Review Submitted By: Bit
Author Status: Player
Started on SlothMUD: Fall 1992
Submission Date: Dec 9, 2005
TMC Listing: SlothMUD
The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Bit]
and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff.
What can I say about Sloth? Well, I guess I started playing about 13
years ago now. It made quite an impression. It's the only game that
can make me want to start playing even after I've been mud-free for
several years. I've played other games, and even coded a few, but I
always end up wishing they were more like Sloth, or building features
that mimic it.
Why? Mostly because of the simplicity and enjoyment.
You can be four of eight classes. This diversity gives you great
flexibility to play your character like you want to. Almost every
character is a good character, but it's learning to be a great
character that takes time and skill. The difference is pretty easy
to tell. Generally speaking, the good characters will learn that
almost any character can do well in groups, and they will spend a lot
of time looking for one to join. The great characters are the ones
that learn to explore and level on their own. They're the ones that
end up leading the groups while the others wait for one to open.
The website contains a wealth of information. There's an extensive
equipment list that you can use instead of identify scrolls. It's
also great for planning what equipment you will need to make your
character the best it can be. There are maps of all but the newest
areas, so you can get in and out with a minimum of frustration. This
doesn't make the areas themselves less challenging, however it
removes the frustration of being lost and allows you to focus on
what's important. It also makes it less intimidating to explore, and
there's a lot to explore!
Another nice feature is not everyone looks the same. Not every
player is wearing the same helmet, the same sword or the same
shield. Partly because some equipment is in difficult areas that
require a group to acquire. Partly because mobs have different rates
at which they spawn equipment. Partly because some equipment requires
different kinds of characters to kill. And partly because there's a
wide range of equipment at all levels and there's very few items that
can be considered universally superior. This results in the most
functional economy of any game I've played.
Not everything is easy. You'll learn to make good use of recall
scrolls because death isn't painless. Running into a room naked to
try to grab your corpse out from under the nose of a big angry mob
can be challenging, though there's rarely a shortage of people
willing to help you. This adds a lot to the challenge of the game,
unlike some that I've played where you simply rest at the healer
until you're strong enough to go back into the area.
The game stays challenging. It takes a total of 200 levels (40 in
each class) to reach the highest Avatar levels. Avatar is a 5th
class that you can level in after reaching level 40 in each of your
starting classes. And even after reaching Avatar, there are many
more class combinations to base a new character on.
There's no roleplaying, and it really doesn't need it. It gives you
the freedom to be yourself and do what you want to do instead of what
you are told you should do. There's really no player killing. In
fact, the players are more likely to help you out of a sticky
situation than put you in one. There's no race system, but Sloth
does without it rather elegantly. Since Sloth has no roleplaying,
and your stats are ordered according to your classes, races aren't
needed.
Simply, Sloth sidesteps many unnecessary complications and
concentrates on elements that improve game play and game balance.
Of course, there's been many times when I didn't like a certain
change, but of all the games I've played, I can honestly say this one
has given me the most enjoyment. In the end, that's why I choose to
return to this game instead of the other wonderful games I've played.
