Review Submitted By: Emerald
Author Status: Player
Started on Elusive Dreams: May 2006
Submission Date: Sep 8, 2007
TMC Listing: Elusive Dreams
The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Emerald]
and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff.
I’m not your traditional MUDder. Or then again, maybe I am. But
demographically speaking, I am a radical departure from the customary
MUD denizen. Behind this pointy-eared, mysterious golden path elf is
an old grandma to nine. I’ve been playing text-based RP games for
more years than I’m usually willing to admit. So for what it’s worth,
here’s a review by someone who’s seen more than her fair share:
I “retired” from MUDding about the time Elusive Dreams (or ED) became
a reality. What got me wasn’t the MMORGs or the DDOs or the other
graphic-intensive games. It was the plethora of stock games run by
selfish kids with a perverse and perverted autocratic control
obsession. Those kinds of games nearly decimated the classic text-
based MUD playerbases. People left the games in droves, many never
to return. I was one of them.
After eight long years in the 'nightmare', a happy coincidence gave
me a peek at a very unusual world. From the first screen shot, I
recognized the format, but it was apparent even early on that this
was a better “world”, more alive and vital than the ones I’d left
behind. And I was hit with a pang of homesickness that shocked me to
my core; I missed MUDding. I created my favorite character, an elven
mage, and the rest is now history.
Kayal, bless her heart, is the original Dreamer. She no longer walks
the Dream, but her presence is everywhere. Creative areas, colorful
rooms, attention to detail, and most of all balance. It didn’t
surprise me to learn that she’s nearly my age, and loves text-based
games as much as I. Every aspect of the game has been honed and
tempered to a fine edge by her artistic genius, her wisdom and her
passion. The players and the immortals have done an impressive job
of preserving the integrity of the game, her legacy to its future.
And Evirator; who put it together, and made it all work. If they
returned tomorrow, I think they would be proud of what the game has
become.
The TMC description will tell you it’s a stock ROM MUD, with some
original areas. For me, there was comfort in returning to play in a
game with familiar areas, where I knew where to go to train and grow
until I could fully get my MUD boots back under me. But in the 16
lives since I created, I’ve played nearly all of the original areas,
and they are far from run-of-the-mill. Evirator created two of them,
Seat of Power and Snakes and Adders (both complex puzzles for those
with a penchant for solving riddles). Central Nervous System (or CNS),
written by Twisty, then a medical student in neurology. Cat in the
Hat (another Twisty area), Acclimation (immortal Obscura), Amusement
Park with its challenging Haunted House (immortal Valkyl), Nightmare
Castle and Nightmare Village (immortal Merkath), Achar (immortal
Sinitron), Monopoly Board (Ramah), Gilda and the Dragon (Chipper).
The list is long, and the areas exceptional. The advance on the
latest new areas is impressive, including OZ, the timeless fantasy
that is as delightful today as it was when I was a young child.
The facts are in the description, but they doesn't tell you that role-
play is supported with very special areas designed not for the
experience or the equipment but for character development. Players
who breathe life into their characters on the red channel or the
message boards bring the Dream to life. It’s a game that can be
learned by the very young, and enjoyed most fully by those with a
little age, a little experience, and an appreciation for talent,
creativity, and thoughtful design. 'Homesick' MUDders, like myself.
If you’re thinking about coming back to MUDs, please give us a try.
You might find it quiet at first. But you'll discover a dedicated
and experienced playerbase, and they’ll welcome you into the fold
immediately. We hope you find a 'home' with us, share our pride and
our passion for one of life's rare and 'elusive' dreams.
Klah, my dirt-eatin’ muddy-buddy... Ya done good!
