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The Avatar Gazette Vol IV, No. 2 June 6th 1997
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(A Sunlight Through The Shadows Production)
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The Avatar Gazette is published once or twice a month by AsaMaro in
conjunction with (and full permission of) The Avatar Staff
The Gazette is written in 100% pure ASCII to assure maximum
compatibility for all readers using whatever system they use
Subscribe by writing to gazette-request@walrus.com and including the
following in the body of your note: subscribe gazette AS <your email
address> <real name - mud name>
You can now view the newest issue of the Gazette online on Avatar
by typing 'help newgaz' anywhere in the game!
Telnet to Avatar at: avatar.walrus.com 3000
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The Gazette Staff - Editor: AsaMaro Co-Editor: Comwood
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The entire contents are copyrighted (c) 1997, Joe DeRouen and Kevin
Jagh, All rights reserved. Individual articles not written by Joe
DeRouen or Kevin Jagh are also copyrighted (c) 1997 by the individual
in question. Any unauthorized reproduction (or changing of said
contents) of the Gazette without fully expressed written permission
will result in prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.
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Table of Contents
-----------------
Page 1 Introduction
Page 1 Table of Contents
Page 1 AsaMaro's Editorial
Page 2 Comwood's Editorial
Page 3 Back Issue Information
Page 3 Avatar Web Page Information
Page 3 Angel Bio: Thandor
Page 4 Interview with Snikt by Barlof
Page 12 Second Time 'Round by Kundras
Page 13 A Day In the Life of a Magman by Glorfindel
Page 13 Mudder's Rhapsody
Page 16 Intellitech Walrus advertisement
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*
* Happenings . . . *
*
With this issue, Comwood joins the Avatar Gazette staff as Co-Editor.
Comwood should be a great asset to the Gazette, and, with his help, we
should be able to get this thing out on a more timely schedule. (Maybe
even the twice-a-month I used to do before real life got so . . . real!)
You might have noticed that only Comwood and I are listed as part of the
staff. Marat should be rejoining the ranks soon, but Contenda - long a
great help to both the Gazette and myself and a personal friend -
doesn't currently have the time to devote to it. That means, yes, we
need writers! If you write well, and can devote enough free time to
writing at least one article per issue, then we may even have a staff
position open for you. Write me at asamaro@walrus.com and we'll talk.
All other submissions, please write both myself (again, that address is
asamaro@walrus.com) and Comwood (comwood@escape.com) with your work.
Please send it to both of us, as one will catch it if the other is busy,
and it has much less of a chance of getting lost in the shuffle that
way.
That said, I'll end my editorial and urge you to continue onward and
read this month's stories and articles. Special thanks to Draeger - er,
make that Kundras - for his excellent contribution! Nice to have you
back, my friend.
--AsaMaro, June 6th, 1997
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*
* A New Arrival *
*
As AsaMaro has stated previously, I have joined the ranks of the Gazette
as Co-Editor. I am excited about taking on this new task of helping to
improve upon an already supberb publication. It is my intention to help
us to bring to you a bi-monthly edition of the Gazette with some new and
improved editions (what you ask... well you'll have to read to find out
:) ). For those of you who do not know me, let me tell you a little
about myself and how I came to play here on Avatar.
About 4 years ago I came from a once great MUD called DragonMUD. Before
that I had basically skipped from one small MUD to the next. Dragon
avged a good 80 players a day, which at the time was a phenomenal
accomplishment. When DragonMUD closed, I found myself at the doorsteps
to Farside. There I made a vow, "I will never play another MUD except
this one". FS was small compared to what Avatar is now. Heroes were
Heroes, no sub-levels. There were no Lords or Angels, and the Immortal
list was very small. In my tenure there I ascended through the Immortal
ranks to a Senior position and from there I saw the potential for great
things to come. Unfortunately before FS became Avatar, I had to leave
but I stuck to my vow and never played anywhere again. But before I left
I wondered to myself, "Would Avatar (FS) be as popular as DragonMUD once
was?"
I returned here maybe 6 months ago to find out that Avatar not only beat
out DragonMUD's popularity ten-fold, but also excelled at bringing more
of any game I know to the user. Somewhere in my mind I always new it was
possible, but I never imagined how quickly Avatar would become "The MUD
of all MUD's". I didn't have to look far though to see why it has become
as powerful as it has, just behind the clouds of the Immortals. Through
the years, they turned a great MUD into the best MUD, and I'm proud to
be (once again) a part of that staff.
Realize also that you the player have helped to make Avatar what it is
today too. Without your comments, without your suggestions and without
you losing yourself in this alternate realm we're just a bunch of
Immortals throwing lightning bolts at each other (yes... we really do).
Let us all work together to make Avatar an even stronger MUD then it
already is (avg. 500 by the end of the year? :) )
In closing I'd just like to say....It's great to be back. Oh, and look
for some stories about the golden age of Avatar (FS) appear in future
Gazette's.
--Comwood, June 6th, 1997
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Back Issues of The Avatar Gazette
Back issues of the Gazette are now available via anonymous FTP at
ftp.walrus.com /pub/avatar/gazette. There's a lot of other good stuff
available there as well. Check it out!
Avatar's Web Page
While you're scuttling about the Internet, check out Avatar's Web Page at
http://www.walrus.com/~avatar. Szi has recently added a lot to the page,
so even if you've been there you should definitely take another look.
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AVATAR ANGEL BIO:
Name: Thandor RL Name: Shane King Age: (Game) 146 - 258 hours (RL) 18
Race: Gnome Class: Cleric Current level: 800 (Angel)
Real life interests: Huh, real life, what's that? Oh you mean what do I
do when I'm not using a computer! Well computers are pretty much my life
at the moment ... yes, I'm your typical computer nerd I'm afraid to say.
I'm currently studying 1st year Science/Engineering (No prizes for
guessing what area I'm planning to major in :P) at the University of
Melbourne.
Well, my interests outside of computers I guess would be football (Aussie
Rules) and cricket. Oh and I do like role playing, and watching the
X-Files and the Simpsons (After all, I am Homer's Donut Angel!)
Advice to Players: Well, I give plenty while I'm on Avatar, so if you want
any advice, see me or another angel while you're playing and we'll try to
help out. Other than that, try not to ask everyone in sight to help you
level, get you equipment, etc etc, because you'll find nobody will ever
want to if you carry on like that. However, I would say almost NEVER knock back an offer of
assistance. Also, remember that people are more likely to group with you
if you have something to offer the group ... nobody likes someone coming
along for the ride who just sucks up xp. Convince the group you can help
them out (And if you can't help out a group, you don't suck - you probably
just have poor equipment - explore, ask around, look what other people
are wearing, and see if you can get yourself better gear. And there's
always the donation room if you're stuck)
Where Does my MUD name come from: Well, that's a long story. It's not
actually my invention, someone else came up with it first but I, um,
borrowed it :) However, I dont think I'll give it back, because I seem to
be too infamous on Avatar now to warrant restarting with a new name. It's
the old story of when you start your first character, you dont expect to
keep as long as you do. My plan is that one day you'll be able to look
Thandor up in a dictionary, and it will say Thandor, n. Donut Angel to
Homer Simpson! (Well, maybe not, but its a nice dream :P)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Interview with the Imp
By Barlof
In the past eight months that I have made Avatar my home, I have
witnessed tremendous growth and change in our beloved world. Perhaps the
most startling of these changes lies in amazing expansion of Avatar's player
base. Through the dedicated effort of the Avatar staff, the MUD's
popularity skyrocketed in the last half year. Player count grew as more and
more players visited and stayed after experiencing the quality of Avatar's
design. Today, the growth trend shows no sign of stopping. At writing, the
about 80 names grace the lordlist while the herolist reveals more than 1100
characters. With each passing day, more names continue to join these ranks.
Some amount of growing pains accompanies the rise in Avatar's
population. Tension blooms in some areas of interaction among players and
staffs. Issues such lord/hero leveling and game development stir sharp
passions and even sharper rebuttals. At certain times, the conversations
among competing claims resemble more like argumentative battles over
minutiae rather than like meaningful disussions of differences. I think
this is a shame. I think much of the tension stems from a general lack of
information. Avatar has many newcomers who do fully understand the running
of this MUD. Avatar also has many imms who are so busy that disemination of
information becomes a lost practice. As a result, many questions without
answers become sources of confusion and antagonism. You know these
questions as well as I: why is this done this way, is someone fixing this
problem, how come no one cares about this situation, how come my suggestions
are ignored, etc. etc.
This article represents my hope that a centralized set of answers will
quell many of the misunderstandings prevailing through Avatar. Snikt has
graciously alloted a significant portion of time from his busy schedule to
provide answers for my lengthy interview. While admittedly incomplete in
covering everybody's issues, I believe that the interview explores many of
the most important topics and concerns in Avatar. Snikt's comments offer
surpising revelations on many subjects such as his lack of desire to make
the game more difficult. His answers also point to many unnoticed
priorities such as securing funds for the maintenence of Avatar. I hope
that the readers of this article will leave with two distinct impressions:
one, the importance of money, especially contributions from players, to the
welfare of Avatar; and two, the proper manner in which to conduct productive
discussions on the Avatar listserv (subscribe to avatar@walrus.com or
hero@walrus.com). I have learned a tremendous amount from Snikt's answers.
I hope you do too.
Gazette> How many people serve as coders for Avatar?
Snikt> Mendek, DaWiz, Jean, Ironhand, Ferret and myself all have coding
access.
Ryu, Mistyblue, and Amadeus have all submitted code many times in the
past from their projects.
At some point Jubei and/or Archmage may come aboard.
Crom and Mega advise.
G> Are they all full-time participants in the coding process?
S> No, I only consider myself and DaWiz "full-time".
G> How are their projects assigned?
S> On a volunteer basis.
G> Do they work under a deadline on these projects?
S> No.
G> How were these people picked to serve as coders for Avatar?
S> Coding ability and dedication to the concept of Avatar 3-5 years from
now.
G> Is there a likelihood of increasing the coding ranks in the near
future?
S> Near future, no.
G> If a volunteer is interested, how would she go about to become a
coder for you?
S> Understandably, I have a great deal of trepidation in giving coding
access to other people due to the problems we've had in the past with
theft or defamation. Basically one has to prove that they enjoy
working with the team, working for me, and have loyalty to the concept
of Avatar.
Talent in coding helps. :)
G> In order, what are the three most important specific tasks facing
Avatar today? (This can be real life things like finding money or
game things like recoding spells)
S> * I would have liked for more players to help with the costs of
running Avatar, namely the monthly charges and the cost of the machine.
* Bringing AvII to daylight.
* Making the combat system work.
G> On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 as most important, how important is
class development on your list of tasks?
S> 8, but the priority of GETTING it done is much lower.
G> Why do you prefer to keep pure classes instead of development
towards subclasses?
S> Subclasses take (the best usually) skills from other classes and lump
them together. The concept of Paladins would destroy the desire to
play Wars or Clerics imho, as it generally takes the best from each.
G> How does this preference shape your vision for rangers, martial
artists, and psionicists?
S> It destroys it. The current implementations are pathetic. Envy Psions
are just weak mages with a bunch of skills that were renamed (from
mages, clerics and thieves). Mars were original (Strahd) but since the
developer of that class is no longer here, they have lost the driving
force behind them. Rans were submitted and the developer is also gone.
There is no energy, no vision, behind these classes, and no one has
submitted the code necessary to make them work. I can accept ideas and
revisions from others, but I'll end up doing the work to implement
them, and that is a fatiguing concept given how much else needs to be
fixed imho.
G> Of the effort made, martial artist (or hybrid) so far has received
the most discussion and attention-how do you feel about the proposals on
the table?
S> I've ignored them all and will continue to do so until Crom or Jubei
makes the final presentation for my review.
G> Are the efforts currently being made helpful to you in terms of
retooling martial artist?
S> Yes.
G> Do you really give a damn about Samurai's?
S> Yes, I believe they can be made to work, but I need to expend my
limited energy on other priorities imho.
G> What would be your personal ideal for the direction of martial
artist development?
S> Someone has to convince me how a Bruce Lee type would survive against
a SAME LEVEL warrior in magical accouterments or a mage blowing out
his mana.
G> How would you like to see rangers developed?
S> Rangers need to determine their nature. Druid or Ranger. They need to
have a strong enough background and skill set that makes it worthwhile
to develop them and yet doesn't blow out the war class. Combat mercs
makes this a hard class to flesh out imho.
G> And psionicists?
S> Without the concepts of telekinesis and/or mind control, Poisons lose
a lot of their stereotypical abilities. They need to find
justification in their other skills, which just aren't coded right
now. Imho, the only cool skills the Psions have had to be devved by
myself (transmute, detonate, deception)... all the others were
ludicrous and pathetic copies of other classes or simple stat
boosters.
G> Is class specialization and exclusivity important to you?
S> Yes. However, I feel it's important to allow multiclassing at an
exorbitant cost (mages swinging swords, warriors with spells). This is
shown in how the heroes continue to evolve.
G> If so, how do you think "class defining" skills and spells will
work out in future?
S> I want to have the "really cool stuff" class-specific, so that no
matter what level you are there will always exist some interclass
dependency.
G> Should Avatarians bother proposing new classes?
S> Yes, but ONLY if they make me SEE the class. I mean, if they propose
"Dargoths" I want to have a mental image in my mind of how a Dargoth
would react to various actions, and also, they need a fully justified
skill set, with skills or spells every level or so, and ones that
aren't copied from other classes.
G> If yes, what sort of class suggestions would be more welcomed than
other?
S> Only ones which meet the above criteria.
G> On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 as most important, how important is
race development on your list of tasks?
S> 8, but low priority.
G> You have demonstrated an aversion to new race proposals in the
past, why is this so?
S> I disagree. I welcome the concepts of Gargoyle and Griffin, I don't
welcome rehashes of Elves, or variations of sprites.
Again, races should be discreet from each other in a way that evokes a
well-developed mental picture.
G> If your answer is that you wish to avoid redundancy, then are you
planning on making changes to very similar classes such as the ogre,
troll, orc and trog?
S> Ogre - large carnivorous stupid humanoid, living in pairs or singly.
Orc - tribal pig-human. Breeds faster, dies faster. Better wars, worse
mentalists.
Trog - tribal subhuman. Think Neanderthal. Caveman.
Troll - This one is harder. There are two concepts at war. The `gaxian
rubbery, green trolls which regen and feel like squid, and the
Shanarran Rock Troll, noble creatures shunned due to their fiercesome
nature and repugnant ugliness.
Giants - Reclusive giant humanoids. May change this eventually to
concept of "Cyclops".
G> Would you be open in any way to new race proposals?
S> Certainly. Would like to see someone develop histories for all (I
think Ragnarok is working on this actually). Also, see comments about
Griffin/Gargoyles.
G> What sort of race proposals would you welcome seeing in the open
forum? (again assuming all are coherently argued)
S> Same development needs to be done as would be done for a new class.
G> So far, very little differentiates the races except stat maximums
and experience-do you see a move towards greater distinction between
races in the future?
S> Certainly. Eventually I will enable the internal clock to moderate
various racial functions (it is human moderated right now), such as
damage, gains, exp, tohit, etc.
G> If so, how would you imagine this would be done?
S> Charisma (to be implemented - tbi), will determine how a creature
reacts to you (ie, this concept will replace the concept of "aggie").
There will be a lookup function driven by racial antipathy.
G> Avatar is gaining more and more people with each passing day-on a
scale of 1 to 10 with 10 as most important, how important is
alleviating crowding to you?
S> Alleviating? I'm TRYING to crowd us. Crom is working on new designs
with Mega to ensure there is enough space for everyone without kill
stealing or bad blood.
G> There is an unprecedented number of heroes right now-would you
consider adding new areas for heroes soon?
S> Yes, but that is Crom's bastion of responsibility.
G> Will there be any new area added to Avatar in the near future?
S> Unsure, you should ask Crom. Everytime I consider doing one, something
in the code grabs my attention.
G> Are you open to submission of areas by heroes for Avatar now?
S> No, unless they are an Immortal. I feel it is a conflict of interest.
G> A significant part of the mob shortage comes from lord-led groups
sanitizing areas, will something be done about this contentious issue?
S> Yes, but I have not decided how to approach the solution.
G> Ranking between 1 and 10 with 10 as most important, how important
is raising Avatar's difficulty level right now?
S> 2.
G> What are some resorts that you are looking into to make Avatar
more difficult?
S> Actually, most of my current plans include making it easier for
intelligent players (note I said intelligent, not newbie, stupid or
cheating).
G> How near on the horizons are changes to death losses coming?
S> Hrm. Several months or next week, depends if the mood hits me. It's a
low priority until someone brags on channels again (tarzan) about
having 1000 deaths.
G> What would these changes consist of?
S> Making is so if you brag about 1000 deaths it means you've obliterated
your character.
G> Are the changes in death losses certain or are they open to
debate?
S> Since they don't exist yet, they are open to debate.
G> Given the choice, would you rather make dying more punitive, more
likely, or both?
S> Punitive, but only in the long run. Anything I do will affect all
players, not just the seasoned Hero, so this needs to be kept in mind.
I don't want to hurt newbies since they may just be getting a taste of
RPGing for the first time. It should be less of a challenge for them
as they learn the paradigms.
G> Besides combat difficulty, are you exploring other ways to make
Avatar more challenging?
S> I always am looking to improve the mud.
G> On an order of 1 to 10 with 10 as most important, how important is
developing the lord levels right now?
S> 10, but it conflicts with major priorities and efficiency. Any time I
spend on Lords I'm serving approximately 67 Lords out of a playerbase
of 7000 pfiles. While these are usually the most dedicated players,
that is a really small percentage when a fix to combat would affect
100% of the players.
G> Why is morph currently disallowed?
S> Because I haven't come up with a std. for it yet.
G> When will this problem be likely fixed?
S> When I implement the advance_reset concept into the code it should fix
it if I also have time to examine the long term gains of fMana classes
(spellcasters vs. grunts).
G> What is your global philosophy pertaining to the development of
different levels (low mortals, heroes, lords, etc.)
S> Depends on the mood. This is a difficult question to answer except in
broad terms as it is really too generic.
G> What can lords expect in terms of near upcoming changes to their
level?
S> Backstab increases.
Genesis and morph fixes.
More areas.
Better eq.
New skills as the ideas evolve.
G> Will lord play ever be made easier?
S> No, it is unlikely unless I have introduced a bug.
G> Do you have plans to speed up the rate of regeneration for lord
hit points and mana?
S> Only with the use of infirmaries at present. There is a possibility
that someone will come up with an acceptable skill also.
G> If no, should Avatar expect longer regen time to continue as a
trend?
S> No. Wasting 30 minutes regenning is boring, and was not the intention.
However, I don't expect to see someone level more than 3-5 times a day
as a Lord.
G> Will lordskills and lordspells be revisited for enhancement or
addition?
S> Always, just like the rest of the mud.
G> Are you open to the establishment of a lord forum of some sort?
(mailing list or lordmeetings or something else)
S> Yes.
G> In the past, you have been very accepting of multiplay-what shapes
your opinion on this matter?
S> I feel that we should develop a game based on player choice within
certain guidelines. If you want to play an Orc Mage, so be it. If you
want to play a Warrior with spells, so be it. If you want to solo,
tough, play Zork. If you want to multiplay though and solo that way,
so be it, I understand the difficulty in getting a party together (and
not wanting to kill them irl sometimes, let alone the game).
G> Discounting those who refuse, what do you say to those who cannot
multiplay?
S> What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to say to someone on a
timed link, or 2400 baud modem? I develop the mud to my own
specifications, "your" connection to it is your responsibility.
G> Do you think people who multiplay have a significant advantage
over those who don't, or do you think there's little difference?
S> Certainly, if your goal is to level. If your goal is to socialize,
well.
G> The trend on Avatar seems to be moving towards having multiple
drones for healing-is this a trend you welcome?
S> No. I welcome solutions that do not impinge on the choice to play
multiplay.
G> Your joking comments aside, how important is count to you and why?
S> Moderately. Count is an indication of how well we are "paid". A high
count indicates that we've done our job well, and we are trusted. A
low count is rarely indicative of a good administration, although it
can be.
G> What is your ideal count, or in other words, what is the target
you hope to reach for Avatar?
S> Depends. ;)
At various times in our history it's been 10, 20, 40, 80, 100, 150,
200, 300, 400, 500, 600. notice a trend? :)
G> Do you account for multiplay when you use count as an assessment
of Avatar's performance?
S> Rarely. When we disallowed multiplaying it was determine that it only
has a factor of about 15-30%.
G> How happy are you with the current use of Avatar's various
listserv forums?
S> They are doing what they are meant to be doing, discussions. One of
the legacies passed on to me by the old Imp and by the Merc team was
the concept of mailing lists for participants in the dev and playing
of a mud. I think it works out well for the most part, and enhances
the atmosphere, although there have been misuses at times.
G> The forums tend to swing between silence and discussion of the
minutiae-do you see any way of changing this?
S> No, although I would like to see forum more used. I doubt it ever will
be heavily trafficked as players only participate in the mud
environment once they are heroes (generally).
G> What sort of comments or proposals help you the most from the
listserv forums?
S> Comments - constructive comments are always welcomed, and ones with
solutions welcomed even more. Complaints are not welcomed if sent in a
derogatory or hostile manner, and/or they are sent without a proposed
solution.
Proposals - while it is my job to balance and oversee the mud, it
would help a GREAT deal if players would propose ideas AFTER
considering the implications to the mud at large, and how it would
affect the environment and balance.
G> What sort of emails do you most dislike finding in your inbox?
Twink ideas.
S> Complaints without respect or solutions for the recipient.
Email that uses "u", "2", "kewl" or horrible english UNLESS the sender
uses english as a second language.
G> There tends to be significantly more activity on the hero list
than the avatar list-do you see a merger of the two in the future?
S> No, I expect heroes to care more about the future direction of the
mud, and therefore they are privvy to information and discussion a
common player shouldn't have.
G> Or would the change be even more dramatic? (builders list, open
list, lord list, etc)
S> I need to set up a list for Mega and the other Builders.
The forum list IS open.
A lord list is certainly possible, but I need a builder's list first,
and the aliases are costing me money each month to maintain as it is.
G> Last question: you may be the imp, but Avatarians have a way of
being difficult or obstinate-what would be the one request you would
make to the people here?
S> Other than sending a least a post card to the Tshirt address to say
thanks for spending all the money and time that we have spent on
making the mud?
Hrm.
Continue to help us remain fair, to respect our game development and
help correct it when it needs tweaking, and to trust that we do this
to provide a superior gaming environment for everyone.
G> Thanks Snikt!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second time 'round
by Kundras
A steady rain fell from the wind-driven clouds cavorting across a
darkened sky. The weather was chill, and every so often the soft drumming
of the rain was interrupted by the loud report of an errant bolt of
lightning thrown by some nameless god. Folk huddled indoors and lit
candles to block out the night, while hapless adventurers caught in the
rain sought shelter beneath the spreading boughs of a huge tree. In short,
a more miserable night had not been known in the lands of Avatar for quite
some time, nor was it likely that such a widespread storm would reoccur
again soon.
At sea the storm's intensity seemed doubled. Blue-green waves capped
with frothy whitewater churned fitfully and flew many spans into the air,
whipped by the strong winds. These waves beat at the rocky cliffs of an
island that sat far into the southern sea. Upon that rocky isle sat a dark
keep, its aged stone walls weathering the punishment of the storm. The
image was one of desolation, but the keep was in fact very much in use.
"No, you fool, you're saying it all wrong!" wailed a short, wiry
creature that could only be a gnome.
"Me!" came back an indignant reply from another short figure. "`Let's
just come here and try it!' you said. Like raising the dead is really that
simple!"
"Well, it would be if you just got the ceremony right," came the
subdued, indeed somewhat miffed reply.
The second gnome gave a sharp snort. "What exactly _do_ I need to do
then?" he said acidly. He gestured to a table amidst a clutter of books,
potions, alchemy apparatuses, and other such miscellany.
The first sighed a put-upon sigh. "Look, its very simple. We collect
everything we can that represented the deceased," he explained, nodding to
an odd assortment of items lying on the table. "Then we chant the special
chant that _you_keep_saying_wrong_ and let the Gnomish Revival Table be
struck by lightning."
The second pawed through the collection on the table. Strange odds
and ends decorated it, from a glittering sunfire jewel fragment to some
motley fur that seemingly belonged to a wolf. The largest of the items was
a youthful fir tree, standing perhaps four feet high. Seizing one item, a
tattered book that looked to have been neglected for quite a while, the
second gnome muttered "Are you sure this guy is worth reviving anyways?
Looks like quite an oddball to me. Not properly gnomish at all. I think he
was human, even!"
"Yes I'm sure, you numbskull of an assistant! Now help me get the
ropes around the table so we can winch it up to be hit by lightning..."
Chaos reigned for a short period of time as the two gnomes tied
elaborate knots to thick ropes hanging from the ceiling. This done, they
scrambled over to a large winch, and proceeded to (try) to lift the stone
table. Apparently they forgot that stone is, in fact, rather heavy, for it
took much cursing and swearing before they got the table several feet into
the air.
"Now for the chant," the first declared, glaring at the second. "Do
it right this time!"
"All right, all right," the second grumbled. "Here goes :
Soul of the Past, Ranger of Yore,
Come again to forage and wage
War on all monsters that roar.
Once you built fair dwellings,
No longer is it so.
But still come again, as a ranger
and ... uhm... uhm. With your wagon..
Uhm.. No, its as a dragon, NO!, its as, uhm, its --"
Suddenly a bright bolt of light came piercing down from the heavens
above. The miraculous Gnomish Lightning Rod collected the lightning and
bore it straight to the table. A tremendous acrid flash lit the room,
throwing the two hapless gnomes into a heap on the floor. The candles
guttered and went out, and blackness took over the room. Almost. Slowly,
two red eye slits widened and stared neutrally at the cowering gnomes.
"Now you've done it you thickheaded buffoon! You've summoned up
Draeger as a Dragon!" shrieked the first gnome in terror.
The second opened his mouth with a sharp retort on his lips, (gnomes
seldom stop arguing), but was stopped by a deep, booming voice.
"Alive again! Never did I think that I would see the day when I would
travel the lands once more. I owe you thanks, my gnomish friends." the
voice said in what might be construed as a friendly tone. About as
friendly as a dragon can get, anyways.
The second gnome puffed up proudly. "It was all my idea to bring you
back as a dragon! I --" he halted momentarily at a kick and a furious look
from the first.
"-- Anyway, I, ah, h-hope your n-not angry with b-being a D- dragon,
Draeger!" the gnome ended, edging behind the first fearfully.
The dragon laughed, a strange sound. "I don't mind. Though the name
Draeger no longer fits. It was used by myself as a Ranger; and Draeger a
ranger will forever stay." The Dragon paused in thought. When he spoke, he
proclaimed it loudly, to the fitful skies overhead.
"I will call myself Kundras. Kundras the Dragon Mage!"
"So ends the tale of how Draeger the Ranger
(tired of no danger),
came back as Kundras, Dragon Mage."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"A Day In the Life of a Magman"
by Glorfindel
You try to stand and defend yourself against Glorfindel, but can't!
Glorfindel trips you and you go down!
Glorfindel's pierce ---=> ATOMIZES <=--- you!
Glorfindel's pierce >>> ANNIHILATES <<< you!
Glorfindel's pierce >>> ANNIHILATES <<< you!
Glorfindel dances away from you, then lunges back at you!
Your pierce decimates Glorfindel.
Glorfindel's pierce *** DEMOLISHES *** you!
You miss Glorfindel.
Glorfindel's pierce >== OBLITERATES ==< you!
Glorfindel has a few scratches.
Glorfindel's pierce >== OBLITERATES ==< you!
Glorfindel's pierce *MANGLES* you!
Glorfindel skillfully dodges your assault.
You miss Glorfindel.
Glorfindel's pierce ->>> ANNIHILATES <<<- you!
Glorfindel's pierce ->>> ANNIHILATES <<<- you!
You almost clip Glorfindel but he dodges at the last second!
Glorfindel's pierce *** DEMOLISHES *** you!
You are DEAD!!
How's that for you? A few seconds ago you were wandering
the volcano, peacefully. Magma flowing by like a swift river of
fire, the temple of Zin floating off in the distance. Life was
good. You had not a care in the world. Keyword in that sentence--
HAD. Everything was hunky-doary until, out of nowhere, this
experience-hungry adventurer comes running at you, sword drawn and
ready. Before you know it, you're lying on the ground making a
worthless attempt to defend yourself. Sure, you're a level 42
magman, but that doesn't help a whole lot. In a matter of minutes,
you're reduced to a pile of stinky magman-stuff. SLAUGHTERED, LOOTED,
and DISCARDED--what a life!!!
But that's not the end of it. As a registered mob of AVATAR,
you can't even appreciate the afterlife. Well, you can, but make it
quick-you've got 3 minutes. After that, you're ripped from your grave
and thrown back into the Trials of Zin like a fish is thrown back into
the sea. It'll be only a matter of minutes until, once again, a savage
group of level-crazy mortals hunts you down and beats you senseless.
They said the life of the working man wasn't easy, but come on!!!
You know, it wouldn't be so bad if the people just gave a little
appreciation for your efforts. They run around killing you, your friends,
and your family, and sure, they get stronger and more powerful, but what
do you get? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Players get HOGs when they
are temporarily given the will power of the gods, but this just makes them
even more blood thirty! As a mob, you miss everything. No HOGs, no
restores, no National Mob-Appreciation Day. The only time you can even
speak is when one of the immortals get bored enough to possess you for
awhile, and even that only ends up getting you killed more. Face it,
life as a mob sucks. And we wonder why there are so many aggies around...
So, the next time you go out mob-bashing, try to take into
consideration the stuff they have to go through. It's not easy being
a mob, so cut 'em some slack! Smile or say hello to the next mob you see,
before you beat them to a bloody pulp. Maybe strike up a conversation with
them, get to know your prey a little better. Who knows, maybe you'll make
a friend or two! Even if you end up killing them in the end, they'll
appreciate your kindness. Remember, mobs are people too!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Top 11 Mortal Peeves
Mudder's Rhapsody
'MUDder's Rhapsody' By: anonymous (shamelessly edited by SirChumz)
To the tune of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' By: Queen
Is this the real life,
Or a virtual reality?
Caught in a MUD slide,
No escape from this fantasy.
Open your eyes, look up at your CRT.
I'm just a MUDder,
I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go,
Gotta use my macro.
Any way the link goes,
Doesn't really matter to me... to me
Immo... I just killed a girl.
She had 'mudsex' with me,
Then I found out she's a he.
Immo... he was logging it
And now he's posted it on rec.games.mud...
Immo... ooh ooh ooh oooh,
Didn't mean to make you 'slay'.
If I'm not logged on at this time tomorrow
Deny me, deny me... and eat up all my items...
Too late, my account's run out.
They've kicked me off the net;
I've no client to connect.
Goodbye, everybody, I've got to go,
Gotta leave you on this MUD and face the school.
Immo... ooh ooh ooh ooh
I don't want to go.
Sometimes wish I'd never logged on at all...
(instrumental)
I see a silly char-description of a man.
Gotta MUD! Gotta MUD! Will you gimme some e-q?
'Thunderbolt', 'call lightning', very very frightening me!
TinTin++!! (TinTin++!) TinTin++!! (TinTin++) TinTin++, let me go.
Where did it go-o-o-o?
I'm just a MUDder,
lowlife of society.
He's just a MUDder,
Sitting at a CRT.
Spare him his eyes from radioactivity.
Easy come, easy go,
'Cause I've got a macro.
'Rebooting.'
No! We will not let it go.
'Let it go!'
'Must reboot.'
We will not let you go.
'Let it go!
'Must reboot.'
Will not let it go!
(Let it go!)
Will not let it go!
(Let it go!)
Will not let it go!
Let it go, go, go, go, no-no-no-no-no!!
It is lagging, it is lagging, it is lagging, let it go.
Some HERO chats that he'll do a CR for me, for me, for me!
(instrumental)
So you think you can *bonk* me and stroke on my thigh?
So you think you can slap me, pretend you are (HIDE)??
Oh, mudder. Don't do this to me, mudder.
Just gotta log out, just gotta get right off of this port.
MUDding really matters,
Anyone can see.
MUDding really matters to me.
Any way the link goes...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intellitech Walrus
------------------
As all of you have no doubt noticed, we're up on a great Internet site;
Intellitech Walrus! Lag has been at a minimum while MUD enjoyment has
been at a maximum, thanks to Snikt and Walrus owner Michael Rosenthal.
Intellitech Walrus is a really great system, not even considering the
MUD; for fifteen bucks a month, you get a shell account with a whopping
10 Meg of storage space. Who could ask for anything more? They also
have some great deals on PPP accounts and several other pricing levels.
If you live in the 212 New York area code, you should really check into
getting an account with Intellitech Walrus. Check out their web page at
http://www.walrus.com or call them at 212/406-5000. You can also
request information via writing email to info@walrus.com. Tell 'em
Snikt and AsaMaro at The Avatar MUD sent ya!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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