Review Submitted By: Gideon
Author Status: Player and staff member
Started on MUME - Multi Users In Middle Earth: 2000
Submission Date: Jan 20, 2006
TMC Listing: MUME - Multi Users In Middle Earth
The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Gideon]
and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff.
I played several MUDs before trying MUME. I remember my first
impression of MUME was that it's hard. By comparison, most MUDs are
relatively easy to learn, level up, and acquire items. And like a lot
of people, I initially lost interest and played other MUDs - MUME was
too big, too hard, and too complicated. In 2000, with the upcoming
Lord of the Rings movies, I decided to give MUME another try. It
didn't take long before I was a helpless addict, and the irony is
that the very same reasons why I left before are why I got hooked and
continue to play today.
It's too big! It's massive, detailed, sprawling...and it's
wonderful. I loved the Lord of the Rings and other books (The Hobbit,
Silmarillion, etc) and playing MUME has educated me with its
exceptional detail and adherence to Tolkien's vision. Minutia of
Middle Earth that I hadn't even begun to consider is illustrated in
exacting detail throughout the entire MUD. Areas, objects, and
characters, both central and peripheral to the story, populate and
enrich the game world. Grey Havens, Blue Mountains, Shire, Bree,
Fornost, Weathertop, Rivendell, Misty Mountains, Isengard, Tharbad,
Lorien, Fangorn, Rohan...and yes of course Moria, are all present and
ready to be explored. And MUME continues to grow and add new detail to
an already rich environment. I know because I am now one of those
people that help make it grow.
Yes it’s still hard! But that's the fun part. Yes, MUME is harder
(at the beginning) to play then most MUDs, but it is also much more
rewarding. Equipment is difficult to acquire, areas are large and
sometimes hard to learn, mobiles are very diverse in both description
and purpose. These factors come together to create a very challenging
environment. But you learn through others and personal experience, and
you start to acquire items and learn what you need to know to overcome
obstacles.
It is complicated! But that’s because it’s so elaborate! Think about
this - how many games have you played, learned everything there is to
know about it, and then become bored and stopped playing? For me, that
happens with most games. But MUME is much too complex to learn
everything about it. And even if you expertly learn every single
detail that there is to learn about MUME, there is the PK factor.
For some it is THE reason to play MUME. PK on MUME is incredibly
competitive. And MUME management has done a very good job of
maintaining the competitiveness. This doesn't mean that things are
balanced. In fact playing the dark races is significantly harder then
playing one of the free people races. But don't make the mistake of
thinking that darkies are weak. They just have a different set of
strengths and weakness. To paraphrase the matrix, if you see *a
dreadful Orc* then you do what I do, run! Seriously though, PK adds an
extra element of excitement to MUME that very few MUDs have been able
to accomplish.
The helpfiles are extensive and detailed. I highly recommend taking
the time to read as much as you can. If you need further help, try
asking a God or another player. The Gods on MUME are usually very
helpful, but will not reveal game secrets and will not directly
interfere with gameplay except under extraordinary conditions (bugs,
cheating, etc). There are also many helpful players, though at times
it may seem that there are few. Like any online game nowadays, MUME is
a collection of people and personalities from all over the world.
Expect to meet and talk with people you normally would never meet.
There is also a fair amount of roleplayers, though roleplaying is
not the focus of the MUD.
There are many classes, races and skills to choose from. Obviously
certain combinations of these are more powerful than others, but any
combination is possible and some players have turned MUME
multiclassing into an art form. Traveling and gaining experience in
groups is highly encouraged and in fact necessary in some situations.
The combat and magic system has the complexity and balance that you
would expect of a very mature MUD.
A few things to note before trying MUME:
- MUME has a large and active playerbase. I frequently see more that
100 people logged in. But if you are new to MUME, you will not see all
these people for many reasons. The main reason is because MUME
maintains a very strict race war separation. If you are playing an
elf, you will not see any of the darkie players in the who list - and
vice versa. In fact there are actually three sides to the war. You
also won't see invisible Gods that are logged on. Players can
optionally be incognito, and they also will not show up in the who
list. And if you're a lowbie, you can't see shrouded (similar to
invisible spell) people. There are many reasons why if you type who,
you might only see 50 people. But don't be fooled. You won't even
know that one single orc is playing until you are suddenly stabbed in
the back and die to *a dreadful Orc*! Trust me on this, they are out
there. - For reasons similar to what I've written above, MUME may not
seem newbie friendly. There are definitely worse MUDs, but MUME has a
challenging learning curve that might prove too difficult for some
people. There are newbie kits for players of levels 1 through 5, but
these are not automatically given out and every once in a while there
might not be an active God on to give out the kit. If you are new,
just be patient, read the helpfiles, and then look for Rangers or
Istari (players marked by the Gods as helpful and honest) who will aid
new players. - Reading the Tolkien books is not necessary. The books
provide familiarity while adventuring through MUME, but any critical
knowledge needed for playing MUME can readily be gained from playing.
Of course I highly recommend reading the books, but this has more to
do with my opinion of the books themselves, then out of gameplay
necessity.
I am thoroughly taken with this game and the people that play it. For
me it has become more then just a game - it's a social experience. No
I don't take the game too seriously, but I do take the people
seriously. I count them among my friends and acquaintances. And if
they are playing an opposite side, they are temporarily my enemy.
Briefly about me: I started playing MUME regularly in 2000. I am
active as both a player and area builder. Everything I've written
above is based purely on my own personal experiences with MUME as both
a player and builder. I do not speak for MUME management and nothing
I've written above should be construed as such.
