1.3 ACHAEA
There are thousands of MUDs out there. Why play Achaea? What makes it different, and why is it consistently voted one of the top three MUDs in existence? Few MUDs are Original and Unique: Achaea is Both ------------------------------------------------ The vast majority of MUDs are based on only a handful of "stock" games on released code-bases - DIKU, LP, ABER, SMAUG, COLD, and more. Many of them are nearly identical with only superficial differences. They have the same classes/professions, same races, same cities, mountains, etc. You gain experience the same way, gain power the same way, learn skills in the same way, and solve the same quests. Most of their game worlds are pieced together with no theme or coherency. These crazy quilt, rubber-stamp-copy worlds have little to offer. Achaea set out to avoid that mistake! In Achaea, we fashioned a unique, original, detailed mythology and history for the Achaean realm, one that is reflected in the world itself. And we based it on a custom code base running on the Rapture engine. 2) Few MUDs are truly multiplayer. Most MUDs involve playing against the computer, either by yourself or in a team of other adventurers. You go out and kill monsters together (or separately). There's nothing wrong with this and we have some of this in Achaea too, but the point is that you're still playing against the computer and a computer is not nearly as interesting an opponent as a human being. In Achaea, the focus of the game is on interaction with other adventurers, whether positive or negative. Almost everything comes down to a focus on adventurer interaction, adventurer skills, adventurer competition, and adventurer cooperation. Skills and abilities interact in a very complex way, and are mainly useful in adventurer-vs-adventurer conflict. Cities and Houses and Clans and Religious Orders are all run by adventurers with only the absolute minimum of administrative oversight. The goals and motives of our groups are not scripted by some pre-defined set of rules! Groups choose their goals based on their own motivations and interests. It's really great! One important side-effect of this focus on adventurer vs. adventurer interaction is that it can provide for a very intense and emotion-laden environment. Beating a computer might feel good and being beaten by one doesn't feel great, but how much more powerful will those emotions be when your opponent is a real person and you're fighting (in whatever form) to defend yourself, your city, or your religion against truly capable enemies? Achaea provides a canvas upon which the adventurers may paint an interesting history.