Basic Mud Information

Lensmoor is a MUD, or Multi-User Dungeon. The term is a bit antiquainted, but it's what we're used to. Another description would be a text-based online roleplaying game.

Mud Basics

At the very basic level, a mud is a virtual, text-based world. Different muds can be set in different places, times, or styles, and the virtual world reflects this. Lensmoor is set in a medieval European setting, where magic exists, and brave heros do battle with vicious monsters for the survival of their civilization.

When you log onto a mud, you create a character. This character is how you interact with world, which include the places, inhabitants, and virtual objects. The basic idea behind Lensmoor is that the characters are adventurers in the world. They set out to explore the world, hoping to earn fame and fortune. Of course, sometimes, someone else who already has fame and fortune will try to stop you from getting it.

Each character has certain attributes, which defines how they appear and behave in the world. These attributes include physical and mental attributes (how strong or smart you are), your level (a fairly abstract representation of how powerful you are), your race and sex (chosen when you start the game), how much experience and money you have earned, and what skills and abilities you are familiar with. As you progress through the game, these attributes will all improve.

There are 4 basic concepts to understand on a mud. The first of these is how to communicate with the other players. Knowing how to communicate with other players allows you to ask for help, cooperate, share knowledge, and generally makes the game more fun. There are 3 main forms of communication. Talking in the virtual world (the 'say' command) allows you to send text that everyone in the same room as you will see. Channels (the 'gossip' command) allow you to send text that everyone else in the game can see. Private communication (the 'tell' command) allows you to direct your messages to particular players. When other players use these commands, you will see the name of the player who did it, and what they 'said'. You can get a list of who is playing by typing 'who'.

The second concept is the concept of rooms, and movement. When you are playing on a mud, you are only in one room at a time. Rooms are how the game breaks the world into manageable chunks. You can (under normal circumstances) only interact with objects and characters that are in the same room as you are in. Rooms have 'exits' that lead to other rooms. These exits exist in 6 different directions, north, south, east, west, up, and down. By typing the direction you want to move, if an exit exists, you will move to the room that is in that direction. 'Look'ing in a room will show you what the room looks like, as well as which objects and characters you can see in the room with you.

Which leads to the idea of objects. An object is something in the world that a character can interact with. You can look at objects, pick them up, put them down, carry them around, put them into containers, and use them for a variety of purposes. The most used commands for objects are 'look' 'get', 'drop', 'wear', 'remove', and 'put'. Get lets you pick up an object that is in the same room as you, or that is in a container near you. Drop puts an object that you have into the room you are in. Wear (also hold and wield do the same thing) lets you use an object. Remove is used to stop using the object. Put lets you put one object into another. Only some objects can have things stored inside them.

Finally, there are characters. Character can either be players, or computer controlled 'mobs' (short for mobile). These characters are who you interact with in your adventures. Players come in two varieties. Players are people who play the game, while 'immortals' are players who run the game, and are staff. Immortals will help with questions about how to do things, but are sometimes prohibited from helping you do things. Players can help you with both, but sometimes are busy themselves. Mob's can exist for a number of reasons. The biggest reason mobs exist is to give players something to fight. You advance in the game by gaining experience, which is primarily done through killing mobs. Also, killing mobs lets you take any objects or money that the mob had. Other mobs exist to serve needed duties in the world. Shopkeepers, teachers, ferry operators, friendly healers, and bankers are examples of mobs doing jobs. While many mobs will say things, or respond to your commands, they're still computer controlled virtual characters, and with over 2500 of them in the game at the same time, you can't expect to get into discussions with them.

This should be enough background for you to have some idea of what is going on when you enter the mud, most players and immortals will help answer any questions you have. Good luck, and happy exploring.