Review Submitted By: catharsis
Author Status: Player and staff member
Started on Lost Wishes: 1996/1997
Submission Date: Jan 13, 2004
TMC Listing: Lost Wishes
The following review is the opinion of the review's author [catharsis]
and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff.
For myself this has been the most addictive game I have ever played,
over any other mud or even graphical game. The main reason for me is
that I know I will always be entertained if I log on, there is always
something to accomplish or do...even if all I want to accomplish is
to kill some free time. I have played every guild and took the plunge
a few years ago and became a wizard (builder - if not a very prolific
one)
The mud itself has more than 300 original areas (must be well over
15,000 different descriptions) and is divided into different domains
which can be accessed by self controlled boats, automated ferries
or by more magical means (wands of recall, spells, even boots
of recall). To make it less intimidating to new players after
completing mud school you are given a transport device and a list of
areas of note - newbie areas, shops, and common terms. To further
help people explore you can type areainfo to see the level ranges,
any secrets or quests in the area and a short description.
But with the number of areas you can always find a peaceful place to
kill and not have to worry about someone stealing all the kills.
Obviously certain areas are better than others depending on your
level, but also it depends on your guild as well.
On lost wishes there are currently 8 guilds - mages, clerics of
course, but also bandits, gladiators, werewolves, dragonspawn, golems
and elementals. Each guild has its own playstyle and also its own
special way of gaining experience (guild levels). For example,
gladiators gain the most from killing the biggest monsters while
being in different fighting modes and defensive modes, while
dragonspawn gain their experience by just casting their spells and
using their powers it doesnt matter to a DS what size the monster is.
This is just one more way that lw tries to promote player interaction
over player competition.
Of course competition has its place and to help with that there are
games to play like scavenger hunts (you have a list of items and a
time limit to obtain them), hit lists ( a list of monsters and a time
limit to kill them). There are also a number of toplists (level,
killers, explorers, heck even one for the most deaths :) ) which even
if you are a low level with enough work you can get onto them. Or if
you just like like keeping occupied while healing the natural way
(sleeping) there are word puzzles and poket poker games.
Then there is the overall atmosphere of the mud, and the interaction
of the players. There are a number of channels to access, the main
chat line, a line just for newbies (and the people that like to help
them), your own guild line, and if you like to roleplay there is an
RP line as well. Not to mention public boards to address everything
from certain areas, guilds, special announcements even a humour board
(for that extra special geek humour), and a flame board for when
somone or something is driving you crazy. And also to encourage
player input there is a bug/idea/typo command which allows you to
point out any that you see. These lists are kept on top of by the
wizards and you are usually rewarded (money based on level) within
24 - 48 hours if your change is implemented.
Overall, this mud has kept me entertained for over 6 years and kept
me coming back consistantly in that time. And if you are reading
reviews chances are you are looking for some entertainment as well.
So come give it a try, there are always people around to welcome you.
-Elder Warlord Catharsis, Gladiator of the Murmillons (Guild Leader)
