1.3 Midkemia Online: Who are we?
There are thousands and thousands of text based games available on the
internet today, so the question one must pose to themselves is: Why play
Midkemia Online?
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.
We looked at the vast majority of the other text-based games available
and sought to avoid the mistakes of our predecessors:
We operate on the Rapture code base, owned and operated exclusively by
Iron Realms Entertainment - we are not simply putting a new face on
another code base. Our world is created from the ground up.
We are the only (legal) text-based game on the planet that is based on
the world of Midkemia written by Raymond E. Feist
Our back-story doesn't change on our whims - you can buy it yourself at
the nearest bookstore.
Very few MUDs are truly multiplayer. They involve teaming up with other
players to attack a monster, or fighting against the computer for the
latest quest item (player vs environment, or PVE). There is nothing
wrong with this, and you will find some of this in Midkemia, but we also
have innovative player vs player initiatives. We are not solely 'another
computer game' - you compete against other players from all over the
world.
"But, I don't like fighting!"
Who said anything about fighting being the only PvP interaction we have?
Perhaps you want to be a politician, and rise through political circles.
Maybe you want to be a simple farmer, known for his dependable crop.
Perhaps you aspire to be the greatest swordsman since Prince Arutha
himself. The point is, because you are not bound by the hard coded
disadvantages of a graphical MMORPG, and with our free form emote system
and some roleplaying on your part, you can be whatever you want to be.
"Ok, but what if I really do want to be a great fighter? Fighting IS
allowed, right?"
Unlike other MUDs before us, we do not use a 'PK flag'. We believe that
every action has a consequence and sometimes that consequence is
violence. Therefore, we do not try to isolate our playerbase into two
categories - RP and PK. We have taken the successful Iron Realms combat
system and given it an entirely new twist. Like our Iron Realms
brethren, we still rely on an action/reaction system. However, because
of our pledge to make this realm feel as close to the Midkemia described
in Mr. Feist's books, we have taken this combat system to an entirely
new level.
HELP 13 will go into more detail on our combat system.
One important side-effect of this focus on player vs. player 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?
We provide the canvas. You provide the paint.
