I have played on Cuendillar for many years, as life permits. There are both good things and bad things to say about this game, but then, no game is perfect.
Cuendillar is a mirror world based on the Wheel of Time, but it lacks any of the characters from the books, and the historical events, and the names of all the noble houses have been changed. It is set well before 'The Eye of the World', the first book in the series, and has its own extensive history. The staff and players both have put a great deal of time and effort into creating this game, which has withstood the test of many years. Unfortunately, over time, the playerbase has dwindled, for what reasons I am not personally aware.
Cuendillar is a MUSH, therefore, it is very RP-oriented. There is no code, and no mob-killing. However, the game does have a very extensive chargen system, which I find personally to be fun to go through when creating a character. I'm particularly fond of the assets and flaws required to be set on your character, which helps flesh out your character concept considerably.
You also choose a number of skills, which become very useful in combination with the +roll system for spontaneous RP, as well as avoiding situations where twinking might occur. It's about as close to a MUD as a MUSH can get, in that sense. But rather than focusing on code strength so much, the code merely enhances and backs up the roleplay.
There is also a +roster system of pre-made characters, such as Sitters of the White Tower, other Aes Sedai and their Gaidin, and various rulers, as well as nobles, councilmen, Children of the Light, Queen's Guards, and every day commoners, which can be taken off the roster by players either for temporary purposes, for for long-term play. Obtaining a +roster character is as easy as requesting one, unless an application is required, and even the application process for a +roster character is not very difficult. When I first started playing there, I applied for the Queen of Andor off the +roster when the area first opened, and was approved. It's that simple, though they do require that you play a certain amount of time before you attempt to choose such a high-ranked character.
Currently, the areas open for roleplay on Cuendillar are Tar Valon and the White Tower, as well as Caemlyn and Cairhien. There are also plots that lead outside these areas. There was an attempt to start an Aiel area a while back as well, but that died due to a lack of a large enough playerbase to support the extra area.
While I have played on Cuendillar, the roleplaying is very good and high quality, and never feels like a waste of time. I've seen lots of things, from sweeping plots to plots that involved only a few people, to individual RP scenes behind closed doors. The players are generally very friendly, even if their characters are in opposition to one another. The plots are mainly player-driven, supported by the staff via requests for information and approval of said plots.
Cuendillar has a very long history, which is currently being recorded on the Cuendillar Wiki, and while the game's page here on Mudconnecter has not been updated in some time, the game is still active with RP to be had. Some staff members have gone, and new ones have replaced them, and there is a concerted effort going on to bring the game back to life.
From my experience, the staff have been very helpful, but not easily accessible to the players. You can't just page a staff member and ask what you want. You have to submit a request via the +request code, and wait for a response, which could take anywhere from a few minutes, to many days, depending on what is requested. Of anything on Cuendillar, this is the only major complaint I have about it. Beyond that, I think it's a great place to play!
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