Forbidden Realms

Multi User Games

Gazing out of the window, the tamous [and modest? - Ed.] MUG writer and journalist wondered how he would introduce his next article. Perhaps he would write a dark, futuristic introduction with rumbling machinery and ominous technology, 'Perhaps not', he thought, 'I'll leave that for another day'...

Quite a bit of news and information around, and we have the all-new, updated, and generally fiddled about with Crypt, providing more information about the systems than ever before! (gasp).

Synergy

Having undergone a name change from the provisional Titan to Synergy, the system is now available (after a number of technical hitches). As the system is currently undergoing testing not all the hosts are available, although both Avalon and The Spy should be running permanently. The system has 8 incoming lines fitted with quad speed modems, so all speeds up to 2400/2400 are supported (1200/75 has a minor bug which seems to be modem related so you are advised to use the higher speeds if you can, but then you would do that anyway wouldn't you?). Charging costs are 25p an hour, £10.00 for a month, £25.00 for a quarter or £200.00 for life membership. New users get 5 hours free play to look around the system.

The Spy

The Spy is the beginning of a new MUG experiment that I hope to be continuing with soon. The idea is to provide a multi-user game with a semi-graphical user interface (similar to that found in the games Hack, Moria, Omega and so on). The Spy is a maze-war game in which players take on the roles of espionage agents with a mission to simply kill off the other agents. To help with this aim each spy is provided with a gun and a supply of grenades. To play The Spy you will need a terminal that accepts either Heath/Zenith Z19 codes or DEC VT52 codes (the two standards are almost identical).

IOWA

Mail

Well the IOWA mail system has undergone a number of changes recently, the Xmodem routines have been sorted out and a number of downloads are now available (the selection is growing steadily, and all files available for download are checked for viruses first). The last remnants of the charging system have been removed, so no more silly messages pop up about how 'overdrawn' everyone is.

Parody

A provisional Parody update has been installed, mainly to correct a bug that meant the help files had to be withdrawn to prevent the game crashing. Yes, you can now use HELP within Parody and find out what spells you bought REALLY do. I have cleared up a number of bugs recently, including a latent bug in the puzzle interpreter, and sorted out the interaction code so that the messages now appear correctly (will wonders never cease?). Hopefully, the game should be a little more stable now, and stop crashing all the time! The next update should include several new extended sections, including a castle in the clouds, more minor puzzles to help out new players (a suit of armour should be available to provide protection to those who need it), and with any luck I might just fix some of the remaining bugs too...

Chaos

A test version of Chaos (World of Wizards) is up and running. Chaos is an on-line updatable game, and as all players start out with full wizard powers, any player can create their own objects and locations. Thus, rather than spending their time madly dashing about trying to score points, players can engage in the gentle art of creation, designing game sections and linkin@ them in for others to see. As well as a peaceful distraction from the mayhem of playing a 'real' MUG, Chaos should be an interesting long-term project as the game unfolds in the way the players themselves wish!

Current discussions on the system include one on how players should be rewarded for their efforts, and how to ensure the game does not grow stale by encouraging players to form alliances, and perhaps battle it out with opposing alliances (in the form of destroying or 'acquiring' locations and objects belonging to your enemies to reduce their power and influence over the game). If this is well implemented it could make Chaos extremely interesting as alliances shift and diplomacy replaces treasure-hunting. The actual methods of implementing these ideas have yet to be decided upon, and so anyone with a few good ideas has the chance to lay them on the table for all to see, and maybe influence the way the game will be. A manual for the actual language behind Chaos should be available for download from the mail system once it is complete.

As this is a very early version it does not have a full set of commands (yet), and does seem a little fragile. Chaos has recently been given it's own host port (it was previously using the Empyrion port, as Empyrion is currently undergoing a rewrite), and so is available by typing /chaos.

Lap of the Gods

The Butler

The Gods front end (The Butler) seems to have undergone a fairly substantial update, several new features have been added, and the system looks much neater. The system now informs you if there is new news since you lasted called, and there is a help sub-system which provides help on the available commands as well as various bits of information about the system in general. A new game (Future Life) is now available from the Butler, but I have been unable to have a look at it yet (maybe I ought to send them some money sometime...).

The Void

Both the realms of Narnia and Isostellar have been added to The Void, and are being developed as and when Dirk has time to whack in the areas. There are now seven realms available, filling up an entire transport booth, so it seems likely that the second booth will be opened for business fairly soon.

A confirmation of the fact the The Void is moving. Currently based in Bognor Regis, it will be moving to Worthing, and the new number (the lines are supposed to go in on the 16th of September, but the usual BT delays can be expected, however hopefully they will be in by the time you read this) is (0903)-700737. Once the move is complete, Dirk hopes to have a bit more time to update the system, so hopefully we will see some more advancements fairly soon.

Shades

Apparently East Grinstead Shades is down due to system trouble, it appears the game got slightly scrambled, and Hazeii has not had time to sort the problem out and rebuild the game.

And...

Well, that's the round-up for this issue. Just a reminder of where you can contact me, either on the OWL Service bulletin board (mail to Blane Bramble), or on the IOWA mail system (mail to Geolin), messages left other places you see my name might get to me, but it could take a while...

As a last closing piece, last Saturday (the 8th of September) I was invited along to a Shades meet in the Sols Arms (near Warren Street Tube, in London). Now, I never really played Shades, but as I was invited by a friend I wandered along anyway. The summary? A good fun evening, which perhaps could do with a bit more publicity to bring in more players from other games. Mind you, it might then require a bigger venue...

BLANE BRAMBLE