TAPPMud is a computer game where multiple players interact in a
virtual world. For an explanation of muds in general I quote from the collection
of frequently asked questions about mud and mudding :
A MUD (Multiple User Dimension, Multiple User Dungeon, or Multiple User Dialogue) is a computer program which users can log into and explore. Each user takes control of a computerized persona/avatar/incarnation/character. You can walk around, chat with other characters, explore dangerous monster-infested areas, solve puzzles, and even create your very own rooms, descriptions and items. You can also get lost or confused if you jump right in, so be sure to read this document before starting.The complete FAQ and many more informations about muds and mudding in general can be found at http://www.mudconnect.com/mudfaq/index.html.
For a nice anecdote about the origin of the name, I quote Richard Bartle, co-author of the first MUD:
[...] I am WELL aware what "MUD" stands for, and maybe once every 2 months have to tell someone. The "D" does stand for "Dungeon", but not because the original MUD (which I co-wrote) had a dungeon in it; rather it was because there was a hacked-up version of Zork doing the rounds at the time, which bore the name "Dungeon". We thought that this program would act as the archetype for single-player adventure games, so we called our game "Multi-User Dungeon" in an effort to convey some feeling of what the program did. As it happened, the genre was promptly called "Adventure games" after the Colossal Caves game "Adventure", so we were wrong in that respect. By then, though, we had our acronym.
The world of TAPPMud is a fantasy world. You will find here fighters
in full plate armour, wielding their battle swords, as well as all kinds
of magic and magic users. This world has not been touched by any 'modern'
civilizations, nor has there been any such civilization in former times.
But this doesn't mean it is all hard and long work and there isn't any
comfort, the magic is able to give you nearly everything you want.
The landscape is split into eight continents:
These intelligent beings all tend to choose some kind of 'business' soon, they join a guild for learning specific skills. You'll see fighters, clerics, masters of several kinds of magic, and several others, but you should beware of thieves and the evil necromancers.
Now, what do all these people actually DO there ? The answer is simple: they do just the same things as in other worlds. They search for knowledge or treasures, for glory or sheer power. They love and hate, and have their cultural life, meeting in pubs or just chatting on the streets. Of course power or knowledge doesn't come easily, they have to solve quests for it. Doing so, they advance in experience and once they reach a certain level, they even might decide to become a wizard and then extend the world. On the other hand, they might go on gaining experience until they are allowed to join a second guild, thus combining the abilities of two professions.
Did all this sound interesting ? Then come in and have a look, either via telnet or using a Java applet.
