Any fans of text based games here? MUDS, MUSHES, MUXes, etc? I've been playing these since the early 1990s and I always come back to them, WoW and other graphical games can only offer so much!
If you are unfamiliar with these types of games, they are (usually) free to play, are based on a person, or a group of people's creative output (or they are based on some other theme like Starwars, Startek, Books, etc). Essentially, you can create a character in a totally original world written (usually) by another person or group of people.
Different Platforms:
MUDs - These types of games are traditinally hack'n'slash, where you go around and kill monsters or other players and gain levels..usually not a lot of depth to MUDs, but I have played on a few that incorporated role-play into them. These generally rely on hard-coded serverside systems.
MUSHes & MUXes - These are vastly different from MUDs, they essentially have a more open environment based largely on softcoded systems (in game code) rather than hardcoded ones (server-side). I prefer these types of games because they focus more on Role-Play and storylines...developing a character through interaction with other character and usually no monster/npc type combat (though some do offer this type of combat).
There are also MOOs and MUCKs, but I am not very familiar with those.
If this sounds interesting, I'm in the process of developing a game with some other folks based on the Egyptian theory of Duat (the underworld). I'm mostly on the codeside of things, but it is all a very interesting concept. Come check out the website, and maybe stop by to and check us out! If you think it would be interesting to learn how to build and create things on projects like these, let me know, and you can help us develop the MUSH. Our website for now is: http://duatmush.homelinux.com (yes it's frihosted).
HOW TO CONNECT
These games are connected through your local telnet feature. If you use windows you would simply go to your RUN and type telnet, which will open a window, and then input the MU* address into the connect bar. However, there is software specifically designed for these games and a great program is SimplMU* (which can be downloaded from: http://simplemu.onlineroleplay.com/download.html. If you're a linux user, you probably know what telnet is, I haven't been able to get SimpleMU to run successfully through wine yet, but there are other linux native MU* programs out there. i well check that site out now thanks for the information
URGHH, i played a text based game before. Its VERY difficult, you start in the game, and its like "your in a room", n you type stuff like "fly" n crap. Honestly, i don't recommend these type of games, unless you rather use your imagination then actually witnessing movement. Kinda hard on the eyes too lol
| Zuex wrote: |
| URGHH, i played a text based game before. Its VERY difficult, you start in the game, and its like "your in a room", n you type stuff like "fly" n crap. Honestly, i don't recommend these type of games, unless you rather use your imagination then actually witnessing movement. Kinda hard on the eyes too lol |
lol thats very funnyYeah, the games are for the more educated people of the world...that's for sure. There isn't much "leet" talk or "owned" in it, so if that's the way you roll...please stay out. 
I tried it, but I found it rather boring because I couldn't interact that much with players there.
Maybe because of the server, I only tried one, SMAUG-based, not that crowded.
Anyway, if I want to read, I prefer books, if I want to play, I'm quite used to graphics. At least icons like on cards (you know... offline. not on the PC. the paper-thingys).
| Sphaerenkern wrote: |
I tried it, but I found it rather boring because I couldn't interact that much with players there.
Maybe because of the server, I only tried one, SMAUG-based, not that crowded.
Anyway, if I want to read, I prefer books, if I want to play, I'm quite used to graphics. At least icons like on cards (you know... offline. not on the PC. the paper-thingys). |
No problem, at least you tried! Like I said, they aren't for everyone. It does take some imagination, whereby today's graphical games seem to have hindered the youth of today's creative output. I love my share of graphical games as well...I've played just about everything under the sun, but for me (probably a sense of nostalgia) these text games always bring me back.
If you enjoy reading books, then that is basically what a text game is...a book, except you get to play an actual role in the book and watch the story being written around you...that is the true allure.
And as for your SMAUG experience, that is too bad...there are some great games out there with tons of players online...the entire nature of the MUSH/MUD is centered around player interaction (MUD stands for Multi-User Dungeon, and MUSH stands for Multi User Shared Hallucination)I've been using Ancient Domains of Mystery (not multiplayer, but still excellent.) More info on the game here: http://www.adom.de It's a roguelike, which I find is a very good genre for the text-based game. It's a very interesting game, and is not afraid to be mean to the player. It's almost impossible to beat without a guide, but much more rewarding. ah..
there's one... and it's easy
game about "lying" yeah lying, protecting you and your teammates.
you can read the tutorial, role and roles on http://www.n-u-l-l.net/mafia/
it's irc based, but you can download the client too (the client of course easier to use, but have some drawback on it) - forgot the link btw...
you can join the game on irc://irc.irchighway.net/detcetorp, and typing !entermafia on the channel
but don't expect too much, sometimes the bot are missing, sometimes nobody plays the game, etc etc. if there's nobody named Orator or narrator on the channel, that means the bot are down.
usually people plays on 5pm (GMT), or 7AM (GMT), or just lurk on the channel until oratorbot said that a mafia games just started. | jsk02a wrote: |
No problem, at least you tried! Like I said, they aren't for everyone. It does take some imagination, whereby today's graphical games seem to have hindered the youth of today's creative output. I love my share of graphical games as well...I've played just about everything under the sun, but for me (probably a sense of nostalgia) these text games always bring me back.
If you enjoy reading books, then that is basically what a text game is...a book, except you get to play an actual role in the book and watch the story being written around you...that is the true allure. |
That's my problem with MUDs. I don't feel a bit like that.
I played Pen&Paper RPGs for a while and I like reading books, so it doesn't lack imagination here. But my problem with MUDs is: I can go north. I can go south, yea, and west, and east. And into buildings. And beat up animals. And people. But there's no story, it feels for me like a big sandbox with a few quests sometimes.hey, have you played Counter-Strike-text-mode?
- You are a special forces police. You are in front of a warehouse. what do you do?
> GO LEFT
- You have been pwn3d by bot_Johnson. You lose. Ha-ha. I laugh
> ****** THIS GAME
- Command not recognised
> ****** YOUR MOM
- Sure? I think she'd prefer a real man.
>QUIT
| the_mister wrote: |
hey, have you played Counter-Strike-text-mode?
- You are a special forces police. You are in front of a warehouse. what do you do?
> GO LEFT
- You have been pwn3d by bot_Johnson. You lose. Ha-ha. I laugh
> ****** THIS GAME
- Command not recognised
> ****** YOUR MOM
- Sure? I think she'd prefer a real man.
>QUIT |
I must say, this is the weirdest first post I've ever seen. Alright then, I assume it's a joke... And I started up ADoM again... remains as addicting as ever. Thomas Biskup is working on developing a sequel to ADoM, JADE, though I haven't seen progress for a long time. | Sphaerenkern wrote: |
| jsk02a wrote: |
No problem, at least you tried! Like I said, they aren't for everyone. It does take some imagination, whereby today's graphical games seem to have hindered the youth of today's creative output. I love my share of graphical games as well...I've played just about everything under the sun, but for me (probably a sense of nostalgia) these text games always bring me back.
If you enjoy reading books, then that is basically what a text game is...a book, except you get to play an actual role in the book and watch the story being written around you...that is the true allure. |
That's my problem with MUDs. I don't feel a bit like that.
I played Pen&Paper RPGs for a while and I like reading books, so it doesn't lack imagination here. But my problem with MUDs is: I can go north. I can go south, yea, and west, and east. And into buildings. And beat up animals. And people. But there's no story, it feels for me like a big sandbox with a few quests sometimes. |
Right, which is why I prefer Roleplay-based MUSHes as opposed to hack'n'slash MUSHes. I have stumbled upon a new MUX that has a strong modern warfare theme and incorporates modern real-time simulated combat, amazing fun flying an aeroplane around and bombing other players in tanks twilightonline.org 2013 or http://twilightonline.orgI came to this thread to point out the awesomeness of roguelike games and was pleasantly surprised to find somebody had beat me to the punch.
| wombatrpgs wrote: |
| ... and is not afraid to be mean to the player. |
Does ADOM shatter your weapons when you attack certain, unkillable monsters? Does ADOM generate gnomes wielding wands of death? Does ADOM rip your legs off with beartraps? No, I don't think ADOM is particularly mean to the player. 
(And for those playing along at home, that's the Nazgul from ToME, a well known unlucky scenario in Nethack, and IVAN's actually pretty neat limb system. Although the item destruction in ADOM can be pretty nasty at times if you're not careful.) ADoM's the only one I've managed to play through all the way, and (I guess obviously) the one I like the most.
If you're looking for ADoM's particular brand of meanness... Opening doors to tension rooms in the Dwarven Halls for your level 15 character to face down 20 Greater Blue Dragons, any instance of the greater vaults of greater undead, item destruction via just about everything, gods accidentally missing a moloch and smiting the PC instead? I suppose roguelikes in general are all just plain nasty. Sort of a requirement of the genre.
Very good for people who like role-play, and I don't mind text-based games, but I do hate trying to remember where I have and have not been.
Thanks, intresting game it is!
let me checkin.~~
Reminds me of Thy dungeonman, a parody to text based games by Homestarrunner:
http://www.homestarrunner.com/dungeonman.html
Also, have you guys seen the text based Star Wars IV?
telnet://towel.blinkenlights.nl/
or if you don't have integrated the telnet:// protocol
cmd -> telnet -> o towel.blinkenlights.nl
(Vista users - telnet can be installed through the Add windows components feature).
EDIT
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It can also be watched here: http://www.asciimation.co.nz/ Heh, MUDs were so popular back in the day, not now know, you'll hardly ever see more than 10 people on the same server and all the servers seems to use the same codebase so it feels extremely repetitive. If you want to try it out though, google Mud Connect, it's a pretty good resource for MUD information.
Sounds cool... Downloaded. I'll figure this out when I have the time! 
Thanks
Good luck with your game! Personally I remember how much like books these text based games are, so I would much rather read books.
| enygmasoft wrote: |
| Personally I remember how much like books these text based games are, so I would much rather read books. |
I think you're thinking more of interactive fiction rather than eg MUDS.
But even so, come on ... interactive books! Web based text based games (or what to call them) have also gained popularity the later years. (They are not actually text based as the real ones where you type stuff, but there are no graphics at all).
I find these games quite boring, even though I know many people that are totally consumed by them. Rather stick to real text based games and graphics based ones.
http://www.wurb.com/if/ <- Baf's Guide to the IF Archive, it's an awesome site, almost any Interactive Fiction you can remember... | Zuex wrote: |
| URGHH, i played a text based game before. Its VERY difficult, you start in the game, and its like "your in a room", n you type stuff like "fly" n crap. Honestly, i don't recommend these type of games, unless you rather use your imagination then actually witnessing movement. Kinda hard on the eyes too lol |
lol
