Review Submitted By: 'Kolem'
Author Status: Player
Started on Cleft of Dimensions: At least three years ago.
Submission Date: Oct 9, 2009
TMC Listing: Cleft of Dimensions
The following review is the opinion of the review's author ['Kolem']
and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff.
I have played the Cleft for more than three years running, at this
point. In that time, I have seen some of the most dedicated, patient,
impressive brainstorming for a better player experience of any
community I have ever been involved in; a process which shows itself
rapidly if you stick around for more than a week.
Developers are always open to players both through the game itself
and through a notice system in the game--and they're constantly on
the prowl for ideas for improvements. In the introduction tutorial
area, players are taught basic mud commands--and commands which have
diverged and grown from stock to permit a unique and diverse world
crafted partly in nostalgia gaming and partly with a spirit all its
own.
There are no less than four secrets to discover in the simple
tutorial zone, hidden as rewards for new players who take the lessons
there to heart: this is part of the overall feel of discovery this
game can permit. There are comprehensive helpfiles, as well--one for
each skill and spell a player learns, in addition to the broader
helpfiles for commands and categories.
As for the classes of the game, each one has a distinctive and
impressive specialty all its own--familiar ones like the regenerative
healers ranging to weather manipulation and monster mastery.
Speaking of the monsters, each mob is distinctive, and there is an
ongoing effort to make combat more interesting--while this is most
evident with the jaw-dropping confrontations that occur after breaking
through a particularly challenging temple, maze, or forest, some of
whom are most effectively fought by means outside of automated combat,
even everyday enemies are often given complicated, interesting tactics
and behavior.
The world is sprawling, diverse, and often in development; designers
continue to craft new cities and areas as well as redesigning them to
be more player-involving. A wide variety of environments exist in the
Cleft, from the depths of the bottom of the sea to labyrinths of the
highest caliber to even the unyielding mountaintops--and beyond!
Adventures in the cleft are as varied and as interesting as the
people who play it--Are you an investigator? Do you spend time
gathering information? Dozens of hidden treasures are scattered
throughout the world, whispered of in forgotten lore! Are you a
warrior who loves the challenge of a fresh fight? Try Smash Stadium, a
carnival challenge to test your might! It's this amazing diversity
that helps pull the cleft together. Almost every inch of the world is
engaging and exotic, and there is a continual effort to rejuvenate old
areas along with the construction of new ones.
If you play muds, and are bored of standard grinds, procedures, and
kill X for Y, explore the Cleft. I hope to meet you there.
