion, and has a good list of Multi-Lingual MOO's, as well as a resource section with good links to other information sources of importance in the educational MOO world. One noteable link leads to a document which recommends a variety of teaching methods for the MOO environment. A series of educational MOOs are listed and reviewed according to theme and tone. The site's maintainer, Jeffrey Galin, has written a short getting-started guide for MOO beginners. This site provides an example of the serious business or academic possibilities for MOOs.
6) The MOO-Cows Mail List Archive
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: MOO users and makers
Access: shrike.depaul.edu/~abakun/moomail
ThwartedEfforts provides this World Wide Web accessible version of the MOO-Cows email discussion list archives for the MOO community. The MOO-Cows email discussion list archives are also available at the LambdaMOO FTP site, but in an unwieldy download-th em-before-you-read-them style. The mail list is run primarily for wizards (ie. moo owners and administrators) who help each other figure out and work through anything from starting a new MOO to programming within a MOO to handling sensitive inter-persona l situations that occassionally arise on MOOs. This is not the place for basics, but for advanced MOO discussions. The list archive is particularly valued by experienced MOOers who otherwise would be asked to answer the same questions over and over by n ew users of the email discussion list. Experienced MOO users who subscribe to the MOO-Cows mailing list also subscribe to the "read the archives before you ask" doctrine.
7) The SenseMedia Homepage
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: MOO users interested in linking to the World Wide Web
Access: sensemedia.net
This is the hub of action for SenseMedia. Link from here to all of SenseMedia's projects, from ChibaMOO - The Sprawl (a World Wide Web based MOO), to global shopping malls. The Sprawl page offers a "no apologies for being here" style World Wide Web inte rface to the MOO of the same name. Called a "collaborative hyperarchical integrated media environment" (chime), the Sprawl challenges its users to learn the technology, and take part in expanding the system. The World Wide Web component of the MOO is ex perimental and changes constantly according to the development of new technology. Current World Wide Web features of the MOO include a room browser of the MOO itself (including images), a browser of users, and World Wide Web readable help texts. TELNET access to the MOO greatly enhances the World Wide Web experience. Users of MOO may find the World Wide Web component static without the interactivity of a TELNET session.
8) MOO/MU* Document Library
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: Users of MUDs
Access: lucien.sims.berkeley.edu/moo.html
As the name suggests, this site is full of documents about MOOs. A list provides access to the most common (and a few not-so-common) FAQs and manuals in the MOO world. Of particular note is a collection of papers and articles written about MOOs. Some o f the papers are written by actual creators of MOOs, others by critics and academics. Many of the papers can be found in other collections, but some are more rare. Also included are links to other major collections of papers. The Document Library is a common starting point for MOO researchers. Those looking for published academic and professional considerations of MOOs will find them here. Unfortunately, the site is headed by an enormous screen sized graphic, so either turn your images off, or make su re you have a fast connection.
9) Fran Litterio's MUD Page
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: All types of MUD users
Access: draco.centerline.com:8080/~franl/mud.html
Fran's page is a well stocked directory of places to go in the MUD world and sources of information about MUDs. The content is primarily MOO oriented, though there are a few links to other types of MUDs. The information presented is orderly and readable . Included are: 1) The MUD FAQ, 2) a MOO programmers information repository with information about the LambdaMOO server, various patches, and other MOO-related programming tidbits, such as clients, 3) links to MUD lists, including a few direct telnet lin ks, 4) links to other World Wide Web collections of MUD material, and 5) direct links to various MUD Usenet groups.
10) Amberyl's Almost Complete List of MUSHes
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: Seekers of new MUDs
Access: www.cis.upenn.edu/~lwl/muds.html
As the name suggests, this list is restricted to MUSHes, but is the most complete overall list of them. The list has a searchable index, and a colour coding system that provides quick-glance information about each MUSH's theme. The list runs a check on all its MUSHes to see if they are responding to connections. MUSHes that are not working for long enough are eventually placed in a special "Defunct MUSHes" list. Each MUSH entry also contains information about the amount of people that have connected i n the last 24 hours, as well as links to relevant World Wide Web pages (if there are any) for each MUSH. Amberyl's list is also one of the few MUD lists that provides some commentary with each of the MUSHes it lists. A description about theme, content, tone (social versus gaming), and unique features accompanies each entry. The list is updated about once a month.
11) List of the Types of MUDs
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: Newcomers to MUDs
Access: csugrad.cs.vt.edu/soc/mud_types.html
A brief though relatively accurate description of the different types of MUDs. For those unable to get a copy of Dr. Richard Bartle's (the original creator of MUDs) exhaustive 1990 report on MUDs, this site provides a decent abbreviated version. Each MU D type includes a link to a user-submitted list of MUDs of the corresponding type. The list is often short, but provides an interesting method of MUD exposure. There's also a link to the CSUWEB version of Doran's MUD list, which lists about 200 MUDs acc ording to their program type. In the CSUWEB version, direct telnet links are provided to the various MUDs, but users must have their TELNET applications configured correctly with their World Wide Web browser in order to use the links.
12) The MUD Archive History Page
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: MUD users, trivia enthusiasts
Access: www.ccs.neu.edu/home/lpb/muddex.html
An exhaustive and often entertaining look at the development of MUDs since their inception in 1979. Since most MUD development has not been commercial and is nearly always ad hoc, much of the history included is actually in the form of different series o f email exchanges. The site explains how MUDs started and how they have achieved the massive popularity they have now. Lauren Burka maintains the site, and has contributed several texts herself, though her information comes from a variety of sources. S pecial features include a MUD timeline, noteworthy recorded sessions of MUDding, articles on MUDs entering the mainstream, and a bunch of entertaining tidbits. To find out what "newbie-bashing" is or what "bots" are, you could check this site.
13) Educational Technology: VR (MUD)
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: academics, MUD users
Access: tecfa.unige.ch/edu-comp/WWW-VL/eduVR-page.html
This site is maintained by TECFA (Technologies de Formation et Apprentissage) at the University of Geneva. Its purpose is to serve as an information source, and as a center of activity in the educational MUD world. Teachers and academics will find MUDs taken very seriously here. TECFA is a consistent advocator of the usefulness of MUDs in educational environments. The site includes an introduction to MUDs themselves, a listing of MUD events in the educational world, a list of actual educational MUDs a long with statements of purpose and access information, a collection of various sources of online MUD information, and an extensive collection of serious MUD publications.
14) Maddog's Studio
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: Business and academic MUD users
Access: www.best.com/~maddog
Maddog describes his site as follows: "an information mothership for virtual world producers and developers. "Virtual world" includes anything from text-based MUDs, to 2D graphics and Web-based interaction systems, to 3D VRML and Quake-like worlds." The site is devoted to all interactive technology, but its roots in MUD are strong. As well as providing links to a large variety of software and connections tools needed in the interactive VR world, the site keeps a list of relevant publications, and World Wide Web sites of interest to the interactive VR world (from "body armour" style VR to intercative fiction). Maddog also stresses the business applications of interactive VR, and runs a mailing list from the site on that topic.
15) How to Survive With Telnet
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: First-time connectors to MOOs
Access: www.daedalus.com/net/telnet.html
The basic connection tool used to enter MUDs is TELNET. While users of MUDs often take this technology for granted, to a first time user, it can be confusing, and not at all intuitive. In repsonse to the confusion many users encounter when connecting to MUDs, Nick Carbone has written a help document to getting started with TELNET. Once it has established a connection, the TELNET protocol to MUDs can continue to provide a confusing interface. Nick's document explains what to expect from the TELNET inte rface, and describes how to fix some of the odd line wrapping and screen scrolling that TELNET can cause. Note, though, that his document is for use only with MOOs.
16) MUD Home Page Links
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: Seekers of new MUDs
Access: www.cis.upenn.edu/~lwl/mhome.html
By name alone, a MUD is often indistinguishable from any other MUD. The difference, for instance, between Dragon Spire and Dragon's Den or between BatMOO (actually based on the comic-strip character) and BatMUD (nothing to do with the comic-strip, actual ly a medieval knights scenario) is not readily apparent. However, many MUDs have World Wide Web sites that accompany their telnet sites. The World Wide Web sites provide information about the MUD that could only otherwise be discovered through lengthy T ELNET sessions. The "MUD Home Page Links" site contains a collection of nearly 50 of these World Wide Web MUD sites, organized according to the categories of game and non-game MUD. This site offers the ability to "look before you leap" into the thousands of MUDs currently running.
17) The MUD Connector
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: Seekers of new MUDs
Access: www.absi.com/mud
Compared with its competitors, this is probably the sleekest MUD list. It has been recognized by each of WinMag, NetGuide, Reality Com., and Glenn Davis as their Cool Site of the Day. The sea of MUDs is made a little more manageable by a search form tha t allows searching by keyword, title, type of MUD, or description. The site is unique from others in that it encourages MUD administrators to submit their MUDs (there's a form) to the list. In doing so, the administrators can write descriptions of their MUDs, and include appropriate World Wide Web links. The Connector also has a section for recent listings, and for defunct listings. The 200+ MUDs are listed alphabetically.
18) Scott Geiger's MUD List
Type: World Wide Web site
Audience: Seekers of new MUDs
Access: www.interplay.com/mudlist
One of the largest MUD lists available, Scott's MUD List contains over 500 entries which are generally reliable, though the sheer size of the list results in occassional inaccuracies. Those using text-only World Wide Web browswers will appreciate a text-o nly option provided by the list. Entries are primarily game oriented. The site offers an advertising spot to MUD administrators. Listings are arranged by MUD code type, and do not include a description of the MUD, though TELNET links are provided for t hose who have their TELNET application configured correctly with their World Wide Web browser. Scott's MUD list is good looking and still improving, though it has been around a long time.
19) The LP-MUD FAQ
Type: World Wide Web
Audience: Seekers of game style MUDs, those interested in
starting a MUD
Access: www.imaginary.com/LPMud/lpmud_faq.html
George Reese maintains a World Wide Web site for the FAQ he wrote himself for the popular role-playing game style "LP-MUD". The FAQ is also posted to rec.games.mud.lp, rec.games.mud.announce, news.answers, and rec.answers twice a month. It is divided in to four sections: Introduction, Playing LPMUDs, Coding on an LPMUD, and Starting Your Own LPMUD. The FAQ answers nearly a hundred questions, everything from describing what a MUD is, to defining the specifics of LPMUDs, to explaining where LPMUD came fro m, to instructions on getting started using LPMUDs. More advanced MUD users will find their concerns catered to in the sections on coding and starting an LPMUD. A series of FTP and World Wide Web sites are listed as references.
1) alt.mud
My Usenet service doesn't provide this group. Sorry no
description.
2) alt.mud.moo
My Usenet service sadly doesn't provide this group. Sorry, no
description.
3) rec.games.mud.admin
Type: Usenet group
Audience: MUD administrators
Access: rec.games.mud.admin
This Usenet group is for use by the various types of administrators (typically referred to as Admins, Arch-Wizards, Wizards, Gods, or Royals) on the various types of MUDs. Rather than programming issues, discussions here focus on the actual running of a MUD. Administrators typically have two main areas of concern: 1) the actual running of the MUD as a computer program, and 2) administering the social side of the MUD from within. Discussions are rarely heated, and are devoted to working through the many problems facing MUD adminstrators, from starting a new MUD server to handling obstinate MUD users. The group is also used as a place for administrators to make general announcements, such as calls for donations, or openings of new MUDs.
4) rec.games.mud.announce
Type: Usenet group
Audience: MUD administrators and users
Access: rec.games.mud.announce
This newsgroup is moderated by Lydia Leong, who also runs the MUD Resource Page, and Amberyl's Almost Complete List of MUSHes. She generally keeps the group up to date within a week. As the name suggests, this newgroup serves as a location for general a nnouncements to the MUD community. A variety of FAQs are posted there regularly, including George Reese's LPMUD FAQ, and the MUDs and MUDding FAQ. Other typical documents posted on the group are guides to who's who in the MUD world, and happenings of im portance in the MUD world, such as real life or virtual conferences. Occassionally, the opening of new MUDs is announced here.
5) rec.games.mud.diku
Type: Usenet group
Audience: DIKU MUD users
Access: rec.games.mud.diku
This Usenet group is among the most-posted-to of the MUD newsgroups. DIKU MUDs are nearly always gaming MUDs, and gaming is nearly always the topics of conversation on the DIKU Usenet group. A very wide variety of users post to it, from the brand new to the seasoned veteran. Some new users come here to find help on MUD use, or to ask for references to specific types of MUDs. Many MUD administrators use it as a forum for announcing the events of their MUDs, such as an opening, a move, or an explanation for a down time. The occassional spat breaks out between MUD users over specific happenings on certain MUDs (most commonly character assassinations), or over which type of (or which specific) MUD is best. General questions about MUDs can be posted here , but they won't always be met by the most friendly answers. Specific concerns are more appropriate. There are, however, no moderators here. Anything up to starting a money drive for a new MUD gets posted.
6) rec.games.mud.lp
Type: Usenet group
Audience: LPMUD users
Access: rec.games.mud.lp
This Usenet group typically caters to experienced users and administrators of the LP style of MUD. New users would find most of the discussions unintelligible. The group acts as a center of activity for programming on LPMUDs, and long threads are often devoted to solving specific individual coding problems. The following is not an uncommon quote from a conversation: "I think Abigail is confusing the new 'virtual inheritance with labels' with the old 'labelled inheritance' here. Dworkin discarded label led inheritance early in DGD's development, then added optional labelling to virtual inheritance. The syntax is the same, but the semantics are completely different." Occassionally, however, less technical topics and announcements arise. New users are not discouraged from posting.
7) rec.games.mud.misc
Type: Usenet group
Audience: All MUD users
Access: rec.games.mud.misc
This Usenet group often gets involved in long threads on several general MUD issues. Since the this group invites posts from users of any type of MUD, the discussions often take the form of heated debates about which programming language is best suited t o which types of goals, or about which programming language has the greatest all around functionality. Occassionally the game versus social environment is debated, as well as the general importance of the virtual reality of MUDs. Advertisements for new MUDs, and calls for help often get cross-posted here. Occassionally, innovations for MUD content start here. A number of noteable MUD users frequent this Usenet group.
8) rec.games.mud.tiny
Type: Usenet group
Audience: Non-gaming MUD users
Access: rec.games.mud.tiny
This Usenet group is frequented by users of Tiny (typically social) MUDs, including MUSHes, MUCKs, MUSEs and MOOs. The topics of conversation are very broad ranging. Specific programming issues are occassionally discussed, as well as compiling or server concerns. However, due to the integration of user abilities and programmer abilities on most Tiny MUDs, conversations rarely remain in one area. New users might ask for information on using a client, while others might pass around a MUD joke or discuss MUD events. The group also often acts as a help wanted board, where programmers can find MUDs on which to program, and administrators can find users or new sites for their MUDs. Occassionally ethical issues (such as player freedom or oppression, and abu se of powers) arise in the form of heated debates.
Type: TELNET site
Audience: MOO users
Access: sensemedia.net 7777
Many MUDs are taking the first steps towards live video conferencing in a virtual environment. They use the graphical interface provided by the World Wide Web to provide a visual component to their text environment. Currently, the technology allows only for a "browsing" style of user interaction with the virtual world, but the user has the option to simultaneously interact with the MUD through TELNET and the World Wide Web. Actions performed on one platform are automatically represented on the other. The most advanced implementation of WWW-MOO interaction currently is "The Sprawl -- ChibaMOO" headed by Sensemedia. The World Wide Web element is often slow compared to straight telnet sessions. It has less of the immediacy of the telnet MUDs, but is wel l polished and includes excellent graphics work. Its World Wide Web site can be accessed at "http://sensemedia.net/sprawl".
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Medieval game enthusiasts
Access: hellfire.dusers.drexel.edu 2222
Dragon's Den is a venerable adventuring MUD, mainly in the Dungeons and Dragons genre, that just keeps expanding and improving. They recently moved the MUD to a dedicated machine which has greatly decreased the lag on the MUD, and enabled up to 200 simul taneous connections. After the shift to the machine in the summer of 1995, the MUD had a fairly small user base, and since then has been eager to grow. Recent improvements include a large guild system, and the addition of many new quests. New users of MUDs will find lots of support, while veterans are encouraged to work on the MUD itself by building new areas. Dragon's Den has a World Wide Web site with information about its history and its users at "http://www.iti.org/~dsm/dden/dd.html".
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Medieval game enthusiasts
Access: telnet bat.cs.hut.fi 23
BatMUD is one of the oldest, biggest and most complex gaming MUDs around. The geography of the virtual world spans nearly half a million rooms. The MUD has been around for so long that the players actually bought the machine it runs on through a fund ra ising drive. It has literally hundreds of spells and special skills, dozens of guilds, and special objects and areas. Users of this MUD have the potential to get lost forever. Two hundred players are connected simultaneously on average, with little lag . Elaborate detail (from sunrises to thirst) adds to the atmosphere of the game. BatMUD is probably the most developed MUD, but certainly not the easiest. You might want to get your training on other MUD's first. Located in Helsinki, Finland, BatMUD's World Wide Web site resides at "http://bat.cs.hut.fi".
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Experienced MUD players
Access: camelot.shsu.edu 2222
Genocide has been running since January 1992 at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville Texas. The MudLib is based on a stock LP MUD, using LPC for coding. Genocide is a purely player-killer MUD with no monsters as found in other muds. Users engage in "wars" with each other. The original intent of Genocide was to train MUDders to become better player killers on other muds, but eventually, Genocide became a mud in a class of it's own. Levels are attained by receiving kills; when level 20 is reached , players are promoted to the rank of "regulator" and receive a "developer" character, which is used to code and create items and areas for the game. Administrators maintain stringent rules regarding the quality of new and old game areas and code. The MU D runs on an SGI Challenge machine with 640 megs of RAM and four 150 MHz MIPS R4400 processors, running SGI's IRIX 5.3., so the lag on its end is remarkably small. The Genocide World Wide Web site is accessible at "http://www.shsu.edu/~genlpc".
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Star Trek enthusiasts
Access: telnet dendrite.onramp.net 1701
Future Realms adheres closely to the Star Trek theme. It has a very large realm and an interesting social system based on Star Trek. Most of the popular Trekkie toys are represented on the game. Though the social aspect of the game is emphasized, Futur e Realms does have a minor combat system. The creators spent a good amount of time on development before opening this growing MUSH to the public early in 1995. Users are eager to provide help for newbies, and actively seek new recruits. Future Realms h as a World Wide Web site at "http://www.fc.net:80/~infoteql". Also try these in the Star Trek genre: HoloMUD (telnet holo.fc.net 7777) and TrekMOO (telnet aaraaf.ravenet.com 1701, or 204.176.14.4 1701). TrekMOO will likely have moved by 1996. Send mail to stm-l@abmsystems.ns.ca if you have trouble connecting.
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Science Fiction Enthusiasts, Futurists
Access: sunlab.npac.syr.edu 2000
The science-fictional environment of MOO2000 simulates a futuristic colony of humans who left an overcrowded Earth to inhabit a planet in the Alpha Centauri system. The colony consists of a single, sprawling but organized building, containing all necessa ry residences, commercial areas, and entertainment services. And since the base planet, Centauri 4, contains an amosphere almost identical to that of Earth, the land surrounding the building has also been developed. The theme is strictly enfoced, though programmers and builders are encouraged to add to the world. MOO2000 is also pursuing innovations in MOO technology, including sound and graphic interfaces. The MOO is connected to the World Wide Web at: "http://sunlab.npac.syr.edu:3434".
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Role Playing Game enthusiasts
Access: nightmare.imaginary.com 1701
Nightmare is a three year old LPMUD that runs on a MUDOS driver in Minnesota. The MUD has a dedicated user base, and grows regularly. Popular features include a player-run system of justice, a limb-oriented combat system, player biographies, and an elab orate class system. Nightmare runs on a machine purchased by the players through a donation drive. George Reese, well known MUDder, heads up this project, and maintains the most current versions of the Nightmare MUDlib which can be used by others to sta rt their own MUDs. Nightmare also runs an email discussion list: to subscribe to the Nightmare LPMud mailing list, mail "majordomo@nightmare.imaginary.com" with "subscribe nightmare-lpmud" in the body of the letter. Nightmare's World Wide Web site is at "www.imaginary.com/LPMud/Nightmare/index.html".
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Tolkein, Dungeons and Dragons enthusiasts
Access: zebedee.city.ac.uk 7000
Zebedee is a popular MUD located in Britain. It was started in 1990, and has all the development of a five-year old project. The theme is very much the medieval role-playing game style, with TSR's Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, J.R.R Tolkein's Lord of t he Rings, and TSR's Dragonlance and Warhammer series among the dominant influences. The MUD is quite polished, with a large town system including banks and shops, elaborate spells, partying, player classes, and bounty hunting. The players are competitive and game oriented, but can also band together. The Legends system is used to give senior players a rank and abilities in the MUD whether or not they participate in coding the actual game.
Type: TELNET site
Audience: ?
Access: realms.dorsai.org 1501
Realms MUD, was founded in 1991 and has since run at the Dorsai Institute in New York. It is a large LP based MUD with 100+ players on in the peak hours of the early evening. The world runs with 9 guilds, many different races, optional player killing, 50 player levels, and the option to be a multi-guild player at level 30. The current Realms computer is a Pentium 90Mhz (owned by the players) with 32Megs of ram and a 1 Gig hard drive. With over 100 users, the MUD uses approximately 40% of the cpu power; hence, they are eager for more players, and have no machine-based lag. New players start out as adventurers, which on Realms MUD is a temporary guild. Realms has been written up in NetGuide. The MUD World Wide Web site is "http://www.dorsai.org:80/~james ".
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Gamers
Access: csac.rutgers.edu:4000
Ancient Realms is a general theme mud. They have more fantasy areas than modern, and do not currently accept modern setting areas from builders. The only ones they currently have are stock>. Their code is Envy, and they will be upgrading this to an enhanced Envy 2.0. They are looking to attract new and experienced players. Here are some of the features they are advertising:
* Friendly newbie assistance
* Use of purgatory for newbies
* Friendly player atmosphere
* Lots of areas (Stock areas & New areas)
* Original races
* Battlefield and Arena for Player Killing
* Player/Administrative mailing list for Mud enhancement
discussions
* OLC for Building
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Gamers
Access: mud.inna.net
5000
Dragon Realm MUD has been running for three years now, and is finally ready for primetime. With a user base of over 100 active players, and 30 active coders, Dragon Realm has grown to encompass over 1000 virtual "rooms" , with 5 major areas of exploration. Dragon Realm has 5 active guilds, and a choice of over 10 unique races, each with their own skills, histories, and leaders. Originally, built from the Nightmare 3.2 mudlib, Dragon Realm's mudlib has been re-coded to give a more user friendly interface for players' enjoyment. Dragon Realm is primarily a fantasy, D&D style, MUD.
Check their website for more details: http://www.bqnet.com/dragon/
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Writers, academics
Access: 128.148.37.8 8888
The HyperText Hotel is an attempt to render hypertext fiction into the MUD environment. As a pioneering effort, the MOO makes some interesting adaptations to interactive fiction, though the experimental nature of the MOO creates a slightly unpolished fee l. The typical MUD room exit system has been replaced by a "follow" command. A section of text is presented to the user, who then has the option to make a comment on the text, read others' comments on the text, or follow a series of links. In the more o utgoing sections of the MOO, users are even permitted to add to the text at each location, creating an ongoing collaborative fictional work. Occassionally, the exits become circular, which can provide interesting insight into the concept of "re-reading", but can also become repetitive and tedious. The more exciting experiences usually take place while a group simultaneously reads through a section of the MOO.
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Academics, Cultural theorists
Access: telnet hero.village.virginia.edu 7777
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Academics
Access: moo.du.org 8888
Diversity University is probably the largest and most elaborate academic MUD project going. The MOO has host of interesting adaptations of academia to MUD's. A large dedicated staff takes this front runner of the academic MUD world very seriously. The t one of the MOO is strictly academic. Diversity University also engages in extensive collaboration with other academic MOO's. It has a direct walk through link room for users to move between academic MOOs. Several organizations are associated with Diver sity University, including the Global Network Academy. Regular international conferences are held online. The MOO is looking to soon run full credit courses entirely online. Only those involved in education are able to apply for permanent user accounts. Guest accounts allow viewing.
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Italian speakers, cultural explorers
Access: little.usr.dsi.unimi.it 4444
Little Italy is the only mainly Italian MOO, with a user base of more than 2250. The MOO has a social orientation, with the emphasis on exploration and interaction. Features of the environment are a cathedral, vehicles, and an airport. With a view towards cultural exchange, the users are encouraged to be friendly, and to interact in the multi-lingual environment dominated by the Italian language (though you can safely assume that all of the users speak a certain amount of English). The user population is about 70% Italian, 30% foreign (ranging as far as Australia and the United States). Little Italy has a World Wide Web page at http://little.usr.dsi.unimi.it:4444.
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Academics
Access: tecfamoo.unige.ch 7777
The TecfaMOO (Technologies de Formation et Apprentissage) is a virtual space for educational technology, education, and research at the School of Psychology and Education, University of Geneva, Switzerland. TecfaMOO has a World Wide Web support page at " http://tecfa.unige.ch/tecfamoo.html". The project was started as a small informal project in the fall of 1994. Currently Tecfa has been using the MOO as a tool for their own teaching and research. Since April 1st 1995, Tecfa has been the main technical vector for European researchers and practitioners in Educational Technology. Tecfa is slowly bringing out a World Wide Web component to the MOO (opened in the summer of 1995). Areas of concentration in the TecfaMOO are: virtual meetings, virtual tutori als, studying the "textuality" of text-based virtual reality, encouraging collaborative work, and social and political dynamics in virtual communities.
Type: TELNET site
Audience: All MOO users
Access: telnet moo.cs.uwindsor.ca 7777
The School of Computer Science runs this MOO out of the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The MOO is very loose in both its theme and its restrictions. The basic geography depicts a University campus, but expands into whatever its users can think of. All users are granted programming permission, and are encouraged to try out their various levels of skill in creating new things to do and play with. Generally between 15 and 20 users are connected at any one time. The tone is informal, and encoura ged to be playful. There are many games, and some interesting innovations in the MOO world. UMOO has a World Wide Web support page at "http://janus.lamf.uwindsor.ca:7777".
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Actors, Theatre enthusiasts, academics
Access: telnet uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu 7777
ATHEMOO is a professional community where people interested in theatre go to exchange information, have meetings and learn about MOO technology and its uses for education. ATHEMOO went into operation on 1 June 1995, and was developed under the auspices of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) with support from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. An international online discussion held as part of the Australian Computers in Education conference lead to a weekly conference held on Tuesdays at 6:00 pm EST. The administration hopes to explore the possibilities of a virtual theatrical space on the MOO.
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Students, Academics
Access: speakeasy.org 7777
The Puget Sound Community School Virtual Education Environment (PSCS VEE) supports the mission statement of the Puget Sound Community School: to be a "shcool without walls". Students work on the MOO both as its creators and as students within it. The PS CS VEE replicates the greater Seattle area, though classes may eventually be offered to those outside of Seattle. The MOO opened in June of 1995, and has steadily integrated MOO technology into its educational purpose. Information about the Puget Sound Community School can be found at "http://www.speakeasy.org/~pscs".
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Academics
Access: ccat.sas.upenn.edu 7777
PennMOO is the virtual academic environment of the University of Pennsylvania. Its users are comprised of faculty, staff, and students. PennMOO exists as both a social and an educational facility, and serves a variety of scholarly, administrative, and e ducational projects of the University. One of its mandates is to encourage the interaction of the different faculties and departments in the University. Various Arts and Sciences use the MOO as a supplement for their courses. Users are identified by re al name and nicknames, and set their background and interests for others to read. The MOO landscape emulates the University of Pennsylvania.
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Academics
Access: Athena.edu:8888
Virtual Online University (VOU) sponsors the Athena University institution of higher learning and, Athena Preparatory Academy, a K-12 educational resource.
Athena University is staffed with its own faulty as well as cooperating with other existing institutions. Athena offers a full Liberal Arts curriculum, with a full course selection in all of the popular humanities, from English Literature, to Women's Studies, to Fine Arts. A course catalog for, and full information about, the Virtual Online University has been erected as a World Wide Web site at "http://www.athena.edu". Although Athena University has not been granted accreditation yet, they are actively seeking it from North Central Association of Colleges and Universities, and work with individual students to transfer Athena University credits to other accredited institutions.
Type: TELNET site
Audience: Speakers of English as a second language
Access: schmooze.hunter.cuny.edu 8888
schMOOze University opened in July, 1994. It was the first networked virtual reality designed for students and teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Julie Falsetti, a teacher of English as a second language had been MUDding from almost day one, and sought to expand her teaching into the MUD environment, but found that English MUDs were too difficult to use for non-native speakers of English. Her experience lead her to start schMOOze Univeris ty, which is used as a place for users to chat and hold classes in a "friendly, supportive environment". All communciation takes place in real time. Among the adaptations of English teaching to MOO are language games, an authorable grammar maze, classroo m facilities, USENET feed, gopher access, and an online dictionary. Currently schMOOze University is home to 300 permanent players from over 30 countries.
MOOphoria is a new MOO which features "free ear cleanings for all new players and a variety of interactive games. (Scrabble, KaBoom, Card Guppies ...)" The wiz staff is helpful, patient and have only one known vice of hanging out with drunk kangeroos on Thursdays. Of course the kangeroos were sober before the wiz staff joined them. ;) Contact Renee Davis for more details.